Lists

And, on a related note about waitlists vs the availability that appears on the Tauck website- just because a cabin shows available, that doesn't mean it is really available or available to everyone. In some case the website hasn't been updated, in other cases the available cabin is reserved for a single. I called Tauck a few times when I noticed an opening, only to find out I couldn't book it. And of course, Tauck will not tell you where you are on a waitlist.

Oh, you can also get on waitlists for more than one departure. In one case my second choice became available, but I decided to pass. I was questioning my decision to forego a sure thing vs a maybe, but I eventually lucked out and got my first choice. Of course, it is unlikely to go due to COVID.

MCD

Alan, when you go on a waitlist, do you have to make a deposit? And if you're on multiple waitlists for the same trip, do you need a deposit on each one?

We said we wouldn’t do this, but today, we booked a 2022 tour. We learned something new yet again. If you book a tour that does not have a finalized price, you cannot use money from a Dream Saver account to pay the deposit.

Of course this is not a wait list. I don’t think you need to pay anything for a wait list, but you must decide yes or no quickly, two days from what Alan says. I think it’s also worth calling now and again so you don’t miss a spot.

Claudia Sails

British, that may be because if you decide to not go after the price is finalized you can cancel and get all money back.

Other than calling Tauck, is there a way to get on the interest list for a tour?

I shouldn’t think so. We paid for a place on the tour, so it is not just interest. I didn’t know there was such a thing as just an Interest list

No deposit required to be on an interest list and you must call to be placed on one. An interest list does NOT hold a space and does not guarantee a booking (if you snooze, you lose) it just triggers an email or phone alert when the trip is posted and open for booking. Also, since it is for trips not yet posted there is only one list, not separate lists for departures unlike with a wait list. I don't know (don't remember) when you get the notification- before or at the same time the tour goes active on the website. If you track the tour daily or more often, it is possible you'll know it is open for booking about the same time or before you receive an alert from Tauck, however.

Ooops, I left out an important word!! I added it above in red.

PureLuxury

Alan I was on the Interest list for 2020 Jordan-Egypt. The Tauck advisor phoned me ~2 weeks before the trip was posted to the website. I placed my deposit and selected my dates and cabin at that time. I’m not sure if they allowed anyone to hold a spot without a deposit to consider for a few days.

I only know about the wait lists for the river cruises. I have been told (more than once by Tauck representatives) that if I put down a deposit on a cruise date I don't prefer but that's all I can get in the cabin category I want, and I go on a wait list for a different date, I would have to pay another cruise protection plan if the wait list clears and I decide to switch tours. The deposit transfers but the protection plan doesn't. I even had an agent double check because I had been on 13 tours, but they told her they wouldn't make an exception, so I didn't bother.

When I wanted to moved my Dec. 2020 cruise to 2021, I was put on a wait list to see if Tauck was going to cancel, but because the 2021 cruises were selling out in my cabin category, I later decided to go ahead and move it anyway. At the time, I asked what would happen if the wait list I was already on for a different date cleared, and the agent told me that I would have to pay the additional cruise protection fee. She did say they could ask again if it happens but 'm not holding out much hope.

Travelcrazy
8:02PM
I only know about the wait lists for the river cruises. . . . .

My experience was just the opposite, so maybe there is a difference with cruises. Regardless, unless Tauck considers it used because you cancelled (not them) you shouldn't lose the original protection plan money, it should just go into the Dreamsaver account which can then be applied to the new cruise balance. Whatever it says in the policy in effect at that time, if you cancel. I frankly think it is just an accounting issue, but it any case in situations like this, you should always let Tauck cancel, even if that means double booking.

After being booked on the Mar 2020 J&E which Tauck cancelled, we re-booked but could only get a Jan 2021 departure. Everything, guest protection, etc., transferred. I accepted the Jan date, but had them put us on the waitlist for a March 2021 departure. A few weeks ago we cleared the waitlist and switched dates- again, everything, including the guest protection plan, transferred. There was one easily fixed hiccup- the first Summary of Purchase for the Mar 2021 departure said, "Guest Protection plan declined," but a quick call back fixed that and the agent immediately generated a new Summary of Purchase.

PureLuxury
August 29
Alan I was on the Interest list for 2020 Jordan-Egypt. The Tauck advisor phoned me ~2 weeks before the trip was posted to the website. I placed my deposit and selected my dates and cabin at that time. I’m not sure if they allowed anyone to hold a spot without a deposit to consider for a few days.

I wasn't on a waitlist, at least not very long, so I didn't get as early of a heads up. I learned that Tauck was going to re-start Egypt trips on 3 Mar 2016 from a TD who gave me the contact number for a planner to call for info. I called the planner who sent me draft brochures, Nile riverboat info and made a call to an agent to get on an interest list. That was about a week or more before the trips went live on the website. Early the next week, on 7 March, I called an agent for info about another trip and just happened to ask about J&E. The agent asked me to wait while he checked with his boss. After a brief pause, he told me his boss said they could accept my J&E booking since it would save them from having to call me later in the week.

Derek

I agree that Interest Lists and Waitlist, Travel Wallets and Dreamsaver accounts and Tauck Travel Policies and Tauck Tour Specific Travel Policies can be confusing.

What I do know is that when you work with a Tauck travel representative for assistance in planning various land tours, small ship cruises and riverboat cruises they have immediate access to all kinds of information and alternative ways to help you schedule your journey to meet your objectives.

That is one of the reasons why I enjoy traveling with Tauck.

Yes, even though most Tauck reps are now working from home, it appears they have incredible connectivity. Ain't VOIP great!

We have”t always had consistent information form Tauck reps especially since the Covid problem. Then last week when we were booking Tauck flights, here’s an example....we called to book flights a few weeks ago and The Tauck Rep told us they did not have a partnership with a particular airline And could not book for us, they were supposed to call us back with suggestions from a different airport, they never did.That’s nor like Tauck. Last week when we called, that rep said yes we could book with the original airline we asked about and booked our flights then and There. That’s not good. We have also had confusing/ conflicting info about hte Dream-saver and wallets Etc, especially with our first early In the Covid Era cancelation, we may have made different choices if it had be made clearer the first time, we called. But in all our time dealing with Tauck Over the years, they have generally been very helpful and nice to deal with.

BKMD

Speaking of VOIP, I recently converted my landline (I still like having a phone in every room that I don't need to carry around) to Google Voice. Advantage of that is it's free, after initial setup charges.

I wanted to keep my existing number, so had to jump through a few hoops. Google Voice does not offer transferring a landline number directly to their service. What I did was sign up for a one-month prepaid cell service (I used Verizon Wireless and it was ~$30), and transfer my landline number to Verizon (free). I used an old cell phone for that. Next, I transferred the number from Verizon Wireless to Google Voice ($20 one-time fee, then free for life). Once the transfer was complete, the one month of Verizon Wireless was terminated, though I never used it, anyway. It was strictly an intermediary for the number transfer.

So how do you connect your existing landline phone to Google Voice? With an analog to VOIP adapter, of course. I bought a Polycom OBI300 ($50, one time purchase). This connects to your router and plugs into your modular phone jack. In my case, I have a Panasonic wireless phone system where the base station is plugged into the wall phone jack and the other handsets around the house operate wirelessly. If each one of your phones needs to plug into a phone jack, there are adapters with multiple jacks available.

So after initial setup, registration, etc., I now have no monthly charges for my landline phone unless I call outside the US or Canada.

AlanS
My experience was just the opposite, so maybe there is a difference with cruises. Regardless, unless Tauck considers it used because you cancelled (not them) you shouldn't lose the original protection plan money, it should just go into the Dreamsaver account which can then be applied to the new cruise balance.

To clarify, on the Dec 2020 river cruise that I moved to Dec 2021, they DID transfer the cruse protection plan from the initial trip to the new one, but it is not their usual policy. It was an exception due to Covid. That's why I specifically asked what would happen if I booked the replacement date and then I cleared the waitlist I was already on for the date I wanted in 2021. I was told that I would have to pay another cruise protection plan.

BKMD I don’t really understand much of your phone thing. We have Comcast triple play which includes TV, Internet and land line. We mostly give out our land line as our main number, not our cell phones. For quite a time now, Comcast also do cell phones on the plan and it costs us just $12 for the two of us, yes the two of us, per month including International service—- we don’t have to call them when we travel or anything. When we get to whatever country, we usually get an automatic message telling how much a minute it is to make a call, which isn’t much and we don’t usually make calls anyway. I am not addicted to my cell phone, just my iPad. We very rarely go over the limit per month and if we do, it’s only about $10 more.

Travelcrazy
1:02PM
To clarify, on the Dec 2020 . . . .

Still not clear. If I understand, you re-booked a Dec 2020 cruise for a replacement date in Dec 2021 but the Dec 2021 date was not the date you really wanted, so you got on a waitlist for another date in 2021, correct? That is exactly what we did for J&E, but everything transferred over both times- Mar 2020 to Jan 2021 to Mar 2021 (because it is a land tour with just a 4 day cruise segment?). However, one difference is Tauck cancelled our Mar 2020 trip. Technically, you would be paying for another protection plan but you'd get the first one back/deposited in your Dreamsaver. You can use that for partial final payment, etc. or for another trip.

I may have the answer. If the tour Travel crazy wanted had not been priced, then you have to pay a new travel insurance. This is what we had to do for our just booked new tour, they would not allow us to use the money from the Dreamsaver

AlanS
Still not clear.

British
I may have the answer. If the tour Travel crazy wanted had not been priced, then you have to pay a new travel insurance. This is what we had to do for our just booked new tour, they would not allow us to use the money from the Dreamsaver

Sorry that this is so confusing. I have had two situations where I asked what would happen if I was on a waitlist that cleared when I had already made a deposit and paid the cruise protection plan for a different date. In neither of the cases was the cruise not priced. All had confirmed dates and prices.

The first time I asked, it was way back in April 2019 when I had to book a Dec 2020 cruise date I didn't really want but the no single supplement cabins were sold out on the dates I preferred. (On the Rhine there are only six of those cabins and they sell out first). When I booked that cruise, I specifically asked what would happen if I got on a waitlist for one of the dates I preferred and it cleared. I was told that the policy was that the deposit would transfer to the new date, but that I would have to pay for another cruise protection plan because it was considered the same as if I had decided to cancel the original date completely. The agent even asked a supervisor if there was any way around it because I was a long-time client and it was my 13th tour with them. She was told no...that I would have to pay the second cruise protection plan if I cleared the waitlist and decided to change dates. Given that, I stuck with my original date and was scheduled to travel on Dec. 20, 2020.

Then when COVID hit, I started checking the availability for the same cruise in 2021 because I knew there was no way I was going to travel in 2020. That cabin was already sold out on the first date, so I called Tauck to see if I should reschedule while there was still availability on the other date I wanted. The agent advised me to wait as she thought for sure my original cruise would be cancelled and if I waited, they would pay me the $250 "bonus." She put me on a wiatlist for the sold-out date but I left my original booking as it was in the hopes that Tauck would cancel and I wouldn't have to. Then the other date I preferred also sold out, and the following date had only two of those cabins left. I bit the bullet and made the change because I was afraid if I waited for Tauck, I would lose out completely. (Good thing I did because now that cabin category on my new date is also sold out.)

For the trip I moved from Dec. 20, 2020 to Dec., 20, 2021 due to COVID concerns, they transferred both the deposit AND the cruise protection plan, although they charged me the additional $40 that the cruise protection plan had increased for 2021. Because I was on the waitlist for the date I really wanted earlier in the month, I asked what would happen if I cleared the waitlist. As before, I was told that the policy was that I would have to pay another cruise protection plan if I changed the date of my cruise. The agent said if it happened, she would suggest that I request a waiver of the additional fee, but she couldn't guarantee they would do it.

Since they wouldn't commit to doing it the first time when I booked my trip in early 2019 way before COVID hit, I don't know what they would do next year. All I know is that they told me twice that their general policy is to not transfer the cruise protection plan if I cleared a wasitlist and decided to book that date instead of keeping a cruise date I had already booked..

My head is spinning just reading this. I’ve been told several just verbal things from Tauck agents And I have taken a lot more tours than you. I await to see if the ‘because you have traveled so much with us before’ ‘promises’ are honored if my two tours next year are cancelled. That’s 4 insurances each that Tauck will have in their bag.

Ok, got it, thanks. Too many different situations, rules and procedures, and I'm slow!

But, as I said, that is just the opposite of what we experienced- our Mar 2020 J&E was cancelled, we re-booked for Jan 2021, then just a month ago, we cleared the waitlist for a Mar 2021 departure and switched.

When they said after clearing the waitlist you would need to "pay another cruise protection plan if [you] changed the date of [your] cruise," did they say your original cruise protection would go into a Dreamsaver or not?

PureLuxury

AlanSis the J&E March 2021 a small group departure and have you determined if the itinerary is different? I'm assuming the boast is the smaller Philae. Just wasn't sure if the sail direction was different or if there are different sites visited since the departure is for a smaller group. I know i can probably call Tauck, but I'm assuming you already have this info Asking because I'm on a waitlist for my preferred December 19, 2020 departure and I have a deposit on the Dec 5 departure; however, there is a December 13 small group departure that falls between the two dates. This might be a good compromise.

PureLuxury
11:11AM
AlanS is the J&E March 2021 a small group departure and have you determined if the itinerary is different? I'm assuming the boast is the smaller Philae. Just wasn't sure if the sail direction was different or if there are different sites visited since the departure is for a smaller group. I know I can probably call Tauck, but I'm assuming you already have this info Asking because I'm on a waitlist for my preferred December 19, 2020 departure and I have a deposit on the Dec 5 departure; however, there is a December 13 small group departure that falls between the two dates. This might be a good compromise.

We almost missed the little line in the Summary of Purchase for our January 2021 small group departure that said we would fly from Aqaba to Luxor vice Aswan and cruise south on the Nile to Aswan. There was nothing about this on the Tauck website. A quick call to Tauck confirmed that change and that the Nile portion for a few other (small group?) dates were southbound also. I was never able to get an official revised itinerary, just what I was read over the phone. The sites visited were the same, however. Our March 2021 small group departure Summary of Purchase has no such notation and the agent confirmed it traveled north on the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. If it is important to you, I would give Tauck a call.

Yes, Philea. Philea is one of the traditional looking Nile cruisers but was totally redone in the past few years. Though it has fewer cabins (22) than Zahra which has 27 cabins, I believe it is actually bigger. Tauck is allocated 14 cabins. Small group departures spend 4 nights (vs 3) on the Nile riverboat (and only one night at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract hotel.

I think you meant Dec 2021? I'm certain none of the Dec 2020 departures will go- all will be cancelled.

AlanS
When they said after clearing the waitlist you would need to "pay another cruise protection plan if [you] changed the date of [your] cruise," did they say your original cruise protection would go into a Dreamsaver or not?

No. Both times they told me that if I cleared the waitlist, I would lose the Cruise Protection Plan I paid for and would have to pay another one. The first time I didn't bother to get on a waitlist because I wasn't willing to do that, and the second time, I had already gotten on the waitlist in the hopes that Tauck was going to cancel my cruise. When they didn't and I changed it myself, I made a point to ask if I would have to pay again if the waitlist I was on cleared and the woman said that was the policy but I could ask at the time if they would make an exception. No mention of Dreamsaving anything.

I assume that since I rebooked my trip to be sure I could go in 2021, they considered that Cruise Protection Plan transfer the only one they were willing to do since I was moving it as a result of Covid. I don't know what they would have done with it if I had just cancelled the trip and NOT rebooked at the same time. Perhaps at that point they would have Dreamsaved it since it was specifically related to a 2020 trip.

Claudia Sails

Just had an interesting conversation with Tauck relevant to our understanding of money issues. We were supposed to be in Switzerland right now but that trip got pushed to next year. We had already booked a spot for next year before it got canceled so the money was put in a travel wallet when 2020 got canceled. It included the deposit, guest protection and about $4k paid towards the balance late last year. Several weeks ago we put a deposit/guest protection down on the Normandy/Brittany tour for 2021. The agent then took all the money in the travel wallet and applied it to that tour. I called today to be put on the Interest List for one of the Douro cruises for 2022 so I'd be notified when the dates (but not likely the prices) as set. I asked the agent if we did put down a refundable deposit on a 2022 trip, could we take the $4k extra out of the Normandy/Brittany tour balance and use it towards the Douro deposit/guest protection. He had to consult with a supervisor but they approved it and updated our file so any other agent would see the approval. So, if the dates come out, I can move the money and further if we decide not to do it once the prices are posted we could get a full refund (or I'd more likely just apply it to the other balances). Was a bit surprised but happy.

https://youtu.be/qnVrjFSE1hA

I'm so confused (he says as he channels Vinny Barbarino- who remembers?), but it appears Tauck is willing to work with us, especially if we let them keep our money.

Where are we now as far as cancellations? I think it is getting close to decision time for the XMAS Markets cruises and other trips thru the end of the year. The Astra Zenica vaccine issue is a real bummer.

Smiling Sam

AlanS - Based on my experience, since final payments are due 45 days before departure, I believe you're lucky if you hear anything about cancellations earlier than 50 days before departure.