Travel Review: Australia, Sydney, Adelaide, Port Douglas, Kangaroo Island, Melbourne, Great Barrier Reef

Review by traveler

Virginia S.

10.25.2018

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Australia

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

Our travel agent did several things that were NOT pleasing. We arrived in Sidney at 6:30 am, got to the hotel at 9 am. Our room was NOT available until after 1 pm. There was no place to leave our luggage, so we weren't able to get anything to eat (hotel restaurant was closed.) until we could leave our luggage in our room. The Hop On-Hop Off 2-day boat ride was a waste since we couldn't use it the first day (since it was 2 pm before we could drop luggage in our room). We didn't have good directions on going where we were to meet our tours, didn't have directions on getting back to our hotel after tours. We were NOT told that the Sidney Opera House tour started out with climbing 300 steps! My husband can walk but NOT 300 steps with 2 cracked vertebras. The city tours in Sidney and Adelaine were a waste of time (can see industrial buildings and docks in any city). Spent a day in Adelaine before going to Kangaroo Island with nothing to do. My husband was FORBIDDEN to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef and we haven't gotten our money back yet (my husband is a Certified Scuba Diver and Certified Rescue Diver with more than 200 dives.) The ticket agent in Kangaroo Island, flying to Adelaine, REFUSED to let my husband have a wheelchair. I requested wheechairs at all airports. The driver at Adelaine was not waiting for us. Had to ask a driver of another company to call for our driver-waited almost an hour for our driver. The train ride from Adelaide to Melbourne was a waste of time-nothing to see but sheep. Had NO directions on finding our hotel in Melbourne and couldn't get a wheelchair for him at the train station in Melbourne. Did not have directions on where to meet tours in Melbourne or how to get back to the hotel. However - a woman in your Sidney office was GREAT whenever I called her. We are experienced travels - including Asia, Europe, Africa, Newfoundland, Mexico and North America, including Alaska.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Port Douglas - good tours, great accommodations.

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

NOT use the original agent , she couldn't answer a lot of questions about the trip before we left, and did not give us an itemized list of all costs.

Travel Company Comments:

We were shocked, surprised and saddened to read your review.

Your agent advised you in an email and conversation on 03MAR and again in conversations on the 24th, 26th and 28th September your flight into Sydney will arrive very early and hotel check in is 200P. She asked if you wanted to pay to pre-register your room so you’d have guaranteed early access to it. You told her you did not want to pay for it.

You state “There was no place to leave our luggage,” and “The Hop On-Hop Off 2-day boat ride was a waste since we couldn't use it the first day”. Your agent advised you in an email and in a conversation on the 28 September about luggage storage at the hotel and using the pass. In her email she states: “I added a 2 day hop on/off pass so that you can use the day you arrive if you have to wait for your room to be ready”.

“We weren't able to get anything to eat (hotel restaurant was closed.)” The restaurant – across from the lobby of the hotel – opened for breakfast at 630AM.

“Spent a day in Adelaide before going to Kangaroo Island with nothing to do.’” Your flight landed in Adelaide at 230PM.

“My husband was FORBIDDEN to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef “ – We contacted the Reef operator. They emailed back stating: “At no time do we refuse guest access to the water for snorkelling”. Your husband asked the Reef operator to go diving. But he did not have the legally required paperwork or medical certificate and so was advised he could not go diving. He was never refused snorkeling.

“I requested wheechairs at all airports”. You never made that request this from us. If a wheelchair – or “2 cracked vertebras” – had come up in any conversation that would have been a ‘red flag’ for our team. You told us you were fit and very active. You told your agent you “were paddleboading in Hawaii” the week before you left for Australia.

“[Agent name], she couldn't answer a lot of questions about the trip before we left” – she answered every question you had. In the days before you left for this trip she spent more than 6 hours in conversations with you going over the itinerary, the vouchers (with the directions) and the day by day details of your trip. So it was particularly disappointing for your agent to read this critique.

We always strive to deliver extraordinary travel experiences for our clients. Vacations are important. And we take our role in helping to plan a great vacation very seriously. But sometimes mistakes happened or something is overlooked. We are not perfect. When we make mistakes we acknowledge it, we own it and do everything we can to correct or remedy the situation.

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