Thanks for your comments regarding tour managers and the support they are supposed to give regarding evening meals, when dinner is not included.  My experience of this on 18 JY tours has been very mixed.  Some have given us really helpful guidance on the dining options available locally and one or two have booked tables for us.  However, many have disappeared soon after the coach has arrived back at the hotel, leaving people to "fend" for themselves.  Rarely, if ever, have I seen a TM offer to dine with the guests - even when it is an included dinner, the TM usually sits at another table, either with the driver or by themselves.  I understand and appreciate they need some time to themselves and on occasion need to either write up notes, or make arrangements for the following day.  Some TMs have made an effort on one or two nights to mix/eat with the group, but then have "disappeared" on other evenings.  I wouldn't like to single out any in particular, as apart from anything else, my memory after all the tours I've done, may not be completely reliable; save to say that the experience has been fairly standard across the board.

On a different note, when the TM is not accompanying the main group home, there could be a need for the guests to be given detailed and accurate directions when a change of flights is needed.  On my way home from China, we got badly lost at Beijing airport and some of the group nearly missed the flight (there was minimal signage in English and the staff had very little English).  On another occasion, the group got very confused at KL airport as to which terminal we needed to be in (to get our onward flight) and whether we needed to take the internal rail link, or not (and the TM was nowhere to be seen).  These things can add a lot of stress to a holiday!

Finally, a word in praise of TMs - apart from one or two, they have all been great and have made a huge difference to the holiday.  I have recently returned from an escorted tour with a company who uses local guides but no tour manager.  Two of the guides were excellent but one was quite disinterested.  There was an issue with immigration at one point, where the presence of a TM would have been a big help.  Finally, on our way home, the driver didn't turn up to take us to the airport (there was no local guide at this point) and we had to get the hotel to ring the local agents, who then sent another driver (which was probably a blessing as the original driver was somewhat deranged!!).  Again, if there had been a TM, that situation wouldn't have arisen.  So we do need TMs, but they need to fully engage with the group and make sure no one is left out or that the group don't have a frustrating experience, desperately trying to find somewhere decent to eat...

All the best,

Bob

I forgot to mention that on one tour, the TM told us she wasn't allowed to recommend places to eat, in case we didn't like them or there was a problem!!

Some TMs will go above and beyond - like Filomena in the Azores - and organise optional tours for us during our free time - and some seem to rely too heavily on the local guide to keep the show on the road.  I suppose it's the difference between a TM who's done the tour before and knows the locations, and someone who has been given the tour, knowing nothing about the destination.  On one tour, it was obvious the TM was out of her depth and couldn't even remember the local guide's name!!

Cheers,

Bob

Thank you for your feedback, it’s very much appreciated and all will be passed to our holiday organisers so we can continue to improve our trips for you.

Many thanks,

Vickie

I agree with Bob's comments and have had very similar experiences.  

I will be very interested to know if JY are going to take on board all the comments about us wanting evening meals to be included.  

I would love to go to South America, but I won't book a holiday there due to the lack of included dinners.

Marion

Thank you for your comments. Yes, all feedback will be passed to our holiday organisers for their information.

Many thanks,

Vickie

I have never experienced the 4 options you mention for non included meals on any of my JY tours.

I haven’t booked anything from your latest brochure because of the reduction in the number of included evening meals ( and increase in the number of excursions being “ optional “ ! )

Thank you for your feedback, it's really helpful to us. I will pass this onto our holiday organisers for their information.

Many thanks,

Vickie

Re the Inspirations brochure - another pink horror - afraid I put it straight in the bin - it looked such a mess.

Agree with Bob's post re the need for more/better information when the TM is not travelling with us - this has affected trips I have been on, and the result can be a lot of distress to some tour members.  

Katy

Here's my quick thoughts.

Does JY include men in its focus groups?  If so, the colour of the brochure, which i don't have a problem with, might have been mentioned.  As for larger font or black rather than grey, yes please.

I'm quite happy to dine with other travellers at outside restaurants if no meal is included.  Some of the included meals are quite unpalatable anyway!  And, I do not want to cook and eat my own food.

Some TMs are very good at their job and excel at orgainsing mealtimes, others not.  

Regards

Sylvia

SylviaJ asks if men were included in the focus group. I doubt it as JY holidays seem geared to women. I know JY have to try to please everyone and I am resigned to going on yet another included excursion to a wildlife park, garden centre, cookery demonstration or wine tasting. Why can’t the Chicago to New Orleans holiday include the National Transport Museum just outside St Louis? And of course you’ll look in vain through the brochure for a holiday to the D Day beaches or such like.

Regards

Jaya

Yes we do use focus groups. We also receive feedback from our customer service questionnaires, via phone, email and letter as well as the community and social media.

All of this feedback is taken into account when making any changes to our tours 🙂

Many thansk,

Vickie

I've seen the comments come up about meals several times on various threads, something i have also commented on before, albeit i do understand from responses this is due to feedback.

However, as i have said in the past it is nice when you can go out and visit the local restaurants and it makes for a nice change from the hotel routine, for want of better words.

So it got me thinking because i've never actually heard the comments on tours, that people would prefer to drop the hotel meals in place of people doing their own thing.

If i personally had given feedback on meals, it would have been, maybe JY could organise evenings out as part of the tours - as a group - others can still choose to do their own thing. Whereas i get the feeling it appears what has been introduced instead is people just left to their own devices on certain mealtimes. I know the lovely tour reps will not leave you on your own, but that is not a guarantee in the small print.

I think there is a big difference between the two scenarios, and as a solo traveller selecting JY for what i see as it's unique market compared to others, this is a step backwards and leads back to what other travel agents offer - but maybe at a more expensive cost.

So it would be interesting to know what was meant in the feedback in comparison to how it was interpreted and delivered in the brochure. It appears that price is dictating the options, because understandably JY would like to keep prices down, after all many look at the price when considering what places to visit.

Maybe the middle ground is to offer the local restaurants as an additional paid option/excursion on the evenings meals have been dropped from the itinerary, that way you are catering for all, rather than the 'what if' scenario of an anxious traveller.

Maybe one for the feedback for next year.

Thanks Kev

All the best,

Bob

Your comment about the focus group made me giggle!

Jaya