I appreciate your feedback advising that the tour managers have been informed of the reduced included meals and “will be ready to show you all the local places you can discover” but I feel that it is important that, if a large group wish to eat together at a recommended restaurant, that the tour manager checks that the restaurant is able to accommodate them (I.e. has sufficient staffing and menu item availability to cope) and then reserves tables, etc.

Regards

Janet

Hi Mike

Luton Airport is not as bad as what is being said!  For me it is only about 20 minutes away from home so I would choose to fly out from there.  I flew to Israel with EasyJet when I did the Holyland trip in October 2012 even though I had to pay a supplement to fly with EasyJet.  This meant I did not have to travel to Heathrow.

Regards

Jaya

I love Luton Airport (or as much as you can love an airport if you get my drift!), 40 minutes to drive, 20 minutes or so on the train, it's my airport of choice when booking my own flights.

Another thing to bare in mind, there's a lot of redevelopment work going on there at the moment, it's expanding rapidly, so there's bound to be disruption and the knock on effect on customer satisfaction. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs!

I have just read all the comments on the new brochure and would like to add something else to the mix. Like Jaya I would also like to use my local airport. As I live only 10 minutes away from Norwich airport you can imagine my delight to see that more trips are being added from regional airports. Admittedly not many yet but there are now some river trips starting from Amsterdam. As Norwich has daily flights to Amsterdam I for one would be quite happy to fly via there for any other trips. So come on JY give us more regional flights. I am sure others who live near their local airport would feel the same. I would welcome any feedback on this.

Fran

Can you be more specific about what Tour Managers have been told to do if there is no main meal provided on a particular evening.

Are they just going to say "there are lots of restaurants in the town centre" or are they actually going to meet people at a specific time in the hotel, and take them to the area where the restaurants are, describing each one.

I would like to think it's the second one, but many Tour Managers don't mix with the group in the evening (for a variety of reasons such as personal time, paperwork, not seeing it as their job etc); also how many choices are going to be offered, as some people operate to a very strict budget and some wish to have a very good meal almost irrespecive of cost.

Is this going to work ? Because it just seems to be simply a cost cutting measure to me, and one that will substantially reduce the overall enjoyment of JY holidays to many people.

Stuart

Pauline

Personally not too keen on the pink, I don't think its a colour that will do anything to attract many new male customers. If I was not a continuous customer i don't think I would have picked it up from a shelf as it doesn't look like its meant for me.

A new selection of holidays is always exciting, I do like the look of some of the Indian holidays, won't get the work leave to do double up on trips. Nepal, Jordan and Georgia trips look intriguing. Quite like the quirky idea of staying a night in an alien pod.

I hope that JY would consider creating some more short / city breaks & relaxing discovery breaks (doesn't have to be coastal) in Europe at the lower end of the price scale, There seems to be fewer of those and more pricier holidays out of my price range.

Why isn't Jersey in the new brochure for 2019? its on the website. I only noticed this being a Bean.

Chris

Can't say I'm that keen on the pink cover either.  

Marion

I don't want to hunt for restaurants. I don't want to cook my own food. I don't want to eat alone and I don't want to pay some of the exorbitant prices I now see in the (dreadful colour) brochure. I don't know which company is being alluded to in earlier posts, but there are at least two other, really good solo companies out there which I shall have to look at more seriiously.

Well the other company being alluded to is a bit less than 'Two Travellers'

I do hope the statement about the tour managers is true.........I have only been on two JY trip so do not have  great deal of experience but my first was Kenya so all meals where included, the second was Borneo, the trip was fantastic but the tour manager at times seemed like he was just one of the group, he didn't have any knowledge of the area and on the nights where meals were not included, the choice we had was eat in the hotel with him or go it alone! Luckily I was never left totally alone, there were small groups who went out exploring, we always found really nice restaurants but I think that may have been more luck. My next trip is Cambodia in November, one thing that nearly put me off booking is that there are only 4 dinners included- I live on my own, cook on my own, eat on my own the majority of the time, one of my biggest fears is being left on my own while away.......I'm sure there are others like me who may be put off by having less dinners included.

I know its also been mentioned about the costs- I understand there is alot to take into account but some tours seem very pricey. I have just booked the Galapagos trip for March 2020, it's a massive tick on the bucket list but also means I will potentially have to go without a holiday in 2019......I am not interested in visiting Europe at the moment, as the wish list for further afield is too long but prices mean I need to plan along time in advance to give myself time to pay if off........

I do like the new the brochure (except the colour- I'm not a pink fan!) lots of trips to places that have always been on the bucket list, I just hope they are still available for afew more years.

Yes, these are our modular tours which you can choose to join together if you wish. They'll be sharing the same accommodation and a coach. America's Western Highlights will finish at San Francisco and Western Wonders will continue to LA.

Many thanks,

Vickie

Sorry to hear this, and thank you for your feedback. It will be considered along with all comments in this thread.

Many thanks,

Vickie

I don't want to hunt for restaurants. I don't want to cook my own food. I don't want to eat alone and I don't want to pay some of the exorbitant prices I now see in the (dreadful colour) brochure. I don't know which company is being alluded to in earlier posts, but there are at least two other, really good solo companies out there which I shall have to look at more seriiously.

Well the other company being alluded to is a bit less than 'Two Travellers'

A further point about meals; As I stated previously, included meals make it easier to budget, but I’m happy to eat in a local restaurant occasionally, AND if it’s ‘done right.’ By that I mean the TM must have a good knowledge of the local area and be able to recommend a number of restaurants to suit people’s varying tastes. A good example of this was in Santiago last year when our TM, Patrick Twomey, on an evening when dinner wasn’t included, took those who wanted to eat out to an area with lots of restaurants. He recommended several places and we made our choice of where to eat. Other people chose to eat in the hotel bar instead, but we enjoyed a very good night out in a local restaurant, mixed with the locals and also saw a part of the city that we hadn’t been to during that day’s city tour. So, if it’s done occasionally and it’s done right, a very good evening can result. Almost certainly we wouldn’t have had such a good time if we’d just been left to our own devices to find a suitable restaurant in a city we were not familiar with.

One final point, and it’s about optional excursions. I was surprised to see that the ‘Amazing Australia’ tour, which already costs £7k, has no fewer than 15 optional excursions! 3 of those can be pre-booked at a total cost of £217, so if people want do the remaining 12 excursions that significantly increases the cost of an already expensive holiday. I suspect that people choosing this tour may have to seriously consider which of these optionals they can do without! Just a thought!

Mike

Sarah's post above re TM's recommending places to eat, reminded me of a point JY really need to take on board.  This particularly applied to a trip I made to the US with JY.  I think we ate out all nights, and at various places we stopped off, the TM (who did this tour regularly) would recommend somewhere.  It quickly became apparent, that the places weren't being recommended for their food/drink/ambience etc, but because the TM clearly got a free meal and drinks by herding us there.  

Katy

I would echo the comments made by others in this thread. One of the reasons I go on singles holidays is so that I don't have to eat alone in the evening. Personally I am quite self sufficient in the day. On a recent trip to Pompeii the tour manager did organise optional restaurant visits on the two nights there was no dinner in the hotel. One evening was great, the second a shambles with people being brought dessert before main courses etc. They clearly couldn't cope with the numbers. I for one will not be booking any trips without arrangements for dinner every evening. Likewise I don't want to cook my own food.

I am convinced the reduction in dinners is to keep the headline price down. On a similar note, on my most recent trip to Sicily entrance fees were not included so mid way through a tour with a local guide the whole group had to line up and pay individually to enter a cathedral or museum. Altogether it only amounted to just below €50 - it would have been much easier paid up front.

While I was in Sicily a fellow traveller said it was going to be his last JY trip because of the changes - and well, I am about to try the other company alluded to in other posts - so I may or may not be back.

I would like to add my own support to Fran’s request for more regional flight departures. I alluded to this in my previous post on this thread, and feel that this is often overlooked by JY for the convenience (for them) of corralling everyone at one (London) airport. Certainly there are examples of flights from my own local airport which have not been considered in the past - in fact the number of holidays offered from my local airport (Birmingham) in the new brochure has reduced slightly from the previous issue.

A further point about meals; As I stated previously, included meals make it easier to budget, but I’m happy to eat in a local restaurant occasionally, AND if it’s ‘done right.’ By that I mean the TM must have a good knowledge of the local area and be able to recommend a number of restaurants to suit people’s varying tastes. A good example of this was in Santiago last year when our TM, Patrick Twomey, on an evening when dinner wasn’t included, took those who wanted to eat out to an area with lots of restaurants. He recommended several places and we made our choice of where to eat. Other people chose to eat in the hotel bar instead, but we enjoyed a very good night out in a local restaurant, mixed with the locals and also saw a part of the city that we hadn’t been to during that day’s city tour. So, if it’s done occasionally and it’s done right, a very good evening can result. Almost certainly we wouldn’t have had such a good time if we’d just been left to our own devices to find a suitable restaurant in a city we were not familiar with.

One final point, and it’s about optional excursions. I was surprised to see that the ‘Amazing Australia’ tour, which already costs £7k, has no fewer than 15 optional excursions! 3 of those can be pre-booked at a total cost of £217, so if people want do the remaining 12 excursions that significantly increases the cost of an already expensive holiday. I suspect that people choosing this tour may have to seriously consider which of these optionals they can do without! Just a thought!

Mike

I’d just like to add my thoughts on the increasing “cook your own dinner” thread. I would rather not,  thank you - one of the nice things on these holidays is to have a leisurely meal with others with someone else cooking, clearing and washing up afterwards.Enough of that at home!

Ray.

Our Tour Managers are instructed to facilitate evening group meals and where the itinerary/location allows will aim to organise groups meals if possible, or if not possible then they will explain the selection of restaurants on offer and accompany you to the restaurant.

Generally there are four ways that Tour Managers will support with booking meals, depending on the tour:

1. Your Tour Manager will reserve tables in the hotel’s restaurant and will give the group a time to meet.

2. If there's not a hotel restaurant or you're staying in an area with lots of good choice, your Tour Manager will make a provisional group booking somewhere near the hotel, if possible.

3. Your Tour Manager will suggest several different places to eat within walking distance and will offer to accompany you as you walk to the area.

4. If the hotel doesn't have restaurants within walking distance then your Tour Manager will use the coach to drop off/pick up in a central location or if the coach isn't available they will make sure taxis are arranged for you.

We take all feedback seriously regarding Tour Managers not socialising with customers in the evening and we'd appreciate it if you could provide details of which tour you experienced this on, so we can look into it further and continue to improve our service.

Many thanks,

Vickie

Flavours of Tuscany gave us opportunity to learn how to make pasta, the other day was spent making dinner. Great fun had by all.

Love the Jordan tour, last did it with Sinai and Cairo in 2010. I would quite happily do this tour next year, if I had the money 😞 . Everything is included for meals and excursions. I would happily pay for Petra by candlelight and star gazing at Wadi Rum :heart: Went star gazing at Queenstown, New Zealand, loved it, saw the Southern Cross but no Southern Lights :(

Jan