Ultimate Getaway - didn't get way...

[voyager77]

I wanted to relate my recent experience with the Ultimate Getaway. I booked a multi day day trip in mid April for mid July. Paid my deposit. Booked my flights and hotels. 5 days before the trip was to depart got a call that the capt decided to cancel as he didn't have enough people to make money on the trip. Apparently several people backed out as the deposit was only $100. What he should have done was run the trip. I ended up paying $150 to cancel my airline. I wasted a week of vacation. I sent 2 emails requesting reimbursement of my airline with not the courtesy of reply.

This was my experience. I'm sure people will jump in with what a great capt he is. Maybe. Unfortunately I never got the chance to find out given his business pratices. People make decisions and have to live with the consequences, wanted you to have the benefit of mine before you make yours.

 

[divengolf]

Sounds like poor business practice to only have a payment of $100 in hand five days before the trip. To protect themselves, virtually all liveaboards that I've been on, and I've been on quite a few, require full payment at least 60 or 90 days before the departure date. If folks cancel after final payment, then they forfeit all payments and this provides the operator with enough money to run the trip. He had to know that the trip was in trouble long before he notified you.

I was unable to find anything on his web site about payment terms.

I would have kept my flights, cancelled the hotels and drove to Key Largo to dive for the week. Key Largo is about 4 hours from Ft. Myers.

Wookie may have an expert opinion on this. Frank?

 

[<*)))><]

I wanted to relate my recent experience with the Ultimate Getaway. I booked a multi day day trip in mid April for mid July. Paid my deposit. Booked my flights and hotels. 5 days before the trip was to depart got a call that the capt decided to cancel as he didn't have enough people to make money on the trip. Apparently several people backed out as the deposit was only $100. What he should have done was run the trip. I ended up paying $150 to cancel my airline. I wasted a week of vacation. I sent 2 emails requesting reimbursement of my airline with not the courtesy of reply.

This was my experience. I'm sure people will jump in with what a great capt he is. Maybe. Unfortunately I never got the chance to find out given his business pratices. People make decisions and have to live with the consequences, wanted you to have the benefit of mine before you make yours.

Unacceptable customer treatment.

But we haven't heard both sides of the story. Does trip insurance cover this sort of cancellation? I'm assuming you didn't have trip ins. Was there any offer to make up the trip at a later time? I know neither of those are perfect fixes but was any attempt made to by the Capt accomodate your circumstances?

 

[voyager77]

I didn't buy trip insurance as it wasn't worth it. If his policies required full payment before departure this wouldn't have been an issue (like all other trips I've done). They did offer another trip but my schedule didn't accomodate and I still would have have had to pay to change ny ticket. the most annoying was 2 emails to the capt not returned, simple coutresy...