Classic Journeys - La Jolla, California

Lisa

We took the 4 day long weekend in Havana tour and had a blast! From start to finish, everything was top notch! The guides G and Marta were so professional, informative and friendly! (the guides are always my favorite part of any trip) Personally, I loved getting to learn about Cuban culture and politics from a local perspective and our guides were so knowledgable, insightful and patient with my questions!! This is a such a comprehensive tour for a short period. For example, we took salsa classes, learned to cook a Cuban meal, shopped in a local market and even visited a classic car restoration shop! Did I mention the cigar factory?! Wow! Meeting the diplomat and architect were also highlights for me! The one evening we had free, our guides even managed to organize a private drum lesson for my fiancé (a drummer) from a well known Cuban jazz musician in his own home studio!
Talk about going the extra mile!

There is so much to do and see and I left feeling like we accomplished a lot and learned a lot! I will definitely be traveling with Classic Journeys again the next chance I get!

Miss Cawthorne

Our knowledgeable guides, Audrey and Geldrys, whose warmth and hospitality left a lasting impression on me, led us through the vibrant streets of Old Havana, Vedado and other neighborhoods, and it felt like I was traveling with friends

The itinerary was thoughtfully curated, allowing ample time for exploration as well as moments of quiet reflection. Whether strolling through the bustling streets, meeting with a Diplomat who gave insight into Cuba’s political stance, dancing Salsa, visiting a local mechanic who restored old cars, or savoring a refreshing Canchanchara overlooking the sunset with the locals, every experience felt authentic and deeply meaningful.

Of course, no trip to Cuba would be complete without indulging in its culinary delights. Our wonderful rooftop cooking class, creating the savory Ropa Vieja was an unforgettable experience. All the meals were just incredible and so fresh.

This trip is sure to leave you spellbound by the magic of Cuba.

Lori Crossman

We went on the Tuscany walking tour in September this year. I'll start with the good.. the tour guides were great! Very knowledgeable and friendly. The cities we visited, activities, and travel logistics were also great. 2 out of the 3 hotels were top class.

This brings me to the negatives. I did very careful research on this tour, including the hotels. This tour isn't cheap so I expected the best! I was very excited to stay in the advertised hotel in Santa Margherita. Unfortunately, they did a bait and switch and put us in a far less superior hotel. We had no idea until we got there.

I voiced a complaint after the tour (through the survey and email). Someone did reach out but they didn't care. They argued saying it was disclosed to me a month prior, but it was not. No one else in the tour group received this notification (we were all upset). The promised to get back to me but never did. I was asking for a small concession since they pivoted to a cheaper hotel, yet I still paid the higher price.

I likely would not use them again because of this. There are other high end tours with better service.

Asheville Luxury Brokers – Cricket Benfer

An absolutely life changing experience! I booked a hiking and culture trip through Tuscany. I LOVED it and I don’t like hiking!! Our guide Alex absolutely amazing! He has a sincere passion to leading a group! He handled all the intricacies of building an unforgettable, wonderful experience. If I didn’t want to hike to say Porto Fino - he would book me a cab to take me there. And I shopped!!! He is supportive, knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor.

I’m eyeing they Amafi Coast in April, should I go?

Kim Young

We had a fabulous time on our Grand Canyon Bryce and Zion tour. Our tour guide Francesca was a pro and well versed in the area. Loved all our travel buddies we became friends quickly!!!

Carrie Schochet

My mom, sister and I booked a luxury tour to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos with Classic Journeys at a significant expense. We expected an experience comparable to industry leaders like Tauck, Micato, & Abercrombie and Kent. Unfortunately, the service provided by Classic Journeys did not meet the high standards of luxury travel, despite their claim to be in those ranks.

Summarized concerns & shortfalls of Classic Journeys below:

Pre-Trip Preparation: The lack of attention to detail began with visa arrangements; their team didn’t clearly communicate Visa requirements. They were unaware that proof of visa was necessary to board the flight to Vietnam from the US. In many instances, you can get a Visa upon arrival, etc. This failure of communication resulted in last-minute fees, expediting costs, and significant stress. Important travel details like vaccines, luggage restrictions, and fitness levels required for the daytrips were poorly communicated.

Accommodations and Logistics: Our experience with accommodations was EXTREMELY disappointing. We were compelled to book extra nights at our expense due to inefficient tour logistics. One hotel was over an hour away from the airport, contrary to the 15 minutes we were told. Additionally, we encountered last-minute hotel downgrades and substandard room assignments. It is not expensive to book a 5-star hotel in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Nice rooms in luxury hotels were typically under $250/night. When we arrived at disappointing accommodations, we googled the cost of the rooms. In multiple instances, they were in the $75 - $80/night range, while beautiful rooms were available at nearby hotels for $150 - $200/night. For the amount we paid for the trip, we were horrified to discover that Classic Journeys penny pinched on such an important trip element. At one point, we were housed near trash and service areas, and instructed to dispose of soiled toilet paper in a bin rather than toilet. It is clear that Classic Journeys was seeking to capture profit at the expense of their travelers.

Air Travel and Benefits: Classic Journeys failed to include our airline loyalty information for the various flights we took getting from point A to B, costing us access to benefits like extra baggage and VIP lounge access. On one flight, for which we would have had status benefits, we were seated on the last row of the plane in seats with no recline. They also did not allow us to access our own reservation details, including confirmation and ticketing numbers so that we could enter loyalty information ourselves, despite multiple requests.

Lack of Itinerary Details : The physical demands of activities like a 2-3 mile walk on rolling terrain and uneven ground in extreme heat (105 degrees) were not disclosed beforehand, which is crucial for planning. Most luxury tour companies have a rating system that is utilized to indicate the level of exertion required for the day-trip, for example one tennis shoe for low activity level, two tennis shoes for moderate activity or fitness level, and 3 tennis shoes for a strenuous or difficult activity. Classic Journeys had no such rating system. I informed Classic Journeys of a significant knee injury that occurred on a ski trip in February. I also told them it was very possible that I would be in a knee immobilizing brace from mid-thigh to ankle. They told me they didn’t feel any modifications were necessary, with the exception of one day when we rode bikes. My mom is also a Type 1 diabetic and has had 2 knee replacements. We informed Classic Journeys of these health conditions. They didn’t provide adequate information regarding preparation for the activities in their itinerary.

While our guides and drivers (contracted from another agency) were exceptional, the numerous logistical and service failures from Classic Journeys have prompted us to write this review. Future travelers should be wary and consider all available options when booking a luxury tour, especially given the significant cost and expectations of such trips.

Marilyn Cobb

Contrary to the negative reviews, I did the Quebec trip in September 2023 by myself and had a marvelous experience. Our tour guide, Lucette, was the absolute best. The accommodations were luxurious and the meals were gourmet all the way. Our group of seven couldn’t have been more friendly. An employee from CJ called me during the week to make sure I was happy with the trip.

TSK

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!- Nothing like overpaying for a terrible vacation! Having taken numerous vacations with other tour groups all over the world I can say without a doubt this was absolutely one of the worst vacations I have ever been on and one of the worst tour company's we have ever worked with. We feel completely taken advantage of and ripped-off. We paid over $12K (this does not include airfare or the upgrades to our hotel room) for a 6-day trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We were promised "Award-winning hotels that would be waiting for us at the end of every day where we could Luxuriate in the finest and most distinctive accommodations" (their words) what we received was a run down, filthy, smelly motel room filled with insects, spiders nasty stained linen & towels and this room did not even have a properly working toilet, sink or AC. Our tour guide was a very unfriendly and confrontational individual who on the first day made humiliating, inappropriate and unsolicited comments of a sexual nature in front of the entire tour group about where we and our traveling companions were from. She later also provided her unsolicited opinion and poked fun at the religious beliefs of others. Communication and information relevant to our schedule and daily activities was scarce and one was made to feel small for inquiring. Many of the meals provided on this tour group were from a food truck in the middle of a parking lot in Gardiner Montana- these meals were supposed to be provided by the tour group but on several occasions, we were forced to pay as our tour guide was nowhere to be found- We were later chastised in front of the other members of the group for voicing our dissatisfaction with this arrangement. We were crammed into a van with 13 other people which did not have fully functioning AC with all our luggage piled to the roof over our heads without any cargo netting or straps to secure these from falling on top of us with sudden stops and turns. This was also extremely unsafe as the rear view was completely obstructed from the drivers view.

I could go on and on about the misrepresentations and epic failures we endured on this trip, but in closing I will just add the final insult came after we presented our concerns to Classic Journeys. After providing a detailed account along with numerous photos of this miserable experience they have expressed an absolute unwillingness to try and offer any sort of meaningful solution to compensate us for this horrible ordeal. Their best offer to date was a small discount on a future trip with them, so this was really not an offer at all.

I usually do not make negative posts about my travel experiences, but I am providing this feedback in the hope it will prevent someone else from overpaying and wasting their precious vacation time with a tour group who does not deliver as represented or care to provide any respectable level of customer service.

Buyer Beware!