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Customer Feedback for Europe and the Mediterranean Dear Leslie, Thank you so much for planning ANOTHER awesome vacation for us! Everything just runs so smooth when you plan our vacations. Thank you for always being available… you have no idea what a comfort that is! The hotels in both Transportation in and out of Lastly, we absolutely fell in love with the hotels in Our last days of vacation in Santorini were spent drinking wine at local wineries, riding scooters and eating all the Greek food we could get our hands on! The island transfers in We more than appreciate your patience, fact finding, and the detail that you put into planning dream vacations for us! There isn’t a vacation we won’t plan without you! Many thanks, Kelly and Niccole Kaller Thanks for asking.. sorry for replying so late! we really enjoyed staying at the Marriott Champs Elsyees, and we are so happy for your high quality satisfying services! thanks again for everything you helped us with in this trip :) regards Reema Al-Ajlan I just wanted to thank you for putting our trip together. Everything went well from beginning to end. Our honeymoon was wonderful! Our favorite was definitely Santorini was very nice too, but I have to be honest...those steps, you mentioned it; but I didn't know we were in for such a work out! We did have a nice stay at the hotel you arranged; very romantic. We had a great trip and look forward to going back one day. The people were very friendly! We're talking about where to go next...for our Anniversary trip! Thanks again for helping us have such a memorable honeymoon! We'll be calling you again. Private Name Feedback : Eastern Europe, Exotic Tours & Luxury Cruise Specialist : Danube River Cruise Hi Guys! We had a wonderful time! We loved the Danube. The itinerary. the boat was great and the rooms were a very nice size and the windows were incredible. Also the hotel in Feedback about Diane Boyle, Europe, Exotic Vacations and Tours Specialist: Hi Diane, I apologize for the late reply. As it always happens after a long vacation, things piled up and I was sitting here sifting through emails
for 3 days. Italy was absolutely amazing. I'm so glad to have been to Italy as my first non-tour guided destination in Europe. The people are friendly everywhere we went. The weather was gorgeous, 80 degrees everyday andrained only for half a day. The food, oh the food, I've never tasted tomatoes so sweet or mushrooms so fresh. But 10 days of pizza and pasta in a 80 degree heat was kind of harsh on our body, so we ended up having Chinese food in Rome, which was fun since we experienced what Chinese food was like in another country.
Our favorite destinations are Taormina and Capri. The view was breathtaking and the little winding streets was so much fun to explore. We wish we could have stayed longer in both places.
Our drive to Sorrento was a bit long, took us total of 9 hours, because we went through the Amalfi Coast drive, instead of the high way. We definitely could not have survived the road without our GPS, there were some constructions that led us off of the road and all the signs were in Italian, so our GPS definitely saved us the trouble of having to stop and ask for directions. The Amalfi Coast view didn't impress us because we had been to Taormina already and the drive in Sicily were all by the coast line, which is very similar to the Amalfi Coast. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the winding roads and the first hand experience of Italian drivers. Let's just say, we are very happy to be alive right now. The hotels were ok in general. Like most hotels in Italy, they were smaller compare to the states, but very clean. Hotel Isabella in Taormina was very very small, it was uncomfortable since we had luggage too. But it did have a balcony with view, which made up for the small room. The flight to and from Italy were probably the worse I've experienced in my life. I travel to Asia a lot, so I'm used to the transferring and long flights. But I think it had more to do with the Italian airports and the personnel services. Getting on and off the flight took more than half an hour, having to transfer twice at Dusseldorf and Turin was not pleasant, since the waiting time in between were long and there was practically nothing around. Coming back to the States, our flight from Washington to NJ were delayed for 4 hours because of a possible storm. But all in all, I enjoyed the trip very much. Checking in with the documents you provided was a breeze, no problem at all. Getting the car and returning the car took no longer than 15 minutes. Everything worked out perfectly and we really enjoyed ourselves. If there was anything I'd do differently, I'd book a directly flight and pick less places to go (we went through 6 places in 10 days). We were so exhausted by the end of the trip, we only went to the coloseeum in Rome and spent the second half of the day in the hotel room watching movies. I'm glad I booked the trip through you; I could have never done this on my own. Throughout the trip I felt very safe knowing that there is a # I could call to contact someone if I had a problem. Our first experience in Europe was a success and I have told everyone around me about Travelwizard. I will definitely call you if I need help booking another trip. Thank you so much Diane! We truly appreciate your effort. Thanks for a wonderful experience. Stephanie and Henry Testimonial about Sharon Walters, Europe, Exotic Vacations and Tours Specialist: Sharon, Ted
Feedback from our Master Cruise Advisor and Tours Specialist: Hi Travelwizard, Thank you for the beautiful flowers in the room. We had a wonderful time. Everyone at the hotel was very nice and did their utmost to provide good service. The food for breakfast and lunch was quite good. We tried the new spa restaurant which was very good. La Parilla was fair. We ate outside the hotel 3 of the nights. Two of the restaurants were among the best meals we have had anywhere in quite some time. One was called Casa Lucas (international food by a Belgian chef) and the other was called Tucan (local food with an international flair). The spa was very nice as was the spa garden. On the flip side, the interior is moderately run down and is in need of renovations to things like carpets, furniture, etc. Structurally it is fine. When we arrived, there was a fair amount of confusion about the spa program. They tried to blame it on you, but I told them you had nothing to do with the arrangements and that the confusion was due to their lack of communication internally (which they eventually acknowledged). Once we got it straightened out, it was fine. The only disappointment was that they only got the Jacuzzi working correctly for 2 of the 7 days. The other 5 days it was not hot in spite of management's efforts to get maintenance to keep it hot. In summary, we had a wonderful time and will definitely go back to the Canaries. We're not sure if we would stay at the Botanico or go to one of the newer hotels. In addition, your service was excellent. My wife and I plan on going on a 5-star (intimate/smaller ship) cruise for my 50th birthday next year. We definitely will keep you in mind for those arrangements. Best Regards, David” Testimonial about Sharon Walters, Exotic Vacations, New Zealand and Tours Specialist: Mom and I had a wonderful time in Ireland!! Thanks for checking in. My head has been spinning since I got back trying to settle into my new home (I feel like the unpacking will never end) and right back to the work grind. The Hayfield Manor was beautiful and the service impeccable. Unfortunately one night we had no heat though and woke up at 2 am freezing and had to have the night manager bring in a space heater. Oh well, but breakfast the next morning was yummy!! And we loved the pool, jacuzzi and spa! We drove the Ring of Kerry but didn't kiss the Blarney Stone. We actually forgot all about it -- oops! Our time along the ocean in Dingle Bay was wonderful too and we got some amazing photos. Hertz ended up not having an automatic car and I had to use a manual shift while driving on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. I told the Hertz man he didn't know what he was inflicting on his fellow countrymen! Getting out of Cork was interesting as a result of the manual car, but we laughed about it! But the Irish are crazy drivers anyway! My left elbow got sore from all the shifting but I learned fast and became quite the whiz at it, and started to eventually love it. But I think our favorite was the Currarevagh House in Oughterard, County Galway. An amazing old manor house from 1840 that could use a little interior decor update, but the family that ran it was fabulous and the home-made breakfasts and dinners they made every night were just amazing -- things like duck a l'orange, fois gras, fresh fish from Lake Corrib and beautiful vegatables that were not to be had anywhere else in Ireland!!
I'm not sure the Irish really understand what fresh vegatables are. But the best were the desserts: baked alaska, chocolate mouse cake, lemon mouse cake w/ fresh blueberries.... I could go on and on!!! We also did a little ancestry hunt and had fun doing so, but in the end hit a dead end. The Irish have great geneological societies established in each county and they plan to have them all on-line within the next year. So hopefully we can find out more concrete info here at home and then check again with the parish records in Ireland thru the geneological societies on-line. Thank you so much for all your help and hard work in pulling this together for us. It was a vacation we both needed and we really enjoyed living it
up!!! It was a very special mum and daughter trip -- a trip of a lifetime. Thank you!! Here are a few pictures... -Regina.
Testimonial about Sharon Walters, Exotic Vacations, and Tours Specialist: Hey Sharon,
We are home & had a fantastic time.
I have to say that the Vatican tour was fantastic. The wine & food experience in Chianti was soo much fun too. The car rental was Mr. toad's wild ride so we drove to Pisa too and I have many many pictures. The tour in Venice we changed up and had him take us on a walking/boat taxi tour around Veniza and completely enjoyed our guide. He was from Chile and was a bit hard to understand, but a very nice man and showed us the 'inside' of Venice. I'll send you but a few of the MANY pictures we took. I have to say
that the trip home was tough. JFK airport is an absolute zoo and if we can avoid it next time that would be great. (1 hr on the runway waiting to take off....) 50 planes at least in front of us.... After a 1+ hr delay for a mechanical issue...) we got to Seattle at 2am..... And on a plane for Spokane at 10 the next morning. We figure we got 4 or so hrs. in 36.... But we are back on track, sharing pictures and have some great memories. We bought wine at the Castillo de Verazzanno and can't wait. Chianti
Reserva! Sooooo good! It truly was a trip of a lifetime.
Thank you - Thank you - Thank you - Thank you - Thank you - Thank you -
Thank you - Thank you Grazia
Merry and Ralph,
Testimonial about Sharon Walters, Exotic Vacations, and Tours Specialist:
Thanks Sharon, We had a great time in Italy. You did a wonderful job with the
accommodations! We took you advice and took a train to Naples, then a ferry to Capri.
What a beautiful place. We went to the information booth and they called a couple of hotels and got us into a nice three star hotel (which seemed more like a four star) for 160 euros. It overlooked the Mediterranean with a gorgeous view. The next morning we tried to get on a boat tour around the island, but
just missed the boat. Luckily, another boat company gave Cindy and me a private two-hour boat ride around the island. That was the best 100 euros we spent. He took us into all of the grottos with the beautiful bright blue sea. We have such great memories.
Thanks again, Dan and Cindy
Bona Sera! Sharon we are having a wonderful time! Tonite we are in Firenze.
Let me start with Como - simply THE most romantic place we've been (other than Bora Bora)... the Villa de Este' is beautiful & romantic & spacious rooms & great food & romantic & great sight seeing & did I say romantic? When you send your next clients there - highly suggest the private boat ride to Bellagio.... expensive... but very very worth it! I will just tell you that for dinner one nite we had champagne & strawberries on the veranda...... The train was delayed via train from Como to Milan- thus missed the connection from Milan to Venzia - however, we got the next train 30 minutes later but missed our pickup.. but caught a water taxi to Hotel Luna Baglioni ... also, the company that was to pick us up from Baglioni to the train did not have us so we had to water taxi from there ourselves...$115 euro for both ways... so you might check with them for a refund.... a n y w a y Venice was so much fun. We saw everything & walked till our feet hurt up to our ears! For the tour to Murano & Burano...... we changed our mind & convinced the guide to take us on a tour of Venice.. He was fantastic! He took us to his home area & to his normal cafe's & to a most beautiful church & gave us a very good 'walking-water tour' & dropped us off at a museeà across town where we walked & ate & drank & went into more churches on our way back to the hotel. Luna Baglioni was a cruise ship size room (small) so we barely unpacked, however the staff was excellent and the resturant-bar downstairs were great. The entertainment guitar-piano guy was superb and all the staff was extremely nice. The train to Firenze was a nice ride & we picked up the car at the airport - thank the Good Lord for tomtom navigation that speaks English! The Wine & Food experience at Villa de Verazanno was soooooo much fun and very informative.... we arrived a bit late due to being lost & our nav system didnàt have it in there, but they were very gracious and we caught our group nearly at the beginning.... a very nice tour, very fun and informative - the lunch provided was superb and very Italian with lots of wine and most beautiful scenery!! Today we drove to Firenze - may I say that my American husband drives very well with these c r a z y Italians!! the scooters are kamikazes and nobody signals or waits for anyone else on any road and merge nicely?? ha! Ralph was in his element..... We saw the Duomo & San Lorenzo's & several others - however the Uffizi was booked till Friday..... so! thatàs where we are so far....VERY smooth wine Chianti Reserva..... will arrive home in 4 or 5 weeks...... Tomorrow we'll make that up as we get there.... Ciao Marià & Rafael Our favorite hotel was in Florence, you choose the BEST for us. The location was perfect, the room was huge and elegant and we received complimentary shirts and slippers. The shirts are so soft and comfy too....... It just really made the stay there awesome to have that special treatment. Or favorite city..... hard to choose between Venice and Sorrento. They were both so pretty, people were so nice and the local handicrafts/souvenirs were plentiful. And they were really easy to walk around in.
Our "night life" consisted of eating dinner! LOL Seems they take up to 3 hours to eat dinner. Which was fun in Venice, but by the time we got to Sorrento... we just wanted to walk dinner off! LOL The food was fantastic throughout our visit.
Our favorite activity was the walking and people watching. It was interesting to see the different people, styles and customs.
The historic city tour was really good, got to see the ancient ruins, and major sights with a very good English speaking guide. : ) Thanks for setting that up for us!
Florence, our first impression was that it was dirty, but i did get a beautiful diamond ring there, so i can't complain too much! LOL In Sorrento they upgraded us to a room with a balcony so we had a view overlooking the water---beautiful!
All in all the trip was awesome. We hope to return someday. But there's other stuff that has to come first. Like a new kitchen LOL
The trip length was perfect, we weren't dying to get home, and weren't so ready to leave. Time to get back to reality though and start paying the bills!
Thanks again for all the help on getting the trip set up so perfectly. We really enjoyed ourselves and will definitely call YOU for our next trip. Thank you!!!! Back to Italy...ANYtime
Testimonial about Sarah Baugman, Luxury Cruise Specialist
This is a note to compliment your agent Sara Baughman. Sara has handled two trips for me – last year on the Seven Seas Voyager from If my plans call for future travel you can be assured I will call Sara. O. Jules Romary of Jupiter, FL Testimonials about our Italy, Europe Specialist We've returned home from our wonderful two weeks exploring the beautiful cities of Kind regards, Diane & Ralph Feedback from our Europe, exotic tours, and vacation specialist:
Hi Guys
What a wonderful stay! You made it so easy and everything worked out so well. It was the first time we booked via the internet but loved the personal touches you did with phone calls, emails and answering every question we had!
Santorini was beautiful, the hotel was fabulous. We really enjoyed our suite, they put rose petals on the bed in a shape of a heart. Every evening with turndown we got chocolates and bottled water. We really liked that. They also had a computer set up, which is how we were able to contact you. We took their van into Fira and to the beach. On the last day, we rented a 4-wheeler and tooled around the island. We loved the hotel and would definitely stay there again. You matched us up perfectly!
I found my most FAVORITE restaurant of the entire trip in Elounda as we were walking through. I can't remember the name of it, but the food was delicious and the view fabulous.
In Crete we liked the one day tour to the ruins in Heraklion. Very interesting and informative.
We really liked Athens a lot. The hotel you picked for us was so nice, in a GREAT spot, and convenient to everything. We got lost for about 2 hours in the Plaka. There were many more streets than the map let on! We learned our way around and did well for the remainder of our stay.
The tours you booked for us were fantastic! We liked the Athens day tour and visiting the Acropolis was a highlight. It meant so much more, seeing it with the guide; so they could explain the history and the culture of what was going on at the time. The Cape Sounion tour was a beautiful drive along the coast, thanks for your suggestions. Our tourguide also wrote a book on Greek Mythology, which we purchased and had her sign. Overall we had a WONDERFUL trip!! Your quick and assuring responses while we were there was great. We enjoyed ourselves so much and thinking of where our next adventure will bring us. Will definitely call you when we decide!
Thank You for everything!!! Testimonial about Linda Barber, Hawaii, Alaska, Exotic Vacation Specialist Linda, I don't know where to begin. The trip was absolutely perfect from the moment I left my house until I returned. Celebrity is a great cruise line and I would definitely join them on another cruise. The tour at Ephesus was magnificent and my guide in Rome, Francesca, was amazing. I am so glad you recommended a private tour - I felt like a "celebrity". It will be a while before I come back to reality (even if I'm back at work this morning). Thank you so much! Penny Testimonial: Exotic Tours & Luxury Cruise Specialist
Thank you so very much!. I knew you could pull the rabbit out of the hat. I am certainly happy!
Daisy
Testimonial about our Europe, Italy Specialist
I want to let you know that I received the travel documents/pkg today. I am very impressed with the document case and the way you set up the itinerary etc. Never have seen such attention to detail for a customer. I need something like that for my travels. Sure wish I was able to also go on this trip. I know that my sisters will have a great time. Thanks for all care in making this trip a reality. Mike Testimonial about Joan Smith, Luxury Cruise Specialist
Hi Joan, So nice to hear from you! I keep meaning to e-mail you a note and then you beat me to it - oh well. We had a wonderful time. The ship was gorgeous and the ports were beautiful. Thanks for ordering the sunshine for us - we got very toasted! We really apprecited all the time and effort that you put into getting everyones questions answered etc... Our rooms were so close together - and the 10th floor was a great location. If you have anywhere where I can sing your praises to your company let me know because I do that often for nice people, doing their jobs and still enjoying it. The best thing about the cruise was, everyone was healthy and stayed that way, we all celebrated something special and even though another one of us is dealing with a crisis, we all managed to enjoy each other and we all came back still friends. Thanks again for your help and we look foward to a future vacation planning together! -- Best Regards, Colleen Saufley Feedback from our --Cruise Specialist
We had a great time. A few wrinkles but that was to be expected. I don't know if we discussed that the stateroom upgrade from ours came with a "personal butler" and concierge service. We were discussing while on the trip if that would have been worth the upgrade price. What we found discussing with other travelers was the higher the room upgrade the better the service. For instance, you could dine in the specialty restaurants for all three meals if you were in a mini suite or higher. The service is considerably better in the specialty restaurants. Overall, I think the ship was understaffed. We filled out our report cards though so maybe with enough feedback they will tweak it. Carson, you did a great job for us getting everything together. We will definitely use your services in the future. Regards, Doug Rodermund Testimonials about Sharon Walters, Exotic Vacations Specialist: Thanks We had a great trip. I am in love with Saw a play (The Entertainer) at the Old Vic Theatre. It was Fantastic. What great acting!
Robert Lindsay played the lead role of Archie Rice that was originally played 50 years ago by Sir Laurence Olivier. We had six row center seats that we got half price at Leicester Square TKTS. Unbelievable!!! The hotel and all arrangements were excellent. Thank You! Oh yes, we did have dinner at a terrific little restaurant called the Masala Zone (right up your alley taste wise) right around the corner from the hotel.
Now on our next trip to England I have to visit my cousins who live just outside of Manchester, in Leicester, and Nottingham. Although our next trip will probably be to Italy. Take care. I'll let you know of our next travel plans. We attended the Evensong service at Westminster Abbey and had the privilege to sit in the seats normally reserved for the dignitaries and choir only. We sat right next to the choir. They sounded beautiful.
Feedback from our Luxury Cruise Specialist
Dear Sirs, It was FABULOUS. Princess is by far the nicest cruise line we have been on. Service was impeccable. The ship was gorgeous. The food was fantastic. The weather was perfect. We will definitely consider Princess again. Thanks for all your help. Our cabin view was between 2 lifeboats, which made us the luckiest cabin on that level. It was plenty of a view as we were at sea a lot. Someone mentioned to my mom that we must have a great travel agent to get us those cabins. --Thanks! We are sorry to be back but maybe we will go again this spring! Feedback from our Europe, exotic tours, and vacation specialist:
Hi Travelwizard Team The trip was absolutely awesome!! I really and truly did not want to come home. Greg -- European River Cruise Testimonials about Sharon Walters, Exotic Vacations Specialist:
Dear Sharon
We had a wonderful trip to Italy. All of the guides spoke good English and were well informed. The drivers all had very nice cars and were always on time. The rooms were roomy and the beds big enough for my tall husband. The locations were great and we were able to walk most everywhere we went. It is hard to pick a favorite because it was all so nice and so different. The wine tour to Verrazzano was great. The tour was conducted by a lady form London who was both entertaining and knowledgeable. The food was
wonderful and abundant. We recommended it to any one we talked to. Thank you very much, Sandra
Testimonial: Exotic Travel, Tour & Luxury Cruise Specialist The only hitch on the whole trip was the 5 hour flight delay on Oct. 1. We had a great time and loved Istanbul. The weather was wonderful and the sights spectacular. The hotel was the best as was our driver Ilhan (he was like James Bond navigating the streets). Nursal, our guide, was pretty good. She showed us lots of local street scenes that we wouldn't otherwise have discovered. We loved the complete package that you put together for us and would definitely use you again and recommend you to our friends. Thanks so much for everything. Susan Testimonials: Europe, exotic tours, luxury cruises and vacation specialist: We had a wonderful time despite the issues. I would definitely recommend this trip to others. Without your help though I don't think it would have been as great. We found ourselves really bummed out a few times and in a panic as well!! Luckily you were always there to take our calls and work things out. Thank you so much. You are the BEST! Private client Testimonials: Europe, exotic tours, luxury cruises and vacation specialist:
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