Travel

[nyc1]

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@World Traveler wrote:

@VaBelle35 The only thing I know about A&K after receiving their catalogs a few years ago, is that they seem to be on the higher end on what they charge. But things may have changed. If I recall correctly, they did seem to have very good tours (places they go and things you do), but the cost is what sticks out in my mind. I could not afford to go at that time.

Tauck and National Geographic are two other tour companies that, for me, were too expensive, but had great itineraries. 

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@World Traveler  Hi WT.   I've taken 3 Tauck trips and already have a deposit on my 4th for next year.  In 2016 when I told my travel agent that I wanted to go to Italy with my husband but was concerned about some of the random violence that had popped up all over Europe, and thought going with a good, SMALL group would be best,  he said one name...  TAUCK!  We both agreed it was a pricey trip, but my husband had never been to Europe and always wanted to go to Italy.  I booked the trip. 

OMG...   The Classic Italy Small Group trip was the trip of a lifetime, and we both agreed by day 4, that we could NEVER have done things that they arranged for us, and could never have duplicated the trip at the price we paid...   top hotels in the best areas,  a PRIVATE AFTER HOURS visit to the Sistine Chapel, private boats to outer islands, passed all the lines and went to the floor of the Colliseum, etc.  Incredible. 

Again, I do agree these are expensive trips, but if someone has the means, for the most part, they will get their money's worth.

[Alter Ego]

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@VaBelle35 wrote:

Tauck has what I'm looking for.  Thanks.

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I’ve never used them, but can honestly say that I’ve probably seen more people commenting on Tauck on these boards than any other tour group. Always very positive.  I think you made a good choice if you go with them.

[VaBelle35]

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@World Traveler wrote:

@VaBelle35 Regarding the "deep single supplement discounts," you might check Overseas Adventure Tours (oattravel.com) and/or their parent company Grand Circle Tours (gct.com). I find their prices to be reasonable compared to other companies I have checked out.

They do NOT charge for travelers who want a room to themselves in 99% of the tours they offer. I believe I have only had to pay a little bit extra ($350?) to have a room to myself on a ship that was going around the tip of South America. And that was because it was not their own private ship for that particular trip.

I have used them for the last 14 trips. OAT keeps their group down to no more than 16 people. GCT allows up to around 40 people on their tours.

 Yes I have signed up to receive info for them.  I am interested in shorter tours and those seem to book up fast for singles.  They have just started releasing 2019 dates, so I have been looking almost every day to try to catch the ones I want.

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[World Traveler]

@VaBelle35 Yes, the singles go fast. I think they usually have two single rooms for sure for each trip, and then there are lots of singles who want to room with another single. I just can't do that. You never know if the person you are paired with has a habit that you just can't handle.

Even my sister and I don't room together on trips we have taken. We get along well, but after years of sharing rooms together, now it is just something we want to do.....have some space after being together all day long. 

[VaBelle35]

@World Traveler  My sister and I shared a bed growing up.  I can't even deal with sharing a bed with her as an adult.  LOL

My luck I would be sharing a room with someone who doesn't ever stop talking. 

I'm an introvert, so I need my alone time after being with people all day long.

[lulu1]

We returned yesterday from a week in Bermuda.  This week we celebrated our 47th anniversary.  Every year my husband surprises me with a trip.  He tells me what kind of clothes to pack but nothing more.  I do not know the destination until we get to the airport.   We stayed at Rosewood; it was beyond luxurious.

[World Traveler]

@lulu1 On, I remember you telling us last year that he does the surprise each year. That is so, so cool of him!

Reminds me of those Mystery Tours that I keep wanting to try out, where you pay the company to send you somewhere and they choose where to go and what to do based upon how much money you are willing to spend. You don't know in advance until you get to the airport, other than they tell you what kind of clothes to take.

So, you need to tell us what all you did in Bermuda, pretty please.

Also, your husband is a keeper! 

[lulu1]

@World Traveler

We relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful scenery!  My husband has a very demanding job and will be retiring this year.  He's in the process of training others to replace him.  He needed this time away from everything.

We've been to Bermuda a number of times before.  In the past I enjoyed shopping and wanted everything I saw. Now I'm at that stage in life where I have all the jewelry, clothes, collectibles, home decor and accents I could ever want or need so shopping just isn't much fun anymore.

We had wonderful food, rode mopeds, toured the island and just enjoyed reminiscing about our years together.

[World Traveler]

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We had wonderful food, rode mopeds, toured the island and just enjoyed reminiscing about our years together.

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@lulu1 That truly sounds lovely! 

[Alter Ego]

Yesterday my social media feeds were filled with quotes and memories of Anthony Bourdain.  Although I didn’t watch his shows, I did appreciate his love of travel and introducing the world to different cultures. RIP