SellersTravel.com Call George at (410) 822-0151 or e-mail George@SellersTravel.com
SellersTravel.com Call George at (410) 822-0151 or e-mail George@SellersTravel.com
ollowing every trip planned by SellersTravel.com, Inc., a "Welcome Home" message is sent in which feedback is sought from the travelers. We often tell folks, "We LOVE to hear about it when things go well; We NEED to hear about it when they do not." Below is feedback from SellerTravel.com clients.
Semi-Guided 4-Island Tour of The Azores (Portugal's Atlantic Islands)
Hey George,
So sorry for the delay on getting back to you. We're still not totally back to normal. You did, as usual, a fine job organizing us and to an extent Portugal.com. Everything was fine after the initial baggage problem.
Each of the four guides did a good job with pickups and guiding on each island. We of course gave 30 to 40 euros tip depending on the length of the tour.
The smallest of the four islands that we visited was Faial and the 1st we visited. We lucked out on being there for part of their Sea Week celebration which is held from the 1st Sunday until the 2nd Sunday of August in Horta. We got to eat at some of the food tents but the real partying started much later (one main event-11:30 PM) which is way past our bedtime. We found a local restaurant translated "The Tree" where the gentleman made the food and served it buffet-style. It's listed in Trip Advisor as very good and they are correct in our opinion.
Our second island was the trip to Pico. One of the highlights there was the whale museum. Also, the scenery there was just as spectacular as on Faial.
Flying between the islands was trouble free and they were short flights with some nice views of the islands. No assigned seats.
Our first hotel in Faial was fine and the staff was super helpful and friendly. Upon arriving in Terceira, we were wowed by the hotel and especially the view. The hotel is Terceira Mar. We also had some good meals there, and the breakfast buffet was excellent.
Our guide on Terceira was our favorite of the four (all were fine). His name was Joao Toste, as listed on your itinerary (In fact, he is the only guide of the 4 listed on the itinerary; all the other guides were different, but that was no problem as everything was well-coordinated, and people covered for people). Besides being very humble, he went the extra mile,so to speak, to be helpful. The city of Angra was beautiful and we did walking there on our own the first day. Very fine museum there with exhibits and explanations on the history of there Azores. Also beautiful botanica garden.
There are many cows on Terceira thus lots of cheese. We ate at a locals only restaurant for lunch with Joao. The fish and fish soup were outstanding.
Joao made arrangements with the car rental company to have the vehicle brought right to the hotel that morning. Some rain that day so having the car worked out well.
So, the final island of our visit was San Miguel and it is was again a beautiful island.The Hotel Azor was very modern with a great view of the harbor which was pretty busy, especially with whale watching boats. Our guide Jose was also excellent and took us to a restaurant where they get a pot of stew (couzido) that is buried in the hot earth for many hours at Furnas. The town of Furnas is where the restaurant is. It was excellent.
We actually did get in the mineral water at Terra Nostra. Also there was another botanical garden there that we enjoyed. The rust colored water was 110 degrees. Had to do it!
We could go on and on, but we just want to repeat the fact that you did a great job for us.
We loved the Azores; every island unique, safe, beautiful, clean, and laid back with very friendly people, most of whom spoke English. Lots of northern Europe and Canadian tourists.
Thanks so much! B&F
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Tauck Small-Ship Cruise "St Petersburg and the Baltic Sea" with Pre-Cruise Dublin Extension
George, your part was impeccably done. Each and every detail was crystal clear logical and correct. Everyone you hired did exactly what they were supposed to do, even if sometimes we didn't. Haha.
Security at the Dublin airport upon departure was fanatical. I swear they put under a microscope each and every toiletry we owned. But we loved Dublin. Mick Jagger was staying At our hotel. Nice choice, George! He moved in the same day we did but all was hush hush and no one was supposed to know anything wink wink. He was giving a concert there the day after we left.
Flight Stockholm to london, 3 course meal.
Tauck tour thorough. Sights over the top. We were treated like royalty.
Flight back to dulles, we had family in first class and their help which May have been royalty! There was actually a bowing guy waiting for them on the other side of the door of the plane before the gateway.
In short, it was really quite a marvelous trip. We met a lot of interesting people and learned a lot of interesting things. Thank you so much for all of your help in putting it together.
R and I had enough space in our rooms to peacefully coexist except one across street from tivoli park in copenhagen. Great fun view of park rides but room was long and thin and we had to walk over each other. To reach room door. And electric plug blew up in room. Exciting start to Tauck tour!
Next biggie to be new zealand and tasmania. Not likely groups on busses...keep your ears open for itineraries and interesting transport modes...
Til next time,
S
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Multi-Generational, Magical, Family Experience at Walt Disney World
George & Tracey, Our trip was "fantasmic!" We had a wonderful time and could not have asked for a better well-planned trip. You and Tracey offer such a wonderful service to families who otherwise would not know up from down. I messaged Tracey the photo of us with clown noses. We also made a new friend b/c our pet sitters' brother works at Magic Kingdom and we delivered a cooler of deer meat to him when we arrived. He offered us a nice 40% discount if we ever come back. However I doubt it would equal out to the combined package savings we got with your planning. We were so blessed to share this vacation with our moms as well and they had a wonderful time. Thanks again for all you helped us with. I wanted to get a souvenir for you both but figured it may not have been an easy task with your frequent trips, so we made a nice donation in honor of you both and each of my daycare children to the Animal conservation act through Animal Kingdom to aid in food and proper housing. I got several pins to hand out from them for the donation if you would like one. Anyway, home from hockey and the evening rush begins. Thanks for checking in on us! S.A.
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Honeymoon at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort
Hi George! It was absolutely amazing and perfect! Exactly what we needed after the wedding. The resort was amazing and the people in st.lucia are so nice. We are so glad we listened to you and went with the grande, it was the beach resort out of the three and that's where we spent most of our time. Thank you so much for everything it could not have been more perfect. I've also attached photos of T and I! Hope your holidays went well! The New Mr and Mrs M!
Independent Travel (including self-drive) England & Scotland
Hi George, Greg and I wanted to let you know that we are home safe and sound, and that we consider our trip a resounding success! Everything went smoothly, and we credit this to your immense talent for organization. We had perfect weather - sunny and cool, rain only at night, and a gray, misty day for Loch Ness, which was only appropriate! We have been struggling to determine our top 10 list of what we saw and experienced; it was all so amazing. Greg was very taken with Dover Castle (especially the Keep) and also has a special fondness for Big Ben/Parliament in London. And Loch Ness was one of his "bucket list" items! I really enjoyed the drive from York to Gretna Green through the Lake District, and London was fascinating. I'm just glad I made notes every night so I can remember everything that happened!
Thanks again for all your help and planning; we have raved about your service to many people. Please feel free to share our thoughts with your colleagues at Discover Tours and Travel as well! Now I just have to organize the 1,200 pictures I have...
Best, Sue & Greg
Honeymoon at Secrets St James, Montego Bay, Jamaica
George, the trip was fantastic, food was great, people were nice. I wish my life was a stress free as it is down there, or at least appears to be haha. We had no issue with travel, rooms, or anything. Thanks for everything. T&A.
5-Apple Square Deal in Punta Cana
(Note: An Apple Vacations Square Deal is a plan where you book a vacation but do not choose the resort in advance. Apple Vacations chooses the resort based on last-miunute open inventory. You are guaranteed that the resort will be no lower than the rating that you choose in advance - 5-Apple or 6-Apple. In exchange for letting Apple choose the resort, there is very significant savings in the cost of the vacation package. Typically, you will not know where you are going until the day before departure.)
Here is the feedback from a bride who was getting a little nervous about it as the honeymoon approached. . . . .
George, Thank you SOOO MUCH!! Everything went perfect. The resort exceeded our expectations. The staff, food, atmosphere and all of it was incredible. We’re already talking about going back for our one year anniversary. I hope you don’t mind I have several friends who asked who we went through and I would love to refer them to you. Thanks again for everything, you helped make our honeymoon unbelievable!!
LLS
Independent Travel to Atlantis, Paradise Island Jamaica
Indepent Travel to Germany & Poland
All went as planned. We liked Poland so well that we spent an extra day (at the same hotel in Warsaw). Impressed with the people and how much they have done in the last 20 years. The train rides went smoothly. We did get 1 picture with our noises on. P would only do one, but it turned out OK. I will forward when I down load the pictures. It was taken in Berlin at Hitler's bunker (just a parking lot now) there was a sign marking the spot. We found a couple things to do in Hamburg, but most the time we just walked the streets, eating and drinking. All the tours you planned where well worth the money. D&P
12-NIght Alaska Cruise-tour aboard Diamond Princess
George, It went well, it was very rainy and quite cold most of the time (Aug 8-20). we did have a few beautiful days, as you see in the photo. And Vancouver was a perfect day. The tour was good, and the cruise was great. We would suggest other excursions than what we took, if you plan another trip to Alaska on Princess, because everyone who took the long Denali trip into the Tundra saw lots of animals and we didn't. Also, would suggest the whale watching. Not too much to see in most towns, lots of jewelry stores. We did enjoy the scenery though, it really is wilderness. Very beautiful. We went through Wasilla on the train. the train was great, too. The Vancouver tour was very good. We had a good time, and really enjoyed it. It's probably the kind of place that everyone should see once, but not to return to. It really is wild. We took a tour where the guide carried a big gun in case of bears and we only went a quarter mile or less. With the price of gold these days, who knows, my gold panning might pay off. I loved doing that.
We didn't see anything of Fairbanks. The cottages were small for the guys, fine for Pat and me, we thought it was quaint. We were so tired, it didn't matter. The restaurant there was very nice and the scenery wonderful. The flowers there awed us. They were at least three times the size of what we can grow here because of the long days. They were absolutely beautiful. I have lots of photos of flowers and so does everyone else. We had no foul-ups and everything went smoothly. We had no delays and all the crew was very congenial, even on the flights to and from. I won't be up too late tonight, I'm worn out, didn't get much sleep on the flight back and we were up early on Sat.
I'll send more photos later on. PL
"Trains of the Rockies" by Collette Tours
Awesome. To be honest, I really wasn’t excited about the trip. BUT….. after we got there and got over a few “hiccups”, it was great. The mountains were just amazing. First time I have been in that area and was totally impressed. Felt as if I was “wired” most of the trip.
The tour guide was the best. I think he is the best one I have ever had. He did say if we ever decided on a Collette tour again, we can request him and they should let me know if he is going to be the guide.
Because of a mud slide, The Durango-Silverton trip was canceled. He immediately made arrangements for us to go on a mine tour. Very interesting.
The following day, arrangements were made us to be able to go half way on the train. We went from Durango to the mud slide, were able to get out and walk around the hiking trail for a while, eating lunch and just enjoying the mountains, people, and sights. Some of the group wanted to take the planned trip to Mesa Verde and they said that it was very impressive.
Pike’s Peak was another amazing day. I think each day was better than the previous day. Words cannot describe the beauty. (yes, there is a God)
All in all, we are happy we made the decision to see that part of the country. No regrets. If anyone is at a loss as to what to do, Colorado is the place to be.
One thing, the first day, J fell, hit his head on sidewalk, needed three stiches in his nose. Spent the afternoon in the hospital. Insurance did take care of it (I hope) they took both cards (medicare and BC BS) Question: if we get a rejection, do you think the travel insurance will kick in? (Note: Yes, the Travel Guard insurance purchased for the trip will cover what is not covered by Medicare and BC/BS)
Again, thanks a million for working with us and making travel arrangements. You are great.
T
Independent Travel to New Orleans with Grand Melange Tour
George, The trip was wonderful! All went exactly as planned and we all had a wonderful time!! The Grand Melange Tour was great. The lunch was really good and we enjoyed the plantation tours a lot. The swamp tour was a lot of fun! All of the Grand Melange was very informative and interactive. There was a lot of history involved. We loved it. Thanks for your help. We had a great time.
The J. Family
P.S. Sorry, but somewhere along the way we lost the red noses. Planned on using them on the Melange Tour.
Ecuadorian Amazon & Galapagos independent travel plan
George, The trip was great!! Sacha is fantastic. Our guide was great, the place was beautiful and the food was fantastic. Finch Bay was also great. The day trips were amazing and the food was really good as well. The guide were very nice and very informative but not quite as attentive as the guides at Sacha. If you have other clients going I would make sure that they realize how tiring the trip is. We were up every morning at 5:30 or 6:00. We were fine with that but there were others there who where not happy about that. Thanks again for your help! L&R & family
Southern Caribbean from San Juan, PR - Royal Caribbean
Hi George!
I have been meaning to touch base with you. The honeymoon was fantastic. The hotel the night before was perfect, the flights were on time, by the time we got to the ship there were no lines so we walked right on! It was such an easy travel and we have you to thank for it. We had a great cruise. I am so glad we got the balcony. It was our favorite part to sit out there and enjoy all the views. Each island was fantastic and we had a blast. We had dinner with other honeymooners and made great friends with them. The flight home was on time and easy.
Thank you so much for all your hard work. You really made the honeymoon so easy. I didnt have to worry about a thing and that is just want I wanted. We had a great time and appreciate all you did. We will be in contact again when we want to plan another vacation.
A++++++++
Thank you, J&J
Eastern Europe River Cruise (followed by independent touring)
Hi George,
We are back from our European adventure as of Monday near midnight. Everything went well until we got to NY on our return trip. Then the NY to BWI plane was almost an hour late and we lost one suitcase. Not to worry though because the suitcase was delivered to our house yesterday.
Everything else went like clock work . We saw lots on the boat cruise and met many interesting and nice people. Viking River Cruises staff was very attentive and helpful. The land tours were interesting and the local guides were good. We had pretty good weather, in view of the time of year. The first week we were in the 60's, The second week we got some rain then snow, but missed the flooding because we were west of Budapest by then. We did have snow in Winterthur and Davos Switzerland, but what else can you expect there in December. We got some snow and drizle in Paris, but were still able to get out sightseeing. The advantage of traveling in late Nov/Dec is that you get to see the Christmas decorations and little markets that are set up in most towns and cities. It really made everything very festive. Hope to talk with you soon, after we get settled in. Thanks for all your efforts in making this a trip to remember for us. Happy Holidays.
S&S
A Week with Mickey
Hi Tracey! Yes, we are back. I'm the last one to get to use the computer. Everything was great and went well. We did get one picture with our noses and I will send it to George as soon as I get straight. We loved the suite (Family Suite at All-Star Music) and the location of our room was great. If you were able to pick the room and building thank you so much because it was perfect. The weather was great for the most part we did have some rain on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but it was warm and the rain ponchos came in handy. I think the kids thought they were too big for some parts of Disney World but they amused me and went to all the shows. I really enjoyed Animal Kingdom because that was the first time that I've been there. The most exciting for me was Friday night when we went back to Magic Kingdom to see the Wishes Show and they had decorated for Christmas. It was so beautiful! The kids enjoyed the Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and The Tower of Terror rides the best so I would say they enjoyed Hollywood Studios the best. They also loved IllumiNations at Epcot and the mission space ride. We had plenty to eat on the dining plan and even had 20 snacks left that I ended up getting boxed snacks that I brought home. We found that the food at the resort was better than some of the places that we ate in the parks. I didn't want to come home. I can't thank you enough for helping me plan such a nice vacation.
BM & Family
A Week in St Croix
George, We had a great time. The trip was wonderful. We loved the fact that you could just drive all over the island and all of the beaches were public. D&J & A&R
14-night Hawaii Cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles
George, we had a great time. After we arrived at Dullas on the first day, all flights went smoothly on both travel days. The cruise was exceptional. Great itinerary - and lots of shore excursions that we really enjoyed. We drove to the top of Mauna Loa, and then the next day we circled the Waimea Canyon. We did Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, and whale watching in Lahaina. The weather was cooler than we expected - but lots better than the snow we left at home. Overall, a great trip.
Thanks for all your help - L&J
7-night Alaska Cruise roundtrip from Seattle
Thanks George. The trip arrangements worked well. We are completely spoiled now, after a week without driving, without work, cooking and dishes! We saw whales and took the Skagway RR trip to the Canadian border. The scenery was novel and the animal life was abundant, so we saw several whales diving, as well as a mother and calf humpback whale. The only discordant note was the constant 'sell' by NCL to persuade guests to buy raffle tickets, play bingo, and buy NCL souvenirs. However, on the whole it was a great experience. Nice work in planning and advising us!
Best wishes,
R&M
Mom, Dad & 2 Teens to Hawaii
George, The trip was great. We really enjoyed it. If I had it to do over, I would have spent more time on the Big Island and less on Oahu. Thanks again for your help. LH
Tauck Tour "America's Canyonlands" 7-nights
Hello George,
We had a wonderful trip and are SOLD on Tauck. Everything went extremely well. The people on the tour were most pleasant and many had travelled with Tauck numerous times.
The weather varied, but overall was great.
Thank you for arranging everything. We are thinking of a
trip to Alaska the Summer of '09, if all goes well. Also
heard much about Tauck's Classic Italy tour. That may be
out next overseas.
P&B
Honeymoon at Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island in Jamaica
George,
Honeymoon was great, the resort was beautiful. I will have to say the next trip we book I want our flight to leave in the morning. It was a long day when you have to check out at 11am and you don't leave to go to airport until 1:45. you can't really do much on that last day, but other than that it was great.
Thank You,
N&N
18-Night Europe/Trans-Atlantic Cruise aboard Crown Princess from Copenhagen to Ft Lauderdale
George,
Cruise itinerary great! We enjoyed all of the ports. Missed Iceland because of weather; going to Greenland was really neat. I enjoyed crossing the North Atlantic; It was cold and stormy, as it should be. The northern lights were visible one night, but we did not see them as we were asleep but have a picture from the ships photographer.
Ship - Enjoyed the ship similar to other Princess ships, but seemed to be more crowed even though not full. My impression compared to the Grand had more cabins and smaller public spaces. Enjoyed lecture program they had on Greenland, Iceland, the Vikings, The Bermuda triangle, currents and winds and other interesting subjects. We like anytime dining, They had a great buffet open 24 hours and very good selection even for dinner. We ate dinner in the dining room about 2/3 of the time, had no trouble getting in without reservations and it was good. Service is probably not as good as regular seating and I really do not think the variety and quality of food is as good as it once was, but is still good. Enjoy movies under the stars. Crew was very pleasant and friendly on this ship. A much more friendly and outgoing group of passengers than on a short cruise. I enjoy the casino every day and on the third day playing Caribbean Stud was dealt a Queen high straight flush which paid me $5,000.00 and was quite a thrill.
Flight home on Southwest was a little late but easy and pleasant
I could talk on for pages as it really was a great and memorable trip for us and probably will when I see you. If you have any questions, please ask.
J&L
9-Night Atlantic Canada & Quebec Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas from Cape Liberty, New Jersey
Hi George,
Our trip was great! Good weather, fine food and excellent ship.
Thanks, C&G
14-Day Italy Tour with Perillo Tours
George:
Trip was fantastic. And, with only 19 people in the group, we all bonded and had a ball.
Also, am glad the trip got changed. We never would have survived the last days in Rome. (Trip was originally set up to end in Rome; instead it started in Rome) We were totally exhausted after all they had planned. To appreciate Rome to the fullest, you have to see it first.
Everything was first class and the local tour guides did an amazing job. And, our tour guide, Pat, was phenomenal. She made sure all bases were covered and everything went smoothly.
Thanks again.
T&J
Savannah, GA 5-NIght Get-Away
Hi George,
Everything went very well. The Hampton Inn on Bay St. is just wonderful. There was an underground explosion in the historic district Friday evening and an eight-block area lost power. The Savannah police are more than efficient with getting everyone out and keeping them out. The Hampton was on the border so we had power, a local news team working from the lobby, and lots of refugees from other evacuated hotels. We had just placed our order at the Olde Pink House (gift cert. from Lizzy) about a block away. They had already lost power but thought they could stay open because they cook with gas. The fire marshall thought otherwise.
Leaving from Salisbury is really easy. We showed up the required 90 minutes early at 4:20 AM. However the TSA, airline people and the sheriff don't get there until 5:00. We sat outside with the other travelers and ate our bananas from home. The Savannah airport is the nicest one I have ever been in.
Best food by far - The Pirates House
Best bargain - the DOT shuttle which goes all over the historic area and is free.
Most amazing - the huge container ships moving silently up and down the river
Savannah is very loud. Semis and tankers go on Bay Street and the constant noise took some getting used to. The squares are really pretty and just a few blocks apart so there's always someplace to sit. The people are exceptionally nice, even when their city has a crisis like the mess Friday. One last tidbit - a few of the squares have buildings over them. One in particular has the courthouse and jail. It's name - Liberty Square.
JA&C
3-Night Las Vegas Getaway
Hey George,
Everything went well and we had a great time.
Flights were on time, no baggage was lost, flight personnel (Southwest Airlines) were personable. The Venetian was over the top.
Room was great (unfortunately had a view of the rooftop but mountains were in the background). After talking to others during the trip, their hotels were not as clean and nice (Excalibur) so the Venetian was a good choice. Weather was hot, hot, hot, about 105-110 each day. I don't care whether it is dry heat or not, it is still hot. Went on a hummer tour to Hoover Dam, saw Elton John, George Lopez and the Blue Man Group. All good trips and shows. Las Vegas is a very expensive town, so we did a lot of the promotions and got some two for one meals. It definitely was an experience and even my son didn't seem to mind being with mom and dad. Was happy about the location of the Venetian; we took a look at the Rio and Las Vegas Hilton which were out of the way. It would have been very inconvenient to have stayed in either of those hotels as taxi's were very expensive just to get to the strip.
Thanks for all your help and am starting to think about our next trip and where to go. Maybe if I plan far enough in advance I can use some of those AA miles. P
4-week independent travel in Italy
Hi George-
Sorry this took so long, but it's been terribly hectic here since our return.
Right to it:
KLM/Northwest did a great job.
The hotel, driver and guide in Milan were great.
Ditto for Venice. The Savioa Y Jolanda Hotel and room overlooking the lagoon were especially good. The hotel restaurant left something to be desired.
Florence hotel was really good, guide and driver were great. I would have probably stayed a bit further North, but the Lungarno Suites was nice, right on the Arno near the Ponte Vecchio.
Rome hotel Regina Baglione was overpriced and in a fairly awkward location. The driver had no kid's car seat and actually had to borrow one from the Rome guide eventually after a couple of days. Driver had been told nothing by the local agent contact. When I called the agent to get things straightened out, she asked me "What do you want me to do about it?" I said "Your job." Driver got it straight. Agent, well, she was inept, lazy, insolent and a pain in the ass.
Other than that, loved Rome.
The driver from Sorrento for the trips from Naples-Sorrento, Sorrento-Pompeii and Sorrento-Leonardo Airport Roma were 3 different guys, all of whom were nice and with it. Guide in Pompeii was nice and informative. Pompeii was WAY hot that time of year, so keep that in mind for future. I wouldn't send anybody but in-shape adults after 6/1. No oldsters or youngsters. The hotel in Sorrento, Grand Hotel Vittoria Excelcior was the best of the trip and goes on the list for must-stay when touring Italy. G entranced her first pool-boy (Luigi) there. Food at the hotel was obsenely expensive, but really, really good. The rest of Sorrento was very reasonable and nice.
Sardinia wasn't worth it. Pretentious and ridiculously overpriced. Doing over, we would have stayed in Sorrento.
Alitalia, as expected, was all hosed up, but pleasant about it until they lost the stroller by not following procedures for gate-checked stuff. A little high-volume embarassment resolved the problem in Amsterdam, but I was sorry it had to resort to the 'Ugly American' modus operandi to get anything done and not lose the stroller.
All in all, we loved Italy, thought the people were wonderful, thought the services and tours provided were great except as noted and generally had a wonderful time.
There you go. Have Antonella kill off the Rome Agent and Sardinia as a whole and she batted about 900!
Regards-
E&M
Alaska CruiseTour 2008
