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The cruise season in Warnemünde is upon us again and I must say, I have never been so fully booked so early: it seems our 200+ authentic, 5 star ratings at Trip Advisor and Rick Steve's recommendations have been very, very helpful. Most of our tour dates are either sold out, 70% sold out, or on their way; Christian, Hannes and I are looking forward to a great 2016. It just goes to show that dedication to your customer and providing what you promise are the sure ways to success: letting your work speak for itself without trying to influence what others say about it is what I call honest and professional. I am so proud of all of my and Christians' comments at Trip Advisor because every single one of our reviews is 100% organic and honest. Other than sending a Welcome Home letter to our guests that has a link to Trip Advisor, we do not ask people to review us one way or the other. They don't get repeat and pestering emails begging for positive ratings as I have heard other companies send. That's just tacky.
(We do have 1 fake rating at TripAdvisor... it is the
one that claims we let a child fall in a canal and someone had to jump in to save it, have filthy facilities, stole a credit card and gave someone food poisoning. I mean, really! As if! LOL)
Which brings me to a topic I heard several of my guests discussing at our cake and coffee stop on the first day of touring last season; May 15th, 2015. I was astounded because they were talking about their disappointment and skepticism about a cruise internet platform and how a certain company always seems to have the same people talking about them, using the same exact language, in multiple threads; even aggressively bashing their competitors; (which begs the question of how someone independent would/could know so much about another company's nemeses?) These guests, all unknown to each other beforehand, explained that many of them had endured many shrill attacks from a woman poster on the site simply because they declined to book her tour suggestions and it became a big topic for them. They found it odd that the person who most aggressively promoted this company had not been seen on the ship, didn't show up to any of the "events"
that they supposedly organised, or responded to any enquiries of "Where are you?" They asked my opinion and I simply said, "Write the site administrators and thank your lucky stars you didn't get bullied into booking their suggestion."
That just reeks of shadiness to me and I felt obligated to write this post in the idea that fair play must somehow win out.
So here is what I want to leave people with regarding booking a tour ANYWHERE: don't just buy a tour ticket with a promise of a tour because someone in a forum tells you to - especially if it is bundled together with multiple cities (how could someone be experts in all of them??). Check it out, ask questions and be sure you get specific answers. Make sure you are booking a specific guide, with specific tour details, and ask if you are entitled to a discount or refund if those details prove to be untrue. Do you really want to risk your vacation on Russian Roulette tour escorts. (I only use guides that I personally train and test and have lined up a year in advance.)
If a company can't or won't tell you who your guide will be in a specific city, don't book it. If they won't tell you and still want that you pay ahead of time - as opposed to letting it be your choice - don't book it. If they won't or can't tell you those details, and will not agree to some kind of financial compensation if their tour details are not met, DO NOT BOOK IT! That is my personal opinion as a traveler and as a tour guide.
Buyer (and Bullies) Beware.
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