9 Day Classic South America Tour! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Safety isn't a Consideration!
Written: Mar 18 '06
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Pros: NONE
Cons: Gate 1 Travel is the worst tour operator that I have used to book tours.
The Bottom Line: Always research REVIEWS on Tour Operators.
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| jbraxton's Full Review: Gate 1 Travel |
A group of American tourists booked a 9-Day Classic South America Tour with Gate 1 Travel. From the beginning, the Gate 1 Travel's Reservationist Agents weren't professional with us. The price was attractive, and all of us were seasoned travelers.
However, we were traumatized by the attempted muggings and robberies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Copacabana Beach because Gate 1 Travel compromised our "safety" in Rio. I didn't expect Gate 1 Travel to locate us in the Rio Othon Hotel (5 Star Hotel) on Copacabana Beach that is located in a "red light district" riddled with crime, drugs, and prositutes. As American tourists, we didn't expect to walk outside the Rio Othon Hotel (5 Star Hotel) in Rio de Janeiro, and almost get mugged and robbed by Brazilian youths as another guest at the Rio Othon Hotel was mugged and robbed on Copacabana Beach.
According to Gate 1 Travel, "We are only the middle man between the suppliers and customers and the information that we post on our website is supplied by the hotels."
Therefore, Gate 1 Travel refused to take any of the responsibilities that they didn't take our safety into consideration and what we were exposed to when they booked us in the Rio Othon Hotel (5 Star Hotel) on Copacabana Beach.
I’ve prioritized the incidents that were most traumatic to me and the other Gate 1’s travelers.
(1) Edward Salinas didn’t give Varig Brazil Airlines at the time of booking our United Airlines Mileage Plus. Edward Salinas assured me that he would give Varig Brazil Airlines our United Airlines Mileage Plus at the time of booking. He didn’t provide the service that he promised.
(2) Edward Salinas and I discussed on several occasion the itinerary to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also, Edward Salinas emailed me a tentative itinerary to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his tentative itinerary didn’t show a stop-over in Sao Pablo, Brazil. Also, he never once stated that Varig Brazil Airlines flies to Sao Pablo, Brazil before going to Buenos Aires, Argentina requiring passengers to de-plane in Sao Pablo, Brazil to catch a connecting flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
(3) Mary’s, tour guide, daughter who was waiting for us at the Buenos Aires, Argentina airport didn’t make herself accessible with a sign indicating that she was there to pick us at the airport. Mary’s daughter had a little sign in front of her chest that we couldn’t see. We were wondering around in the Buenos Aires Ariport with our luggage trying to find the person that should have had a large sign with our names on it in the very front row so that we could see it. If it wasn’t for one of the other Gate 1’s travelers who came looking for us, we would have never been picked up at the Buenos Aires Airport.
(4) One of the desk clerks, Ivan, at the Hotel Park Chateau Kempinski, Buenos Aires, Argentina was very ruded and had an attitude when he was asked by one of Gate 1 guest about converting money that Mary, Tour Guide, had to intervened.
(5) There was a lack of continuity between the tour guides in each country. Other tour operators, i.e. America Automobile Association, Tauck Agency, etc. has one tour guide that stays with the group from the beginning to the end of the tour even if the tour is in two or more countries. This is the first tour that I have been on that we were always waiting for the tour guides and/or the transportation was late. There was a lack of service and accountability.
(6) Day 5, Tuesday – Iguassu Falls on the border of Argentina. There was a lot of confusion. The bus was late to the Iguassu Falls. We started out with Ilana May, but she left us with Jorge. Jorge was a nightmare. Ilana May and/or Jorge didn’t tell us that we would need our raincoat and/or umbrella for the tour through Iguassu Falls. After Ilana May left us at the Iguassu Falls with Jorge and when we got inside the Iguassu Falls, Jorge tole us that we could purchase a raincoat because we would get wet. We asked Jorge why didn’t he tell us before we were inside the Iguassu Falls because we all had raincoats and umbrellas in our suitcase on the bus. Notwithstanding, none of us purchased raincoats, and we all got wet at the Iguassu Falls. I and some of Gate 1 guests came down with a severe cold as a result of getting wet at the Iguassu Falls. It is the small things that count when providing first class service. Jorge had to be asked to get us maps of the Iguassu Falls from the information booth, Jorge was on his cell phone most of the time while he was suppose to be escorting us; Jorge chained smoke even though none of us smoked; Jorge instructed us to sit in the sun to wait for Ilana May when he left us at the Iguassu Falls. We even didn’t get third class service from Jorge. Jorge wasn’t professional at all.
(7) Rio Othon Palace, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil is in the heart of Copacabana Beach. Gate 1 didn’t fore-warn us that Copacabana Beach has a lot of crime. Conversely, Ipenema Beach doesn’t have as much crime. Also, most of the Americans stay on Ipenema Beach.
a. One of Gate 1’s guest and his daughter was almost mugged outside the front entrance of Rio Othon Palace by some Brazilian’s young men.
b. One of Gate 1’s guest was accosted by a prostitute outside the front entrance of Rio Othon Palace Hotel.
c. Twelve of Gate 1’s guests decided to walk to the flea market across the street from the Rio Othon Palace Hotel approximately after 10:30 pm after removing and leaving all our jewelry and accessories in the hotel safe. While we were waiting for the street light at the cross walk, about 50 Brazilian children between the ages of two and 12 circled us begging for money, and putting their hands in our pockets. Since I had already been mistaken as a Brazilian several times while I was in Rio, I started screaming at the Brazilian children in a couple of words that I knew in Portuguese because these Brazilian children were targeting Gate 1’s white Americans trying to get into their pockets to grab there money and wallets. Also, I noticed 100 feet away that the parents had encouraged their kids to go after the American tourists, and there was approximately another 50 kids standing around with their parents at the fence watching, and waiting for the moment to attack us. I started kicking the children, they took off running. We’ll were very traumatized by what had just happen to us, and what could have been even worse. The blond hair and blue eyed guests stated that they would never return to Brazil, and I don’t blame them if I was blond and blue eyed too.
Gate 1 has an office in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and they knew that it isn’t safe on Copacabana Beach. Why didn’t Gate 1 book us in a hotel on Ipenema Beach which is much safer? Why didn’t Gate 1 tell us about the crime on Copacabana Beach?
d. While we were staying at the Rio Othon Palace, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, one of the tourist at the hotel was mugged and robbed on Copacabana Beach while we were there. While the tourist was making a purchase across from Rio Othon Palace on Copacabana Beach when he took his money out to pay for the purchase, a gang of Brazilian men
circled around him. They took over $250 Brazilian money and his hotel safety deposit key.
(e) While guest(s) at the Rio Othon Palace, we had to pay for ice; we were asked to go purchase towels across the street when we used the pool at Rio Othon Palace; we couldn’t get an iron and iron board in our room; we were accused of using water, etc. from the non-locked mini-bar when we didn’t get anything out of their mini-bar; etc. My roommate has a medical problem, and she needed ice on a daily basis. It took an act of God to get ice at Rio Othon Palace Hotel. Evidently, Gate 1 doesn't provide service for their clients who has medical needs, i.e. diabetics?
The Rio Othon Palace Hotel’s staff had an attitude toward Americans. It was obvious that the staff at Rio Othon Palace Hotel don’t like Americans. I was told that Rio Othon Palace Hotel is owned by a Brazilian, and isn’t an international hotel. Why would Gate 1 Travel book Americans in a Brazilian hotel that only want American's money, but don’t want to provide us with American standard services?
(f) Gate 1 booked a Hindu couple on this tour that are vegetarians, but didn’t provide vegetarian meals for them. I had ordered my own vegetarian meals on the returned flight to Miami, Florida on Varig Brazil that I gave to them. I think that it is very insensitive to book Hindu clients, and don’t provide them with the service of vegetarian meals.
(g) Day 8, Friday – Illan May left us again at the Brazilian barbecue with another one of Gate 1’s staff. On the way back to Rio Othon Palace Hotel, Gate 1’s guests on the bus asked the driver to drive pass the Xmas tree floating in the lagoon. According, to Gate 1’s staff interpretation of what the driver said, “I don’t have time,” the driver lost about $75.00 - $100.00 U.S. Dollars in tips that evening. Everyone on the bus was upset with the driver because it would have only taken him an additional 5 minutes to drive us to see the Xmas tree’s lights. Again, a lack of service from Gate 1. There were some other incidents that happened while we were on the 9 Day Classic South America, but we overlooked them.
I will never again, and/or recommend Gate 1 Travel
Recommended:
No
Tour type: Group
Tour format: Various
Tour length: Over a Week
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Epinions.com ID:
jbraxton
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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