I have just returned from a trip to Boston which was excellent. While staying in Boston I decided to go to Martha's Vineyard on a day trip, as I had heard a lot about it. Overall, the trip was not good value for money. When I was booking the trip, (which cost approximately $105), I was offered the option to up-grade to a three hour island tour which I opted for, and which cost an additional $45 approximately. Had I not opted for the upgrade, I would have seen very little of the Island, with a lot of time to spend in Oaks Bluff, with not a lot to do in the town. The return ferry trip only costs about $44 so I am not sure how the tour company arrived at a figure of $105 for the day trip. I feel the $105 should also include the trip around the island. The guide who picked us up from the Hotel tried to amuse us on the way to the ferry and was laughing at this own jokes, and I feel no one on the coach appreciated the jokes especially at 6.30 a.m. in the morning. However, the guide on the Island was very good and very informative and gave us a lot of information about the Island. Edgar town is a lovely town and i think we should have been given more time to spend there. When we stopped at the spectacular sea cliffs on the Island, I was expecting something wonderful, and I was a bit disappointed with same. As I am from Ireland I was expecting the cliffs to be as magnificent as some of the sea cliffs we have along the west coast and north west coast of Ireland. I think we should have also been given more information on the Gingerbread Cottages, and perhaps a little tour around same.
Відповідь від хоста
Jun 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a review though I will say I strongly disagree with most, if not all of it. My feeling on reviews is that you certainly are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine as a representative of New England Trips. So if you state yours either negatively or in a positive manner I have the privilige of being able to respond. This is what makes reviews great! So first let's discuss price. $105 includes round trip bus and ferry from Boston. It is over a 70 mile drive to the ferry each way. Do you realize that a public bus from Boston would cost you approximately $62 round trip? (no ferry, snacks, bottled water, or guide with or without jokes) A car service or taxi or shared transportation could cost between $120 to $200 one way. Please keep in mind that this is a business and other costs are associated with running it. Vehicle expenses such as fuel, maintenance, licenses, driver costs, etc and office expenses with computers, employees, etc are how we come up with our trip price. If you purchase a bowl of pasta in a restaurant, I am sure it would cost more than a $1 even though thats all you would pay for a box of pasta. As far as our guides go, we have the best around, all with their own personalities. Perhaps your sense of humor did not go well with your guides. For you to speak for the other 15 to 20 guests on your bus is not very fair in my opinion. As far as how your time on the island was spent, the 3 hour narrated tour is a $40 option. Alot of our guests will actually research the island a bit and decide which option is best for them. If you have a plan it is very easy to navigate. We do supply a complimentary island guide book for our each of our guests along with the information that our guides provide. We only have a limited amount of time to give you information so you really should look over the guide book on the drive to the ferry. This trip is a day trip with different guests from all parts of the world, each with different thoughts on how to spend their one day on Martha's Vineyard. It is not a 100,% guided tour with a generic itinerary for all. We make it easy for you to get from your Boston hotel to Martha's Vineyard. How you spend your day is up to you. We think that's the only way to run a successful trip (such as ours). As with most things in life you get out of it what you put into it. The large majority of our guests understand our tour/trip concept and judging by our review history and near 5 star rating appreciate the way our trip is run.
Sincerely
Stephen M. Belcastro
President
New England Trips Inc.