janisj

I personally don't think they are mostly employees, though some undoubtedly are.

I believe most are customers who are encouraged to post on line. Some even given credits for future bookings. I was on a cruise where that was pushed - write a great review on certain sites, and get an upgraded cabin on your next cruise.

NGail

I've traveled with OAT six times, and it was never, ever suggested that I post favorable reviews anywhere.
If you check OAT's own site for trip reviews and travel talk, you'll find plenty of criticisms and suggestions. And I've never known OAT to delete them either.

On the other hand, when I recently checked out Gate 1, I found exactly what Kybourbon said, both here and on their site.

NGail

Although, I agree, there are some very suspicious one-time-only pro-OAT posters that pop up regularly.
So I guess none of these outfits are pure as the driven snow!

catcrazyaf

Okay, here's my take on GCT / OAT: First, I've traveled with GCT three times and OAT twice, always to Europe as that's my destination of choice. I've also traveled a lot independently which is generally my preference. What I like most about GCT tours is that on the trips I've taken which are usually 14-16 days in length, the tour stays in three locations max and schedules day trips out from each place. So a traveler is not packing up and moving daily. Also, the itineraries for the trips I've taken cover a relatively small area so there is very limited bus time. The tour guides have always been excellent in my experience and I think they make / break a trip. The OAT journeys have an even smaller number of travelers (mine have had 9 and 10) so we visited in vans and were able to go to locations that big buses do not. I have enjoyed each one of my adventures with these companies. (One in the same, difference between the two is number of passengers).

Now here's the con: (I've read a a countless number of reviews of every company I know of and I think the complaint applies across the board). When things go well, all is great; when things go awry, customer service seems to be non-existent. So far, I've experienced no snags but when there are problems, resolution is a long-time coming and often there is no satisfactory resolution. I believe there are more happy travelers than not, but when issues arise, there is much frustration and often a significant loss of money to the traveler. This seems to be the mode of operation of tour companies, sad to say.

justwishin

The point is, and always will be, when you are away from home and in strange circumstances, you want to feel that the tour company who has you in utter control, will act responsibily and make sure matters are handled. And there always will be unforseen circumstances, and to just fade into the horizon is not acceptable, no matter how good your tour was. It's about safety. And one of our was so badly handled (tour guide just abandoned us in the middle of a road in China) that it makes you cautious, to say the least.

catcrazyaf

clara, I agree with you. That's why I included a warning regarding tour companies that I've researched: when they're good they're good but when they're bad they're horrid!

WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot

I am a one time poster as I was looking up another trip with OAT I saw this thread and decided to see what people had to say. I do not work for GCT or OAT and you can believe me or not. I work for the US Army. I am sorry to hear that people have had bad/terrible experience with them; if they are repeatedly so bad...why keep going back to them. My family and I have travelled with OAT for the past 14 years, taking at least one trip a year. We have had nothing but wonderful experiences with OAT. We have had some hiccups but OAT was quick to fix them or give something in recompense. My grandmother who is in her 90's travels with them with out too much of a problem and when things got a little hard for her the guides were wonderful in helping her out. I will continue to recommend OAT.

eliztravels2

Thanks for taking the time to post, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot. I'm sure you've realized that first time posters are often met with suspicion when they voice a strong opinion, either positive or negative, about a certain company. And threads like this seem to go on forever and get more unpleasant as they age.

If you have the patience to stick around and post on some other threads, you will find some great people and useful information, and hopefully have some useful insights on the many places you've travelled to.

JaneB

I love your name, WTF!!! lol

jacketwatch

Me too.

TJOYFIN

I love the fact that GCC moderator invited me to have a conversation with her. Why in the world would you not have taken the opportunity to make a good client happy when the problem arose, at that time not one person was available to even talk, let alone make me A HAPPY CUSTOMER.

jacketwatch

away_again

i am a first-time poster and have never traveled with gct/oat (although our neighbors have traveled several times with oat and appear to be well-pleased with them). i found this thread by googling "grand circle tours," as a friend asked if i'd ever traveled with them and wanted me to consider it.

several times it has been mentioned that this is an old thread and a new one should be started. i just want to say that, as a potential new customer of grand circle tours, i VERY much appreciate seeing the old comments of great dissatisfaction and then the progress in newer comments about more company responsiveness. this is the reason old threads SHOULD continue, and not simply be cut off and new ones started. if i had seen a shortened thread that only talked about problems, that would have been the end of it right there. conversely, i might not trust a thread that only talked positively, as i have lived and traveled enough to know that EVERY company (tour or otherwise) has problems SOMEtimes!

so please do not end this thread. let newbies see the progression over time, to get a more thorough picture.

i would also like to add that oftentimes i will register on a site to add a post when all i see is negative comments and i, personally, have had a positive experience. like bill from boston, sometimes you just want to see something a little more upbeat! i have never been asked by a tour company to do that, and i had never even heard of that being asked! i would hate to think my positive input would be discounted just because it's my only post. probably i saw what i needed, added what i wanted, and quite possibly never went to that thread again. doesn't mean my post isn't genuine....or valid.

thank you.

eliztravels2

Good point about keeping an old post alive, away_again.

fraser_hunter_393

Hey, just to chip in my ten cents worth. . . I've been on four trips so far with Grand Circle and/or Overseas Adventure Travel, and they have all been wonderful. I can't say enough good things about the guides we've had, the special places we've been that the average tourist will never know about or even find. Italy 2008, Costa Rica 2009, Tanzania, Africa, 2011, and Turkey 2012. On all of these trips I have been a "single," sharing space with another guest, and in only one instance have I been dissatisfied with my accommodation (Venice). I discussed my room with our guide, and he immediately saw to it that I was given another, very beautiful room. On our Turkish trip (the adventure of a LIFETIME!), we took the post trip extension of a six day sail on the Aegean, and it was the most beautiful trip of my life. I was given a single cabin, and I found it completely and totally comfortable and satisfactory. I am an experienced traveler, and I can highly recommend this company. Anyone that would like to ask me about any of my GC/OAT trips is welcome to contact me at fraserhunter@ aol. com.

fraser_hunter_393

Also, for what it is worth to the cynics out there, I'm not an employee of GC/OAT nor have I been offered anything to post a good review. I don't generally post much of anything (one time pop up?) because I am BUSY, and don't spend all day on line complaining about things, so when I say something, it is because I believe it is worth taking the time to say. If people dig hard enough, they will find something negative about every tour company out there, because life is not perfect, nor is international travel. As I have learned on the trips I have been on, there is generally one malcontent in every crowd, someone who is determined to feel slighted in some way, or is just generally an unhappy person. These people are bores, but sadly they are often the ones spending hours of their time whining. Also, things can happen that are out of control of the Tour Operator or the Guide at the time. When I've been on a GC/OAT tour, however, these unforeseen circumstances (medical emergency, etc., both on Africa and Turkey trips), the Guide in both cases made immediate decisions and got appropriate help as quickly as was humanly possible in the circumstances. Anyway, I'm not a paid or compensated poster, and plan to travel with GC/OAT again and again! As Andy DuFresne said, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." Life is short, so live in the moment, and find something beautiful to enjoy about every day.

SusieQQ

fraser_hunter,

I think if you look at the dates most complaints including mine were in 2011...at that time there were a lot of problems with OAT...I think they have resolved most of them.

I was bumped off 2 weeks prior to my trip, with documents and plane tickets already issued. From what I found out they previously did not have "wait lists" and overbooked, assuming that enough people would cancel to cover it. They told me my trip was overbooked and they did not have enough cancelations so I was bumped. I think they have since gone to wait lists and no longer have that policy.

OkieLady

Since I'm a newbie to traveling solo as well as Europe OAT was recommended to me by a friend who has traveled solo. I'm taking her word but would love to see any new thumbs up or thumbs down before I make a decision. I'm also new to Fodors and have found some very helpful info on this site.

eliztravels2

You might want to post your own question as a new thread, rather than tagging along on this one. This thread is 3 years old and many who might have something useful to say will have lost interest and not bother responding.

JaneB

OkieLady, my husband and I traveled to over 75 countries-mostly independently--before he passed away. Now I prefer to travel with a group. OAT and Grand Circle (sister companies) do not charge extra for solo travelers (except on a river cruise where there is a small extra charge). I have been on trips with both companies and have always been pleased.
I have friends who would travel with me but I would rather
have my own room/space and can just make my own arrangements and choose my own dates.