I'm moving this one up, so far no replies, I already know that at this point the bus is almost full.

Please join me !

Hi Gamica,

My husband and I are both on this tour! I've seen your posts weeks and weeks ago but did not want to reply until we're sure that we'll get on this tour. Now, we are!

Anyway, we won't be joining the tour until you guys get to Brussels. We're not doing London, instead, we'll spend 4 days in Paris first, join the tour in Brussels and leave Europe the day before the tour ends.

I was trying to PM you but it didn't work.

Anyway, I guess we'll see you then!

PJ

I just returned from this utter disaster of a tour. They put us with a brand new tour director names Desiree who ruined everyone of our vacations.
We MISSED Germany completly, we were on the coach LOST for 13 hours and 14 hours the next day. WE MISSED THE VATICAN! WE MISSED NAPLES! We were in 3 accidents.

It was horrible!!

Hi PJ,

I am so excited that someone, finally, responded to me.

I'll be traveling solo, my husband doesn't like to walk too much.
It will be my first tour with COSMOS, I went on TRAFALGAR tours, 2 yrs in a row, I had good experiences, but , this year I decided to go with Cosmos due to their ittinerary.

What about you ? Hope to keep in touch until we meet.

On the other hand, did you see the below message from Sean, I really hope we'll not have the same bad luck:

Sean1282
Guest




[color=green]
[b]Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject: DO NOT TAKE COSMOS FOCUS ON ITALY AND PARIS!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[b]I just returned from this utter disaster of a tour. They put us with a brand new tour director names Desiree who ruined everyone of our vacations.
We MISSED Germany completly, we were on the coach LOST for 13 hours and 14 hours the next day. WE MISSED THE VATICAN! WE MISSED NAPLES! We were in 3 accidents.

It was horrible!! [/b] [/color][/b]

Hi Sean,

I am so sorry to hear what happened to your tour, I take it that everybody complained about it, maybe COSMOS will fire the incompetent TD.
I know it will be very hard for you to describe what exactly happened, but, would please let me know ?

Regards,
gamica

Hi Gamica,

Please do keep in touch. I was hoping to send you a private message to exchange e-mail addresses. Let me know how we can take this discussion offline.

I did see Sean's post about the disaster. They probably don't use the same tour director everytime for the same tour. Won't work on the overlapping schedule of the tour, so, here's hoping that we don't get "Denise" as our tour director. The main reason we chose this tour from this operator was the Italy itinerary and the chance to get back to Paris for our outbound flight. Anyway, I do hope that the Sean's group did complain to Cosmos about her and that tour director was or will be fired. I read Cosmos's terms and conditions on their website and found the following:

Service inquiries after the vacation
If after returning from your vacation, you wish to inquire about any services provided, please ensure that all correspondence relating to those services is received by Cosmos, Traveler Services, Group Voyagers Inc. (see address right), within 60 days of the tour completion date. This will enable Cosmos to make a timely investigation.

Responsibility
Group Voyagers Inc., d/b/a Cosmos, 5301 S. Federal Circle, Littleton, CO 80123-8934 (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") is responsible to you in making arrangements for the vacation services offered in this brochure, including transportation, sightseeing, and accommodations.

If, after departure, the services included in the vacation cannot be supplied, or there are changes in an itinerary for reasons beyond the control of the Company, the Company will arrange for the provision of comparable services. Any resulting additional expense will be payable by travelers and any resulting saving will be refunded by the Company to vacation participants.
--------

I'd be interested to hear more about what happened to the tour and what actions were taken later.

Cheers,
PJ

Hi PJ,

Happy to see your response, I would like us to keep in touch, this is my address: gamica2000@yahoo.com. .
Hope to hear from you, soon . .

gamica

Is anyone going on this tour ?

-------------------------------------
Hi PJ,

Hope you're doing fine, I didn't hear from you for awhile, please note on my previous Email the address you can contact me.
We're getting closer and closer to our departure date.

Regards,
gamica

Well.. .. .. .. .. .. ..I just found out that this tour was sold out, who else is joining me ?

Hi Gamica,

I found out a few weeks ago from my good friend in California that she and her boyfriend will be joining our tour!!! woohoo!! they won't be able to join us until we get to Venice but she's definitely on the tour.. .. . can't wait! I really hope that we have nothing but pleasant memories from the tour!

PJ

PJ,

Good to hear from you, happy that your friend is joining our tour.
I can't wait to get the "package" , 3 more wks and we'll be on our way to Europe.. .
If you want to contact me, my Email is: gamica2000@yahoo.com

gamica

Hi everybody,

Anyone decided to join me ?


Regards,
gamica

I am not suggesting that Sean is misrepresenting the truth about his tour. It could have happened. However the TD (new or old) has nothing to do with a bus getting lost! The TD is not a navigator. Almost all the newer Globus buses have GPS systems which will automatically recompute your route in case the bus gets off the planned route. When we were going from Rome towards Sorrento there was a traffic jam ahead (which we knew because of the electronic board on the highway) and the driver exited the highway and we drove about 10 km along village streets to re-enter the main highway past the traffic jam. In any case they have mobile phones and can get routing instructions in case they are lost.

I read Sean's message with horror as I am booked on the 12 Sept tour. I wrote to Cosmos and I have included their reply below to ease your minds as I was relieved.

"Thank you for your email received by this office on 22 August regarding the Cosmos ‘Focus on Italy and Paris’ tour you will be participating on soon.

Firstly I hasten to assure you that Cosmos is committed to providing quality tours and services to our clients. We take every step to ensure our Tour Directors have all of the appropriate skills and qualities to exceed our clients’ expectations.

I am very aware of the particular tour that was discussed on the website. Please be assured that it was certainly an isolated case and by no means a reflection on the importance we place on our clients’ best interests. It did, however, highlight the need for Cosmos to review its procedures in relation to Tour Director recruitment and I assure you proactive measures have now been taken so that similar situations do not reoccur.

I have also confirmed with our European operating office that the particular Tour Director you were enquiring about is definitely not the Tour Director allocated to your tour.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to us. I trust that you will thoroughly enjoy your Cosmos experience and return to Australia with pleasant memories of your holiday. We hope to have the pleasure of your company on further tours, at some time in the future."

Thank you for contacting COSMOS, I am booked on the same tour, but a different date 9/5/05. Hope I will not have the same TD as well.

I have a question, is it any way to contact COSMOS via Email, I did go to their site but I didn't see a way to send them an Email, please let me know.

Now, I am a bit concerned about the recent floods in Bavaria ( Germany), I heard that certain roads were closed a few days ago. Hope it will stop raining so much by the time we'll reach Germany.

I also hope that our tours will be great and will enjoy our vacations.
Have a great time !

Regards,
gamica

The email address is:

clientrelations@globus.com.au

I contacted them using their enquiry section on their website. The email address above is the one that replied to me.

Good luck and have a great time.

guest2,

Thank you for the information, I hope everything will be OK, I am worried about the floods, there is nothing I can do on my side other than cancelling, but, I am brave enough to go.

Have a good trip, too !

Regards,
gamica

[quote="Sean1282"]I just returned from this utter disaster of a tour. They put us with a brand new tour director names Desiree who ruined everyone of our vacations.
We MISSED Germany completly, we were on the coach LOST for 13 hours and 14 hours the next day. WE MISSED THE VATICAN! WE MISSED NAPLES! We were in 3 accidents.

It was horrible!![/quote]

I just done a tour of europe 5160, and who was my tour diector desiree. I can not believe what iam reading about her, she was wonderful and really informative. She has a very vast knowledge of europe and done may things to help the people on her tour. Our tour was full, 51 people, thats 51 different personalities that the tour director has to cater for, my goddness what a job, and i beleive that she done a wonderful job and so does my husband and others that were on the tour with me.
As for your tour sean1282, how is it desiree fault that that the bus got lost, wouldnt that be the bus drivers fault, he or she is responsible for getting you there and not getting lost. He is behind the wheel not the tour director.

I just done a tour of europe 5160, and who was my tour diector desiree. I can not believe what iam reading about her, she was wonderful and really informative. She has a very vast knowledge of europe and done may things to help the people on her tour. Our tour was full, 51 people, thats 51 different personalities that the tour director has to cater for, my goddness what a job, and i beleive that she done a wonderful job and so does my husband and others that were on the tour with me.
As for your tour sean1282, how is it desiree fault that that the bus got lost, wouldnt that be the bus drivers fault, he or she is responsible for getting you there and not getting lost. He is behind the wheel not the tour director.


IN RESPOSE TO THE REPLY ABOVE
I can believe Sean1282. I was also one of the people on tour 5160 and one of the 51 people on the bus. Not only does Desiree tell heaps of lies. (When we were calling her Pinocchio- most of us meant it in a sarcasitic way). . Obviously you never spoke to many other people on the tour, but I can name at least a dozen people who wrote unsatisfactory on their surveys and were very outspoken with their lack of satisfaction with her. I can also name people who refused to leave Desiree a tip, but left money for Christian ( the bus driver). . As for being informative, most literate people can read typed texts giving information about places. It was not her knowlegde. She read typed paper reports from her blue folder. I think anyone can do that, it does not mean that they are informative and knowledge about the topic. To top it all off- Desiree did not load my suitcase on the bus and it was left at Paris Ibis on the last day of the tour. I am still waiting for it's return. YES I DO BLAME HER INCOMPETENCE FOR THIS>>> We paid for porterage. She was responsible for ensuring all the suitcases were loaded. On our return to Dover, England I discovered my suitcase was not on the bus. Since Desiree stayed in Calais, we had to contact her by phone. Not only did she insist it was loaded and that it must be the ports fault, but she claims that she doubled checked etc. She even tried to shift some of the blame to Christian( the bus driver). . I rang Ibis Paris and guess what!! It was still oustiside my room. (so much for her checklist and double checking). . To make things even worse I spoke to her in the morning at Hotel Ibis Paris and asked her did she want me to get my suitcase, because I was the only one on my floor. She told me not to worry, that she would definetely collect it.
I would also like to add that when we were going up MT Pitalus, Desiree told about half a dozen people in the carriage (who were in our tour group), how on one tour she was replaced half way through the tour at the request of the clients on the tour. The people on that tour has a huge problem with her and could not stand having any longer.
It is obvious that many people have had problems with Desiree and I am shocked that she is still working for the company. Guest NR and her husband and friends must be in the minority who approve of Desiree and it bewilders me as to why????

My advice to anyone who unfornately ends up with Desiree as a Tour Director:
1. Don't believe her and don't trust her.
2. DON't TRUST HER WITH YOUR SUITCASES. (even though you paid and she is being paid for porteage). .

NOT; Hotel Ibis Paris does not have a porter (as I found out by the mangaer of the Hotel and Cosmos book them knowing this)- so Desiree was more responsible for them than ever.

I know desiree very well and am really surprised how some of you react to her. I wonder what jobs you are doing and if ever things went wrong in your jobs. Where people work, people make mistakes. It is only people who never do a thing who are so called spotless.
Tour Directors and Drivers do amazing jobs. Especially the td has to work very often 16 hours or more per day. The drivers working times are limited following european laws recently introduced.
Rule nr 1 for a tour director is that you can never please all passengers on the coach as all people have different backgrounds, expectations and characters. Rule nr 2 is that a td can not control the weather and the traffic.
Instead of complaining about these people with probably the most difficult job, we should appreciate them. They are blamed for everything: if the food is bad, it is their fault, if the weather is bad it is their fault, if there is to much traffic, it is their fault, if a reception is slow with checking the group in its their fault, etc etc. Who would want to do a job like this? They are never at hhome with family and friends and have to deal with a lot of things that are definitely NOT their fault; big bravo for all tour directors of the world and as long they are appreciated they will stay with their jobs and we will all always have good tour directors and drivers.
And to get back to désirée: she is a most wonderful person, a very hard working person, a loving person, a caring person and a very knowledgeable and intelligent person who deserves much much more than complaining people on her coaches.

Just so it's widely known, you can peruse the posts on here and think what you will. So it's known, my entire tour received a full land cost refund for our tour last year alll because of our incompetent td Desiree. I can not begin to tell you the disasters that ensued on the tour. I had posted last year about her on here, but wanted to add that we were all refunded by Cosmos; which in my mind supports my view of them as a company who values their reputation. What shocks me is that she continued to direct tours for Cosmos. She was replaced half way through our tour because each and every member of the tour I was on phoned Cosmos USA headquarters everyday to complain. FYI for anyone on an '06 departure and you have a Desiree::::Get their phone number ready cause your in for a disaster!

wow. anyone else care to desiree bash? sean, i have yet to hear one thing wrong that she did to have a bus load full of tourists get her yanked off a tour.. .. .. .. . details please???? so far i have one lost suitcase, reading from a script, and getting the bus lost (?????) and the bus getting in "3" accidents (????). .

Why Desiree was yanked off our tour.. .. .. ..My letter to Cosmos alone was 18 pages. I think if you lined up all the pages in the letters everyone sent to Cosmos about her, it would have streched from Italy to Paris.

I'll summarize from beginning to end.. .. ..Ferry lands in Callais.. ..No bus. She is standing there, with her puzzled look on her face,,,,one that we will just begin to see alot of. Stood there for 3 hours waiting. I was completly prepared to forget about this as everyone was taking it in stride. We got to Brussels.. ..Great. The next day began the tour from hell. Driving from Brussels to Germany. We weren't even out of our hotel driveway when the bus slammed into a taxi. Another 1 hour delay. We started our day, with her explaining we would have a 6 hour drive. The bus stopped once during those 6 hours. Totally expected and fine. Well, instead of 6 hours, we spent 13 hours driving endlessly through Bavaria.. .. .. .
Here was the first issue.. .. ..Most Cosmos Drivers speak Italian. Desiree only spole Dutch and Spanish. They could not communicate. Desiree had the directions in the English and could only translate them into Spanish. At one point as we were desperatly lost in Germany, she offered anyone who spotted the hotel a "beer on her" when we arrived.

The next day was another winner. Innsbruck was great. Setting out from Innsbrook to Venice was another nightmare 14 hours on the bus lost. When I say lost, I mean totally utterly lost. Literally driving in circles. Now mind you, we had not eaten all day and it was 9pm when we were expected to eat by 6. By the time we got to the hotel, the lovely food presentation was cold and most people were too tired to eat.

At some point in here Desiree conscripted myself as her assistant. I have travelled through Italy many times, only taking the tour as some members of my family were travelling and I decided to join them. She constantly asked me to point out places to her.. .. ..Such as the Ponte Vecchio, The Duomo in Florence. She had NEVER travelled to Italy prior to this tour. In Rome, she forgot to book a breakfast time for the group. No one got breakfast and it was a late start for the group. We missed the group access line at the Vatican and the group stood outside in blazing heat. We all decided to scrap it and I showed them around St. Peter's Square and, luckily, the Basilica was open to just walking around.

The overall sentiment of the tour was being lost. Every sight, restaurant, point of intrest, bathroom break had to be searched for. The driver could not understand her and she could not understand the driver. On tour, she had no idea where she was going or what she was doing.

Every single day, I would say about 20 people in the group phoned Cosmos USA/AU and complained. Finally, releif came in Lugano when a new director greeted us. Desiree than had the audacity to confront me and ask me why I complained about her.

Our last accident occured when the bus was leaving the Paris hotel and we slammed into a car driving along.

I shot off my first letter the day I got home. I got a quick, canned response with a voucher. Well, that wasn't going to do. I shot another off to their CEO, and told everyone else in the group to do the same. I threatened litigation if compensation was not made to everyone. I not only received a phone call from the CEO, but a check for the entire cost, in addition to a personal Christmas card from him.

I have travelled with Cosmos several times,,,,all with wonderful memories and without complaint. I realize that she was new, but I was not going to be a guinea pig and let this fall to my cost; nor anyone else on the tour. With Cosmos response, I am confident they did the right thing and will continue to travel with them.