intrepid traveller
(Member) (Topic Starter)
Hi Everybody,  decided to try to start a new thread on the subject of included meals because the original one has been going for some time.  

I fancied going to Sardinia, all inclusive so no meal problem but the hotel is in a deserted place with no local shops or places of interest.   So I had a look on the Travelsphere web site.   I was AMAZED.  There is a little note there that says that because of customer feedback ALL evening meals will be included during 2019!!!  JY please take note.  Who are these travellers who want to want to dine out?

Bosuncat
(Member)
'intrepid traveller' wrote:

Hi Everybody,  decided to try to start a new thread on the subject of included meals because the original one has been going for some time.  

I fancied going to Sardinia, all inclusive so no meal problem but the hotel is in a deserted place with no local shops or places of interest.   So I had a look on the Travelsphere web site.   I was AMAZED.  There is a little note there that says that because of customer feedback ALL evening meals will be included during 2019!!!  JY please take note.  Who are these travellers who want to want to dine out?

I do agree with you.   :)

I fancied Sardinia too, but have probably discounted it for the same reason.  Interesting to read that Travelsphere are including all evening meals!

Angela Bingham
(Member)
'intrepid traveller' wrote:

Hi Everybody,  decided to try to start a new thread on the subject of included meals because the original one has been going for some time.  

I fancied going to Sardinia, all inclusive so no meal problem but the hotel is in a deserted place with no local shops or places of interest.   So I had a look on the Travelsphere web site.   I was AMAZED.  There is a little note there that says that because of customer feedback ALL evening meals will be included during 2019!!!  JY please take note.  Who are these travellers who want to want to dine out?

Let’s hope JY listen to us.

Regards

Angela

sjm533
(Member)
'intrepid traveller' wrote:

Hi Everybody,  decided to try to start a new thread on the subject of included meals because the original one has been going for some time.  

I fancied going to Sardinia, all inclusive so no meal problem but the hotel is in a deserted place with no local shops or places of interest.   So I had a look on the Travelsphere web site.   I was AMAZED.  There is a little note there that says that because of customer feedback ALL evening meals will be included during 2019!!!  JY please take note.  Who are these travellers who want to want to dine out?

I agree.  After being out for most of the day, the last thing I want to do is to traipse around looking for somewhere to eat in the evening.  I automatically check to see how many dinners are included and exclude any, and this is a lot, that do not include a dinner every evening.  I often travel with another company and they always include evening meals.

JY take note!!

Sylvia

BGray
  • (Member)
(Member)
Sadly at this stage, I've come to the conclusion that JY just pay lip service to our comments and do what suits their own agenda (misguided as that can so often be).  I have lost so much faith in them over the last couple of years.  No company is perfect but they really don't seem to care about keeping existing customers happy....
DavidG
(Member)
'sjm533' wrote:

'intrepid traveller' wrote:

Hi Everybody,  decided to try to start a new thread on the subject of included meals because the original one has been going for some time.  

I fancied going to Sardinia, all inclusive so no meal problem but the hotel is in a deserted place with no local shops or places of interest.   So I had a look on the Travelsphere web site.   I was AMAZED.  There is a little note there that says that because of customer feedback ALL evening meals will be included during 2019!!!  JY please take note.  Who are these travellers who want to want to dine out?

I agree.  After being out for most of the day, the last thing I want to do is to traipse around looking for somewhere to eat in the evening.  I automatically check to see how many dinners are included and exclude any, and this is a lot, that do not include a dinner every evening.  I often travel with another company and they always include evening meals.

JY take note!!

Sylvia

DavidG
(Member)
Whilst I agree with your comments, on my more recent holidays Tour Managers have tended to suggest places for groups in the evening.
Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
I agree with all the comments about included dinners. I too do not want to go around looking for somewhere to eat in the evening. If Travelsphere is including all evening meals for the couples, why is JY not including them for solo travellers?

Regards

Jaya

SusieB
(Member)
'Sue' wrote:

I too agree on the comments re. included dinners. Obviously the attraction of a singles holiday is the chance to see many wonderful places you may never have travelled to alone and one of the big draws is the fact that you are, hopefully, in good company and the awful situation of "eating alone" doesn't arise. 

Lunches out and about and at your own expense are fine as they often enable you to try local specialities etc. But, at the end of a good day I really don't want to need to go searching for somewhere decent to eat. I am on a holiday for singles and I expect the tour company to whom I've paid a lot of money to include dinner for me and my fellow travellers be it in the hotel or a nearby restaurant. 

Of course some people may sometimes want to go off and do their own thing which is quite ok. However, in most cases, I think people are just happy to have a relaxing drink and a decent dinner in or close to their hotel together with their new found holiday friends. 

Sorry JY but I find your excuse about customer feedback on this subject is unbelievable. Perhaps I'll give you the benefit of doubt and assume someone made a big mistake with their figures!! Possibly they were busy working out how many excursions could be turned into optionals.  At this rate next year they will counting how many regular customers they've lost.  

Regards to all

Sue

SarahS
(Member)
'BGray' wrote:

Sadly at this stage, I've come to the conclusion that JY just pay lip service to our comments and do what suits their own agenda (misguided as that can so often be).  I have lost so much faith in them over the last couple of years.  No company is perfect but they really don't seem to care about keeping existing customers happy....

Absolutely agree Bob. It seems to me that the new JY owners are looking for a quick return on their money with no regard to any semblance of customer service. I’m really beginning to wonder if booking Laos and Cambodia was a bad move. Especially since I have recieved notification that one included lunch has been removed (albeit with a credit of ten pounds applied to my account), and an included excursion has become optional for new bookings. I know changes sometimes are unavoidable, but no valid reason has been given for this move. 

My other complaint is that free visas have been offered for a limited period. I don’t qualify because I booked before the offer was made. When a company I am about to travel with made an offer of included excursions, I received a nice letter advising that all who had already booked had been included in the offer.

SylviaJ
(Member)
Hi All

I have a different view to others on the community and in this thread.

On a touring holiday where there is no easy access to restaurants, then dinners should be included. However, when touring places like USA and Canada, there are usually plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. I also prefer to have dinners in a restaurant of my choosing.  Having spent a long day on the coach with your travelling companions and TM, sometimes the last thing you want is to eat in a large group with them!  

On my recent USA tour, we had a welcome drink and a farewell drink and one included buffet dinner in the hotel.  I do not like buffets and prefer the food to be brought to my table.

So, we are all different....

Good luck JY, damned if you do and damned if you don't?

Regards

Sylvia

JudyH
  • (Member)
(Member)
I totally agree with the comments about lack of included Dinners.  I don’t wish to go out searching for somewhere to eat, especially when on a tour that moves hotels most days.  I tried to post a query about this but it has totally been ignored by JY. 

I have been travelling with JY for two years and there has been a marked downturn in included meals and excursions.

intrepid traveller
(Member) (Topic Starter)
I have actually booked to go to Sardinia with TS because of the evening meal issue.  A bonus is that TS also offer an optional trip to Corsica. For me evening meals included are an essential.
Jan_C_Worcester
(Member)
I'm booked for Sardinia in September and its full board. They must have listened after all. 

Jan 🙂

AELB
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi JudyH

No offence but JY didn't ignore your earlier query regarding evening meals. You posted it on the 'Ask your Editor' thread rather than this one and you have had several replies and views from both Vickie the Editor and other Community members. It's a subject that has come up a few times in the past and so there are several threads about it on the go.

All the best

Mandy