Hi all,

I am interested in responses(good or bad) from anyone who has used Apple Vacations. I have heard good things and horrid things about this company. I would like to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

We used Apple for our 1991 vacation on Maui and had absolutely no problems with them. I'd done my homework enough to know that the price was far better than anything I could arrange on my own, so I know we got a good deal from them. I posed a question similar to yours on this site and had one lady tell me that sometimes they change your flight at the last moment, and it can ruin the first day or so of your trip. But fortunately, that didn't happen to us and we had a great time. Good luck to you!

Apple is good only if nothing goes wrong on your trip. We had airline problems on a return trip from Cancun and the lack of communication, lack of response, and lack of retribution was astounding. I completely understand that delays and even cancellations are inherent to travel, but without proper communication, these expected glitches can turn into nightmares. As was our case. Apple left us sitting at the Mexico airport for hours, even though they knew our flight would be canceled for the night; They finally shuttled us to a hotel, where we were only able to stay from 1am - 4am; We were bussed back to the airport and sat there for hours before the airport staff even arrived. We were never told what time our flight was going to leave or even what flight number we would be on. Therefore, we could not let our families know when we would be returning. Upon writing a letter to Apple to express my outrage - professionally - I was given a $100 travel voucher. That did not cover the expenses incurred in this debacle nor the loss of a day's work that I missed. I have been given $100 travel vouchers from airlines that experienced shorter delays than what this turned out to be. Needless to say...my travel voucher is in the trash and I will not use Apple again. I hope better for you!

I have heard horrible things and good things about them also. Good things of course were trips that went just as planned. The bad things I've heard go along with the previously posted issue: when there are problems, Apple doesn't handle them well. Leaving people sitting in an airport for hours and hours with no information is one I've heard of also...only this was on the departure. The couple I know eventually went home the first day and came back the second day. When they were finally given a departure time (late 2nd day) they would be missing the whole first 2 days of their 7 day trip. They just cancelled it and went home. I don't recall how they settled with Apple but I recall thinking I'd be really unhappy with it. We were all very surprised when my friend showed up for work when she was supposed to be on the beach in Jamaica!

Apple Vacations have a core competancy in travel. They specialize in Rome and Fuji while focusing on Gala events.

Their web site is excellent, running off of McIntosh systems.

Delays are almost expected anytime you travel. What has been described can happen no matter how you make your travel arrangements. Often the delay is the fault of the airline not the tour company. We have been stuck at aiports for hours on our vacations because of delays. My advise is to expect a delay and prepare for it and buy travel insurance that covers expenses due to delays. Be aware the insurance will not cover all your expenses but can be a blessing if you run in to trouble.

JC (can I call you that?): We've had three experiences with Apple vacations: one great, one not too bad, and one awful. The awful experience involved a delay they told us would be one hour, then they told us two hours, then five, and finally, nine hours later we were on our flight to St. Lucia (arrived at 1 or 2 a.m.) While waiting at the airport, people in our party were told different excuses for the delay - none of which made much sense. Anyway, we were given food and drink vouchers at the airport and later that $100 voucher for a future trip.

At the time, I was so P.O.'d (this was our wedding and we had 20 friends and family with us) I said I'd never use Apple again. Well, you know, as time goes on you start to fogive and forget.

The third time we were stuck on the plane on the runway for about 45 minutes. Not too bad considering. The first time was a breeze.

Anyways, because you can get some really awesome package deals with Apple, I'd use them again for a one week vacation or longer because the postives outweight the negative. For the three or four day vacation, I might consider otherwise in case I were to lose a day due to a delay. Just be prepared for delays. It may or may not happen and you just never know. I have a friend who has used Apple on numerous occasions and has never had a bad experience.

We've used Apple on over a dozen vacations throughout the Carribean over the last 20 years.Way back when,it was called Thompson Vacations. All our trips originated in Chicago and we always opted for the cheaper charter flights. We've never had any problems;I recommend them.

I booked a trip to Jamaica through Apple Vacations. The agent was thorough and courteous and all documents and paper arrived on time. The only problem was the one others have cited--flight delays. I flew out of L.A. and the flight was delayed about 9 hours. We were given conflicting reasons for the delay. They gave us a $5 voucher for snacks and the use of a hospitality room where you could stretch out a little. Snacks, soft drinks, and coffee were provided. I t was a long night, but in fairness, I'm not sure if the fault was Apple's or Air Jamaica's.