AELB
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi Everyone

I know that 'National Parks, Mount Rushmore and the Little Bighorn' is one of JY's most popular tours and has been reviewed here many times before, so I won't give you a day-by-day breakdown. Instead, I'll once again do an 'edited highlights' version (but feel free to ask questions). I should start by saying that this is a fantastic itinerary with some spectacular scenery and experiences which I would certainly recommend. However, for reasons that will become clear, it doesn't jump to the top of my list of favourite JY tours but I wouldn't want to put anyone else off who is either already booked or considering it for the future. So, here goes!

Group size - 75 people! Way too many. To explain, the JY group itself was 40 but for some reason, instead of sending two parties on a practically identical itinerary out on a Monday and Wednesday as in the past, we were joined for our whole trip by a group of 35 from Travelsphere. Whether this was a legacy All Leisure Group plan or the idea of G Adventures, I don't know, but I don't think anyone was happy with it. We were on the same planes, at the same hotels (bar one) and our buses arrived and departed a mere 15 minutes apart at every stop. As any JY travellers will tell you, just one bus load causes massive queues at 'comfort stops', restaurants and breakfast bars, so you can imagine what it was like with two. On the plus side, we got to know our TS companions very well during the trip but it was a bit much, having paid for porterage, to be asked on more than one occasion to unload our own cases from the bus and take them to our rooms to, and I quote the TM "Get you out of the way before Travelsphere arrive" Charming - especially when you consider that the TS travellers had paid around £1,000 less per person for the trip than we had.... 

Weather - I'm no Michael Fish but I suspect we suffered from a 'butterfly effect' from Hurricane Irma and her pals throughout the tour. We had torrential rain, heavy snow and freezing cold for the majority of the tour (although the sky was cloudless and blue when it really mattered, Monument Valley and Bryce Canyon). Thanks to the reviews of Mr Gray and others, I knew that it was likely to be chilly on the higher ground and particularly in Yellowstone, but like others had been lulled in a false sense of security by Weather.com's promise of 30 degrees plus once we hit Utah. As it turned out, some mornings started at minus 4, leading to a couple of emergency stops at Walmart so that the group could beef up their layers (I was feeling smug as I had brought thermals for the night flights as I'm always cold on planes, but I have to say that the bobble hat bought in Badlands and the $2.35 Walmart mittens were money very well spent!)

Hotels - All uniformly good but a mention in dispatches to Randy and Gary at the Cody in Cody for the superb welcome and for making absolutely nothing too much trouble. The only exception was the Cherry Creek Inn in Denver where we had a couple of disturbing security issues which were unsettling. Firstly, a couple of the group were allocated rooms only to discover other people already resident in them. Then, in the middle of the night, one JYer, awake due to jet lag suddenly became aware of her bedroom door being opened (fortunately she had put the chain on and the interloper soon closed it and didn't return. There was also an incident the following morning of a group member finding his room door open when he returned from breakfast (bags had been left outside so there was no need for anyone to have accessed) All these were reported at reception but I think JY needs to review the security arrangements at the hotel for the future.

Bus driver - The lovely Mark - an Alaskan bush pilot by trade who drives buses in the summer to help pay off his student loans. A brilliant chap and a very safe pair of hands who had to deal with a newish bus which had a massive and growing crack across the right hand side of the windscreen for the first half of the tour. It was finally fixed in Salt Lake but as it was already broken at the start of the trip, I'm not sure that it should have been allowed to leave the depot. Speaking as someone who was showered with glass when a window smashed during a minor bus crash on a JY tour in 2010, I was more than a little uncomfortable with the situation, even though we were assured that we were in no danger, and wonder why there was no replacement bus available.

Seating rotation - Most of you will be familiar with the JY rotation policy. Personally I'm not in favour but I always go along with it, even if it feels like we are being treated like Year 4s on the school bus. However, on this tour, the TM instigated a bizarre 50/50 system whereby half of the bus was reserved for people named on a list each morning and the rest was first come first served. This led to scenes of people leaving items on seats, beach towel style, to reserve places the night before or queuing to board half an hour before departure time to ensure a decent seat. (We were a party of 40, remember) The situation was made worse by a small number refusing to 'muck in' and sit with different people if the seat they wanted had gone. This also led to more than one occasion of people being turned away - one lady was particularly upset when she issued the usual cheery JY request "Can I join you?" only to be bluntly told "No - I NEED both seats to myself because I've got to much stuff" Not in the spirit of JY at all and naturally it caused quite a bit of 'bus politics'.

Included excursions

  • Fort Hays Chuckwagon supper and Cowboy music show - a brilliant night out in the hilarious company of the most irreverent Pastor you are ever likely to meet. If you don't believe me, try picturing your local vicar in lederhosen playing a sousaphone and you'll be half way there.

  • Mount Rushmore - sadly Mother Nature decided that we were not going to get to see one of the 'headliners' for the tour. On the day we had thick fog, driving rain and the mountain was completely covered. Being Brits on tour, however, we improvised and retiring to the gift shop, took pictures of each other in front of a large poster of Gutzon Borglum's masterpiece. On the plus side, at a lower elevation, the Crazy Horse memorial was clearly visible and is well worth a look (even though progress on the carving makes the Segrada Familia look like a rush job....).

  • Deadwood - Great fun in the company of 'Deadwood Dave' the local guide and Vietnam vet on his converted schoolbus (property of Kevin Costner - long story)

  • Little Big Horn Battlefield - a superb step on guide and a truly moving and thought provoking site. One of my favourite stops on the tour (and not just because it didn't rain..)

  • Devil's Tower - Big thanks to Mark and the TM for this - not on the itinerary but added due to the disappointment of missing Rushmore. Just an extinct volcanic cone but surprisingly atmospheric.

  • Yellowstone - never did find Yogi but it speaks for itself. Stunning.

  • Salt Lake City - walking tour of the Temple Square. Controversial. Not the historical/architectural tour many of us were expecting but basically an hour long sermon from three very driven Morman missionaries. They were pleasant ladies but many of us felt quite uncomfortable.

  • Arches National Park - The first 'blue sky' day and some pretty impressive arches!

  • Mesa Verde - A morning of heavy rain didn't bode well but it cleared in time for a number of the group to complete the descent to the Cliff Palace (I can best describe it as a Native American Machu Pichu but carved into the cliffs rather than sitting on top of them)

  • Monument Valley - Not strictly speaking an included excursion. The tour bus takes you to the edge of the Valley but it is Navajo land and so to see really spectacular sections, you need to pay for the 4x4 trip. It's not a 'National Park' but personally I think JY should make this an included part of the itinerary.

  • The Grand Canyon - This is the South Rim and, in my opinion, even more impressive than the West Rim that I visited in 2010. It's a canyon and it's Grand - exactly as it says on the tin!

  • Red Canyon/Bryce Canyon. Breath taking. If you like hoodoos then you haven't seen hoodoos until you've seen these - Banff may have to up it's game!

Optional excursions 

  • Jackson River float trip - sadly cancelled due to freezing temperatures but well done to JY for issuing the refunds before we arrived home.

  • Salt Lake City tour - The weather was against us but it was a nice half day tour with a very good step on guide.

  • Monument Valley 4x4 tour - As mentioned, this is a must but be aware that, even if it is a hot day, the 4x4s are basically open sided flat bed trucks with benches on the back, so when driven at speed, as they are, it is very cold and dusty so wrap up warm.

  • Monument Valley flight - Split opinions from those that went. It is pricey and is a light plane rather than a helicopter. A number of the JY flyers were airsick. The organisation however was a bit of a debacle. A number of people asked about the trip early on in the tour, but the TM didn't announce it until almost a week in. When they did, they were extremely negative about it, focusing on the cost rather than the experience. They also contradicted the advice given by the community editor telling me that we could pay in full by credit card in resort. They insisted that a large cash deposit would be required and many of us got the impression that either fixing up the trip was too much bother for them or they had forgotten to reserve the plane and were trying to put us off. Sure enough, a couple of days later, they said that there was no plane available so the nine people who wanted to go ($4,500 worth of bookings) would be disappointed. Then, on the day we arrived at Monument Valley, and about three hours before the plane should have been scheduled, they announced that they had received a call from the airline to say that a plane had suddenly become free and the trip was on, providing people could immediately pay $180 cash deposit. I was so hacked off by the whole situation that I gave up and didn't go - investing the money in a beautiful handwoven Navajo rug instead. Anyone who was on the fly/drive with me in Alaska will probably heave a huge sigh of relief (hello Miss Bridget!)

  • Grand Canyon helicopter flight - Only about half an hour and over rather than down into the canyon (as on the America's Golden West tour) but really great fun with spectacular views.

  • Vegas by night - I didn't go this time (I went on AGW in 2010) but I think those that did enjoyed it.

Tour Manager - It's often said that a tour rises or falls on the TM and I'm afraid I was disappointed in this one. I think the main problem was that they have done this tour too many times before (at least 4 this year alone) and are really doing it on rails. Their commentary was a lengthy script (which could have been edited by at least a third), delivered as if read from a phone book, and repeated word for word if interrupted. Questions were not encouraged. Often important announcements about logistics were muddled into the commentary rather than 'headlined' meaning that they were easily missed. Their general delivery was patronising and they made some rather unprofessional and derogatory comments about clients of other tour companies that they also freelance for (Heaven knows how they would subsequently describe us!). As they knew the route so well, they often leapt off the bus and disappeared up a trail without waiting for the group to finish getting off (which always took a while, given the 40) or giving instructions about directions. They were also not clear about timings or strict about deadlines. On one occasion when a single person was ten minutes late for departure, they shrugged "Oh well, they'll come when they are ready" much to the frustration of the 39 others waiting to leave. In their defence, I understand from others that they dealt with two medical emergencies very well. I should also say that these are purely my own personal opinions as a fairly experienced JY traveller and others may have seen another side.

So, overall the tour rates as a 6/10 (10/10 for the views) but, for the reasons I've explained, I don't think that our experience was the norm and would not want to put anyone off. This has the potential to be the trip of a lifetime but just not for me this time.

Sorry this is a bit long and may seem to be a bit spleen venting but, in common with a number of you, I have yet to receive my post-tour questionnaire a full two weeks later, so most of what I had intended to put in that is here.

All the best

Mandy

P.S Sylvia was largely impressed by the laundry facilities in the hotels - one of the washers even played her a tune when it finished it's cycle!

Moderator2
(Member)
Good Afternoon Mandy,

I'm sorry to hear that your JY holiday did not live up to your expectations.

But thank you again for taking the time to share your review with everybody on the JY Community.

I recently forwarded your review onto our Customer Care team who will contact you directly about your tour experience.

Kindest Regards,

Amy

lesley07
(Member)
Hi Mandy

I have enjoyed reading your very balanced review of this holiday. This is a trip I have considered but I will not be rushing to do it given your experience. Thank you for being so candid.

Lesley

sallyc
(Member)
Thanks for the great review Mandy. I saw your other post about the missing review and responded to it before reading this so apologies Amy for asking why this couldn’t be posted when it has.

I personally think 40 travellers on a trip is too many, let alone 75. I had a similar issue in Australia but the TS trip was a day behind us so we only overlapped on a few occasions. Thank you for the detail of the excursions. This will help me choose when the time comes. The whole seat rotation thing gives me shivers. I have yet to encounter this on a trip and I personally am very careful to alternate front, middle, back on a coach. I would hate to be dictated to at that level.

I hope JY takes on board your comments about the TM. As you say - they make or break a trip. Also the security issues are quite worrying. Not something I’ve encountered before.

Thanks again

Sally

mikew
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Mandy,

Many thanks for your honest and open review - I was looking forward to reading it being as I did this tour 4 years ago. It still remains one of my favourites, but we were a smaller group back then and we didn’t have to contend with 35 other people from TS!

What on earth are JY doing, combining 2 groups of such a large size, not to mention combining with a group from TS? Surely this goes against the whole ethos of solo travel. ie that you will be travelling with ‘like minded people’.

I am extremely concerned that someone in the G Adventures hierarchy has sanctioned this, and is yet more proof, if any were needed, of the poor operational standards being adopted under this regime.

Amy, can you please send this issue as high up the chain of command in JY/TS as it needs to go, to ensure that this never happens again. JY & TS, whilst operating under the same corporate umbrella, are serving 2 distinctly different client groups and should not be lumped together on tour for whatever reason.

And I’m truly sorry, Mandy, that this tour wasn’t all that you’d hoped for because it is an iconic American road trip that, given the right circumstances, is fantastic.

All the best

Mike

katy1717
(Member)
Hi Mandy, interesting review.  I did this trip a few years ago in June, really enjoyed it overall.  Was fortunate that there were only 17 of us on our tour, we were a day behind the TS tour, so only a bit of overlap in hotels when there were 2 night stops.  The cold weather in the early part of the tour also caught me out.  Had a similar sort of tour manager too, he'd done the tour lots of times and was dreary.  

Never had such daft bus seating organisation on any of the JY trips I've done.  I do try to move seats around the bus.  Your experience sounds nuts.

Sorry you didn't have as good an experience as those of us who have taken this trip in the past.

Regards

Katy

Jellifer
(Member)
Thanks for a great detailed review. At 40 the group size seems too big to me let alone with the added group on top! I really wouldn't be pleased at being asked to take my own suitcase. Sometimes I've grabbed it in the past if I wanted it quickly but that was my decision, not the TM. It's a real shame your TM wasn't up to scratch - they really can make or break a holiday.

I would like to take this trip at some point, but it won't be until a lot of your issues have been ironed out.

turnke
(Member)
Great review Mandy.

I did this trip in 2011 and there were only 19 of us,breakfast in the hotel in Jackson was in the reception area and couldn’t hold all of us,so I have wondered how they coped with a larger party.

You do get a tour of the Walmarts,or similar, as there aren’t many other places to get lunch, outside the bigger towns.

There is a lot to see on this tour,Dave in Deadwood was great.

Keith

Avocet64
(Member)
Hi Mandy

I have read your review with great interest, sounds like my idea of a holiday from hell.  I hope the clash with a Travelsphere holiday was a one-off and is not going to be the shape of things to come with other JY holidays.  I did this holiday back in 2010 when there were 38 of us and vowed then never to do a large group holiday again. It's such a shame, as you say, it has a fantastic itinerary (I think it was a bit different in 2010) but the edge was taken off by the battles you get with a large group, I can only imagine what it must have been like with 75 people.

Avocet

BGray
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Mandy,

I really don't know where to start.  Firstly thank you for your superb review, so well written and no wonder it took you a while to get around to writing it, considering how the tour went.  As you know the National Parks tour is one of my top tours and I encourage every JY traveller I can to do it, as we had a magical time.  The issue of the JY and TS groups being merged is disgraceful and it must have been a nightmare logistically.  I hope you get a proper explanation as to why this happened and that it is NEVER repeated again.  I think we had 44 in our group and it took around 45 minutes for a comfort stop.  We dealt with this but it was far from ideal.  On our Vietnam/Cambodia tour, we were on a very similar itinerary to a TS group and the two tour managers worked out a deal to try to stagger arrival times at hotels etc. but even that had its moments.  

(By the way, when the power wasn't working in my hotel room at Siem Reap I went down to reception to inform them.  I overheard the two tour managers talking/arguing and ours said to the TS tour manager, "I don't care how awful your group are, you're the tour manager so you just have to put up with them and be professional!")

I'm sorry that the weather impinged on the itinerary on a couple of occasions, what a pity.  Regarding seat rotation, I absolutely hate it.  Thankfully on the vast majority of JY tours I've done, the TM has treated us like adults and we sat where we liked and there were no issues.  A couple of TMs insisted on it - on one tour, her system broke down after a couple of days as everyone just ignored it and on another tour it was rigidly enforced with our names being put on seats.  This really annoyed me - I had told the TM that I get motion sickness if I sit at the back, but she still put me there one day.  Thankfully another member of the group swapped with me and it was fine.  We were also on a highly unsuitable minibus, where the seats were so small that we were rubbing thighs with the person next to us and had one buttock hanging over the side of the outside seat.  Not good.  Good tour managers know that we are adults and treat us accordingly.  Yes, we need some guidance at times - and there may well be the odd "very odd" customer who needs to be taken in hand, but really some tour managers are so battle weary that they shouldn't be doing the job any more or at least should change their attitude.

Regarding security issues - that is something that I had forgotten about regarding our tour.  We only had one issue as far as I remember, when we were staying in a "Wild West" town - possibly Jackson.  We were staying in dingy chalets across the road from the main hotel and some of the women were very uneasy about walking in the gloom at night and early morning to their rooms.  That hotel couldn't deal with the numbers for breakfast and half the group had to go without theirs to get to the bus on time.

I'm glad you enjoyed the stunning scenery (who wouldn't?!) but what a pity the tour was marred by some major issues that could have been avoided.  If you want a proper response from JY, I suggest you write a strongly worded letter to customer services, but don't expect your issues to be fully addressed....

All the best,

Bob

Kezzer46
(Member)
Hi Mandy,

Thanks for your great review. I did this holiday a few years ago and thought it was amazing. Sorry to hear about all the issues you had - I was shocked to hear you travelled as a group of 75 - that is absolutely ridiculous.

When I did this trip, we were 40+ people and every time we took a rest stop it was a nightmare... It would have helped had the bus had two exits rather than only one at the front. I am sure I wrote about this in my holiday questionnaire...

The seating issue always comes up on these large tours, our TM made the first 3 pairs of seats the first class area. And each day 6 people were assigned a pair of seats - they could then choose to keep both seats, share with a friend or decline and offer them to someone else. I thought it worked quite well.. but some peoples sense of entitlement is different to mine.

Sounds like your TM needs a good ticking off!!

Glad the problems didn't totally ruin the holiday for you...

Kind Regards

Kezzer

Jilly Windy Miller
(Member)
Hello all (especially Mandy - Jilly Windy Miller calling!),

I too was on the trip for which Mandy wrote such a comprehensive and informative review.  I agree with most of her points but would like to make it clear that we were not with the group from Travelsphere all the time; we did indeed clash on a number of occasions which caused logistical problems but on the whole the two Tour Managers liaised with each other and endeavoured to keep our two parties separate. Sometimes the breakfasts were a bit frantic but if it hadn't been chaos with Travelsphere it probably would equally have been with any other group staying at the same hotel.

With regard to the coach and seating arrangements I agree totally that the situation was mismanaged but I think some of the blame should rest on the travel party and not just the tour manager although I don't think she would have got much response from the offenders.  On one occasion I was speaking to a lady who was travelling with Just You for the first time and she was so appalled by the behaviour of a few at the back that she said she would never travel with JY again; I spent quite a bit of time trying to persuade her that of the four tours I have been on this was the first time the problem had arisen and that she should not let it put her off in future.  But really, Just You should try and adopt an overall system so that this sort of thing does not happen again. I did not appreciate hearing someone at the back of the coach (who refused to move up to the front) swearing at the people in front and the amount of time it took to get everyone off, it was quite intimidating and definitely not, as Mandy said, in the spirit of the JY concept. With regard to the issue of cases and porterage, on a couple of occasions we were told that it would be quicker if we took our own as there would be a delay getting them to our rooms due to the numbers booking in but we were certainly given that advice as an option and many decided to leave it to the porters. The same thing happened in South Africa and I think it was just put across as an option for people who didn't want to wait for their cases to appear.

However, despite the problems I would like to stress to those people who were thinking of doing the tour and are maybe having second thoughts to still go ahead and book it because the actual 'holiday' (I use that word loosely as it is a very intense tour with many early starts which are needed to cover the huge distances) is amazing, the scenery was absolutely fantastic, I found the American people to be very polite and kind and SO interested to talk to us once they found out we were Brits, and on the whole had a truly memorable experience.  The only problem I have at the moment is which of the more than 2,000 photos I took will make it to the photo album!

It was good to meet you Mandy and I hope your series of mishaps since you returned home have sorted themselves out and that you now have a relatively quite period!

nixon
  • (Member)
(Member)
Mandy

Thanks for the review, I was very unhappy to read all the negatives that you and the group had, I do hope that JY will answer you in full, I assume you have written to JY directly.

I too have had a few dire TM over the years and they really can upset the tour, and as for seat rotation on coach, I cannot stand this, I will not be told where to sit, I tend to sit near the middle of the coach but I do move around.

I did do a USA tour once when we did seem to cross over with a TS group,often but we split the departure times from hotels etc. So we didn’t end up like you as a 75 group.

I am glad you did seem to enjoy the tour...

Cindy

Glyn Williams
(Member)
Well I was on this trip and had a great time. I don’t blame JY for the unseasonal weather or indeed for their largely well-managed avoidance of the two holiday groups. I praise rather than criticise the TM Wendy for the coach seating arrangements. She started the tour by promoting the JY policy and there was so much bickering and whingeing by the hard-core moaners (the ‘drains)  that she provided a very sensible compromise to attempt to accommodate  as many views as possible. She did her best but oh the moaners kept moaning. Shame on those running  TM Wendy down as they’re doing. We were so lucky to have her as our TM. Yes she gave us a lot of information. Most grown-ups please themselves how much they absorb. And at least one of the correspondents on this thread consistently and loudly talked through Wendy’s commentaries . Unsurprising then if folk missed the important bits.  But all the timings were given clearly and always more than once. And Wendy is clearly someone who knows the territory really well and has great affection for the land and people we visited. I’d much rather have this approach than some dalek tapping out a few titbits of data. She went the extra mile on small items of support and major things (hospital stuff etc). If Wendy reads any of this – Keep doing what you do, we were so fortunate to have you as our TM.

Unsurprisingly for a coach load of 40 people there were different personalities on that trip. Firstly, lovely people who I was delighted to share some very special places and times with. Next there were good people, fine company: experienced and flexible enough to understand the need for give and take when sharing a 40-seater coach. And then there were the me-me-me, all about themselves brigade: first to moan, loudest to give opinions, and probably impossible to please and amazingly the ‘don’t sit by me lady’. Thankfully I didn’t want to.  Such is life I guess and I don’t blame JY for the few  ‘drains’ we had to share our lovely trip with. Many of us felt that Wendy was fantastic and in my own case after decades of very varied world-wide travel experience I fully offer that view. Looking forward I hope that JY doesn’t take the word of a few whingers as the wider group view of our TM.

To those who have posted their ‘second thoughts’ about doing this trip – it’ a pity. The places we saw exceeded all expectations by a mile. We had to travel nearly 3500 miles in America to see them all. We had good quality time at the major parks. We had expert guidance from our TM about how best to explore the parks where we had free time. We even had the menus from many eateries in the ‘next town’ passed around the coach to help our meal choices. We had a great driver. We had a TM who had time for anyone. A pity that some had little time for her. We had a full coach because we went at the best time for the parks, even if the weather hadn’t always heard that message. Some of us had a great holiday and I hope that others from this trip will make sure that JY and Wendy know that.

SylviaJ
(Member)
[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]Hi Mandy, Jilly Windy Miller and All[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]I too was on this tour so here's my take on it.[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]The group was too large at 40 people.  JY and Travelsphere should not be operating similar tours at the same time.  (In discussion with the TM at Las Vegas airport she said her report would highlight that 40 is too large.)[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]For this type of trip where you cover approx 3,000 miles, provision of a comfortable coach is a minimum requirement.  Our coach was a couple of months old with a cracked windscreen, one door at front only, no storage space in the seats – ie coat hook, table or cup holder, pocket on back of seat.  We were encouraged to use the onboard WC for emergencies only – really.   What's the point of having one if you cannot use it?[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]The TM said it was JY policy on seat rotation then proceeded to allocate the front six rows only on rotation with the rest of the seating a free for all – a nightmare as highlighted by Mandy and Jilly Windy Miller.  Seat rotation needs to be addressed once and for all so this sort of debacle doesn't happen in the future and a TM needs to articulate this more assertively.[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]I was the unfortunate traveller who had an uninvited visitor to my room on the first evening.  I could not sleep because of jet lag and after this incident at 2am in the morning there was no way I was going to sleep.  I raised this issue with the Reception and TM in the morning.[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]Mandy gives a generous 6/10 for this holiday, whereas I would only give it 5/10.  Whilst the scenery was magnificent, the weather was awful, coach uncomfortable, organisation and delivery a bit haphazard - less is more as regards commentary.[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]   Overall I consider this JY holiday to be the worst I have taken out of 24.  I currently have three holidays booked for next year but alas not with JY.[/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]Also, was JYHQ aware of the  windscreen issue?  Thankfully nothing untoward happened but what if a stone or wildlife hit the screen it could have taken out 40 travellers.  Headline: JY defends a corporate manslaughter case....[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]And finally my comments wouldn't be complete without a report on the laundry facilities of hotels! Most of the hotels had these facilities costing anything from $1.25 up to $1.75 for washing and similar for drying. As the weather was so bad on this holiday I wore the same clothes over and over.  Some clothes were left in the suitcase unworn as you didn't really get much time to change before going to dinner of an evening.  Yes, it really is a living out of suitcase type holiday.[/font]

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[font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif]Happy holidays[/font][font=Calibri, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif] [/font]

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Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
Thank you very much Mandy for the comprehensive review. I would like to do this Tour one day, but the thought of a large number puts me off. Like Bob, I too suffer from motion sickness if I sit too far back on a coach. I prefer Tours withl less number of people so you are not wasting too much time at rest stops. I just guess some Tours are more popular than others hence the large numbers.

Kind regards

jaya

Moderator2
(Member)
Hi All,

I have passed all your feedback onto our Customer Care team here at JYHQ.

Kindest Regards,

Amy

Verity Grisedale
(Member)
Hi

I also went on the same trip as Mandy and have read with interest the various comments that have been made. I know that Mandy is a seasoned traveller and has done several trips with Just You whilst this was my first solo holiday so didn't really know what to expect.

For me the group was too large it took me nearly a week to remember everyone's name! The seat rotation was a disaster.  I was disturbed to read in Mandy's post that Travelsphere customers paid nearly 1000 pounds less than those on the JY bus considering JY advertise 'no single supplement' how can that be justified?????

I thought the TR was OK she certainly helped out a couple of people who were taken ill and they were in praise of her help.  My only criticism is like Mandy her commentary was delivered as if she was reading from a phone book.  That aside as Glyn said she was very helpful when we arrived at new destinations the TR would give information about where best to eat and what there was for entertainment etc.  Where the TR and driver really need praising was when we visited Mount Rushmore it was shrouded in cloud so the next day they altered the itinerary slightly hoping that the cloud would have lifted and we could return to see this iconic site.  It was still in cloud but they both kept ringing the attraction all morning to get a weather check but sadly the cloud did not lift all day but they both tried their best.    

Apart from that this was a holiday of a lifetime for me and didn't disappoint.  As a first time customer of JY I really appreciated having the Heathrow airport lounge available for us.  Everyone was really friendly from the beginning and I knew I was going to be in good company.   As Jilly has said don't be put off  going it is absolutely fabulous the scenery jaw dropping and an experience I will never forget.   I will definitely travel with JY again.

Verity

Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Glyn

Thank you for posting your positive comments. I guess you can't please everyone. I am glad you enjoyed this Tour. As I have said in my previous posting, that I would love to do this Tour one of these days and it is on my list. I am being a bit selfish in that I hope, when I get to do the Tour, the Group will not be too large! On the other hand, if it is a large Group then I guess I just have to get on with it.

Regards

Jaya

Moderator2
(Member)
Hi all,

I have read and forwarded all your feedback on to our Customer Care team who has issued the following:

"We are mindful that due to a delay in the dispatching of the questionnaires, that our customers have not had the opportunity to feedback on the return from their holidays by this method. However, I would like to assure all customers, whether we receive negative feedback via the questionnaire or indeed other forms of communication, such as feedback on the website, e-mail, telephone, letter or indeed the community, we always treat each customer as an individual and investigate the points raised which are pertinent to them, rather than sending out standardised general responses. Whilst this may take a little longer we truly believe by investigating each point raised we do obtain a clear understanding of any customer’s dissatisfaction, thus enabling us to address the concerns, take action and make any appropriate amendments to our holidays."

If you do have any particular queries about your tour in the future, could you please email feedback@justyou.co.uk.

Kindest Regards,

Amy