"All I want is a congenial party. Ten minutes after leaving Newark, we shall be just one happy family" the original Tauck tour ad. Seems the one happy family concept needs to be reinforced in some cases.
Claudia - I think the 'one happy family' is often driven by the sense of entitlement of the guests. It seems that some guests feel they are on a private tour and that the TD is at their beck and call to address their requests.
Some of that Sam and some just different expectations. We've taken tours with family and/or friends which we enjoyed but I think the ones where it was just the two of us we enjoyed more. No expectation to make our smaller group happy and more chance to meet others. Good, just different.
The family group on our ESW group was problematic in part because the 2 adult sons didn't have interest in anything but their group and their phones. The 4 kids were mostly too shy or uninterested it anyone outside their family - and their phones. Daughter in Law busy trying to manage the group. That left grandmother who did make an effort. Not untitled but they functioned like a private group. It's why the table issue came up.
I agree with Claudia. As much as I enjoy our many friends that we’ve met on Tauck trips who still continue to ask us to travel with them, I enjoy just going with my husband. We are more approachable to meet others as a couple than as a foursome with friends. I also like to go on some excursions alone thst interest me and wouldn’t in the slightest interest my husband such as a pearl factory in Japan, a perfume maker in France, a cooking class in Italy. My hubby would go nuts. We come back from our excursions and share the day (with a glass of wine). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached only because I was by myself for a handful of hours.
Our favorite has been the Normandy/Brittany tour in 2021 where we had 4 couples and a solo. On nights with Tauck provided dinners we alternated 2 tables of 4 and 5 changing it up so we all had time together. Towards the end of the tour after our day at the Dday beaches we all went for pizza together - not arranged by the TD.
I've really enjoyed this conversation and appreciated that my criticisms of the trip were given merit and I wasn't just dismissed as a first time Tauck-er with unreasonable expectations. Coincidentally, I did receive a form letter in the mail from the CEO today thanking me for my comments and apologizing that I wasn't satisfied with the trip. So I think my Tauck story ends there. My kids and I will have to spend the next few years trying some different options for seeing the world --- maybe Adventures by Disney for comparison, maybe traveling on our own and booking day guides, maybe someday trying a Tauck River Cruise for a totally different pace and dynamic. I've appreciated all of the input!
@SCH78 In 2009, a few months before we planning touring italy with our "kids" (then 17 and 21) and winging it, my husband shattered his foot. There were no way he would be able to handle the walking we anticipated. That caused us find and subsequently hire a tour company based in Rome, that was family based. They were amazing and customized everything for us, and depending on the tour topic of a day, it was different family member (for instance Father was rome, mother was the vatican, etc - mother had been british, and met father who lived in rome, kids grew up speaking perfect english and italian, and lived next to the vatican, so they knew everyone). Very memorable travels. I looked recently and it appears they are still in business. Happy to share the name if you would like.
I've followed the discussion and even though I do not have any children in my family, I think the main concern is that the family tours were not what SCH78 expected, and that particular tour was not the right fit for her small family. The Tauck family tours seem to promote "family bonding" but I guess the main goal is bonding within your own family, especially if you are traveling with family members you do not see very often. If you happen to bond with other families and make new friends, so much the better. It does not seem to me that Tauck is selling the "family camp" idea, where the kids do their own thing during the day, and the adults do their own thing, and everyone meets up at least for dinner. But obviously different guests have had different experiences, and different tour guides will be more adept at this kind of thing.
In any case, SCH78 is clearly looking for ways to travel with her children and I think Sherrill is just trying to be helpful. It may still not be the best fit, as it sounds like SCH would like her kids to mingle with other kids, but at least it is another option especially if there could be other family members involved.
Sherrill if you could pm me with the name of that company I would love to have it.
The nature of group travel seems to be changing on the whole. I sense less camaraderie. Tauck should be paying attention.
I think SCH just got an odd group because there were few small families on her trip. Unfortunate, but it may never be like that on another tour.
On our tour, the kids were encouraged to mingle from the get go. We were just surprised that our family could not split up for the dinners where we could choose the time to go to dinner.
I think there is less camaraderie because we remain in a Covid pandemic. Having been made to sit very near obviously ill strangers on at least three tours, who ended up being Covid positive i totally understand that.
One thing for sure, we have visited most of the major National parks when our children were young. It took lots of planning and far more time than doing it with Tauck. All our family loved our tour. The only reason we did not chose Cowboy country was that flights to the start and end of that tour would have been more difficult for us.
We visited Mount Rushmore many years ago when the visitor center was brand new, the roads were being rebuilt and we had to follow a pilot vehicle over a long stretch of none existent road, a memorable trip, we also went to Devils Tower on that trip.
@jowell my comment was in response to SCH78's statement "My kids and I will have to spend the next few years trying some different options for seeing the world ", and I was trying to be helpful. In 14 years, I have only recommended the company two other times and I doubt it and Tauck are in competition with each other.
Best to follow up with a call to Guest Relations if you’re concerned that your comments haven’t been addressed. They have a multitude of staff typing in our comments, sometimes things get lost ‘in translation’. They do NOT always follow up/read our comments/get the ‘gist’ of things. Give it a little time (two weeks is more than enough) before calling, especially if you get one of those Dan Mahar form letters that seem to ignore what you wrote in the first place! It happens sometimes. They’re only human.
Comments
"All I want is a congenial party. Ten minutes after leaving Newark, we shall be just one happy family" the original Tauck tour ad. Seems the one happy family concept needs to be reinforced in some cases.
Claudia - I think the 'one happy family' is often driven by the sense of entitlement of the guests. It seems that some guests feel they are on a private tour and that the TD is at their beck and call to address their requests.
Some of that Sam and some just different expectations. We've taken tours with family and/or friends which we enjoyed but I think the ones where it was just the two of us we enjoyed more. No expectation to make our smaller group happy and more chance to meet others. Good, just different.
The family group on our ESW group was problematic in part because the 2 adult sons didn't have interest in anything but their group and their phones. The 4 kids were mostly too shy or uninterested it anyone outside their family - and their phones. Daughter in Law busy trying to manage the group. That left grandmother who did make an effort. Not untitled but they functioned like a private group. It's why the table issue came up.
Sam - you are 100% correct in your assessment of many Tauck travelers.
I agree with Claudia. As much as I enjoy our many friends that we’ve met on Tauck trips who still continue to ask us to travel with them, I enjoy just going with my husband. We are more approachable to meet others as a couple than as a foursome with friends. I also like to go on some excursions alone thst interest me and wouldn’t in the slightest interest my husband such as a pearl factory in Japan, a perfume maker in France, a cooking class in Italy. My hubby would go nuts. We come back from our excursions and share the day (with a glass of wine). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached only because I was by myself for a handful of hours.
Our favorite has been the Normandy/Brittany tour in 2021 where we had 4 couples and a solo. On nights with Tauck provided dinners we alternated 2 tables of 4 and 5 changing it up so we all had time together. Towards the end of the tour after our day at the Dday beaches we all went for pizza together - not arranged by the TD.
I've really enjoyed this conversation and appreciated that my criticisms of the trip were given merit and I wasn't just dismissed as a first time Tauck-er with unreasonable expectations. Coincidentally, I did receive a form letter in the mail from the CEO today thanking me for my comments and apologizing that I wasn't satisfied with the trip. So I think my Tauck story ends there. My kids and I will have to spend the next few years trying some different options for seeing the world --- maybe Adventures by Disney for comparison, maybe traveling on our own and booking day guides, maybe someday trying a Tauck River Cruise for a totally different pace and dynamic. I've appreciated all of the input!
@SCH78 In 2009, a few months before we planning touring italy with our "kids" (then 17 and 21) and winging it, my husband shattered his foot. There were no way he would be able to handle the walking we anticipated. That caused us find and subsequently hire a tour company based in Rome, that was family based. They were amazing and customized everything for us, and depending on the tour topic of a day, it was different family member (for instance Father was rome, mother was the vatican, etc - mother had been british, and met father who lived in rome, kids grew up speaking perfect english and italian, and lived next to the vatican, so they knew everyone). Very memorable travels. I looked recently and it appears they are still in business. Happy to share the name if you would like.
Sherrill - this has nothing to do with the topic. Are you promoting a different tour company here?
I've followed the discussion and even though I do not have any children in my family, I think the main concern is that the family tours were not what SCH78 expected, and that particular tour was not the right fit for her small family. The Tauck family tours seem to promote "family bonding" but I guess the main goal is bonding within your own family, especially if you are traveling with family members you do not see very often. If you happen to bond with other families and make new friends, so much the better. It does not seem to me that Tauck is selling the "family camp" idea, where the kids do their own thing during the day, and the adults do their own thing, and everyone meets up at least for dinner. But obviously different guests have had different experiences, and different tour guides will be more adept at this kind of thing.
In any case, SCH78 is clearly looking for ways to travel with her children and I think Sherrill is just trying to be helpful. It may still not be the best fit, as it sounds like SCH would like her kids to mingle with other kids, but at least it is another option especially if there could be other family members involved.
Sherrill if you could pm me with the name of that company I would love to have it.
The nature of group travel seems to be changing on the whole. I sense less camaraderie. Tauck should be paying attention.
I think SCH just got an odd group because there were few small families on her trip. Unfortunate, but it may never be like that on another tour.
On our tour, the kids were encouraged to mingle from the get go. We were just surprised that our family could not split up for the dinners where we could choose the time to go to dinner.
I think there is less camaraderie because we remain in a Covid pandemic. Having been made to sit very near obviously ill strangers on at least three tours, who ended up being Covid positive i totally understand that.
One thing for sure, we have visited most of the major National parks when our children were young. It took lots of planning and far more time than doing it with Tauck. All our family loved our tour. The only reason we did not chose Cowboy country was that flights to the start and end of that tour would have been more difficult for us.
We visited Mount Rushmore many years ago when the visitor center was brand new, the roads were being rebuilt and we had to follow a pilot vehicle over a long stretch of none existent road, a memorable trip, we also went to Devils Tower on that trip.
@jowell my comment was in response to SCH78's statement "My kids and I will have to spend the next few years trying some different options for seeing the world ", and I was trying to be helpful. In 14 years, I have only recommended the company two other times and I doubt it and Tauck are in competition with each other.
My comment was well intended.
Glad to hear that. As travelers we should all be available to help each other.
Best to follow up with a call to Guest Relations if you’re concerned that your comments haven’t been addressed. They have a multitude of staff typing in our comments, sometimes things get lost ‘in translation’. They do NOT always follow up/read our comments/get the ‘gist’ of things. Give it a little time (two weeks is more than enough) before calling, especially if you get one of those Dan Mahar form letters that seem to ignore what you wrote in the first place! It happens sometimes. They’re only human.