Road ScholarReviews 79

We just returned from our second Road Scholar trip
First was last year to Cinque Terra- no problems and no change in flights and/or itinerary
This most recent trip was from Antarctica- fabulous destination, largely run by a different company on the ship = antarctica 21
However, we were fogged in for 2 extra days
R. S. rebooked us from what was a non-stop to a 3 -stop trip home from Santiago, Chile
Initially we were told by our guide they wouldn't retry
However, when we prevailed and said we would pay ourselves AND showed them that our original flights were available, they changed them
This took 24 hours of wrangling and was upsetting obviously
HOWEVER, our upset was compounded by the lack of any interested response when I tried to speak with upper management once we returned home
The insular culture of this company is frightening and akin to an inbred fraternity.
Customers have no ability to accurately verbalize their frustration
We were not seeking renumeration, but rather simply attempting to understand why the so-called "custom travel" department was so insensitive to the individual traveler
We'll never travel with them again nor would we recommend them

Just landed for a road scholar trip, in a strange city, running late and worried you'll miss your transfer shuttle?

Who ya gonna call?

Not Road Scholar! They place no importance on this important aspect of customer service. At least they didn't when I took my trip to Santa Fe. The "emergency" call center didn't know who was supposed to meet us at the airport-didn't have any names-didn't know if they were still there or when they were leaving.

Really? I think that is what technology is for. Unforgivable, Road scholar. You can do better.

Back in 2015, we started the process to reserve one of the first circumnavigation trips of Cuba scheduled to embark in March 2016. We experienced one example of chaos after another with Road Scholar not following through with promises, mailings to us which never occurred, and phone calls which never resolved the problems. Biggest concern is that they booked the cruise with a cruise line which was BANKRUPT and did not even know that fact till we apprised them of this early in the process. They then tried a bait and switch to get some of the circumnavigation transferred to air flights to and from Cuba. We finally cancelled and did ultimately get a full refund of the approximate $12,000 but even that took a while to process.

We decided to give them a second chance and applied for a Florida trip in March of 2019. (Maybe their March trips are jinxed?) Again, problems surfaced right at the outset. After paying the $200 deposit, and trying to complete the participant information form, we were immediately directed to a site which advised us that the connection was not private and information was NOT secure and then we were told to click on a "privacy policy" which would have meant having to change MANY settings we had with our browser. When we called to complain, we were advised they were having "technical issues" and assured us the credit card info was secure. Yeah, right. We wisely decided to cancel again and was verbally told the refund would be processed in 24-72 hours and then in a confirming email told it would take as long as "7 to 10 business days". Although it turned out that it was refunded in 24 hours, how can anyone trust this level of incompetence? You are reading negative reviews cause you want to be sure about this company. Despite lots of glowing reviews you may see elsewhere, we advise you to consider a different company. Shame never feels good.

Road Scholar switched hotels on us after we had booked their tour of Southern Spain. The reservationist assured us that "the hotel change would cause no extra walking" during our trip. NOT TRUE! As we walked by the Hotel Ingleterra, Seville, on at least 6 occasions -- and were still several blocks from our new hotel -- it was clear the reservationist was either ill-informed or lied to us. The hotel switch caused as least and extra 6-7 miles in Seville alone. Complaints to the president of Road Scholar have gone unanswered so I guess the reservationist isn't the real problem with this travel company.

This was a "craft" camp experience and I went just to have a vacation and do my own rug hooking with like minded people. The instructor was poor and ended up lying to the class, insulting me in front of two groups of students, and reducing me to tears. She even did it to the Program Director.

The camp is advertised as an "easy" activity but if you have any mobility issues and do not have a car, you cannot get to meals since it is a 3-4 block walk each direction for any meal. No drinking water was provided in our two classrooms. We could walk to find a soda machine which sold water for $1.50 or get our water from the bathroom sink. We did complain because it was hot and the camp brought a few bottles once.

Worst part, if the above was not bad enough, were all the meals. I think the kitchen was being run by untrained servers/bus people because no cooking was going on. Heard that maybe there was no food manager. Every thing (but some tasteless rolls and bisquits) was precooked prepackaged frozen food that was reheated and served. No serve yourself. Belgian waffles were put on the steam table and soggy when served. Amazingly tasteless. Greens on my first salad were slimy. No salt or seasonings of any kind were used in the food served. No condiments provided. Dessert was either brownies 3X, or pie filling a sprinkling of oatmeal or pumpkin pie filling with a grainy sugar struesel topping and zero whipped topping or anything to add. Rancid taco shells. Sigh. I think I threw away more food than I ate.

I am waiting to hear what RS and the camp are going to do. The program directed said refund. RS emailed me that someone would call yesterday and they did not.

The Primary Group Leader was excellent. The secondary group leader introduced politics 3 times during the trip then sent this email after the trip. This was our 14th and probably final trip with RS. I don't want political commentary on vacation!

Hello Road Scholars once again,
During our Great Deserts tour, I spoke briefly about issues w e face concerning water. Attached is a 1-page digest of what 4 other scientists and I have proposed. I ask that you read it and that you then contact your State and National Representatives and Senators asking that they work to implement advanced technology pilot plants so that we as a nation can address the current human and environmental health issues associated with synthetic compounds in our water. I recommend to your reading Dr. Shanna Swan, 2020 Countdown. Most of the chemicals she talks about are already in our water and our water infrastructure is not able to destroy and/or remove them.
Take care and please contact NAU Road Scholar (aka Bruce Banker) if you'd like to do another tour with me or any of our other exceptional leaders.
Bryan

Avoid tour if Bryan is involved!

I got the insurance as recommended and was told that it will cover me for whatever reason! Well North Carolina is getting hit by a hurricane and hurricanes and flooding are not in the insurance coverage.
I need my money back. I don't want them to hold it over my head that I "HAVE" to take a trip with them or I lose my $200.
I called Road Scholar spoke to a supervisor Sean who told me that it was sent in the mail and it's on line. That really that $200. Is spent on the admin, instructors, to get the overhead started.

My trip to Japan with Road Scholar would have been excellent but for the unusable wifi "provided" (or really, not provided) by the Daiwa Roynet Hotels in which Road Scholar placed us. I was completely unable to work with colleagues in my home office because the wifi was usually so slow as to be unusable. The guides for our trip were superlative, but I couldn't enjoy the trip because I could not fulfill my work commitments, and people had been depending on me. The Daiwa Roynet Hotels claim that they provide wifi, but it has been unusable for me, for my wife, and for many people on our trip. I consider their claim that they provide wifi to be a fraud, under California law, and it ruined my trip.

I have taken two nice tours with R. S. However, shortly after booking an $8000 trip to Antarctica for Feb. 2019 (and before buying insurance) I had to cancel. My $850 payment was non-refundable. The trip is a year away. Does this policy seem reasonable? I'm not questioning whether the policy was included in the information because it was. The policy that says that your down payment for your trip is not refundable in part or in whole this far in advance is just simply greed on the part of this organization. This is an especially difficult policy for people who are on a fixed income. I will not travel with them again.

My wife and I participated in the Yosemite Valley program in September 2017. The tour was well organized and well staffed. The on site director "made the trains run on time" and the tour expert was in fact an EXPERT.
Meals were very good and on time.
I RECOMMEND this program to anyone who wants to tour a national park.

My 82-year-old mother signed up for an RS "experience" in New England. The second she signed up, they were hounding her to sign up for more expensive $12,000+ tours in Europe. She then discovered that RS was planning to charge $180 ONE WAY from Manchester NH to their "hotel" just 15 minutes away. She had the foresight to buy their "Trip Insurance" but found out when applying for a refund, that they made her fill out a 5-page explanation as to why she decided against the tour. Roads Scholars are SCAM ARTISTS exploiting the elderly. This makes them FIRST CLASS SCUMBAGS, taking advantage of the vulnerable like our elderly. Shame on you! "NON-PROFIT"? Right! You hide behind that designation. Just crawl back under that rock. There is a special place in hell waiting for you.

Our trip to ST. Augustine was canceled after a few weeks. Did not want to take a later trip on account of price increases of already purchased airline tickets, insurance would not cover what i presumed it would. Road Scholar refunded the deposit and the insurance company refunded the full policy in a timely manner. WILL USE ROAD SCHOLAR AGAIN but will rethink about the insurance that i feel was overprice and what it doesn't cover.

I paid in full for the inspirational England tour, and at no time has Road Scholar contacted me and I am sure none of the other paid persons going on this trip about the terrorist concerns in England and also Manchester England which is part of this trip.
Both taylor and Ellen at Road Scholar that I contacted regarding the terrorist problems, were very cavalier about it and said their office in England would let them know if there was a concern. Well, I am sure their main concern is the $$$$ they would lose if the trip got cancelled.
I travel all the time, world wide, and have never experienced the terrible customer service and total lack of regard of the safety of the tourist who book with their company.
This trip should have been cancelled, or offered to be rescheduled at a later date or a different trip somewhere else offered, or money returned.
Our retirees at RESDC are being told by me of this total disregard of the tourist.