Travel With Alan: A Seamless Adventure Experience

Travel With Alan is an online travel agency that offers escorted land tours and cruises to destinations worldwide. The company is affiliated with Nelconic Enterprises, Olympia Massage, and Keith Nelson. The website offers special deals and travel tips, and customers can sign up for a mailing list to receive updates on upcoming trips and special offers. Reviews for Travel With Alan are mixed, with some praising the company for its good prices and pleasant staff, while others complain about rude customer service, hidden fees, and unaccommodating staff.

Cruise bookings

Travel With Alan offers escorted land tours and cruises to destinations all over the world. The website provides information about upcoming trips and exclusive online special offers. Alan Schiller, the owner of Travel With Alan, travels the world and shares his experiences and top tips for savvy travellers on the website.

The website offers a range of cruise options, from luxury to budget-friendly, and from shorter cruises to world cruises. Travel With Alan provides special offers on cruises with popular cruise lines such as MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Disney Cruises.

For those seeking a more adventurous trip, Travel With Alan also offers the opportunity to walk the volcanoes of Hawaii or cruise the fjords of Norway. The website promises fun and relaxing vacations with last-minute deals from cruise lines, hotels, and airlines.

In terms of customer service, Travel With Alan has received mixed reviews. While some customers have praised the company for its helpfulness, others have complained about difficulties with refunds and cancellations. It is important to carefully review the company's policies and procedures before booking.

Overall, Travel With Alan provides a platform for customers to find and book cruises, with the added benefit of special offers and insider tips from Alan Schiller himself.

Customer service

Travel With Alan is an online travel agency that offers escorted land tours and cruises to destinations worldwide. The company is affiliated with Nelconic Enterprises, Olympia Massage, and Keith Nelson. The website offers special deals and upcoming trip information, as well as a "Where's Alan?" section where Alan shares his current location and experiences.

Regarding customer service, there have been mixed reviews. Some customers have praised Alan's teams, finding them pleasant and helpful, and expressing satisfaction with the good prices and reimbursement of unexpected fees. However, others have complained about rude and unprofessional behaviour from Alan and his staff, particularly when dealing with issues like cancellations and refunds. There have also been concerns about unexpected add-on charges, credit card charges, and difficulties in obtaining travel insurance reimbursements.

• A customer booked an Alaska Land/Sea trip with Holland America Lines through Travel with Alan in August 2020, which was cancelled due to COVID. After rebooking for 2021 and 2022, the customer had to cancel due to their wife's illness. Despite Travel with Alan's "no worries" booking policy, the customer faced difficulties in obtaining future cruise credits and experienced unresponsiveness from the agency.
• Another customer, who contracted cancer and needed to cancel their trip, had a negative experience with the recommended travel insurance company, IMG. They described the claims process as horrible and noted that it took until July 2024 to receive reimbursement. When they contacted Travel with Alan, the owner, Alan Schiller, dismissed their concerns rudely.
• A group of four travellers on a transatlantic cruise in 2015 reported issues with the shuttle service provided by Alan's team, causing them to miss their return flight to the States and incur additional expenses. They also mentioned the rudeness of Alan and his cousin, Noreen, who was their contact on the cruise ship.
• A couple who took a Baltic cruise with Travel with Alan described Alan and his staff as "abrasive, demeaning, and totally unsuited to be running anything involving people skills." They also mentioned issues with credit card charges, incorrect address information, and delays in receiving flight information.

It is important to consider both positive and negative reviews when assessing customer service. While some travellers have been pleased with their experiences, others have encountered significant challenges and expressed disappointment with the level of service provided by Travel with Alan.

Credit card charges

Credit card processing fees are an essential aspect of doing business, but they can eat into your profits if you're not careful. These fees are typically charged as a percentage of each transaction, ranging from 1.5% to 3.5% on average, but they can go as high as 4.35%. This means that for a $100 sale, you could be paying anywhere between $1.50 to $4.35 in credit card fees.

There are a few different types of credit card processing fees that make up the total amount. Firstly, there are interchange fees, which are paid directly to the bank that issued the credit card. These fees vary based on the type of card, the transaction amount, and the industry. For instance, online purchases may have higher interchange fees due to a higher risk of fraud.

Secondly, there are payment processor fees. This is the company that manages the logistics of processing card payments for your business. They might charge monthly fees, per-transaction fees, equipment lease fees, and statement fees.

Lastly, there are assessment fees, which are paid to the credit card network (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) so that your business can use their cards. This is usually based on monthly sales rather than individual transactions.

If you're using Travel With Alan for your trip bookings, it's important to be aware of their policies regarding credit card charges. While I couldn't find specific information on their website, I did find customer reviews that mentioned issues with refunds and reimbursements. One customer had to wait until February 2024 to receive a refund for a trip cancelled in August 2022 due to illness. Another customer faced difficulties in collecting their travel insurance claim and experienced unhelpful customer service from Travel With Alan.

Add-on charges

While Travel with Alan offers seemingly good deals, several customers have complained about unexpected add-on charges that can triple the original price. These add-ons include charges for tours, shuttle services, and other services. For example, one customer reported that they had to pay a $4,753 cancellation fee when they tried to cancel their trip due to illness. Another customer complained about the company's travel insurance, which was provided by a third-party company, IMG, and resulted in a delayed reimbursement of $739.

In addition to unexpected add-ons, customers have also reported issues with credit card charges that come through without a clear explanation of what they cover. There have also been reports of incorrect addresses and delayed flight information, which caused inconvenience and frustration for travellers.

It is important to carefully review all the terms and conditions, as well as customer reviews, before booking with Travel with Alan to avoid unexpected charges and ensure a positive travel experience. While some customers have reported positive experiences with the company, there are a significant number of complaints regarding add-on charges, customer service, and the behaviour of the owner, Alan Schiller, and his staff.

One traveller advised that it is safer to book directly with the cruise company to avoid issues with payments and potential agency bankruptcy. They shared their experience of booking through a now-bankrupt Florida agency, which resulted in a stressful situation and a loss that was fortunately absorbed by their credit card company.

Travel tips

Travel With Alan is an online travel agency that offers escorted land tours and cruises to destinations worldwide. The company is affiliated with Nelconic Enterprises, Olympia Massage, and Keith Nelson. The owner, Alan Schiller, is often out travelling with groups of people and shares his experiences and insights on his website and through mailers.

The website offers a range of resources, including information on upcoming trips, web-only special offers, and travel tips. The "Where's Alan?" section on the website provides updates on Alan's current location and activities.

When booking with Travel With Alan, it is important to be aware of some common issues that travellers have faced. There have been reports of unresponsiveness and difficulty with refunds, especially regarding cancellations due to medical issues or COVID-19. Additionally, there have been complaints about unexpected add-on charges, issues with credit card charges, and rude and unprofessional behaviour from staff, including Alan Schiller himself.

To avoid potential problems, it is recommended to carefully review all charges and understand what they cover before booking. It may also be beneficial to use a different travel agency or book directly with the cruise line or hotel to avoid issues with refunds and customer service.

While Travel With Alan offers competitive prices, it is important to consider the potential for additional costs and the value of a positive travel experience. Reading reviews and comparing prices with other travel websites can help make an informed decision. Ultimately, travellers should weigh the pros and cons before booking with Travel With Alan and be aware of potential challenges that may arise.

Frequently asked questions