Reviews about Travel

maddogsurrender says "Very disappointing baggage handling service" about United Airlines

maddogsurrender — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:44:27 GMT

I will spare you the details, and I understand that bags are lost from time to time. But the handling of the situation was abysmal. On a trip from Chicago to Paris, my luggage was delayed by about 36 hours. I was told over the phone that my replacement clothing would be reimbursed up to $150 (hardly enough for two days of clothing in Paris). I was also told that my entire cost of toiletries would be reimbursed (46 EUR). I was even given an address where I should send the receipts.

I received the $150 check, and received a separate letter that they would not honor their baggage service reps committment to reimburse for toiletrie items. Obviously, no phone number of email was provided so that I could discuss my claim. I reiterated in writing that United had already committed to reimbursement, and again they wrote me declining to provide what was promissed.

Disappointing to have them lose a lifetime customer.

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rlpowell says "Carnival Fascination a great experience." about Carnival Cruise Lines - Fascination

rlpowell — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:35:58 GMT

This cruise was a great value. However, the quality was outstanding. The destinations were fun and exciting. The food and the crew were wonderful. The only complaint was that creme brulee was not on the menu. Getting on and off the ship went very smooth. I was never bored. There is too many fun and exciting things to do. And if I just wanted to do nothing then my room was always clean and very comfortable. I went with about thirty people with many different interests and all had a wonderful time. Our ship left from Jacksonville and went to Keywest Florida and the Bahamas. We had some rain in Keywest but we found something fun to do regardless of the weather. All other days we had wonderful weather. I will cruise with line and on this ship again. I am an avid cruiser and try to cruise at least once a year. Take a cruise with Carnival. You wont regret it. Get on board now.

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Fitzie says "Wyndham boasts lovely Atmosphere, though some tweaks are needed." about Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites BOCA RATON - TOWN CENTER - Boca Raton, FL

Fitzie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:37:36 GMT

For the past 3 weeks, I've been staying at the Wyndham Garden Hotel and Resort in Boca Raton, (pka Holiday Inn). I hesitate to say I know this place inside and out, however, I do feel as though I can be a bit more objective than most due to the length of my stay.

According to hotel staff, the Wyndham Hotel changed its name, look at room layouts circa January 2009. Here is a brief description of what I've noticed while staying here:

ROOMS: The hotel beds are new and comfortable with pillow-top mattresses and fresh white linens. "Smart" chairs are located in most rooms which feature swivel desktop arm tables and power outlets built into the chair for easy laptop use. Larger individuals might feel a little cramped/confined in the chair. (My boyfriend is about 5'11", 180 lbs and is on the brink of feeling uncomfortable while surfing the web in the Smart Chair ). There is also a desk with an ethernet cable, but their wi-fi is so good here, you probably won't even need it. I loved...

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arob says "luxury resort with an adventurous side" about ka'ana resort - San Ignacio, Belize

arob — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:32:31 GMT

My husband and I stayed at Ka'ana boutique resort in Belize during July of 2009. The resort made it the most amazing trip. Our anniversary was while we were there and the resort managers and chef fixed up a romatic anniversary dinner for us in the wine cellar. They had a musician playing traditional mayan music for us while we ate. They made us a delicious cake to help us celebrate and even gave us an anniversary gift (a mayan calendar carved out of slate. They really went over and beyond expectations to make our day special. We took several amazing tours while we were there (ATM cave tour, Tikal, cave tubing, etc.). Our tour guides were always so fun and knowledgeable. We learned so much about Belize and Mayan culture. Our room was very nice and the bed was comfortable. Our every need was tended to. The food was always delicious. I feel like we made friends with all of the people that worked at Ka'ana. They truly made our vacation special.

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kma121667 says "Unforgettable & very relaxing" about Royal Solaris Cabos - Los Cabos, Baja California

kma121667 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:15:40 GMT

Roayal Solaris Cabos is a well kept hotel. The staff is very friendly, the food is good & the hotel is nice & clean!! This is a nice hotel for older couples & families.

I went with 3

The bad thing about the hotel is it is about an 30 minutes to 1 hr drive to anything. We went for a walk around the city & there was no one else in sight. I couldn't believe we were the only people on the streets. There's nothing around to walk to, except for construction on upcoming condos & hotels. Normally when I go on vacation I like to walk to the nearby bars, shops. There's nothing in walking distance, very disappointed :(.

The advertisments for the hotel is sooooo misleading. This is the 1st time I've ever been to a hotel & the beach is non-swimmable!! I'm from Indianapolis, IN we don't have a beach in sight. When I go on vacation I like to sit on the beach, we could not do that because the tides were too strong! The pool & jacuzzi close @ 7pm {how boring}. This was very disappointing...

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suzieg24 says "Wild Dunes Resort - go when you need to slow down and relax" about wild dunes resort - Isle of Palms, South Carolina

suzieg24 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:57:50 GMT

I stayed at the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms in September 2009. Specifically, I stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. First of all, the overall check in process was great. I got my vehicle pass in the mail a week prior to my arrival, which allowed me to go right through the security/guard gate onto the property very quickly. The staff at the Inn was magnificant. From bellhops and valets to front desk and housekeeping, everyone made me feel welcomed. All were very accomodating to my needs and requests. They were just great in general! Always had a smile on their faces and a 'hello' for myself and my party.

I was slightly disappointed in my ocean view room...the beach and water were a distance away and several Dunes housing complexes were in between...I could definitely hear the water when I sat on my balcony though. The room was spacious, well appointed, and very clean. The restaurants and food were excellent, although choices were somewhat limited on resort grounds...great food nearby at...

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jennygirl30 says "TRAINS PLAINS AND AUTOMOBILES" about Advantage Rental Cars

jennygirl30 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:32:54 GMT

We had a lot of travelers and luggage so we got a minivan..the person at the desk didn't know how to type and took a half hour to type in our info. Then handed us keys and sent us into the pitch black parking lot to find our own car. The first van was filthy all over inside and out and had dents, scratches, and it looked like someone spilled crap all over the carpet. We demanded a new one. At first it looked fine...it was dark out and was a black car. It ended up having dents, scratches, the molding around the inside of the window was hanging off and it was filthy all over, and had two flat tires that we weren't aware of until we left. On the shuttle going back to the airport on the way home we all shared our "advantage experience."

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wrighthoward says "Avis unresponsive with accident claims, poor customer service." about Avis

wrighthoward — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:31:52 GMT

I was invloved in an auto accident with a person who was driving an Avis rental car. It has been over 3 weeks and I have had no rersponse from Avis. I clearly am the victim of Avis's poor customer service and obviously overworked claims department.

I have been assigned a claim number, adjusters name and phone numbers, yet after several attempts to reach this person and her supervisor by phone, alll I get is an answering machine and NO ONE respnses. I then faxed an accident report showing their client was clearly at fault, along with the estimate for damages and still absolutely no response.

I don't believe that I would ever rent a vehicle from them because of the poor customer service.

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zadarlta says "The Worst Customer Service I Have Ever Experienced" about National Car Rental

zadarlta — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:08:23 GMT

On October 30th, 2009 I rented a compact vehicle from National and Returned it Tuesday the 3rd of November. On my way to the San Diego, CA drop off location I got lost and was in a hurry to catch my flight to new york.

Upon dropping off the car I forgot to grab my Garmin NUVI navigational system because I was in such a hurry. I realized I didn't have it with me upon boarding the flight to new york. I immediately called their customer service and told a man about my situation and he told me he would call me back within 48 hours. Two days passed and nothing was reported back to me. So i called again and this time i was directed to the lost and found department. I could not get ahold of anybody so I left a message on their answering machine.

I kept doing this for 5 days straight. Still NO ONE reponded back. Finally I got so fed up that I called the main toll free number and demanded service, and alll they could tell me was that "the car was checked by many people and nothing...

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Fooledbysystem says "0% customer service :(" about National Car Rental

Fooledbysystem — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:04:39 GMT

I booked a Full size car and had a double upgrade coupon so was basically planning to get a Minivan but after calling the rental location was informed that there are no minivan's to rent. So far so good. The customer service asked me to goto the nearest airport location and pickup the van ( she politely mentioned they will add additional airport tax ). Before leaving for the airport I thought of booking a minivan incase the upgrade doesnt work ( which somehow I knew would not work ! )..amazingly a third party website allowed me to book a minivan at a decent rate at the original location !!!! After reaching the airport, they increased my daily rate by 50 bucks and did not allow my coupon - reason being this coupon is valid for an upgrade to full size only, not sure why they charged me a rate of full size and then "upgraded" me to the same car....so i showed them the other reservation ( minivan at a decent rate at the original location ). They did not allow that booking since it was not for...

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OER says "A Red Roof of an earlier period." about Red Roof Inn Miami Airport - Miami, Florida

OER — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:54:24 GMT

What a pleasure it has been to receive our free night certificate without having to request it. It was just waiting for us along with the other mail. We did not call, email, write or phone for it. That was unusual. We wondered where to use it. We have been to the two other hotels in the area that belong to this chain and were postponing a visit to either for personal reasons. To our surprise, we were able to get a room at the Red Roof Inn, Miami Airport, the previous night. Another first! We were not given the run around usually encountered when using rewards certificates.The reservation process and check in were totally painless.

Upon check in we were given as requested, an all inclusive King Room. I received a T-Mobile day pass. along with the key. The room was spotless. The halls have a pleasant aroma. We arrived in the early morning hours, in the free shuttle from the airport. The clerk advised us that the only room of the type reserved available was an accessible room. We don't need...

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lovecityvacas says "Amazing few days in Barcelona and our apartment was wonderful!" about Visit all the World apartments - Barcelona, Spain

lovecityvacas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:32:24 GMT

My girlfriends and I wanted to have a European vacation and see sites and experience the culture and food, but we also wanted to be able to have our relax, hang out time. So, we decided to rent an apartment so we could cook and drink wine and have some nights after a busy day of siteseeing like we were at one of our own apartments. We rented one through Visit Barcelona, which is a part of Visit All the World apartments. We were so happy with it, that for the rest of our trip we cancelled our hotel reservations in other cities and used their apartments for all of the cities on our agenda! Our Barcelona apartment was in the perfect location. Right by La Ramblas the old part of the city and very close to subway lines and the beaches. It was great. Our apartment had a terrace to so we were able to eat some of our meals and have wine and cigarettes outside without leaving our apartment! Our home away from home enhanced our stay so much that I am going to write about each one we stayed in!

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JDGeorgia says "Convenient way to see seven countries in a short time." about Princess Cruises - Star Princess Baltic/Russia

JDGeorgia — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:23:41 GMT

The Star Princess is a lovely ship. The cabins are beautifully appointed and comfortable, the on-board amenities are extensive, the entertainment is delightful, and the food (served around the clock in a variety of restaurants) is delicious and plentiful. It makes for a luxurious vacation.

That said, I'm not normally a cruise ship traveler. I prefer to create and follow my own itinerary and have the freedom to change my plans if I want, but I thought it was a great way to see the Baltic. The Baltic nations are not the easiest places to travel, particularly Russia, and there's a lot of ground to cover. On our cruise, we visited seven countries--Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Germany, Russia. If we had been doing that on land, we would have been packing and unpacking and on and off trains and cars constantly. It would have been exhausting. In addition, navigating immigration for that many countries would have been a nightmare, especially in Russia where special...

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cgcghlr says "Bluegreen Vacation Club - Great for Families!" about Bluegreen - Vacation Club

cgcghlr — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:11:17 GMT

My mother and I purchased Bluegreen this past year in Aruba after renting from a Bluegreen owner. It was a fabulous vacation, and after 2 months we added more points to get to Gold status. This allows both of us to split the costs and trade off on who uses the points if one of us wants to take a bigger (ie. more expensive points vacation) or longer vacation one year. In less than a year, we've also separately been to Williamsburg, Suites at Hershey, Shennandoah Crossing and Club 36. Our main vacation will be Aruba every year, but with all the bonus time (and yes, we've booked vacations with bonus time), extra week vacations, etc., we feel we're getting a lot for our vacation points. I've also exchanged into RCI once so far with our Bluegreen points - and I've gotten one week in the Canary Islands at a top resort for Easter break time and am hoping to get a second week at the same resort to make it a two week vacation.

The key is too plan early, and if you're a premier member,...

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pam2896 says "Carnival Cruise Line was a surprisingly great affordable cruise." about Carnival Cruise Lines - Inspiration cozumel, grand caymen and jamaica

pam2896 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:39:35 GMT

I recently took a cruise on the Carnival Inspiration and was blown away by the level of service this ship offered. This was my first budget cruise and was a little skeptical at first, but after checking out the room, food, excursions and shipboard entertainment I was wowed. The servers were magnificent, food was as good as any other luxury ship I had experienced. The room was great. The size was perfect, beds very comfortable wiht plenty of closet space and drawers for our clothing. We had a great day at the pool with a reggae band playing Bob Marley songs while we sipped tasty adult beverages. This ship offered great experiences while onboard such as; made to order sushi, great shows, drinks with the captain, a beautiful casino, lots of clubs and a really funny comedian. We loved every meal we ate and really liked Grand Cayman Island. I will take this cruise again.

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Zebuca says "You'll never need to leave the grounds" about Disney's Fort Wilderness campground - Orlando, FL

Zebuca — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:53:47 GMT

This is one of our favorite places to visit and we live in Orlando. The best part about staying at the campgrounds is that you can stay right at Ft. Wilderness and not have to leave. We stayed in one of the cabins on off season and brought our own food. The cabins sleep 6 people via bunk bed, queen bed and then a pull out sofa. There is a full kitchen, refrigerator, deck and grill. You drive your car right up to the cabin.

If you have little ones, I highly recommend because you can have the children sleep in the room (close the door) while you can go into the living room area and watch tv. Hard to do in a regular hotel.

The campgrounds have stables, pony rides, fishing, a beach, playground, arcade, pool and fishing.

If you are able to, go to Hoop De Doo. It is well worth the money and a fun night for all ages. They have some slight adult humor in the show that kids won't get, but are goofy enough that the kids love it. The food is endless and the best fried chicken and...

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wetrat says "Thumbs DOWN for RCI" about RCI

wetrat — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:26:06 GMT

Due to busy schedules, we find it difficult to find time to travel outside of our kids' school vacations, and rarely are we able to plan more than six months in advance. We have been RCI weeks (as opposed to points) members for about 15 years and have NEVER received an equal quality exchange for our timeshare in Maui, and most times we are told nothing is available in the location or date range we request. This is completely the opposite of what the salesman told us in the sales presentation. We were told our Hawaii timeshare on the beach was the most desirable in the inventory, we would have no troubles at all trading for whatever we wanted, and even that our one week would equal two weeks at other resorts. None of this was true, unfortunately.

In addition, availability of units to you is extremely poor once they have your money. I was told recently, when trying to exchange my week in Maui, that there was nothing available on the beach or on a lake in California. Yet I live near the beach...

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kumachn says "Good bang for you buck." about Residence Inn, Sacramento Cal Expo - Sacramento, CA

kumachn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:13:12 GMT

This is good bang for your buck. Location is in a decent neighborhood near restaurants and the shopping mall. Friendly staff greet you at the door. They have clean rooms, and they re-stock shampoo, conditioner, soap, coffee & creamer, and popcorn everyday.

There is a kitchen with stove, microwave, dishwasher, cooking ware, plates and utensils. Its a bit outdated but surprisingly clean and in good condition.

There is a work desk in the kitchen conveniently near the refrigerator so all I have to do is turn around to get a drink.

Bed is comfortable, also sofa bed facing the gas log burning fireplace.

Breakfast consist of Eggs, Oatmeal, Biscuits & Gravy, Cereal, Waffles, Orange Juice, Cofee, and Bagels/Muffins

The only thing I didn't' like in the room was the water saving toilet than has a very weak flush.

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CloudNine says "Home School Day is the best! " about Six Flags Magic Mountain

CloudNine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:00:11 GMT

We just got back today from our trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA. We went to their annual Home School Day, which they've had for more than a decade. During the Home School Day, the park is closed to the public and almost all the features of the park are open. The tickets cost nearly 1/3 the price, and you can also purchase meal vouchers for a savings on food, and photo vouchers for a huge savings on the pictures taken throughout the park. By going on Home School Day, we saved about $100 total. That's a lot of cash in this economy!

Home School Day is an annual event, and it isn't usually advertised on the website. This year, in fact, the website just said the park was closed. If you are involved in home schooling in any way, you are welcome to come. Just call Six Flags and ask about it. It's a great program, and Six Flags is one of the very few who offer something like this. That makes me very loyal to the company itself. I have heard that Disney also has programs for home...

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MrsFrecklequeen says "The BEST Family Vacation EVER!!!!" about Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons

MrsFrecklequeen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:23:16 GMT

We have been going to Montana and Wyoming for about 14 years. We love it!!

Such a beautiful part of the country and so much to do for a family.

The kids loved riding around looking for buffalo and seeing the gysers and the paint-pots. Such a great family bonding time!

Highly recommend a trip into Jackson Hole, WY to see the Tetons and then driving into Yellowstone and going to Big Sky, MT and through the park. Never a dull moment and different every time you visit. It's an ideal location no matter which season it is too!

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