Travelmarvel Tour & Cruise Reviews
The 411 Travelmarvel Tour & Cruise reviews listed below are from past clients of Global Journeys that have traveled with Travelmarvel. Each review has been individually verified by our team.
From the time we were picked up at the airport to the last day or trip it was wonderful. The cruise was relaxing and enjoyable .the ship was very clean and the food was great . Staff on the ship were friendly and could not do effort for us - they were great . We meet some lovely people and made some lovely friends. I would tell anyone to travel with Travelmarvel.
We started planning our river cruise with Global Journeys in early 2016. From start to finish their service was excellent, thanks Yvonne. The river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest is the way to go. Budapest is the jewel in the crown. What a way to finish our trip with an evening cruise through Budapest. Simply magnificent, the Captain joined us on read more the Sun deck for the experience.
The Travelmarvel cruise represented great value for money. The TM Diamond was a comfortable ship with the friendliest of staff. The food and service were excellent. There was plenty of opportunity to exercise on our daily shore excursions. The home visit for afternoon tea to the German family in Miltenberg was very special. We would recommend this experience to all.
The Travelmarvel cruise represented great value for money. The TM Diamond was a comfortable ship with the friendliest of staff. The food and service were excellent. There was plenty of opportunity to exercise on our daily shore excursions. The home visit for afternoon tea to the German family in Miltenberg was very special. We would recommend this experience to all.
Europe in all it's beauty & history 1
European Gems - Amsterdam to Prague
John, NSW, Australia, Aug 2017
Scenery and trips were excellent, supported by the outstanding social directors-Roland and Adela were so professional, helpful and fun. The trips were interesting, well organised, and generally guides were sound. Home visit was fascinating.
Couldn't fault the cruise, comfy accommodation, great food & wine, pleasant service and cruise director was fabulous. He had a tough time with sick people. Very happy all round, even the weather was good!
Fantastic trip. Having travelled Asia many times including Vietnam 10 times this was our first trip on the River Cruise 7 days and Cambodia. River cruise was a 9.5 out of 10. Great everything including cruise, meals, excursions and time on board. I am ex Navy so having beautiful in cabin bathrooms and large beds great. Would highly recommend. Only issue read more we had was hot days sometimes the aircon cut out mid afternoons but after resets no problem. Cambodia a great place with nice people. Extremely sad visiting the killing fields but a must just to see what these people went through.
Canada and Alaska August 2017 4
Roderick & Helen, NSW, Australia, Aug 2017
A truly enjoyable holiday, it would be very hard to improve it. The only real negative was the motel in Jasper, our room was below average, the lease likeable of the whole trip. On the other hand the hotel room in Victoria was the best of the lot, it was really a suite. Never seen a washing machine / dryer before in a hotel room, first time we have used one.
We booked the trip in order to visit some of the cities of eastern and central Europe, without the fuss of packing and unpacking and getting in and out of hotels every other day or so. From this perspective, the trip was excellent and we've achieved our goal, having seen Prague, Budapest, Vienna, several German cities including a glimpse of Cologne, read more Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Paris. It was a good mix of people and we became friends with several couples. Also there was evening entertainment on the ship and the food was good and plenty. We'd have liked to be able to explore more of some of the cities along the rivers Maine and Rhine (in Germany).
For us, the highlights of the trip were Prague and Paris. We stayed several days in each of these cities and enjoyed exploring their beauty, historical places and food. We enjoyed traveling by ship but were slightly disappointed by the lack of a balcony and restricted access to the sun deck and fresh air. Didn't quite like the air conditioning having to be used at all times. Some port locations such as the one in Cologne were rather unpleasant, with a wall in front of our window. Overall it was a good experience but I'm not sure if I want to do it again.
For us, the highlights of the trip were Prague and Paris. We stayed several days in each of these cities and enjoyed exploring their beauty, historical places and food. We enjoyed traveling by ship but were slightly disappointed by the lack of a balcony and restricted access to the sun deck and fresh air. Didn't quite like the air conditioning having to be used at all times. Some port locations such as the one in Cologne were rather unpleasant, with a wall in front of our window. Overall it was a good experience but I'm not sure if I want to do it again.
St Petersburg is an amazing place, full of history, hustle and bustle but a total feel of safety. Cruising the waterway to Moscow was full of history with unbelievable architectural history. The lakes are like inland oceans, you can't see land either side of the cruise ship. The locks are amazing especially the one that takes 4 cruise ships at once. read more Moscow big attraction of the Red Square at night was so pretty and mesmerising, a lasting memory. Riding the huge network of underground trains ( the Metro) (over 200 stations) was an experience. Going to the Space Museum was a great highlight and a visit not to be missed.
Our overall Russia experience was top notch and highly recommended. This was our 2nd tour with Travelmarvel, and we will do more with this company. Regarding the cruise ship MS Surikov, the cruise director, staff were lovely, food was enjoyable, however there were one or two things that were a surprise to us which I believe will be addressed in the future, but definitely wouldn't put us off travelling again on the Surikov.
Our overall Russia experience was top notch and highly recommended. This was our 2nd tour with Travelmarvel, and we will do more with this company. Regarding the cruise ship MS Surikov, the cruise director, staff were lovely, food was enjoyable, however there were one or two things that were a surprise to us which I believe will be addressed in the future, but definitely wouldn't put us off travelling again on the Surikov.
St.Petersburg to Moscow cruise 13
Louise & Louis, NSW, Australia, Jul 2017
I read an article in the weekend's paper about a similar cruise along with part of the same page by Travelmarvel. The Travelmarvel experience was nothing like the one written about. Personally I would not recommend the cruise to others because there were very long periods of "nothing to see" - i.e. our cruise took us for many many miles through large read more lakes and pine lined river sides. Our stops were very targeted to tourist venues and we didn't really "see" Russia at all. There was little free time for us to use for ourselves and the guided stops were way too organised and "time limited" from our perspective.
Having travelled to Russia 43 years ago I would have liked more opportunity to see more of the real Russia and how the average man on the street is faring. St. Petersburg was quite beautiful and Moscow similar. Our guides (despite what I suspect could have been a negative report) were just wonderful - their command of English was wonderful and they provided us with just excellent attention and they actually made our trip - you might pass this on to Travelmarvel.
Having travelled to Russia 43 years ago I would have liked more opportunity to see more of the real Russia and how the average man on the street is faring. St. Petersburg was quite beautiful and Moscow similar. Our guides (despite what I suspect could have been a negative report) were just wonderful - their command of English was wonderful and they provided us with just excellent attention and they actually made our trip - you might pass this on to Travelmarvel.
What a great way to see Europe. 10
European Gems - Budapest to Amsterdam
Sue & Ted, NSW, Australia, Jul 2017
Trip began in Budapest which is an amazing and beautiful city. We did the side trips into Slovakia & the Czech Republic and loved them. A highlight of the trip was coffee & cake in a private home in Bamberg. The people that we met on tour and the food was excellent. I would recommend this trip with Travelmarvel to anybody.
This was our first time travelling with Travel Marvel. We found the trip very well organised and had an exceptional tour guide on the Canadian leg of the trip who ensured everyone was having a good time. The accommodation was good, clean and comfortable and we could not complain about the service we were given over the bus tour part of the holiday. read more We travelled on the Rocky Mountaineer and the wildfires were burning around the area we travelled through so maybe a later time in the year may have been a better choice. The weather we had was fantastic, warm and sunny most days.
We had so many favourite things , a highlight was standing on the glacier drinking Maple Whiskey, sunset over the Whistler Mountains (extra tour booked) and spending time around the town of Banff. Our Alaskan cruise was the highlight of the holiday for us. The Holland American line ship was certainly value for money. The ships facilities, meals, service and staff were fantastic and our cabin was clean and comfortable. We had a lower cost room that was more than adequate as such little time is spent in your room. The ports of call were all very interesting and you could spend extra on activities or just explore the area with the Travel Marvel Cruise host who made our trip really enjoyable and her advice allowed us to get everything we could out of day excursions.
We choose extra activities at our ports of call and would highly recommend the Helicopter/dog sledding trip (worth every dollar), White pass train trip which had exceptional views and zip lining for a bit of fun. Another favourite experience was Glacier Bay where the ship went so close to the Glaciers you could hear the rumble of the ice as it cracked and fell into the ocean. If you can afford the extra we would suggest upgrade to Premium economy on the fights as we will do next time as we had lots of family's with upset children on both flights. Thank you to Yvonne and Georgina at Global Journeys who looked after us again.
We had so many favourite things , a highlight was standing on the glacier drinking Maple Whiskey, sunset over the Whistler Mountains (extra tour booked) and spending time around the town of Banff. Our Alaskan cruise was the highlight of the holiday for us. The Holland American line ship was certainly value for money. The ships facilities, meals, service and staff were fantastic and our cabin was clean and comfortable. We had a lower cost room that was more than adequate as such little time is spent in your room. The ports of call were all very interesting and you could spend extra on activities or just explore the area with the Travel Marvel Cruise host who made our trip really enjoyable and her advice allowed us to get everything we could out of day excursions.
We choose extra activities at our ports of call and would highly recommend the Helicopter/dog sledding trip (worth every dollar), White pass train trip which had exceptional views and zip lining for a bit of fun. Another favourite experience was Glacier Bay where the ship went so close to the Glaciers you could hear the rumble of the ice as it cracked and fell into the ocean. If you can afford the extra we would suggest upgrade to Premium economy on the fights as we will do next time as we had lots of family's with upset children on both flights. Thank you to Yvonne and Georgina at Global Journeys who looked after us again.
We enjoyed the whole trip - what was so good was being able to open up the door and curtains to the room and lie in bed and watch the world go by in the morning, as it was light at 4.30am, listen to the birds singing and the ever changing landscapes. It was so relaxing, the best part was not having to pack and unpack each day, but still visiting so read more many places from the boat. The only problem we had was when we arrived in Amsterdam somehow we missed seeing the pickup people and went to the meeting place and still didn't see anyone - we had to ring and speak to them. We did have to wait for quite some time, and did get our transfer to the ship, but after 30 odd hours either in airports or planes you're not in the best of moods.
Wow, this trip met our expectations and more. So very happy to recommend this trip. From the delivery of our travel pack, being met at the airport, transfers, land guide, coaches, hotels, river ship, all staff onboard..... exceptional. Our land guide was very knowledgeable, having studied history at university, and also being fluent in the languages read more of the countries we visited. The hotels were 5-star, and locations were very good. We travelled on Travelmarvel Jewel and can not fault the staff who were all very friendly and obliging. The food was incredible, with a great variety. The entertainment onboard was varied and relevant to the areas we were travelling. We will definitely be travelling with Travelmarvel again.
Enjoyable Tour of the Swiss Alps 11
Van, ACT, Australia, May 2017
It was a very enjoyable trip. This tour is highly recommended for those who want to visit St Moritz and Zermatt, to view the Matterhorn, and to ride the Glacier Express. Below are some specific comments about the trip.
1. The itinerary produced by Travelmarvel and provided to us as part of our pre-tour documentation, was of a very generic nature, read more not as comprehensive as the one produced by Great Rail Journeys (GRJ). Travellers, who booked their tours directly with GRJ, received the GRJ detailed itinerary, which provided detailed and up-to-date hotel and touring information, and detailed rail schedules, as part of the GRJ pre-tour documentation. Travelmarvel travellers only received the GRJ detailed itinerary on the first day of the tour from the Tour Manager.
2. There was a lack of quality control of pre-tour documentation by Travelmarvel. Our itinerary required updating twice to correct errors with travel arrangements.
3. Our tour group comprised British, who booked directly with GRJ, and Australians, who booked with Travelmarvel. Everyone was getting along very well. We helped each other with luggage throughout the tour.
4. Prior to our departure for the tour, Travelmarvel advised that the group might be required to travel Second Class to ensure that the group would remain together. Fortunately the group was not required to do so even though on some trains some travellers had to ride in a different First Class carriage.
5. The Tour Manager, who kept reminding us she was not a tour guide, did a very good job of making sure accommodation, included meals and transport were organised to ensure seamless travel throughout the tour. There was no need for any guided tours for this trip.We had only one one-hour guided tour by a local guide in Zermatt, which was very average.
6. We paid for a room upgrade with Matterhorn view at Beau Site Parkhotel in Zermatt, and we were very glad that we did. In addition to the view, the room and the bathroom were very spacious with a very big balcony.
7. The hotel Ambassadors Bloomsbury in London had only one thing going for it, location. Bathrooms were so tiny, and clothes closets were so small that we could only hang one piece of clothing.
8. The Tour Manager told us not to have a high expectations of Best Western Bristol Hotel in Colmar as it was just a transit hotel. It was chosen because it was opposite Colmar train station. However we were quite happy with this hotel as its room was more spacious than those at Ambassadors Bloomsbury. The hotel was only 15 minutes walk to Colmar's Old Town and Little Venice therefore we were able to explore them on foot before dinner on the day we arrived and also after breakfast in the following morning.
1. The itinerary produced by Travelmarvel and provided to us as part of our pre-tour documentation, was of a very generic nature, read more not as comprehensive as the one produced by Great Rail Journeys (GRJ). Travellers, who booked their tours directly with GRJ, received the GRJ detailed itinerary, which provided detailed and up-to-date hotel and touring information, and detailed rail schedules, as part of the GRJ pre-tour documentation. Travelmarvel travellers only received the GRJ detailed itinerary on the first day of the tour from the Tour Manager.
2. There was a lack of quality control of pre-tour documentation by Travelmarvel. Our itinerary required updating twice to correct errors with travel arrangements.
3. Our tour group comprised British, who booked directly with GRJ, and Australians, who booked with Travelmarvel. Everyone was getting along very well. We helped each other with luggage throughout the tour.
4. Prior to our departure for the tour, Travelmarvel advised that the group might be required to travel Second Class to ensure that the group would remain together. Fortunately the group was not required to do so even though on some trains some travellers had to ride in a different First Class carriage.
5. The Tour Manager, who kept reminding us she was not a tour guide, did a very good job of making sure accommodation, included meals and transport were organised to ensure seamless travel throughout the tour. There was no need for any guided tours for this trip.We had only one one-hour guided tour by a local guide in Zermatt, which was very average.
6. We paid for a room upgrade with Matterhorn view at Beau Site Parkhotel in Zermatt, and we were very glad that we did. In addition to the view, the room and the bathroom were very spacious with a very big balcony.
7. The hotel Ambassadors Bloomsbury in London had only one thing going for it, location. Bathrooms were so tiny, and clothes closets were so small that we could only hang one piece of clothing.
8. The Tour Manager told us not to have a high expectations of Best Western Bristol Hotel in Colmar as it was just a transit hotel. It was chosen because it was opposite Colmar train station. However we were quite happy with this hotel as its room was more spacious than those at Ambassadors Bloomsbury. The hotel was only 15 minutes walk to Colmar's Old Town and Little Venice therefore we were able to explore them on foot before dinner on the day we arrived and also after breakfast in the following morning.
21 Day Reflections of the Rockies & Alaska Cruise (Travelmarvel) 14
Reflections of the Rockies and Alaska Cruise
Bruce & Lorraine , QLD, Australia, May 2017
This was a well planned, well executed and professionally organised Tour from the first contact with Global Journeys to our safe return. Victoria BC was a beautiful and quaint city (what a way to start) then off to Whistler the Winter Olympics Playground with so many things to experience. The countryside is to be experienced, words cannot justify the read more sights and this just kept on going through to Blue River, Jasper, Banff and then the incredible Rocky Mountaineer. Boarding the Ship in Vancouver was hassle free with our experienced guides leading the way.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was beyond our expectations with the many Restaurants, on-board activities (shows, nightclubs etc). Travelmarvel Excursions were well provided and well worthwhile, however, you should consider whether Holland America Excursions are value for money. Something to think about is the amount of time in Vancouver prior to the flight home.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was beyond our expectations with the many Restaurants, on-board activities (shows, nightclubs etc). Travelmarvel Excursions were well provided and well worthwhile, however, you should consider whether Holland America Excursions are value for money. Something to think about is the amount of time in Vancouver prior to the flight home.
Fantastic trip through Eastern Europe and river cruise to Amsterdam 2
Burnett & Rosslyn, QLD, Australia, May 2017
Tour Director on land section (2 weeks Venice to Budapest) was more than excellent. Fellow travellers from land section also continued on the river cruise and having 4 weeks to get to know this group in particular added greatly to our overall enjoyment of the whole trip.
Canada By Rail 3
Lionel & Juliet, WA, Australia, May 2017
We finally got to do what we had on our bucket list for a long, long time, and we were not disappointed. Georgie, our Tour Consultant, was excellent in organising our holiday, every step of the way. We always had prompt and friendly service each time we made contact with her. A real delight.
The tour guides, coach drivers, and all associated staff, read more were very professional and experienced in their field of work. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would highly recommend Travelmarvel for anyone looking for a trouble free coach/cruise holiday.
The tour guides, coach drivers, and all associated staff, read more were very professional and experienced in their field of work. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would highly recommend Travelmarvel for anyone looking for a trouble free coach/cruise holiday.
Quality of accommodation was excellent. The people met made the tour. It was "fun" and very friendly. Canada was exceptional whilst USA Alaska seemed like one big nature reserve - it was excellent. The scenery and wildlife were something to behold. The cruise component of the trip did not appeal to us and we would not do another ocean cruise, A river read more cruise however is another matter. The tour group size on the east coast was approx 30 whilst on the west coast it was 50. The group size of 50 was unmanageable in our view and severely impacted negatively on its enjoyment. Given the opportunity we would pay more for a smaller group.
River cruise from Budapest to amersterdam 5
European Gems - Budapest to Amsterdam
John, NSW, Australia, May 2017
Loved the food, friends we made and the places we stopped. Highlights were Bratislava and the Kremlin trips. Most of the shore excursions were awesome.
Travelmarvel, what an amazing experience! This trip was so well run from pick-up to dropping-off at the airport. The Cruise Director did an amazing job. The ship was very well-appointed. The meals were first class. The entertainment was enjoyable. The shore excursions were well-run. The visit to the home of local people was a highlight of our trip. read more Everything from start to finish was excellent.
