Carole H Sol
map-marker O Fallon, Missouri

Sugar Shack, Regauld Canada

Updated by user Dec 06, 2018

I did contact Senior Center and she said she was the one to contact regarding complaints about Diamond Tours. She noted everything including the brown recluse spider bite I got during sleep at Green Gables motel in Branson MO a few days later after my Canada trip.

Yes, I do relate my experiences to family and friends. After these two experiences think I will consider other tour travel options.Have not heard anything from Senior Center or Diamond Tours.

Original review Nov 06, 2018
Meal was terrible if you can call l/2 cup of bean soup, small piece of baked chicken, a cereal size bowl of mashed potatoes to serve 10-12 people at our table. I took 10 beans from cereal size bowl to serve the same 10-12 people. When pot for hot tea got to me, it was empty. Wait staff made no effort to refill bowls. They were clearing tables when I asked about dessert. She said it was outside. Dessert was a stick dipped in maple syrup and rolled in crushed ice to harden. So dessert was about the size of a jelly bean. Maybe people at the head of the tables got enough to eat, but those at the end of the table (me) had very little. Diamond Tours made a very poor selection in choosing this place and refunds should be considered.
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Eliott Inb

Diamond Holidays - Tour Review

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This 4 night 5 days Xmas break with Diamond Holidays was horrible. The coach sharing/swapping was horrendous and extended the outward and homeward journeys by several hours (total 12-14 hours E/W). We joined our driver for the main tour at Bristol. We journied to our hotel via Exeter for 2 hours in the rain because shopping seemed to be the only reason to visit Devon, according to the driver. He was most unhelpful and made it clear that he was not happy to meet the itinerary trips to Torquay and Seaton. At the remote, golfcourse Padbrook Park Hotel we finally persuaded him to drive to Torquay on Xmas morning. We returned to our sad and boring hotel location at midday for lunch but no other organised, festive entertainment. Plenty to eat but otherwise not Xmas. Seaton, on Boxing Day, was eliminated from our tour because the driver had not planned parking. He drove away complete with complaining guests. We were dropped in Exeter for the second time at 2pm hungry and very dissapointed. The journey home on 27th started at 8.30am, included a pleasant steam train excursion but was then followed by several hours at Bristol waiting for coaches to connect, an unscheduled stop for around 2 hours near Swindon, to change drivers, finally delivering us home around 10.30pm. Never, Never, Never, again.
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Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised
Anonymous
map-marker Compass Point, England

Extremely poor customer service!

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Bringing a group on a walking holiday at the Jurassic Coast, one of our members had to pull out but was immediately replaced by another. I telephoned to advise that Mary would now be Monica, and was told by a very pleasant lady that there would be no charge for this alteration. However, when the final invoice came, there was a £20. charge. I rang to explain that this should not be charged, and had a long conversation with an extremely unpleasant woman who insisted that it was payable "in accordance with our terms and conditions" which she repeated parrot-fashion a number of times. She said all phone calls were recorded, in which case I requested she listen to my previous conversation with her colleague, but she was not interested. To add insult to injury, the very morning following this conversation I had a call from the accounts dept, saying the £20 was overdue and they would be taking action! I felt there was absolutely no interest in having a happ;y customer, and will never travel with them again. Steer clear!
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Loss:
$20
Pros:
  • Walk leader and the hotel
Cons:
  • Rude and unhelpful woman at diamond hols office
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Train customer services better...

Anonymous

Diamond Holidays - Tour Review

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Beware if you are a lone traveller on a coach holiday with Diamond. We were travelling to Germany for New year. We are two older ladies and were told we would be picked up in Birmingham city centre, however, we were picked up by a taxi and dumped in the early hours of the morning in an unlit carpark 5 miles away. We were not safe as there wasn't anyone around. We were subsequently approached by a vagrant but managed to get away. Eventually the coach arrived half an hour later. We found out that several other women, lone travelers, on our coach had simmilar experiences of been left alone in dark places. Added to that the coach broke down and we were taken to the wrong town in Germany. The courier was not really interested and blamed the drivers. The redeeming feature was the brilliant hotel and the wonderful drivers. NEVER AGAIN!
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Anonymous

Nightmare trip with Diamond Holidays Dec.2016

Christmas in the Cotswolds. Sounds delightful. Not so. Journey from Hastings to Hotel in Leamington Spa took 10 hours leaving 5 am, arriving 3 pm via Southampton! Had we been aware of this we would not gone, but as information about pick-up time and proposed route was not received by us until three days before departure it was too late to cancel and receive money back. Our first 'comfort break' was at Southampton and the second at Warwick, approx 10 minutes from Hotel. Following day visit to Cotswold villages good. Christmas Day negative and food throughout awful. Hotel in middle of Industral Estate on outskirts of Leamington Spa with nowhere to go. Journey home took 12 hours. 2 hour stop in Cheltenham where one elderly passenger got lost holding up 3 coaches for a further hour. Next stop Southampton where passengers were left stranded on the pavement or at the Driver changeover as Diamond had failed to organise taxi's to their originally arranged pick up points. Eventually arrived home 9.30 pm. All in all a very disappointing and never again experience.
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Anonymous
map-marker Norfolk, England

Norfolk Broads Cruise and Steam

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We returned from the a coach tour on 10th July. What a nightmare! We met the coach at Bracknell it was 20minutes late arriving at 09.45. During the course of the pick ups, we lost 1 1/2 hours. We had to wait at one pick up (Epsom)for 45minutes as the coach driver was not allowed to drive any more without this statutory rest. He did direct us to a couple of cafes and the shopping centre, even so some people elected to remain on the coach. The driver could not therefore leave the coach. By the time we got to the Cambridge Services it was 4.15, we were allowed a break for toilets and a drink. The coach did have a toilet, but thee was no water for hand washing or flushing the toilet, no hand soap, no toilet paper or hand drying facilities. There was no water or anything to drink either. We had not had any announcements up to that time, either health and safety or just updates or apologies/ explanation. At Cambridge Services, we were told that we had now not got time to go into Norwich, we arrived at the Hotel Victoria in Great Yarmouth at 7.25pm and were told dinner was at 6, so we had to go straight to the dining room for our meal. The food was very small portions of soup, and cottage pie with vegetables, and lemon meringue pie with ice cream, cheese and biscuits, or fruit salad. We almost went to the local chippie to get some chips to fill up. The hotel room was very basic and you could feel the springs through the mattress. But the hotel staff were very willing and friendly, trying to please. On Saturday morning we were told breakfast would be served at 8.15 and leave at 9. This is rather tight time to eat breakfast and go back to the room to use the toilet and clean the teeth for two people. We departed for our "Steam railway" trip in the pouring rain arriving 10 minutes late, and were told to just get on the train don't look around at the shop, or railway engines. On arrival our coach was there to greet us. We went off to Wroxham Barns, where we could get a snack lunch and look around. Then on to the Norfolk Broads paddle steamer trip. This was excellent, the pilot and his accompanying commentary were really good, all too soon that was over and we were back on the coach heading for our hotel and dinner at 6pm. Again the meal was not very wonderful, we opted for chicken curry, but I think they must have run out of curry powder! Next morning we had breakfast at 8.15 and had to be ready to board the coach by 9.15, cases had to be outside our rooms by 7.15. We were given the choice of going to Norwich which we should have dome on Friday or Cromer as it should have been on Sunday. We opted for Cromer, and had a very enjoyable 1 1/2 hours in Cromer. The return journey to Cambridge was speedy and we arrived early at 2.15, had time for a wander, lunch and drink before continuing on our way. We left at 3.40pm and arrived at Bracknell early at 7.30pm. What an exhausting weekend. We spent all our time rushing rushing, not a relaxing break at all. The coaches lack of facilities and drinking water is absolutely disgraceful, and both the coaches we used were the same. The first coach had the heating full blast on the window side, in fact I accidentally touched the side with my bare leg and it really made me jump, but fortunately did not mark my leg. When I asked if we could have the heating off, of course someone objected that they were cold, the drive then seemed to alternate between the two.
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Loss:
$150
Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised

Preferred solution: Cash refund compensation

Anonymous

Weekend fiasco

Booked a weekend trip to visit two Christmas Markets in Harrogate and York.. . The coach heating had broken down and unable to make it work the whole weekend, so we where driven around in a deep freeze.. The driver got lost going to the hotel and that made it a late arrival. Keys and paperwork given out on the coach without much explanation , not much fun in the dark and freezing cold. Diamond holidays had decided to lump people together rather than allocate as a group the 1 double and three singles we requested and could have been sorted on arrival .. Instead we were made to wait in a cold reception (doors open), while we got people back that had keys and sort out those who did not.. The Hotel redeemed itself , food and rooms , breakfast excellent. The trip top York was excellent , but Diamond Holidays hadn't booked the coach in for parking which meant longer on the park driving about again. The driver was excellent but company sent him ill prepared, we spent more than a couple or so hours looking for places .. The driver was kind and apologetic. The paper work sent was unhelpful , and had to make a phone to get pickup times as it wasn't sent as promised. All in all not a company I,d recommend.. You get what you pay for !!
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Anonymous
map-marker Dunscore, Scotland

Diamond Holidays - Edinburgh Tattoo Tour Review from Dunscore, Scotland

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Went on the Edinburgh Tattoo trip. First 5 hours involved picking people up!!!!absolute joke. 15 hours to get to hotel. Coach that was used for football supporters -wreck. Toilet did not flush light did not work. Could not see out of some windows. Bald tyre when pointed out meant we lost part of the trip. Terrible hotel where we were made to sit away from the "proper" guests and served after. Contacted company 3 times to complain but sent their standard we couldnt care less reply. NEVER AGAIN.....
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Anonymous
map-marker Newcastle Upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Shambles

Dear Sir/Madam, After seeing your advert for weekend break to the historic city of York, plus the Settle-Carlisle rail journey and a ride on the north Yorkshire moors railway we were hooked. After waiting for what seemed like months we eventually received travel info in mid July. That's when it started going downhill. The three of us were picked up in Durham at 10.25 by a feeder mini coach. After two pick ups we were heading for ferry bridge where we arrived about 13-00, Nobody knew where to go or what to do , could not go for drinks of tea/coffee as we still had all our luggage to carry about and no one knew where or when main bus was due to arrive. Eventually, after sitting ages for two people who hadn't travelled we finally left 15-05. With long delays on the motorway, which you cant foresee and with time getting on , we all asked the driver, if he could just take us to the hotel. He replied,he had been in touch with Diamond Hols about the situation,and was told to carry onto York. We eventually arrived in York at 17.10 into a Coach Park, we had 45 mins to visit-- Castle Museum etc. All we had time for is a comfort stop,and then be rushed back on the coach again to travel to hotel We reached hotel about 19.10 and our dinner was at 20.00. That was the first hot meal we had received all day. Saturday- Breakfast 7.30 left hotel 8.30, to travel to Appleby by the coach, then onto the train to Settle. So far down the road,we were told,we were now going to Settle, then by train to Appleby, the other way round. It was 11.10 before we reached Settle, train was 11.45. At Appleby we only had about 90mins ,just enough time to get a *** to eat, then back on the coach. Driver said we were going through the National Park and visiting Grassington.....Well....after going through Kirby Steven 3 times, and travelling on roads which were very narrow,we ended up on the A,1M, travelling North. At Scotch Corner,he decided to go South, and headed back to the hotel. When we eventually got back to the hotel, driver said,he'd had to abort National Park Tour as it would have took another 2 hrs..we spent over 3 hrs going nowhere and seeing nothing again.. we only had time for a quick wash then it was time for our evening meal. We were ALL beginning to get the impression that the hotel was just for evening meals,and that we were not wanted in , at any other time. Sunday- left hotel 7.45 headed to Grosmont for trip on The North Yorkshire Moors Railway- to Pickering. Hi-light of the weekend..Driver informed us before hand, that if we wanted, after train ride ,he could then take us to Ferry Bridge, where we could spend 3 hrs..Someone shouted why can't we go to York..because we haven't seen it. We, had a hour in Pickering, then herded back onto the coach like cattle. Arriving at scenic Ferry Bridge, it was Deja Vu..all over again..nobody had a clue..Later on we found out our feeder coach was in and it would be leaving at 15.00hrs. To think we only live about 80 miles away from the hotel...and to spend all that time on a coach and see nothing...we are disgusted....we were really looking so forward to this break and it was a Shambles.... Very Disgusted Ex Customer
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Cons:
  • Organisation of the tour
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Price reduction

Anonymous
map-marker Coventry, Coventry

Terrible coach, hotel, organisation, whole trip

Yet again, terrible trip. Do not book with this company if you want a decent coach, hotel, overall holiday-they don't do it full stop. Hotel was in Carlisle, entirely unsuitable for older people, like the Wild West outside hotel door every night. Loud noise till 4am. Driver didn't know laes at all, ended up in Cumbria, complete waste of an afternoon. Overcharged for the boat trip we were encouraged to pay in advance for -those that didn't paid the true price of £9 we were charged £14-a complete rip off. Ended up in Cumbria instead of Kirkstone Pass as driver didn't fancy it-nothing like the decription in the brochure. Older people more tired after this holiday than before they came-this can't be right. Do not do it!
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Cons:
  • Bad organisation
  • Organisation of the tour
  • Poor information
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Anonymous
map-marker Liverpool, England

Diamond Holidays Nightmare.

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Booked a holiday in London with Diamond Holidays, it was a nightmare from the start. The coach didn't turn up to pick us up at the arranged time & place. After waiting for the coach for almost an hour, my mobile rang to tell me a taxi was on it's way. The taxi took four of the eight passengers who were waiting & the rest were left behind. The taxi then drove us from Liverpool to Birkenhead to pick up two more passengers. It then proceeded to drive to Northwich to meet the feeder coach which was a OLYMPIA TRAVEL coach. We then had to wait for more than half an hour for another taxi to arrive with the rest of the passengers from Liverpool. The coach then drove to Crew to pick up yet more passengers. The driver didn't give us any information so we didn't even know how far we were going on the feeder coach, which didn't even have any trays to put food or drinks on...it was terrible. We were on that coach all the way to South Mims, then we boarded the CRESTA coach to take us to Hatfield, That coach & driver stayed with us for the rest of the trip...that wasn't much better. After leaving home at 7.20am we didn't arrive at the Ramada Hotel-Hatfield till 7.15pm. The hotel was like "Faulty Towers" The driver who stayed with us to take us on the trips to The Tower of London, Royal Windsor & The Cutty Sark kept getting lost. On the way home the driver of the feeder coach didn't know his way back to Northwich, one of the passengers had to direct him, it was a total farce....I wouldn't recommend Diamond Holidays or The Ramada Hotel in Hatfield to my worst enemy...I think we should get a refund.
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Cons:
  • Poor information
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Price reduction

Anonymous
map-marker Manchester, England

Monet's Garden Tour (Diamond Holidays Market Harborough

We wish to complain about the above tour and list below the numerous reasons for doing so, we are happy to give further details if required, but felt that to go into minute detail would mean this letter would be many pages long. 1) Your tour manager had never taken this tour before, nor even been to France and could not speak any French, which led to many of the problems. It is ironic that your company boasts prize winning tour guides. 2) He was not able to tell us anything about are journey to the destinations or about the sites themselves 3) He led us the wrong way out of the train station in Paris; consequently we were stood around for half an hour before being found by the driver, who had to lead us round to the front of the station, to where the bus was parked. Losing this time meant travelling at peak time out of Paris; hence we did not arrive at our hotel until 9 pm. 4) On the trip to Versailles we arrived approximately 1 hour prior to our tour time, but instead of letting us off the bus, the guide decided to go and find out about a little train tour round the gardens. Some 20 minutes later he arrived back saying the tour was not suitable. The bus then left, the driver having lost his parking space, dropped us at a local market for 15 minutes prior to returning to Versailles. This left less than 3 hours to view the palace, eat and try to see the grounds which we found out were not included in the tour and were an extra cost, which we would not have minded had we had the time to view properly. That afternoon, we carried on to Chartres. One of our party fell in the cathedral, she was subsequently taken to the hospital by the coach driver and a hotel employee, we then got a message from the hospital “Did any of us speak enough French to go and interpret because the waitress was needed back at the hotel to serve the food?” One of our group obliged, by this time it was nearly nine o’clock and still no food served. 5) On our trip to the Loire valley we had a non planned stop at a vineyard which took over an hour, which meant that our time at the planned destination of Amboise was reduced to time for a sandwich and we were not able to see as much as we hoped. 6) On the final day our driver was changed to a non- English or French speaker because the other driver was wanted on another job, then our tour guide told us he could not return to England with us because he had left his passport at yesterday’s destination, Chenonceau and would not be able to travel back with us. We were then left to navigate our way round the station and find our own way to the Euro star. If it had not been for the original coach driver, the whole trip would have turned into a farce. 7) I now come to the hotel Amarys, the rooms had no wardrobe or draw space just a few coat hangers which were on a rack at the end of the worktop that housed the coffee / tea facilities and if used the cloths obscured the room safe. There were no cups and saucers in the room, only paper cups, hardly safe for a morning cuppa. 8) The brochure did not lead us to expect a set menu with no choice, and the evening meals were extremely basic and most probably out of a freezer. The final night’s meal was potato au gratin with meat. We were told the meat was pork but it was totally inedible, as were the replacement pieces served, when we complained about the originals. The electricity kept cutting out at breakfast, leading to the making of toast, heating a pancake or boiling an egg a challenge. The Amarys is obviously a motel run with little or no proper staff.
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Reason of review:
Bad quality
Anonymous
map-marker Gateshead, Gateshead

. london break

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just back from London had a superb holiday john the driver and bob the courier were really good. ok the coach was late picking us up but you cant help bad weather. The novotel hotel Stevenage was great bob was an excellent guidefood very good rooms were clean and staff all polite and helpful. Bob the guide was excellent all tours in the city were good John the driver got us into London with no problems in that traffic deserves a medal. the novotel hotel was clean food was really good lots to chose from rooms were big and clean plenty towels and a fridge. Hope to travel with you again in the near future
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Pros:
  • Staff
Cons:
  • No complaits
Reason of review:
Good quality
Zamyra Drp
map-marker Newcastle Upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Visit to Highgrove with Diamond

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Updated by user Aug 03, 2016

Totally useless should not be called a travel company .don't know the meaning of customer service fire the lot and close the company

Original review Aug 01, 2016
Just returned from the worst short break we have ever had. Highgrove was wonderful and lived up to its reputation Diamond holidays on the other hand, displayed total lack of planning and communication, their coach driver was unaware of where he was going, what to do with his passenger, and didn't even know that Highgrove was the home of The prince of wales His timing was totally lacking, we were to arrive at Highgrove at 1.30 he told us. But told us to have Breakfast at 7.00 a m to leave at 8.oo am , He then realised he had got it wrong and dropped us in Tetbury shortly after 9am on a Sunday morning, nothing open, told us he would pick us up at 11.30. Leaving us to wander the streets worse was to come, after we started to complain, he decided to take us to a arboretium arriving at midday, saying he would pick us up at 1.15 leaving plenty of time he said to travel to Highgrove. Some of us returned to the coach early and sat around in the car park waiting, He then handed us the tickets for Highgrove, Some of us found that ticket stated we need to arrive at 1.05 for security etc, , we then spent 15 minutes chasing around the area looking for fellow passenger to return to the Coach ASAP. We left and he could not find Highgrove, and we arrived late, but we were processed and all was ok. There is more but dont go with Diamond Holidays.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Anonymous
map-marker London, England

Thames Cruise on PS Waverley 23/9/16

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this whole trip was a disaster from start to finish. There were too many complicated pick-ups which resulted in a much longer, frustrating time on the coach, the driver was poorly prepared with hardly any directions and so got lost frequenly, and resulted in a journey through central london in the rush hour! the hotel was in high wycombe, which meant a very early start to get to tower bridge in time to get on the waverely ps, and no time for breakfast. The cruise was supposed to go to Southend but we had to get off at Gravesend, don't know why. I have missed church today as I feel so tired and ill.
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Pros:
  • Ps waverley
Cons:
  • Feeling ill and very tired
  • Bad organisation
  • Stress of the trip
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

1 comment
Guest

With you on this. 22 hours on the coach, 10.5 hours in the hotel, 2 hours in Greenwich, 2 hours in Windsor, 2 hours on the Waverly, 1.5 hours in services.

8 pickups points away from the motorway.

Whoever determines the logistics for Diamond really needs to get off the computer and read some of the reviews to obtain an understanding of coach travel in the UK at the very least. Certainly a company I will not be using again

Anonymous
map-marker Thetford, Norfolk

Aintree Grand National

I paid for this trip to the Grand National as a retirement/ double birthday present for myself and my father, a disaster from start to finish the driver spent over one hour in Stoke on Trent driving around going out into the countryside looking for the bus station in Stoke on Trent when we finally arrived at Aintree the first two races had been run and we had missed them. The driver did not know his way to the hotel in Wigan and the Sunday trip to Chester was a total disaster as we were not informed that one of the other passengers needed to be dropped off at the railway station .
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Reason of review:
Bad quality

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