Of the two land tours and one cruise I traveled with Tauck, both land tours were advertised as sold out but in reality they are not full.One has 21 and the other has 17. I used to have to beg to get off the waitlist due to Tauck's generous cancellation policy and also not wanting to fill the last few spots by offering discount and merging two groups.
Henrypoon_66 - Several of us were sorely tested! lol Hubbie was so disappointed at Normandy, we had hoped to meander back off the beach reading the poignant stories posted along the path, but, nope! Our tour guide did what she could, but had to hurry us along. While it may seem a petty thing, it set the tone for them being first at everything, since they got through the bathroom first. - first in line to the restaurant, first to be seated, first to order, first at the salad bar, etc., while we were still working through the queue at the loo. Oh, well. First world problems, I guess.
A bag of Depend diaper on the front of the bus is what you need to get from the pharmacy. Most of these Tauck guests want to save face and make friends so the rest of the trip, no one will have to suffer.
When I was on the Adriatric Cruise with Tauck/Ponant, we have to share the ship with Back Road. The Back Road guests asked the Tauck people dining Al Fresco to get up from their tables so they can sit together. They also cut in line for the buffet and ask the head wait staff to ensure that their food has to be brought out all at the same time. If the Back Road guests did not get what they want, their TD will make sure they did. I almost started a physical altercation with them; luckily, another Tauck guest and my wonderful Tauck TD stepped in and helped.
Afterward, it was very awkward between the Tauck and Backroad people but we get to sit wherever we want and the serve staff brought us the entrees quickly and there was no longer a line at the buffet.
I guess there are bullies every where but I guess people need to stand up for themselves and others.
With a bigger classic group, these people will not be able to get away with it.
Not sure I believe TD will be pocketing 100% of the difference. I'm having trouble with the math. Smallest group cited above (25 travelers) is $3100 more than midsize group (15 travelers), so that's an extra $31,000, way more than the tips of 10 people, no? Am I missing something?
MarketArt - I don't think you're missing something.
IMO, I doubt that 100% of the difference goes to the TD. Perhaps some amount goes to the TD, to help offset receiving less tips but not all. If the pay, with tips included was exactly the same, independent of group size, what TD would want the added logistics/headaches associated with a larger group. I would expect that the TDs make more overall money for the larger groups and that is why they are willing to work the larger groups. Some TDs accept the smaller money for the, in theory, smaller workload associated with the smaller groups.
In addition to tips, there are fixed costs to consider, particularly transportation, overhead, etc that needs to be covered regardless of the size of the group. Tauck likely expects to get a similar profit that needs to be covered regardless of the size of the tour. Of course that fluctuates dependng on whether the tour is sold out. The pricing is complicated but likely mathematically determined using many factors.
I wonder what size buses they are going to use for 15 people….. it could actually end up being more crowded on a smaller bus with less people than on a larger bus with more people. The logistics are interesting. We have done small groups and classics. We have not really noticed a difference. We certainly don’t go on vacation to make friends, but since you are “up close and personal “ for a period of time, it makes for a better time if you actually enjoy some people’s company. As for the annoying people hogging the front of the line for the bathroom and saving places at dinner- we had a person like that on one of our tours last year. We avoided her like the plague when she wasn’ t knocking us over to get to the front of whatever it was we were doing. She annoyed us all, even the people she came on the tour with. Finally, at the farewell dinner she was sitting alone at a table and saving the seats. Seven of us smiled and sat down at the table .She moved . 🤷🏻♀️
Seat savers, ugh! I once stood for the entire cocktail time in the African bush because the staff forgot to put out enough chairs, and one woman was saving the chair next to her for her husband. I had been sitting most of the day in the safari vehicle, and I am fit so it wasn’t a big deal. It was, however, bad karma.
Smiling Sam
8:26AM
. . . . I would expect that the TDs make more overall money for the larger groups and that is why they are willing to work the larger groups. Some TDs accept the smaller money for the, in theory, smaller workload associated with the smaller groups.
This discussion is kind of pointless. According to a friend who is a 20+ year Tauck TD, what an individual TD makes is complex and based on a number of factors- e.g. type of contract, years of experience, (negotiable) benefits package, number of tours pledged in a season, type of tours, length of tours, etc., etc., etc. Each TD has their own individual contract. Some TDs are essentially parttime, independent contractors and receive no benefits, while at the other end of the spectrum, you have TDs who are fully vested Tauck employees with benefits, and all that entails. A TD is not bound to a specific contract from year to year as far as I know. I have no insight into how gratuities are handled, so, without knowing what a TD has negotiated, you can't compare their overall compensation.
The biggest point I guess I was trying to make was to agree with MarketArt that I don’t believe all of the differences goes to the TDs as was claimed in an earlier post.
This discussion is kind of pointless. …
As opposed to all of the other deep, meaningful discussions on the Forum. 😂😂
Comments
Of the two land tours and one cruise I traveled with Tauck, both land tours were advertised as sold out but in reality they are not full.One has 21 and the other has 17. I used to have to beg to get off the waitlist due to Tauck's generous cancellation policy and also not wanting to fill the last few spots by offering discount and merging two groups.
To Brenda Anderson,
No one left Depend on their seats? Shocking. I guess every one is joining Tauck to make friends!
I will be so mad if my Normandy trip has to be cut short because of that.
Henrypoon_66 - Several of us were sorely tested! lol Hubbie was so disappointed at Normandy, we had hoped to meander back off the beach reading the poignant stories posted along the path, but, nope! Our tour guide did what she could, but had to hurry us along. While it may seem a petty thing, it set the tone for them being first at everything, since they got through the bathroom first. - first in line to the restaurant, first to be seated, first to order, first at the salad bar, etc., while we were still working through the queue at the loo. Oh, well. First world problems, I guess.
How can you let them get away with that?
A bag of Depend diaper on the front of the bus is what you need to get from the pharmacy. Most of these Tauck guests want to save face and make friends so the rest of the trip, no one will have to suffer.
When I was on the Adriatric Cruise with Tauck/Ponant, we have to share the ship with Back Road. The Back Road guests asked the Tauck people dining Al Fresco to get up from their tables so they can sit together. They also cut in line for the buffet and ask the head wait staff to ensure that their food has to be brought out all at the same time. If the Back Road guests did not get what they want, their TD will make sure they did. I almost started a physical altercation with them; luckily, another Tauck guest and my wonderful Tauck TD stepped in and helped.
Afterward, it was very awkward between the Tauck and Backroad people but we get to sit wherever we want and the serve staff brought us the entrees quickly and there was no longer a line at the buffet.
I guess there are bullies every where but I guess people need to stand up for themselves and others.
With a bigger classic group, these people will not be able to get away with it.
Once or twice is fine with me but frequently.
I hate to be bullied while on vacation. Imagine the benefits these three women are getting. Wow!
Not sure I believe TD will be pocketing 100% of the difference. I'm having trouble with the math. Smallest group cited above (25 travelers) is $3100 more than midsize group (15 travelers), so that's an extra $31,000, way more than the tips of 10 people, no? Am I missing something?
MarketArt - I don't think you're missing something.
IMO, I doubt that 100% of the difference goes to the TD. Perhaps some amount goes to the TD, to help offset receiving less tips but not all. If the pay, with tips included was exactly the same, independent of group size, what TD would want the added logistics/headaches associated with a larger group. I would expect that the TDs make more overall money for the larger groups and that is why they are willing to work the larger groups. Some TDs accept the smaller money for the, in theory, smaller workload associated with the smaller groups.
In addition to tips, there are fixed costs to consider, particularly transportation, overhead, etc that needs to be covered regardless of the size of the group. Tauck likely expects to get a similar profit that needs to be covered regardless of the size of the tour. Of course that fluctuates dependng on whether the tour is sold out. The pricing is complicated but likely mathematically determined using many factors.
I wonder what size buses they are going to use for 15 people….. it could actually end up being more crowded on a smaller bus with less people than on a larger bus with more people. The logistics are interesting. We have done small groups and classics. We have not really noticed a difference. We certainly don’t go on vacation to make friends, but since you are “up close and personal “ for a period of time, it makes for a better time if you actually enjoy some people’s company. As for the annoying people hogging the front of the line for the bathroom and saving places at dinner- we had a person like that on one of our tours last year. We avoided her like the plague when she wasn’ t knocking us over to get to the front of whatever it was we were doing. She annoyed us all, even the people she came on the tour with. Finally, at the farewell dinner she was sitting alone at a table and saving the seats. Seven of us smiled and sat down at the table .She moved . 🤷🏻♀️
Seat savers, ugh! I once stood for the entire cocktail time in the African bush because the staff forgot to put out enough chairs, and one woman was saving the chair next to her for her husband. I had been sitting most of the day in the safari vehicle, and I am fit so it wasn’t a big deal. It was, however, bad karma.
This discussion is kind of pointless. According to a friend who is a 20+ year Tauck TD, what an individual TD makes is complex and based on a number of factors- e.g. type of contract, years of experience, (negotiable) benefits package, number of tours pledged in a season, type of tours, length of tours, etc., etc., etc. Each TD has their own individual contract. Some TDs are essentially parttime, independent contractors and receive no benefits, while at the other end of the spectrum, you have TDs who are fully vested Tauck employees with benefits, and all that entails. A TD is not bound to a specific contract from year to year as far as I know. I have no insight into how gratuities are handled, so, without knowing what a TD has negotiated, you can't compare their overall compensation.
AlanS - all valid points.
The biggest point I guess I was trying to make was to agree with MarketArt that I don’t believe all of the differences goes to the TDs as was claimed in an earlier post.
As opposed to all of the other deep, meaningful discussions on the Forum. 😂😂