I have been watching the boards, hoping you'd post today Bobo912! Am anxious to hear your thoughts on the trip - we're looking forward to it. Hope you all had a great time. Glad to hear there will be water in the waterfalls when we are there in 2 weeks.
2010 Yosemite with Tauck or ABD
- Thread starter Bobo912
- Start date
Since we took a Tauck Bridges tour and not ABD I'm not posting a trip report, as such. This post is mainly a comparison of my experiences traveling with the two companies. We had a lot of fun on this trip, but there were a few disappointments. I'll be happy to answer any specific questions.
First of all, with ABD an adventure guide greeted us at the airport (in Alaska both of our guides came to pick us up). With Tauck we were greeted by a hired driver, who retrieved our bags and drove us to the hotel without ever uttering a word for the entire drive. I know he was capable of speech, because he did give a short answer when I asked him a question while we were waiting on our luggage at the airport. When we arrived at the hotel, I expected to see our Tauck tour director (whom I will refer to as TD) in the lobby to check us in, but I was wrong. No one from Tauck there to greet us at the hotel either. I checked in myself and was given an envelope left at the front desk by the TD containing information on the evening’s welcome reception and suggestions for things to do in the interim. So at that point I was feeling kind of abandoned and not impressed at all. But things improved.
The welcome reception was nice. I won’t go into all the details, but one interesting fact was that every family, except us, included repeat Tauck travelers (sometimes the grandparent(s) were returning guests, but not the kids) and there were two families where the grandparents were on their 8th trip. They had mostly traveled on the regular Tauck adult trips, but several families were on their second Bridges trip. The hotel was okay, but nothing special. We had a beautiful view of the roof of the hotel.
It was a very short walk to Fisherman’s Wharf and easy to get to the cable car stop.
Marcemch, if you have any interest in touring Alcatraz, you should check immediately to see if there are any tickets available online. There was one family in our group who did the tour and really liked it, but they had to buy expensive tickets from scalpers on the street and I heard another one of the dads say he looked for tickets two weeks earlier and they were already sold out. Our TD said she will be doing Majestic California for the next 7 weeks, so she will be your TD as well. She may point out the St Francis Hotel at Union Square and mention the glass elevator. It may sound silly, but I suggest going in and taking the elevator. It was a pleasant surprise. DS and I went up and down several time before the elevator unexpectedly stopped at 5th floor and the door didn’t automatically open. Freaked DS out a bit and he was anxious to get off after that.
The activities were very similar to what one might do on an ABD trip. But I felt that we did not get the same VIP treatment that we get with ABD. When we went to the Academy of Sciences for instance, our TD picked up our admission tickets for us, but beyond that we were just more visitors among all the others. She suggested that we should pick up timed admission tickets to the more popular exhibits (like the planetarium) first thing so we wouldn’t miss those, but there was no advanced seating or special admission like I’ve experienced with ABD. Although there was a group of young people (looked like college students maybe) who were seated in advance, so it’s not like it’s never done there. And when we rode the Sugar Pine Railroad we had to just find seats wherever we could, while on the Alaska Railroad with ABD last year we had an entire car to ourselves. Maybe it’s not always the case with ABD either, but my experience has been that we received special entrance to events (entered before everybody else or got to see attractions after they were closed to the public). One of the things that makes this type of trip worth the expense is the VIP experience that you usually cannot arrange on your own. So, in that respect, it was a bit disappointing, since I felt like I could have arranged most of the same activities on my own. Although I still had the convenience of not having to plan or provide my own transportation. But having to stand in line with everybody else took time, and there were a few times on the trip when I felt rushed and still didn't get to see all we wanted to see.
Another disappointment was that my son didn’t bond with any of the other kids on this trip, although there were a lot of kids and quite a few right around his age. He did hang out with the kids some, but it wasn’t like our trip last year when he made some good friends and really bonded with one of the girls on the trip. There are never any guarantees that the kid's personalities will mesh, so the same thing could happen on any trip. Maybe we’ll have better luck next time.
There are some differences between the ABD guides and the Tauck TD too. The ABD guides were much more a part of the group. Except for the “on your own” time, at least one of them is always around, they have meals with us, and are generally part of the group, which I like and I think it is especially good for DS, because I know he loves being buddies with the guides. With Tauck, the TD didn’t go along with us when we had a local guide and returned to the same point where we started, like on the Yosemite Valley tram tour or when we did the flashlight hike at Tenaya Lodge. I guess that is one of the advantages of having two guides. And she told us it is Tauck’s policy that the guides not have meals with guests, since it could create the appearance of favoritism. Our TD was very good and really knew her stuff. But don’t expect to feel as pampered as you do with ABD. For example, in Alaska when DS and I went whitewater rafting on our own, our wonderful guide, suggested a company, called them, told them what we needed, and gave them all the details, so that all I had to do was call back and give my name and it was all taken care of. Then she sat outside the hotel with us until the shuttle came to pick us up and checked with us later to make sure we made it back. The Tauck TD will make suggestions and answer your questions, but doesn't go to the same lengths as ABD guides. But considering all that she is solely responsible for, she does a great job. Another example from ABD - there was someone in our group last summer who mentioned that she liked to have a Pepsi each morning, and the next day a cooler of Pepsi showed up on the bus. Which brings me to another topic…no snacks, unless you provide them yourself. Tauck does give you bottled water though.
As far as lodgings go, the Tenaya Lodge was definitely much nicer than the Lodge at Yosemite Falls. It was near one entrance to the park and not very far from the Mariposa grove, but it was a 1 ½ hour drive to the valley floor. The drive used up a good part of the one day we had in the valley, so I felt like we didn’t have enough time there. We left the hotel at 7:30, so we did arrive early enough to take the short walk to the lower Yosemite Falls before our tram tour and while the park was sparsely populated, which was very nice. We did the 2 hour tram tour at 10:00 which left about 4 hours for lunch and other activities on our own. We finished lunch quickly and went to Happy Isle and walked the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. With the time it takes to ride the shuttle to and from Yosemite Lodge and the time to climb to the top of the falls, we used up all our remaining time, so that is all we got to do. It wasn’t so crowded that we had to wait for a shuttle (which our TD says often happens), but it still took 35-40 minutes to get to/from Yosemite Lodge to Happy Isle. If you enjoy cycling, it’s quicker to rent a bike and use that to get around the park. So anyway, I think it would have been nice to stay within the park so we could have seen more of the sites there on our own. But it’s a trade off between location and nicer accommodations. The area around Tenaya Lodge was nice for hiking, but definitely not as breathtakingly beautiful as the Yosemite Valley.
The hotel in Monterey, Intercontinental Monterey the Clement, was beautiful, but it is not the hotel they normally use on this tour. I think there was some conflict because of the US Open crowds, or something like that. Whatever the reason, we were lucky because the hotel was gorgeous. Huge rooms, beautiful bath with a big tub and separate shower. It was right on the bay at Cannery Row. The aquarium was next door. The hotel they normally use is at Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Our TD asked for our opinions and suggestions and I think they may start using this hotel all the time. She said that the hotel had offered them a rate as good as the regular hotel, so maybe that will happen. Tauck (or at least our TD) seemed very open to suggestions, and the TD’s seem to have some freedom to rearrange or add to the itinerary. There were some discussions about things to do in San Francisco and Monterey so it will be interesting to see if anything changes when marcemch takes this trip in two weeks. I won’t mention what it is, because it’s nice to have some surprises.
Overall we had a very good trip. We enjoyed the activities. Other than the amazing beauty of Yosemite, I think DS and I both enjoyed the kayaking on Monterey Bay the most. Our tour director was very efficient, had a good sense of humor and had a lot of tricks up her sleeve for entertaining the kids. The food was generally good. (marcemch - if you or your DD are into desserts, one of you should try the cookie pizza at the Sierra restaurant at the Tenaya Lodge. DS had it and allowed me to have a bite. It was yummy!)
I hope someone who is taking the ABD trip to Yosemite will post too. I would like to hear their opinions on the Lodge at Yosemite Falls and anything else they might have to say about the trip.
First of all, with ABD an adventure guide greeted us at the airport (in Alaska both of our guides came to pick us up). With Tauck we were greeted by a hired driver, who retrieved our bags and drove us to the hotel without ever uttering a word for the entire drive. I know he was capable of speech, because he did give a short answer when I asked him a question while we were waiting on our luggage at the airport. When we arrived at the hotel, I expected to see our Tauck tour director (whom I will refer to as TD) in the lobby to check us in, but I was wrong. No one from Tauck there to greet us at the hotel either. I checked in myself and was given an envelope left at the front desk by the TD containing information on the evening’s welcome reception and suggestions for things to do in the interim. So at that point I was feeling kind of abandoned and not impressed at all. But things improved.
The welcome reception was nice. I won’t go into all the details, but one interesting fact was that every family, except us, included repeat Tauck travelers (sometimes the grandparent(s) were returning guests, but not the kids) and there were two families where the grandparents were on their 8th trip. They had mostly traveled on the regular Tauck adult trips, but several families were on their second Bridges trip. The hotel was okay, but nothing special. We had a beautiful view of the roof of the hotel.
It was a very short walk to Fisherman’s Wharf and easy to get to the cable car stop.Marcemch, if you have any interest in touring Alcatraz, you should check immediately to see if there are any tickets available online. There was one family in our group who did the tour and really liked it, but they had to buy expensive tickets from scalpers on the street and I heard another one of the dads say he looked for tickets two weeks earlier and they were already sold out. Our TD said she will be doing Majestic California for the next 7 weeks, so she will be your TD as well. She may point out the St Francis Hotel at Union Square and mention the glass elevator. It may sound silly, but I suggest going in and taking the elevator. It was a pleasant surprise. DS and I went up and down several time before the elevator unexpectedly stopped at 5th floor and the door didn’t automatically open. Freaked DS out a bit and he was anxious to get off after that.
The activities were very similar to what one might do on an ABD trip. But I felt that we did not get the same VIP treatment that we get with ABD. When we went to the Academy of Sciences for instance, our TD picked up our admission tickets for us, but beyond that we were just more visitors among all the others. She suggested that we should pick up timed admission tickets to the more popular exhibits (like the planetarium) first thing so we wouldn’t miss those, but there was no advanced seating or special admission like I’ve experienced with ABD. Although there was a group of young people (looked like college students maybe) who were seated in advance, so it’s not like it’s never done there. And when we rode the Sugar Pine Railroad we had to just find seats wherever we could, while on the Alaska Railroad with ABD last year we had an entire car to ourselves. Maybe it’s not always the case with ABD either, but my experience has been that we received special entrance to events (entered before everybody else or got to see attractions after they were closed to the public). One of the things that makes this type of trip worth the expense is the VIP experience that you usually cannot arrange on your own. So, in that respect, it was a bit disappointing, since I felt like I could have arranged most of the same activities on my own. Although I still had the convenience of not having to plan or provide my own transportation. But having to stand in line with everybody else took time, and there were a few times on the trip when I felt rushed and still didn't get to see all we wanted to see.
Another disappointment was that my son didn’t bond with any of the other kids on this trip, although there were a lot of kids and quite a few right around his age. He did hang out with the kids some, but it wasn’t like our trip last year when he made some good friends and really bonded with one of the girls on the trip. There are never any guarantees that the kid's personalities will mesh, so the same thing could happen on any trip. Maybe we’ll have better luck next time.
There are some differences between the ABD guides and the Tauck TD too. The ABD guides were much more a part of the group. Except for the “on your own” time, at least one of them is always around, they have meals with us, and are generally part of the group, which I like and I think it is especially good for DS, because I know he loves being buddies with the guides. With Tauck, the TD didn’t go along with us when we had a local guide and returned to the same point where we started, like on the Yosemite Valley tram tour or when we did the flashlight hike at Tenaya Lodge. I guess that is one of the advantages of having two guides. And she told us it is Tauck’s policy that the guides not have meals with guests, since it could create the appearance of favoritism. Our TD was very good and really knew her stuff. But don’t expect to feel as pampered as you do with ABD. For example, in Alaska when DS and I went whitewater rafting on our own, our wonderful guide, suggested a company, called them, told them what we needed, and gave them all the details, so that all I had to do was call back and give my name and it was all taken care of. Then she sat outside the hotel with us until the shuttle came to pick us up and checked with us later to make sure we made it back. The Tauck TD will make suggestions and answer your questions, but doesn't go to the same lengths as ABD guides. But considering all that she is solely responsible for, she does a great job. Another example from ABD - there was someone in our group last summer who mentioned that she liked to have a Pepsi each morning, and the next day a cooler of Pepsi showed up on the bus. Which brings me to another topic…no snacks, unless you provide them yourself. Tauck does give you bottled water though.
As far as lodgings go, the Tenaya Lodge was definitely much nicer than the Lodge at Yosemite Falls. It was near one entrance to the park and not very far from the Mariposa grove, but it was a 1 ½ hour drive to the valley floor. The drive used up a good part of the one day we had in the valley, so I felt like we didn’t have enough time there. We left the hotel at 7:30, so we did arrive early enough to take the short walk to the lower Yosemite Falls before our tram tour and while the park was sparsely populated, which was very nice. We did the 2 hour tram tour at 10:00 which left about 4 hours for lunch and other activities on our own. We finished lunch quickly and went to Happy Isle and walked the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls. With the time it takes to ride the shuttle to and from Yosemite Lodge and the time to climb to the top of the falls, we used up all our remaining time, so that is all we got to do. It wasn’t so crowded that we had to wait for a shuttle (which our TD says often happens), but it still took 35-40 minutes to get to/from Yosemite Lodge to Happy Isle. If you enjoy cycling, it’s quicker to rent a bike and use that to get around the park. So anyway, I think it would have been nice to stay within the park so we could have seen more of the sites there on our own. But it’s a trade off between location and nicer accommodations. The area around Tenaya Lodge was nice for hiking, but definitely not as breathtakingly beautiful as the Yosemite Valley.
The hotel in Monterey, Intercontinental Monterey the Clement, was beautiful, but it is not the hotel they normally use on this tour. I think there was some conflict because of the US Open crowds, or something like that. Whatever the reason, we were lucky because the hotel was gorgeous. Huge rooms, beautiful bath with a big tub and separate shower. It was right on the bay at Cannery Row. The aquarium was next door. The hotel they normally use is at Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Our TD asked for our opinions and suggestions and I think they may start using this hotel all the time. She said that the hotel had offered them a rate as good as the regular hotel, so maybe that will happen. Tauck (or at least our TD) seemed very open to suggestions, and the TD’s seem to have some freedom to rearrange or add to the itinerary. There were some discussions about things to do in San Francisco and Monterey so it will be interesting to see if anything changes when marcemch takes this trip in two weeks. I won’t mention what it is, because it’s nice to have some surprises.
Overall we had a very good trip. We enjoyed the activities. Other than the amazing beauty of Yosemite, I think DS and I both enjoyed the kayaking on Monterey Bay the most. Our tour director was very efficient, had a good sense of humor and had a lot of tricks up her sleeve for entertaining the kids. The food was generally good. (marcemch - if you or your DD are into desserts, one of you should try the cookie pizza at the Sierra restaurant at the Tenaya Lodge. DS had it and allowed me to have a bite. It was yummy!)
I hope someone who is taking the ABD trip to Yosemite will post too. I would like to hear their opinions on the Lodge at Yosemite Falls and anything else they might have to say about the trip.
I thought of something else that was good. When we arrived in Monterey, there was a photograper waiting for us, who took a very nice photo of the group and each family got a copy at the farewell dinner (which was at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and very good, BTW). The TD also took photos throughout the tour and burned CDs which each family got a copy of at the dinner. She did not go to great lengths to make sure she had a picture of each family at every good photo op, like the ABD guides do, but, in addition to the photos she took with her own camera, she also occasionally offered to take pictures with our cameras or would do it if we asked. It was nice to get the photo CD at the end of trip, rather than having to wait for it. It doesn't have the professional labeling or case that the Disney photo CD has, but it's still nice.
sayhello
Have Camera, Will Travel
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 16,828
Bobo912, interesting observations! So, a good experience, but not as *special* as ABD. I'm not surprised that this is the difference. To me, it's always been the Guides, and their special touches, that really *made* these trips.
When I've gone to Yosemite, we've stayed at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal (also outside the Park). It's about 45 minutes from the Valley, but it's fairly on the "rustic" side. I thought *that* was far away from the Valley, but Tenaya is *WAY* out there. Personally, I would much rather wake up in the Valley than drive an hour & a half each way to get there. *Especially* as you only had one day there! That's too bad!
It sounds like Tauck is a good alternative, even if it's not really on par with ABD. Thanks for your insights! I *DO* wish someone who went on the ABD Yosemite trip would post here!
Sayhello
When I've gone to Yosemite, we've stayed at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal (also outside the Park). It's about 45 minutes from the Valley, but it's fairly on the "rustic" side. I thought *that* was far away from the Valley, but Tenaya is *WAY* out there. Personally, I would much rather wake up in the Valley than drive an hour & a half each way to get there. *Especially* as you only had one day there! That's too bad!
It sounds like Tauck is a good alternative, even if it's not really on par with ABD. Thanks for your insights! I *DO* wish someone who went on the ABD Yosemite trip would post here!
Sayhello
Thanks for your insights Bobo912. Much of what you reported I kind of expected, but some wasn't. We weren't picked up by the guides in Germany, so I was actually surprised when the actual guides picked us up in Fairbanks on our second ABD. I think the proximity of the hotel to the airport may be the reason why they do it sometimes, and not other times. DD will not be happy about the snacks - that was one of her favorite things! Guess I should pack some granola bars!
Did the TD do anything with the kids alone? I do think that helps the kids bond - getting away from the parents.
I'm sorry to hear about your son connecting with other kids on the trip. That happened to us last year in Alaska, so I know how it can affect the trip experience for you both. I sure hope this trip will be different. Did the TD facilitate kid interaction?
Interesting also about the mix of people on the trip - did you think that the repeat Tauck traveler's expectations were met and that they were happy with the trip? Sounds like they have a loyal following - that says alot there.
I will PM you for more specifics about free time activities etc.
Besides the CD of the trip given to you on the last night, was there anything (besides the trip price) that you felt like TB did better or as well as ABD? Maybe the price differential is worth it?
Did the TD do anything with the kids alone? I do think that helps the kids bond - getting away from the parents.
I'm sorry to hear about your son connecting with other kids on the trip. That happened to us last year in Alaska, so I know how it can affect the trip experience for you both. I sure hope this trip will be different. Did the TD facilitate kid interaction?
Interesting also about the mix of people on the trip - did you think that the repeat Tauck traveler's expectations were met and that they were happy with the trip? Sounds like they have a loyal following - that says alot there.
I will PM you for more specifics about free time activities etc.
Besides the CD of the trip given to you on the last night, was there anything (besides the trip price) that you felt like TB did better or as well as ABD? Maybe the price differential is worth it?
The TD never did anything alone with the kids. I think she took some games to the back of the bus and the kids played those, but that was toward the end of the trip when the kids had already formed their relationships anyway. DS sat in the back with the kids a couple of times, but mostly he didn't want to and she never did anything to encourage him to join the kids or let him know she was initiating some activity that he might want to take part in. So since he was up front with me, I'm not completely sure what went on in the back of the bus. Most of the time the TD was up front though. She had some contests for the kids (make sure your DS has a camera for the Mariposa Grove, BTW), and some other things that were entertaining for them. I think for the kids who made friends, it just happened. There were several things that she did to encourage the families/kids to interact, but for us I think it helped me to get to know some of the adults better, but for whatever reason, didn't work with DS. I thought it would be good that we had a large group of kids - improve the odds that DS would find somebody with similiar interests - but actually I think he does better with a smaller group. He's more of a one-on-one kind of guy.
You may have heard about the assigned seats on the Tauck bus. Every day we had a different assigned seat and the kids had to stay with their families. After lunch the kids were allowed to move to the back of the bus. I didn't like the assigned seats at all. It was meant to allow you to be better acquainted with your fellow travelers, but I don't think it accomplished that at all. It was just a hassle.
As far as I could tell, the past Tauck travelers seemed satisfied with their experience. But, I'm sure if I had taken a Tauck trip before taking an ABD trip my opinion would be more positive, as well. Not that I didn't enjoy the trip, but they didn't meet the level of service that ABD provides. There were a couple of situations that I was quite unhappy with and that is something that I've never experienced with ABD. But I've only been on two ABD trips, so I'm sure they can't be perfect all the time.
I really thought that since I'm pretty low maintenance that having two quides was not of any benefit to me, but I'm not of that opinion any more. I now think having two guides allows each of them to provide the attention to detail that makes the trips so special. Because of that along with the more exclusive, VIP access to events and attractions, I'm of the opinion that the price difference is worth it. I've never been disappointed with ABD. Guess I'll have to take another trip with them to see if they can continue to live up to my expectations.
Please PM me with any questions and I'll answer them if I can.
Thought of something else that might be of interest to some of you. One of our fellow travelers mentioned that he and his wife had taken their children and/or grandchildren on some of the regular Tauck trips to Europe. He said there were kids on the trip, but since there weren't as many as on a Bridges trip, the other adults tended to spoil them and the kids loved it. Not sure that I would consider that at this point, but maybe when DS is a little older, since Tauck does some longer trips that combine locations, such as England, Scotland and Wales or Australia and New Zeland. Not sure that I will travel with them again, but it's something to consider, especially if airfare keeps going up. Maybe ABD should consider optional add ons for some of their trips, like adding a New Zealand option to Australia.
After having a few days to ponder this trip, I've come to the conclusion that it is very unlikely that we will take another US tour. We kept referring to this trip as our "Yosemite trip", but we spent about 4 hours in Mariposa Grove and about 7 hours in Yosemite Valley, so not a whole lot of Yosemite included. Looking back, I think we might have enjoyed the trip more if we had booked a room at one of the onsite lodges and just taken our time enjoying the park. We would have gladly given up the time in San Francisco. Two things DS said he wanted to do - fishing and rafting - we didn't have the time or the transportation to allow. I would have loved both of those things, as well, and also just to have more time to explore the park. On our own we could have done exactly what we wanted and spent less and that money could have gone toward our next trip outside the country, which is probably going to be another ABD.
After having a few days to ponder this trip, I've come to the conclusion that it is very unlikely that we will take another US tour. We kept referring to this trip as our "Yosemite trip", but we spent about 4 hours in Mariposa Grove and about 7 hours in Yosemite Valley, so not a whole lot of Yosemite included. Looking back, I think we might have enjoyed the trip more if we had booked a room at one of the onsite lodges and just taken our time enjoying the park. We would have gladly given up the time in San Francisco. Two things DS said he wanted to do - fishing and rafting - we didn't have the time or the transportation to allow. I would have loved both of those things, as well, and also just to have more time to explore the park. On our own we could have done exactly what we wanted and spent less and that money could have gone toward our next trip outside the country, which is probably going to be another ABD.
Thanks for posting. We are leaving on our Tauck Costa Rica trip next Saturday, July 10. Your thoughts on the "special" feeling that ABD gives you are interesting....in our case the Tauck trip was over $5000 cheaper for an almost identical itinerary, more included meals, and one night longer...my question is, would that "special" feeling be worth spending an extra $5000??...I guess I will be able to answer that myself when we return on the 19th of July, but just wondering what your opinion on that would be. Having experienced 2 ABD trips we'll definitely have something to compare to. I think if it's only a matter of a few hundred or even $1000, than maybe ABD would have the advantage, but I'm still skeptical that the extras like pins, snacks and bottled water would sway me....however, I'm going with an open mind and hoping to be pleasantly surprised, and not expecting an ABD experience, but a Tauck Bridges experience
Thanks for posting. We are leaving on our Tauck Costa Rica trip next Saturday, July 10. Your thoughts on the "special" feeling that ABD gives you are interesting....in our case the Tauck trip was over $5000 cheaper for an almost identical itinerary, more included meals, and one night longer...my question is, would that "special" feeling be worth spending an extra $5000??...I guess I will be able to answer that myself when we return on the 19th of July, but just wondering what your opinion on that would be. Having experienced 2 ABD trips we'll definitely have something to compare to. I think if it's only a matter of a few hundred or even $1000, than maybe ABD would have the advantage, but I'm still skeptical that the extras like pins, snacks and bottled water would sway me....however, I'm going with an open mind and hoping to be pleasantly surprised, and not expecting an ABD experience, but a Tauck Bridges experience
I went into this trip fully expecting the experience to be equal or very close to my experience with ABD, so I was surprised that my expectations weren't met. My biggest issue wasn't that we didn't get the special "feeling", it was more that we saw and did less because because we didn't get the same VIP treatment/access that we've gotten in the past with ABD. So I feel like we could have done this trip on our own, seen and done more of the things we wanted, and saved even more money. But if we had been traveling outside the US, especially to a country where we don't speak the language, it would be a different story altogether, since I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it on my own. I don't think it's fair to judge Tauck solely on the basis of this one trip. I'll be interested to hear how the trips out of the country go - your Costa Rica trip and TammyAlphabet's London/Paris trip. Unless ABD does something really stupid, we'll probably be traveling with them in 2011, but there are only two of us, so the price difference is less significant. I totally get where you're coming from when there is a $5000 price difference.
Before ABD, we had no great expectations re any travel company--cost and location is what mattered. I think as I've gotten older I want to stress less on vacation, so other things are mattering more.
But that all said, I'll borrow from the guides: it's not better, it's not worse, it's different. Getting out in the world is fun, and there are lots of ways to do it, so hooray for Tauck and ABD and the rest!
So far, I felt felt most at ease (for my tastes) with ABD--really was a "wow" trip, our first ABD...and the hard to describe differences are worth the extra cost. Of course, there is a line--and we won't just pay anything to go with ABD. But so far, on the four trips we've done with them, I have left each one believing that we got our money's worth. But others may find Tauck or some other group more of their liking, and that is perfectly fine!
But that all said, I'll borrow from the guides: it's not better, it's not worse, it's different. Getting out in the world is fun, and there are lots of ways to do it, so hooray for Tauck and ABD and the rest!
So far, I felt felt most at ease (for my tastes) with ABD--really was a "wow" trip, our first ABD...and the hard to describe differences are worth the extra cost. Of course, there is a line--and we won't just pay anything to go with ABD. But so far, on the four trips we've done with them, I have left each one believing that we got our money's worth. But others may find Tauck or some other group more of their liking, and that is perfectly fine!
Tauck has been around for 85 years and they have a loyal following, so they're obviously doing something right. Our trip was very well done. But based on my limited experience, I prefer ABD's style and attention to detail. As WeLoveABD so aptly described the ABD experience, it is definitely a "wow" trip, and I just didn't get that feeling from our recent Tauck tour. If Tauck and ABD offer a similar itinerary and the price differential seems unjustified or if we want to travel to some destination that Tauck offers but ABD doesn't, I would definitely consider traveling with them again.
TammyAlphabet
DIS Veteran<br><font color=red>Life Member - "excl
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- 4,055
Hi Bobo,
I posted some comments about my trip on the other thread I started. I just read your comments and I can't disagree with anything. In my case, the difference would have been 1200 dollars and I wish I had paid the difference and went with ABD.
In my case, I got no package from Tauck when I checked in so I almost missed the first tour due to misinformation. I asked the front desk for information on how to contact my tour director and they were clueless! She did track me down before the bus departed thank goodness. As I said, our tour director was efficient and very professional. We did not get into anything early and were also left to explore on our own a few times. Most of the time though, we had a guide.
Tammy
I posted some comments about my trip on the other thread I started. I just read your comments and I can't disagree with anything. In my case, the difference would have been 1200 dollars and I wish I had paid the difference and went with ABD.
In my case, I got no package from Tauck when I checked in so I almost missed the first tour due to misinformation. I asked the front desk for information on how to contact my tour director and they were clueless! She did track me down before the bus departed thank goodness. As I said, our tour director was efficient and very professional. We did not get into anything early and were also left to explore on our own a few times. Most of the time though, we had a guide.
Tammy
emesmom
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2009
- Messages
- 38
I totally agree. I wish I had spent the extra money and gone with ABD again, but I have to say my daughter had a good time...and that is what really matters to me. She was EXHAUSTED though, because the schedule was too hectic.
Hi Bobo, I haven't been trolling around the disboards for a while, so I was glad when I found your thread. Thanks for your thoughts, they are very helpful. Our family just returned from a trip with a local organization. Our friends had been on it previously, and highly recommended it. It was a terrific trip, but not ABD. We actually had a guide and a youth counselor. The youth counselor was better than the guide. He kept the kids happy and singing constantly and offered to take them out to dinner on night on our own. I don't think he had to do that. The guide was OK. She would start walking and not look if we were following. The adults would wait for the kids to get off the bus and then we would be lost, because the guide had gone on ahead.
We had a great trip, but are awaiting the ABD's for 2011.
We had a great trip, but are awaiting the ABD's for 2011.
We are awaiting our flight in SFO after completing the Tauck Bridges Majestic CA trip. We had a fabulous time, and I wouldn't hesitate to travel with Tauck Bridges again. We had done both the ABD Germany trip and the ABD Alaska trip, and enjoyed this one much more than Alaska and almost equally to our Germany experience (which was the first for us, so is often the best). I will need some more time to process all the "whys", but here's a first cut.
1. Good itinerary with active activities that my 10 yr old DD really enjoyed. I think it's important to evaluate a trip for any family with the activities/downtime in mind. This one fit our interests (and budget) better than the ABD northern CA trip.
2. My daughter DID bond this time with a couple of the kids, which didn't happen in Alaska, and definitely makes a huge difference in BOTH of our overall trip satisfaction. Like Bobo912 said though, you can never guarantee that, even if you do know there are kids the same age/gender on your trip. But I do like the fact that Tauck lets you know this information up front where sometimes you have to pull it out of the ABD reps.
3. Downtime was appropriate - we both really enjoyed our two afternoons poolside at the lovely Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite. It was a good kids bonding time and I enjoyed a margarita poolside - an activity I didn't expect in Yosemite! I would have loved more time in Yosemite Park, but understand that it's a tradeoff, so was happy with the day we spent there and what we were able to do. It was VERY hot in Yosemite (97 degrees - but a dry heat!) - if the rooms at the Ahwannee weren't air conditioned (the lobby was not), it would have been miserable. (I don't know if the rooms have A/C or not - just recall the discussion about that on other ABD National Park tours).
I'll post some differences that I perceived about the two companies in a separate posting.
1. Good itinerary with active activities that my 10 yr old DD really enjoyed. I think it's important to evaluate a trip for any family with the activities/downtime in mind. This one fit our interests (and budget) better than the ABD northern CA trip.
2. My daughter DID bond this time with a couple of the kids, which didn't happen in Alaska, and definitely makes a huge difference in BOTH of our overall trip satisfaction. Like Bobo912 said though, you can never guarantee that, even if you do know there are kids the same age/gender on your trip. But I do like the fact that Tauck lets you know this information up front where sometimes you have to pull it out of the ABD reps.
3. Downtime was appropriate - we both really enjoyed our two afternoons poolside at the lovely Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite. It was a good kids bonding time and I enjoyed a margarita poolside - an activity I didn't expect in Yosemite! I would have loved more time in Yosemite Park, but understand that it's a tradeoff, so was happy with the day we spent there and what we were able to do. It was VERY hot in Yosemite (97 degrees - but a dry heat!) - if the rooms at the Ahwannee weren't air conditioned (the lobby was not), it would have been miserable. (I don't know if the rooms have A/C or not - just recall the discussion about that on other ABD National Park tours).
I'll post some differences that I perceived about the two companies in a separate posting.
A few of the differences I noted about the two companies - some of which have already been discussed in Bobo912's posts.
1. TB wasn't great at the excitement arousal prior to the welcome dinner. I had to pry the information from the hotel that they were supposed to give me from Tauck. (I was staying in the same hotel for two days before the trip began, but didn't book through Tauck. They never asked for details on my pre-trip plans, so none of the information was available to me prior. I can only hope had I booked through Tauck, that it would have been available). There were NO welcome goodies like you get with ABD.
2. The daily itinerary was not "pretty" - not professionally done like the little ABD booklet you get. It was printed on computer paper, with multiple pages, so was hard to keep in your purse or pocket like the little ABD itinerary.
3. Overall, I think the above reflects on a culture philosophy between the two companies. IMHO, ABD "packages" their trips more than Tauck does. More is done by the ABD home office, such as these itineraries, kids' activity books, flight confirmations, etc. than Tauck does. Tauck puts more reliance on the tour director (TD) - which can be good and bad. My perception is that the Tauck TD does have some flexibility to alter the itinerary or whatever - more so than ABD.
4. Meals provided by the tour but "on our own" were open - in that we ordered whatever we wanted (except alcohol of course) off the regular menu. On the trips I have been on with ABD where they were included, but not a group seating, ABD provides a menu subset, where you can order an appetizer, main course & dessert of the pre-selected items of their choice. This has always been fine, but I did feel it was quite a luxury on the TB trip to order whatever we wanted at the upscale restaurant at the Tenaya lodge. We really enjoyed a spectacular meal there with two other families - a special evening for us all.
5. There were quite a few meals on your own on this itinerary - I was told by other families that this was somewhat unusual for Tauck, but probably worked best for this itinerary. For the lunch at the Calif Academy of Science museum, we were each given an envelope with $15/pp cash for lunch.
6. As suspected, TB does target repeat Tauck visitors who want to re-connect with their extended families, especially grandchildren. Therefore, there were more grandparents traveling with grandkids on this trip than I have experienced with ABD. In all a but one instance, the parents of the kids were there as well. We had 9 families on the trip - 4 of them had grandparents, all of whom were repeat Tauck guests.
7. No activities on TB tours for kids alone (like Jr Adventure specific tours or Jr. Adventure night). (Again, this is in keeping with the "Reconnecting" philosophy of TB trips. The kids did often have a kids table at group meals though, which was nice. Was okay with us, since my daughter connected with a couple other kids, and was off with them enough to give me some non-kid time. However, had that not been the case, I think both my daughter and I really would have missed the Jr. Adventurer activities. The TD did do a good job doing things with the kids - trivia games for prizes, a postcard journal, a photo contest, etc...
8. Took a professional group photo of everyone that was handed out at the farewell dinner. Nice, but I would have been just as happy with one the TD took of the group at a beautiful spot in Yosemite. Also got a CD of all the photos the TD took when departing- very nice.
9. I agree with Bobo912 about some of the special activities - not so many of those on this trip, except for a behind the scenes tour of the Monterey Aquarium. No entertainment at the farewell dinner (but there were other activities), or other special guests during the trip. Some of this can be attributed to the nature of the trip - I'm interested to see more details of the ABD Northern CA trip to see what is possible.
That's all I can think of right now - will post more later as they come to mind.
1. TB wasn't great at the excitement arousal prior to the welcome dinner. I had to pry the information from the hotel that they were supposed to give me from Tauck. (I was staying in the same hotel for two days before the trip began, but didn't book through Tauck. They never asked for details on my pre-trip plans, so none of the information was available to me prior. I can only hope had I booked through Tauck, that it would have been available). There were NO welcome goodies like you get with ABD.
2. The daily itinerary was not "pretty" - not professionally done like the little ABD booklet you get. It was printed on computer paper, with multiple pages, so was hard to keep in your purse or pocket like the little ABD itinerary.
3. Overall, I think the above reflects on a culture philosophy between the two companies. IMHO, ABD "packages" their trips more than Tauck does. More is done by the ABD home office, such as these itineraries, kids' activity books, flight confirmations, etc. than Tauck does. Tauck puts more reliance on the tour director (TD) - which can be good and bad. My perception is that the Tauck TD does have some flexibility to alter the itinerary or whatever - more so than ABD.
4. Meals provided by the tour but "on our own" were open - in that we ordered whatever we wanted (except alcohol of course) off the regular menu. On the trips I have been on with ABD where they were included, but not a group seating, ABD provides a menu subset, where you can order an appetizer, main course & dessert of the pre-selected items of their choice. This has always been fine, but I did feel it was quite a luxury on the TB trip to order whatever we wanted at the upscale restaurant at the Tenaya lodge. We really enjoyed a spectacular meal there with two other families - a special evening for us all.
5. There were quite a few meals on your own on this itinerary - I was told by other families that this was somewhat unusual for Tauck, but probably worked best for this itinerary. For the lunch at the Calif Academy of Science museum, we were each given an envelope with $15/pp cash for lunch.
6. As suspected, TB does target repeat Tauck visitors who want to re-connect with their extended families, especially grandchildren. Therefore, there were more grandparents traveling with grandkids on this trip than I have experienced with ABD. In all a but one instance, the parents of the kids were there as well. We had 9 families on the trip - 4 of them had grandparents, all of whom were repeat Tauck guests.
7. No activities on TB tours for kids alone (like Jr Adventure specific tours or Jr. Adventure night). (Again, this is in keeping with the "Reconnecting" philosophy of TB trips. The kids did often have a kids table at group meals though, which was nice. Was okay with us, since my daughter connected with a couple other kids, and was off with them enough to give me some non-kid time. However, had that not been the case, I think both my daughter and I really would have missed the Jr. Adventurer activities. The TD did do a good job doing things with the kids - trivia games for prizes, a postcard journal, a photo contest, etc...
8. Took a professional group photo of everyone that was handed out at the farewell dinner. Nice, but I would have been just as happy with one the TD took of the group at a beautiful spot in Yosemite. Also got a CD of all the photos the TD took when departing- very nice.
9. I agree with Bobo912 about some of the special activities - not so many of those on this trip, except for a behind the scenes tour of the Monterey Aquarium. No entertainment at the farewell dinner (but there were other activities), or other special guests during the trip. Some of this can be attributed to the nature of the trip - I'm interested to see more details of the ABD Northern CA trip to see what is possible.
That's all I can think of right now - will post more later as they come to mind.
I'm so glad to hear you had a good time and your daughter found friends on the trip. In evaluating how enjoyable the experience has been, the bonding of the children makes a world of difference and it's so unpredictable. I loved the poolside bar too. I enjoyed the peach lemonade with a few of our fellow travelers - peach schnapps, lemoade and vodka - it was quite good, even though I thought I wasn't much of a peach schnapps fan. Did your DD operate the bicycle blender? Did you do anything special for the Tauck 85th anniversay? Looking forward to reading your observations when you get home and have a chance to post again.
Yes, in honor of their 85th birthday, Tauck treated folks to rootbeer floats and snacks poolside at Tenaya on the day of our arrival. It was a nice, old fashioned treat in a beautiful setting on a beautiful day, and much appreciated by all.
Another thought - I did appreciate the seat rotation that Tauck does. Normally, we had assigned seats in the morning, and "kids in the back" in the afternoon. I'm one of those people who arrives on time (but not normally early) to the bus, so never get the prime up front seats. And I'm not bold enough (rude?) to "save" seats on the bus by putting my stuff there overnight, so I don't ever recall being up front on previous ABDs, so it was nice to have a whole day up front!
Another difference that I appreciated with ABD, at least with the two trips I've been on. On the TB trip, we had to await our breakfast bill, then sign it on behalf of Tauck. I found this to be a pain on the mornings we were starting early and rather rushed at breakfast. On the ABD trips I've been on, you just tell them you're with ABD and you're done.
Another thought - I did appreciate the seat rotation that Tauck does. Normally, we had assigned seats in the morning, and "kids in the back" in the afternoon. I'm one of those people who arrives on time (but not normally early) to the bus, so never get the prime up front seats. And I'm not bold enough (rude?) to "save" seats on the bus by putting my stuff there overnight, so I don't ever recall being up front on previous ABDs, so it was nice to have a whole day up front!
Another difference that I appreciated with ABD, at least with the two trips I've been on. On the TB trip, we had to await our breakfast bill, then sign it on behalf of Tauck. I found this to be a pain on the mornings we were starting early and rather rushed at breakfast. On the ABD trips I've been on, you just tell them you're with ABD and you're done.
It was wonderful meeting with you, marcemch and your daughter. We enjoyed the Yosemite Tauck Tour as well. We were not expecting it to be as good as our past 2 ABD's to begin with, but as the tour progressed I think it got much better than we anticipated. The group was good and the TD did a wonderful job.
We would definitely consider doing Tauck again if they have an improved itinerary over ABD or if they introduce new bridges tours in places we are interested in that ABD doesn't cover.
I do hope that ABD would consider EBD's for 2011 and the future or atleast discounts for repeat ABD trips- that would definitely tip the scales in their favor.
We would definitely consider doing Tauck again if they have an improved itinerary over ABD or if they introduce new bridges tours in places we are interested in that ABD doesn't cover.
I do hope that ABD would consider EBD's for 2011 and the future or atleast discounts for repeat ABD trips- that would definitely tip the scales in their favor.
It was good to meet you and your wonderful family too, Jomat! I'm glad you all had a good time as well. I would definitely consider TB again if I preferred the itinerary to ABD or if the price was significantly different. Will be interesting to see how they stack up for 2011!
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