Other Options...

Did you arrive before the trip officially starts? Like a day or so in advance? If so, no tour company will have the guides there to meet you. I've traveled with ABD and National Geographic and we arrived before the official start of our trips with both companies and neither one had the guides waiting to meet us. They arranged the airport pick up but that was about it. We didn't meet our guides until the day the trip actually started. As for the hotels, you can't compare a 5 star hotel in Panama with a 5 star hotel in North America or even some parts of Europe. What they consider 5 star may only be a 3 star here in North America.
Yes flew in first day of trip but no planned activities first day. Did the same thing on ABD Costa Rica and guides were there all day helping.
I understand that hotels vary although I figured it would be much more like Costa Rica ABD in terms of quality.

anyone in case others are curious on how comparison is:

today was first official day and we met guides etc. guide is great very comparable to ABD

the excursion was amazing and maybe a little too off the beaten bath to what Disney would try. It was really amazing!

things we are struggling with the hotel is still bad and that includes the pool being really murky and the food being pretty bad.

other challenge is they don’t have the same American food options for picky eaters. Lunch was fried bananas and fish. And that was it. So bring snacks etc in case you have kids who don’t like certain foods.

but overall excursion and activities were great and on par or better than a lot we have done with Disney
 
I know I asked this already on a separate thread but right now is actual decision time. So I went ahead and booked Tauck for Christmas Danube cruise before prices were released. They told me when I put the deposit down I can get a full refund if I did not like the price. So then ABD released their early booking a few weeks back and I ended up booking that too. I’m looking at the 2 itineraries and there are some differences. The one I booked for Tauck was westbound- embarking at Austria and disembarking at Germany. The Tauck itinerary is embarkation day at Vienna, one more day in Vienna, then Budapest, Bratislava, Slovakia, Austria- Wachau Valley, Oberndorf and Passau. ABD on the other hand, we board in Germany and disembark at Budapest. ABD is going to Pasau then Linz, Austria, Melk, Austria Vienna, Vienna, Budapest, disembark. I’ve never been to any of these places. Have no idea if we’re ever going to go back. If it were you, which itinerary would you choose? Oh yes and price, so ABD cost over USD18K and Tauck costs CAD18K. Price difference would be over CAD5000 looking at the exchange right now. Help please!
 
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I know I asked this already on a separate thread but right now is actual decision time. So I went ahead and booked Tauck for Christmas Danube cruise before prices were released. They told me when I put the deposit down I can get a full refund if I did not like the price. So then ABD released their early booking a few weeks back and I ended up booking that too. I’m looking at the 2 itineraries and there are some differences. The one I booked for Tauck was westbound- embarking at Austria and disembarking at Germany. The Tauck itinerary is embarkation day at Vienna, one more day in Vienna, then Budapest, Bratislava, Slovakia, Austria- Wachau Valley, Oberndorf and Passau. ABD on the other hand, we board in Germany and disembark at Budapest. ABD is going to Pasau then Linz, Austria, Melk, Austria Vienna, Vienna, Budapest, disembark. I’ve never been to any of these places. Have no idea if we’re ever going to go back. If it were you, which itinerary would you choose? Oh yes and price, so ABD cost over USD18K and Tauck costs CAD18K. Price difference would be over CAD5000 looking at the exchange right now. Help please!
That's hard to comment on without seeing the excursions that Tauck offers, vs the excursions that ABD offers. But as you probably already know, your ABD deposit is non-refundable after 14 days, so if you cancel that one, you will have your 1800+ USD deposit held by ABD. You can re-book using it (I believe within a year) but you won't be eligible for any discounts, as they are almost all only good for "New reservations", and yours will no longer be a new reservation. I don' t know if that matters to you, or if you had already taken that into account, but felt I should mention it, just in case.

Honestly, the main advantage I see to the ABD cruise (aside from the Adventure Guides) is ending in Budapest, so that you could book a couple of post-days in that amazing city.

Sayhello
 
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That's hard to comment on without seeing the excursions that Tauck offers, vs the excursions that ABD offers. But as you probably already know, your ABD deposit is non-refundable after 14 days, so if you cancel that one, you will have your 1800+ USD deposit held by ABD. You can re-book using it (I believe within a year) but you won't be eligible for any discounts, as they are almost all only good for "New reservations", and yours will no longer be a new reservation. I don' t know if that matters to you, or if you had already taken that into account, but felt I should mention it, just in case.

Honestly, the main advantage I see to the ABD cruise (aside from the Adventure Guides) is ending in Budapest, so that you could book a couple of post-days in that amazing city.

Sayhello
Thanks @sayhello :) yes I am past the 14 day mark already and my option would have been to move it. But since I could refund my deposit from Tauck, I am leaning on that more!
 


I was thrilled to see the new ABD to New Zealand. However, given how ABD is treating clients during the crisis, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on an expensive trip when there are still a lot of unknowns about what will happen with travel in the time of coronavirus. I'm also considering Black Sheep Touring Company (which has an amazing itinerary and is priced similarly to ABD for a 14 day trip) or Nat Geo's G Adventure who I believe had a similar-ish itinerary for a much lower price. Any experiences with Black Sheep or Nat Geo G Adventures? Or thoughts about these trips in general?
 
I was thrilled to see the new ABD to New Zealand. However, given how ABD is treating clients during the crisis, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on an expensive trip when there are still a lot of unknowns about what will happen with travel in the time of coronavirus. I'm also considering Black Sheep Touring Company (which has an amazing itinerary and is priced similarly to ABD for a 14 day trip) or Nat Geo's G Adventure who I believe had a similar-ish itinerary for a much lower price. Any experiences with Black Sheep or Nat Geo G Adventures? Or thoughts about these trips in general?
No idea if it will affect how the company is run or anything, but Disney owns (most of) Nat Geo G Adventures now.

Sayhello
 
No idea if it will affect how the company is run or anything, but Disney owns (most of) Nat Geo G Adventures now.

Sayhello

Do they only own the Journeys/G adventures division? If so, I'm not sure those trips are really comparable to what ABD offers. Not saying one is better than the other - they are just different.

We are booked on a Nat Geo Expedition trip to Alaska (which I am fully expecting to be cancelled within the next week or so). This is comparable to an ABD trip, especially in terms of itinerary/activities and accommodations (we were supposed to stay at Denali Backcountry Lodge).

This is the trip we booked: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...h-america/land/alaska-denali-to-kenai-fjords/

This would have been our first Nat Geo trip, so I am even more disappointed we likely won't get to experience what they offer.

One difference that I noted early on was that the expedition trips (that aren't specifically identified as a "family journey") are geared toward older travelers. When I booked, the representative had to "check" with vendors to make sure my 15 year old son would be allowed on the trip. I definitely got the impression that travelers with kids pretty much book the family journeys, and what I was requesting was unusual. That could have just been the limited perspective of the representative who booked my trip, though.

As far as communication from Nat Geo goes, I wouldn't say it's been any more proactive than ABD. Based on the posts here, it sounds like ABD sort of got their act together after the fiascoes of the London/Paris and Australia trips in mid-March, when the poop hit the fan. They haven't been AS proactive as Tauck, but neither has Nat Geo (or other companies).

I have called Nat Geo a couple of times on my own, including once to move our trip from our original booking in early June to a trip in July. I was watching what was going on in Alaska, and it became clear that nothing was going to be open in June. The first call I've received that was not initiated by me was earlier this week, and it was mainly just a courtesy call (no shocking revelations or anything). But, I was told that they would be making a decision about our trip within the next two weeks. That is something they have maintained all along - giving people at least 5-6 weeks notice regarding cancellations. At this point, that seems perfectly reasonable to me, and I would not expect anything more. Honestly, if they had cancelled our trip earlier, I would have been miffed because we REALLY want to go on this trip, and I would hope they would do everything they can to save it (not jump the gun and cancel too early).

If they cancel, I also will have the option to receive a full refund, which is what I will choose.
 
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Do they only own the Journeys/G adventures division? If so, I'm not sure those trips are really comparable to what ABD offers. Not saying one is better than the other - they are just different.

We are booked on a Nat Geo Expedition trip to Alaska (which I am fully expecting to be cancelled within the next week or so). This is comparable to an ABD trip, especially in terms of itinerary/activities and accommodations (we were supposed to stay at Denali Backcountry Lodge).

This is the trip we booked: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/...h-america/land/alaska-denali-to-kenai-fjords/

This would have been our first Nat Geo trip, so I am even more disappointed we likely won't get to experience what they offer.

One difference that I noted early on was that the expedition trips (that aren't specifically identified as a "family journey") are geared toward older travelers. When I booked, the representative had to "check" with vendors to make sure my 15 year old son would be allowed on the trip. I definitely got the impression that travelers with kids pretty much book the family journeys, and what I was requesting was unusual. That could have just been the limited perspective of the representative who booked my trip, though.

As far as communication from Nat Geo goes, I wouldn't say it's been any more proactive than ABD. Based on the posts here, it sounds like ABD sort of got their act together after the fiascoes of the London/Paris and Australia trips in mid-March, when the poop hit the fan. They haven't been AS proactive as Tauck, but neither has Nat Geo (or other companies).

I have called Nat Geo a couple of times on my own, including once to move our trip from our original booking in early June to a trip in July. I was watching what was going on in Alaska, and it became clear that nothing was going to be open in June. The first call I've received that was not initiated by me was earlier this week, and it was mainly just a courtesy call (no shocking revelations or anything). But, I was told that they would be making a decision about our trip within the next two weeks. That is something they have maintained all along - giving people at least 5-6 weeks notice regarding cancellations. At this point, that seems perfectly reasonable to me, and I would not expect anything more. Honestly, if they had cancelled our trip earlier, I would have been miffed because we REALLY want to go on this trip, and I would hope they would do everything they can to save it (not jump the gun and cancel too early).

If they cancel, I also will have the option to receive a full refund, which is what I will choose.
My understanding is they own a significant majority percentage all of the Nat Geo travel companies.

Sayhello
 
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A travel company we kept bumping into during our ABD Peru trip was Gate 1 Travel. We stayed in some of the same hotels and I kept seeing their bus at the same sites, airport, etc. I interviewed one of the travelers when we were in the lobby and they traveled a lot with Gate 1 and were pretty happy. I did notice they had a smaller tour group and 1 tour guide. Most of the meals were not included, however they probably paid half the price we did to see all the main sites the same way we did.

I was still glad to go with ABD however, due to our wonderful guides and activities that made it special, or maybe I convinced myself that because I paid double what they did. But if I just wanted a basic trip and just wanted to get there, it seemed like an affordable option.
 
I was thrilled to see the new ABD to New Zealand. However, given how ABD is treating clients during the crisis, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on an expensive trip when there are still a lot of unknowns about what will happen with travel in the time of coronavirus. I'm also considering Black Sheep Touring Company (which has an amazing itinerary and is priced similarly to ABD for a 14 day trip) or Nat Geo's G Adventure who I believe had a similar-ish itinerary for a much lower price. Any experiences with Black Sheep or Nat Geo G Adventures? Or thoughts about these trips in general?

We were also thrilled to see the itinerary, however, there was no way i was gett my husband on a group trip with 40 people. I took the itinerary and worked with an Australia/New Zealand specialist at Audley. She recreated the trip for me (with some modifications that I wanted). We have either private tours or small group tours in the locations with some added things (to include flights for us from Queenstown to Milford Sound so we can get on a cruise and don’t have to waste time with the drive there and back). The best part, the price was about the same per person. We have 24 hour in country support and they have a great policy to help change travel in case Covid is still an issue in 2022.

Good luck with finding a tour company you like, but something similar to what we did may also appeal to you.
 
We were also thrilled to see the itinerary, however, there was no way i was gett my husband on a group trip with 40 people. I took the itinerary and worked with an Australia/New Zealand specialist at Audley. She recreated the trip for me (with some modifications that I wanted). We have either private tours or small group tours in the locations with some added things (to include flights for us from Queenstown to Milford Sound so we can get on a cruise and don’t have to waste time with the drive there and back). The best part, the price was about the same per person. We have 24 hour in country support and they have a great policy to help change travel in case Covid is still an issue in 2022.

Good luck with finding a tour company you like, but something similar to what we did may also appeal to you.
Can you PM me the company? I’m very interested. Thank you!
 
Did anyone have any experience with working with Tauck through this pandemic?

We are considering booking a trip through them. Has anyone booked any Tauck trips recently? Has anyone found any promos, refundable deposits, cashback from travel agents or any other perks ?
 
Did anyone have any experience with working with Tauck through this pandemic?

We are considering booking a trip through them. Has anyone booked any Tauck trips recently? Has anyone found any promos, refundable deposits, cashback from travel agents or any other perks ?

We should be in Switzerland on the Tauck Bridges tour right now 😢😢. Tauck was great. They did (and are still doing) rolling cancellations. I’m not positive, but I think they’ve currently cancelled tours through September. I think we had about 6-8 weeks notice of our cancellation? We could get a full refund or a travel voucher worth more than our trip cost (I forget what the premium was, because we took the refund). Our TA said Tauck was quoting up to 12 weeks for the refunds to hit our credit card, but we got our refund in just a week or two. We are really hoping to be able to rebook for July 2021, but are going to wait before deciding.
 
We were supposed to be on a trip with Tauck last week. They were amazing. Very early, like March, they made PIF 30 days out. We had PIF for 3 out of the 5 of us. When they cancelled about 7 or so weeks out
I could have had a full refund, plus change fees for my self-purchased flights. I left my money there, and received an incentive of $500 per person that was paid in full, and $250 for those who were not. I got on the wait list for the Siene river cruise for next summer, but we needed a suite to sleep 3 and they were sold out for the dates we wanted, so a few weeks later I went ahead and moved it to their Alpine Adventure, which was a more expensive trip that that had been cancelled. It hadn't priced for 2021 yet, and when it did price a month later, I had 2 weeks to cancel. I can still move my money around in the future to a different trip. No limitations like ABD on only moving the deposit once.

In short Tauck could not possibly have handled this better and they are definitely my provider of choice now.
 
Thanks! This is a trip planner like BLACKTOMATO correct? There are no meals etc. You receive a tour plan and off you go on your own correct?
I does look like a more of pre-planned OYO but there seems to be a huge appeal to this type of trip to me than ever before since COVID because it has less guests!
 

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