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Diamond Tours review: Falsely advertised 47

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2:21 pm EDT
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Tour#850983 Hometown Buffet Restaurant, this is the 2nd trip that you put us into this restaurant. Food was FAIR! So much confusion, kids running around and babies crying. This was not a pleasant meal either time. If you do not be me go there yourself. Also, our day in Philadelphia, it poured down rain was not able to leave the bus. This was due to mother nature not your tour company. The day we were scheduled to tour Baltimore Harbor, there was some affair going on. We sat in heavy traffic for over an hour on the bus and when we got into town all the streets were closed off. We NEVER did get to the Harbor! The bus had to turn around and leave the city. Your company should be aware of this, there is plenty of technology to eliminate this and purpose to the bus group an alternative tour. Wednesday it rained in Philly, and Thursday seeing that we were unable to do Baltimore it should had been an option for us the go back to Philly. Two days paid for and saw NOTHING!

47 comments
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Carol Kelly
, US
Sep 26, 2018 12:43 pm EDT

I recently returned from a four day stay at the Irish Village that was part of a Diamond Tour to Boston, Salem, etc. This motel is antiquated and smelly. The group I was with were all seniors and some of them were booked in upstairs rooms -- no elevator, so they had to manage their luggage and daily stair climbs. Breakfast was included in our Diamond package. One day I asked for butter for my toast and was curtly told, "there is butter on the toast". Also, there was a coffee maker in the room, but you had to BUY the coffee pods if you wanted coffee in your room. I returned home very sick and I feel that it was due to the mold in our bathroom over the tub/shower. If I had any way to leave that place, I would have done so immediately!
Unless you want to just drive by and HOPEFULLY see places on your itinerary, don't go with Diamond Tours. We were on the bus for HOURS just to SEE one place. All this trip was to drop us off at "shopping places" (junk). I didn't
pay to go shopping, I was told we would actually experience all the places that were on the tour. NEVER AGAIN!

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Beverly1948
, US
Apr 24, 2018 12:32 pm EDT

In doing my research to decide if I want to go on a Diamond Tour trip, I checked many different on line review sites and most importantly, I checked the Better Business Bureau in Ft. Myers, Florida, which is the home office of Diamond Tours. I learned that Diamond Tours is NOT accredited by the Better Business Bureau. I saw many complaints to the Better Business Bureau. Additionally, I learned that the Ft. Myers, Florida Better Business Bureau has rated Diamond Tours a score of C-. Given all the reported mechanical bus problems, bus design and confined seating limitations as well as the poor hotel selections, restaurants selected and lackadaisical response to customers requested & concerns by Company Agents on tour, I chose not to be a victim. I chose not to use Diamond Tours.

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teaton
, US
Mar 05, 2018 8:38 am EST

I have been putting trips together for 14 years. Two years ago I decided to try Diamond Tours, Inc. I have gone on three trips now with Diamond Tours and have three for this year. I wish I would have tried them sooner. Best trip for the price. If a problem comes up there are people to help.

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Janie Copeland
, US
Oct 13, 2017 9:17 am EDT
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Tour 1278147 Sept. 30- October. 8, 2017. Cape Cod, I had been looking forward to this trip so much and turn out to be the tour from Hell. The first hotel we stay in a Best Western had long brown hair in the bathtub and on the top of toilet, my hair is short and gray. Most of the prepaid meals were less than acceptable, food on buffet was cold, and another restaurant the desert was a brownie wrapped in plastic wrap and slammed on the table in front of us it was in a Tupperware container. Another stay at yet another Best Western they could not my door unlocked and it took 30 minutes to find a room they could get unlocked. The hotel on Cape Cod gave me a room that smelled so bad I could breathe they had to move me at my request. Then they put me upstairs, the stairways no security in stairways, if you had fallen you would lay there until someone would either coming down or going up.

Today I found out that our "tour leader" found no problems with the trip. Was she on the same trip I was on.
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I will never travel with Diamond Tours again. Their tour agents are rude and no help.

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Martha Chambers
, US
Sep 18, 2017 8:53 pm EDT

Just returned from my 1st bus trip every to Canada it was a unbelievable trip bus driver mr jones was great the tour guide not so great he had driver made a wrong turn into a subdivision that was under construction made distasteful jokes where we ate in Toronto he let a group that was scheduled After use to go ahead of us without saying anything had to wait about 20 min there was no place for the bus to park so the driver had to drive around then we had to wait for 30 min on the side walk for the bus to pick us up and no cared for the ball stadium a few asked if we could have a copy of the information he was giving us on the many places we stopped in 5 days he said no as for as the information he gave us was very good still would like a copy but with all this said mr Jones made it a trip to remember

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Joyce Hollenberg-Willis
, US
Jul 14, 2017 10:46 am EDT

I have a tour booked for August for NYC leaving from Missouri. It was part of a bank travel club offered trip. I am very upset when I read these complaints. Hopefully we will not have any problems but I definitely will complain loud & clear to anyone listening if there are major hiccups. I will complain to bank, your company and on facebook to the public, so lets hope trip # 1299904 goes well.
Joyce Willis

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Robrta Bengtson
, US
Jun 12, 2017 10:16 pm EDT

WOW...I had no idea...I have deposited for a trip to ST. Augustine. Has anyone taken this rip lately? As a former tour director and tour designer, the comments posted on Diamond really scare me.

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Sara Nightfire
, US
May 09, 2017 7:34 pm EDT

Terrible Trip, the tour guide was horrendous... Loved to talk. About himself. We were in Washington DC! He spoke about his whole family and himself 90% of the time, never let us walk around a place on our own so he could talk even more about his family and his own experiences without any history to the place. He wouldn't even fully walk around a monument (Korean War memorial especially) and a lot of places he blocked a good photo of a monument so he could have more attention. And you couldn't leave him because they insisted that you kept with him at all times.

He pissed off the drive so much with his circles around the city so he could tell more stories about his time as an electrician and show us what buildings he worked on. (I'm not kidding. We went around the Washington Monument around five times, White House three, all in one day.) That the driver kicked him off 90 minutes before we were supposed to leave the city. We were promised a night tour to see everything lit up at night. They brought us back to the hotel when the sun was setting for a day that was supposed to last until 8:45. The whole bus was upset and were complaining to each other. The next day my mom and I were so fed up with the situation we were allowed to go inside the museum of Arlington after he started (yet another) story about his family because we had to wait 30 minutes for the tram. Boy were we glad that we did because the group only got 10 minutes after the tour and most didn't even notice the gift shop until they noticed we were carrying bags from there during the time he was talking.

Our tour guide at the end had to literally kick him off the bus. He wouldn't leave and was talking more about the plans of the rest of the day. She yanked the microphone from his hands and told him to get off. He still hung around hoping for someone to talk to. Never, ever again. The hotels were horrendous, too. Never take this company, they will rip you off.

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layde
, US
Apr 12, 2017 8:31 pm EDT

I WAS going to plan some trips with this Tour Company but now I am afraid to because some of this stuff described is not acceptable to me. Yes, I realize this is a budget tour but DON'T assume just because we are older we are broke. Most of us just want the company of others and do not want to drive.
Nay, I think I'll just drive and bring my daughter along to help.

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SherryC
, US
Jan 11, 2017 2:27 pm EST

I went on a Diamond Cape Cod tour in the fall of 2016. The bus was an absolute mess. No wifi as promised. The DVD player did not work. A air vent blew off the top of the bus even though it was not open. The male passengers spent over a hour trying to fix it. The motels were substandard and far away from any attraction we were seeing. This resulted in extremely long periods on the trashed out bus getting to daily attractions. The continental breakfast was a loaf of bread, peanut better in a jar and fruit. Seriously too. I'm not joking. With the exception of one meal, the evening Diamond paid for meals were terrible. Rushed, crowded and poor quality. I enjoyed being with my friends and made some good memories. This was in spite of Diamond and not because of them. Spend a little more money with another tour company besides Diamaond and have a nice trip you will enjoy. You will definitely be glad you did.

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jackie fails
, US
Oct 10, 2016 10:32 pm EDT

I'm from HUNTSVILLE TEXAS, WE catch the bus in Houston about 66 miles away. We travel with CAROLS SENIORS. We just got back from a trip
to the Smokey MOUNTAINS/GATLINBURG. Man what a tip, we all hade a real good time. There was 47 on the bus. We got up at 7 am and came back to the motel around 10, FULL DAYS. The shows were fantantic We shopped at the Christmas store, inland, and the Old Mill. I loved all the places except the old mill I was not pleased there it was expensive and really nothing to see, would like to see that dropped and give more time to the island. We ate some very good food on this hole trip. We found a real good place called BEAS RESTAURANT located in Chattanooga Tn, The phone number is [protected]. This was a supprised dinner, but the best anywhere. Maybe you put it on the list of dinners you wont regreat it, , goodgood Don't miss this trip to the Smokey Mountains it was thebest so far. Iv been on the trip to Washington, dc, Mount warshmore, Chicago(did not like that trip), Salum, , and a great deal more. Our driver Josh was the best yet, your lucky if you get him, W stopped every 2 hours, he knew ahead of time where to stop, Call me I will tell you how great my trips have been. please add the BEAS RESTAURANT 4500 Dodds Avenue Chattanooga, Tn, right down from the tram ride. [protected] Good luck on the good trips.

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What's up
, US
Oct 02, 2016 9:59 am EDT
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Took a trip last year to Biltmore House/Ashville. Spent one entire day "Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway with beautiful scenery"...in reality...weather was horrible...different arrangements should have been made for the day...what a wasted day...in other words...paid for a whole day touring...and all we got was fog and drizzled rain...couldn't see 5 feet in front of the bus...How dangerous was that for all aboard the bus to be put in such a situation. It was the Pitts...would have loved to just spent the day in lovely Ashville at the old Mast General Store...but didn't even get the chance to even visit it...getting pretty fed up with Diamond Tours and them sending you to places that are antiquated and of no interest what so ever and calling that a day of excitement...plus the fact, EATTING at 4:30 or 5 pm every day. Just because the majority of their customers are "Seniors" does not mean we want to eat "early bird specials" EVERY NIGHT!

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Disappointed in Illinois52
, US
May 24, 2016 1:03 pm EDT

Complaint.
Tour 1127177. May [protected] Savannah
I just returned from a trip with this company, on a bus tour to Savannah Georgia. We spent seven days on the bus and had three hours to enjoy Savannah. We did not stay in Savannah, where we could have used a shuttle or walked. Instead we saw Jeckyl island and St Simon Island in the rain and attended a few other tours. I would have preferred to spend more time in Savanna.
We also had a bus driver with road rage, who claimed the Seniors on the bus made her nervous and needed to be patient with her. The driver was a danger, and appeared to be unstable, emotional and paranoid. She wore earphones when she drove, followed cars too closely in heavy traffic, honking and videoing them as she drove. Terri, got off the bus first at restroom stops. She used the restroom first or smoked off to the side. She refused to stop in rest areas for restroom breaks, instead, stopped places with two to three stalls for a bus of 48 elderly people. She did not help anyone off the bus. We had a few impaired persons, one legally blind.

When we asked the driver to improve her driving, she complained to the tour company that we were harrassing her. She made unfounded accusations that resulted in turbulance for the entire tour. She did not have but needed to have a camera on her at all times.

It was a nightmare experience. My seatmate and I left the tour and flew home rather than deal with the stress we were under.

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Disappointed in Illinois5
, US
May 22, 2016 10:56 pm EDT
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I would choose a different tour company. I just returned from a trip with this company any will never travel with them again. I was on a bustour to Savannah Georgia. We spent seven days on the bus and had three hours to enjoy Savannah. We did not tay in Savannah, where we could have used a shuttle or walked. Instead we sawjeckle island and St Simon Island in the rain. A few other tours. I would have preferredto spend more time in Savanna. We had a bus drive with road rage, who claimed the seniors on the bus made her nervous and needed to be patientith her. She got off the bus first at restroom stops to use the restroom first or to smoke. She refused to stop in rest areas for restroom break, instead stopped places with two to three stalls for a bus of 49. She did not help anyone off the bus. We had several impared persons, one legally blind. When we asked the driver to improve she complainned we werearrassing her. It was a nightmare experience. Run from this choice.

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RobinO
, US
May 15, 2016 8:04 pm EDT
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Wow ! I was just about to book a trip on Diamond Bus Tours but after reading these reviews I am scared to death. Dangerous buses and bus drivers, bed bug hotels, filthy cafeterias to eat in. This is a disgrace to the company and dangerous to the people who take the trips. Too bad so many people unknowingly booked their vacations and used their hard earned money just to be disappointed. Luckily more people were not harmed. Hopefully the word will get out and this company will be closed down for good.
signed, a disappointed traveler ;-(

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Travellergirl
, US
May 15, 2016 1:58 pm EDT

Have been on 2 Diamond tours. Will NEVER do another one. Motels were run down and nasty. Food was average buffet. Price was great, as someone else said, you get what you pay for!

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DEast
, US
Sep 29, 2015 11:50 am EDT

Took the Martha's vineyard trip September 12-20th, 2015! The hotel selections were the very lowest grade rated, the hostess/group leader was rude and totally uninterested in anyone once she had your money! The Great American Restaurants were less than average. It was very dirty and grungy looking to the point I was afraid to eat or go into the bathroom! Out of five hotels, I would only recommend one, the Wyndham Gardens! One hotel, the Comfort Inn was under construction, Our destination hotel, where we spent the most time in was the Sandwich Lodge, no way it's a resort unless its a resort for fishing and hunting trips, had no elevator and rated maybe 2 star. It was my understanding that we were getting a quality trip at a discounted rate because Diamond is a large company, and buy package vacations in bulk, therefore able to give us better rates! I don't know how you expect group leaders to continue to interest customers with such low quality living and dining facilities! If this is the best I can expect, I have to decline from future trip with Diamond Tours. I was very disappointed! We made a stop at Foxwood Casino at 10:15 a.m.with maybe an hour, totally a wasted stop! We didn't even have time to eat Better planning needed! Tour # 1083297

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dartyb
, US
Sep 24, 2015 12:24 pm EDT
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I have just returned from a Diamond tour to Washington, D.C.--Baldwin/Reed City, Michigan. Our driver was wonderful..but alot of other stuff was not.
We had two buses. We were split apart on the first night--one having to continue on to another motel. The first morning continental breakfast was a disaster. Ran out of coffee/ cereal, but ran out of milk, very hard and stale muffins. Got to D.C. only to learn that most of the tours were riding tours only--not too much getting out and seeing things. And the things we did get out to see were either too short for the site or wayyyy too long for the site When we were in the bus, we could not see that much because of all the big trucks on either side of us. This, I realize, was no fault of Diamond. But the worst part--we had a tour guide who had VERY Little command of the English language( she was Italian). By the time she would get out the name of the site we were passing, we had long passed that particular spot. And the nightmare of the restroom--WHEW. Our driver had been very explicit about using it, but someone did...Our driver was unable to find a dump station that would accommodate a dump. Finally she did, but it was a Very Nasty job for her to have to do. The movies were unbearable to TRY to watch--too much surround noise. ( would be nice to provide earphones as airplanes do)) On a scale of 1(bad) to 10(good)...I would rate this a 2.

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Orlowskis
, US
Sep 22, 2015 8:20 am EDT

Savannah tour from Dyer, IN - Sept. 13-19, 2015 booked through Royal American Seniors. We have taken several tours through this group and have always been very satisfied. However, this trip did have some problems with the bus from American Heritage, So. Bend, In. 1. the microphone kept going in and out and hard to understand, 2. A DVD monitor did not work, 3. When it rained, water came through the top of the window, 4. Hooks on back of the seat were broken. I would think that Diamond Tours would make sure the buses they lease are in good working order. When we complained to Debbie, our bus driver, she just shrugged us off and didn't even try to explain or apology with all these problems. We will never take another Diamond Tour again with the bus company. As previous posts said, this is a reasonable priced tour so don't expect the best lodgings and food but I did expect a bus in better condition that this one.

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Rebecca O Hearn
, US
Sep 20, 2015 10:19 am EDT

The ad that says you get what you pay for is true.
If you are thinking that you will bet a nice hotel and excellent food for a reasonable cost won't be happening with Diamond tours.
They are about filling up the buses totally

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Johnnie Smith
, US
Aug 31, 2015 8:32 am EDT

Trip to Mt Rushmore leaving from Chambersburg, PA-Aug 7 thru 17, 2015: The youngest on this trip were 21 and the remainder of the travelers were over 40. Too much riding even though we stopped every 2-3 hours. Almost everyone complained of swelling in feet and ankles because of this and also lack of sufficient air conditioning in the bus. As for the bus itself, there were problems with odor and no availability to the bathroom because whomever used it before our trip clogged the drainage pipe with water bottles. This leads us to think that the facility was not completely emptied prior to our trip. We stayed short periods of time at the most interesting places and longer amounts of time at the least. Very poor planning on your part. Also, we realize that you want to pack as much as possible into the trip, but the days were entirely too long for Senior Citizens. The Continental breakfasts at several of the motels were disgusting. We feel that our local guide, Sara (G & S Tours), did a super job considering the problems with the bus and the driver; especially in the beginning of the trip when he was on his cell phone while driving. The men on the bus did most of the work as far as loading and unloading the luggage while the driver either stood around or sat in the driver's seat. Toward the end of the trip he was more courteous and helpful probably because of complaints from passengers and Sara. NO MORE TRIPS OVER 5 DAYS FOR US!

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Audene Schrader
, US
Aug 22, 2015 1:49 pm EDT

Just returned from a very long and tiring trip to New York City. The Diamond tour guide that we had in New York City was good and out city guide was excellent. Our local guide is a good, caring, person. Have not complaints with any of them. Had a new bus and a very good driver. When Diamond plans tours, I think they should consider that it is mostly senior citizens. The trip was so tiring, and hot. We would leave around 8:30 of a morning and it would be at least 10:00 or after 11:00 when we would return to our motel. That is too long and too much riding. If you want to keep your business, I feel you need to make the tours more days and not so long of days. At least 8 people said that this was their last long trip--just too tiring. I realize that you want to keep the price down, but it is no fun to ride for that long. You need to plan better.

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Josephine Turner
, US
Aug 05, 2015 11:27 pm EDT

Took a Diamond Tours from MS. This was the second trip for me. I was ticked off when we wanted to board the bus and the leader who claims she is giving all the individuals traveling the same treatment. That is a lie, she yelled at us constantly. Wanted to go to hole in the walls in the woods so we would not get off the bus. Let me backup, prior to leaving we were told to be at the loading area at 8am and not earlier. Well me being me, I like to know what I'm getting into. We're sitting in the car waiting to get on the bus for our vacations and the group leader and her family come she tells us we have to get off the bus and let her prior travelers get on first. I feel I paid my money and I have the same right as these folks she brought with her. She requested the first 8 seats for her self and they placed bags of crap on the seats to keep people from sitting there. The overhead space was ridiculous we had to store our overnight bags by the foot rest and under the aisle seat. Reason we did not have over head space was the leader and all her friends had the driver and her little help place their items in the overheads. Then we were told you will have to hold your item tour leave it. You were informed to not bring several bags. The the deposits and the bus driver tips. Oh my God we were degraded and talked to horribly. This particular leader needs to be pulled from Diamond tours. The leader told us you were told you all. will have to give the driver a $40 tip this is how he gets paid. Who in the heck believe this. What clown would be driving your bus and depending on the tips. If that be the case the driver deserves to starve. We were harassed for a entire day and they bypassed several locations because she did not want to stop. The comment the leader made was if they get off this bus we Will never get them back on time . If the leader and her family members did not get off the bus she would sit there and pout and curse and tell the driver blow rhetoric damn horn so they can get there a.. On this bus. I am totally finished with this leader and till Diamond does better I'm sure we will not be traveling with them.the deposits, are changed and if you want to go the prices are raised by a percentage and the extra gets split amongst the leader and her so called help.snacks, we pay extra for the snacks and some of us didn't get anything because the back of the bus would be loaded and the individuals riding in the middle to the restroom would eat everything up and the ones of us who paid received nothing. Another thing since I am putting this out there Diamond tours buses Lord help user they are not all fancy, I have been on two the first was a awesome bus for as comfort. Thank goodness it was me and a family member sitting beside one another. I do not want a excessively large person sharing my seat and I'm sitting in the corner. These persons need to acknowledge the need the extra room and purchase both seats. I'm not afraid to say something, I'm just like you move over and I do not share my space. Television and internet, Diamond Tours get some equipment that works that's all I can say. They spent the first week having crap worked on. The satellite never stayed on over a hour. To far to ride and just look out the window. Ms gulf coast is a long ways from South Dakota. Hotels make sure the leader gets a hotel to accommodate the travelers!

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groberts36
, US
Jul 28, 2015 10:55 am EDT

We have used Diamond Tours for six trips -- two to Branson, Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, Nashville, Savannah, and Northern Michigan/Mackinac Island. All have been very good and we plan to do another one next year. We have no complaints about the buses, all have been late models and satisfactorily equipped. We had a problem with the bus on one trip; however, Diamond Tours handled the situation very satisfactorily.

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TENNESSEE TRAVELERS
Spring Hill, US
Jun 14, 2015 3:59 pm EDT
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I have done over 70 Diamond Tour Trips in the past nine years. They are not perfect, neither is life or your own personally planned trips. Some of the trips are excellent, some are good, some are okay. Never been on a bad one yet. The tours are a great value if you want to travel and see our great country. The prices are kept low to allow more people the opportunity to travel.
If you want to stay in 4 or 5 star hotels, eat fancy meals; you're travelling with the wrong tour company.
Sometimes people just look for something to complain about. Not possible to please all 45 or 48 people on a bus tour all the time.
Everyone has their own expectations, backgrounds, etc. It is a lot up to the individual whether they enjoy the trip or not or at least part of the tour by their attitude. Life is what you make of it.
Our hotels are being bought out by foreigners that have different standards. The hotel may be nice when checked out. A month later
a dump. Restaurants change hands, acquire different suppliers, different fruits and vegetables in season. Buses even new buses break down, things decide not to work. The work ethic has changed since I grew up on a cotton farm in Tennessee where we picked the cotton by hand every fall.

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readytotravel
Waterloo, US
May 05, 2015 6:31 pm EDT

We just returned from the Washington DC bus tour that left Waterloo, Iowa. The bus we rode in was NINE YEARS OLD. There were no plug-ins or Wi-Fi, the air conditioning on the door side of the bus did not work, the front four windows on the door side were so filthy that you could not see out. There was NO leg room at all and we had specifically asked about leg room when we booked the trip. The Indiana and Pennsylvania hotels were old and not places I would have chosen. The Virginia hotel was good. The included dinners were buffets that were adequate but certainly nothing great. Included breakfasts were the usual hotel breakfasts. After nine days in an old, hot bus, we were ready to come home. I am not ruling out another bus trip but will definitely choose another provider. Diamond Tours is very dissappointing!

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Doberman II
Rolling Meadows, US
Apr 29, 2015 9:35 pm EDT
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This was the Savannah, Jekyll Island & Beaufort tour leaving from Des Plaines, IL on 04/27/14.

The Parris Island tour was excellent except for one thing. There was plenty to see at this location including a very interesting museum but time for such was not provided. Instead, we were dumped in downtown Beaufort for three hours where there was nothing to do. This is poor planning and a real negative.

Another was the prepaid meal at the Cracker Barrel in Pooler, GA where our "prepaid dinner" turned out to be from the luncheon menu.

The worst was the Johnny Harris Banquet Center. This place is a dump, unable to handle a crowd and with inadequate food selection. To call this a "buffet" was ridiculous. The worst was Diamond's local tour guide who was utterly worthless. Another Diamond bus followed us into this location and this useless woman allowed them to unload first. Then, she called our table, only to immediately change her mind for no reason, making us last. By that time, others were going back for seconds, further delaying us and depleting the limited selections. Her profound observation at the time was: "Someone has to be last." This woman should be fired.

We were stuck at this noisy, raucous location for two and one-half hours because "that's what the schedule called for, " although two other Diamond buses cleared out long before. Again, very poor planning; No one having eaten here once would ever go back

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NJ/PA Lady
, US
Feb 27, 2015 10:41 pm EST
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WOW! I just read the reviews on Diamond Tours. I was planning on taking one
of their trips from NJ/PA area to the Smokey Mountains/Gatlinburg. Any Suggestions and has anyone from my area done this trip recently?

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driver7712
Youngstown, US
Jan 19, 2015 12:02 am EST

bottom line is their price is cheapest in industry... you get what you pay for... you will not get 5 star service for 2 star price...if any of you complainers think you are gonna eat dinner at ruths chris steak house for the price they give you you need to get a grip it aint happening

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driver7712
Youngstown, US
Jan 18, 2015 11:59 pm EST

I am a proffessional motorcoach driver that has done diamond tours trips many times Jersey Nana we stop every 2 and a half hours for a restroom break, The coach bathroom is for emergencies only period! It is not connected to a public sewage system. It stunk because 50 people used it constantly per day. If you cannot go 2 hours or so without a public restroom you really should consider alternate travel. It is nothing but a big hole. Very limited places to dump the bathroom. I have had groups seniors that have never used it for a week

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David Wolfe
Olar, US
Jan 05, 2015 9:00 pm EST
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buses are bad, food is bad, and at least one or two bad hotels!

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David Wolfe
Olar, US
Jan 05, 2015 8:56 pm EST
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Took a trip in October to San Antonio and it was a trip we will never forget! The bus had issues from day one! There were bottles of hydraulic fluid on the front seat when the driver picked us up. Broke down on us on day two. The driver had a bluetooth and stayed on it the entire time he was driving. New bus came and although it was a much newer bus from the area, the bus driver picked up a lady in town and drove her back to the hotel with us for the night! The hotel was 30 minutes out of San Antonio also. We had chopped steak for three days in a row. Same menu at every eatery. Tired of eating in dirty cafeterias. When bus is repaired and brought back, bus driver is cold and is overheard telling someone on the phone he was making the best of putting up with us. Diamond Tours management apparently told him or his bus company everything the group leaders had told them in confidence. The last hotel was a micro and put us in smoke smelling rooms even though we asked for non-smoking. Also, there was only 12 chairs for our group to eat breakfast in the morning. Now how do 48 people eat in a dining room with only 12 chairs? Diamond Tours needs to do a little checking before putting their customers in such places. Very disappointed in the company as a whole. Get what you pay for? I'd rather pay a little more and get better service. I would hope they will do better for their customer in the future.

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JerseyNana
Edison, US
Jan 02, 2015 9:45 am EST
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I had no idea of how they paid their busses, but know darn well the last few busses we had were filthy. The windows were so dirty, we finally cleaned them ourselves. Our driver, although a good driver had no professionalism as previously seen on past trtps. The last trip was another great driver, but the bathroom had not been emptied and the driver did not have the proper equipment to do this. Finally, after about halfway through the trip, the driver was able to find a station where they had the equipment to properly empty it. Whenever the door opened, the smell was enough to make one vomit. Thank goodness, I never travel without air freshener, as the citrus scent was a welcome addition for our friends.

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Jakemalone
Grove, US
Jan 02, 2015 9:26 am EST

The problem with Diamond Tours is they pay very little for the buses to take these trips, infact atleast 50% below the national daily average for what a bus should make. With the cost of fuel and the rising cost of overhead, If a bus owner was to accept a diamond tour he or she would most likely take a loss, and if there was the slightest mechanical issue on the trip it would even be a larger loss, so the risk is too high for many nice reputable companies to contract with Diamond exclusively. So here is what you end up with, a bus that might be inferior, or have major problems, or lacking the promised amenities of Wifi, AC plugs etc. There is an old saying you get what you pay for, and that is certainly the case with Diamond buses. With that said you might get lucky and get a nice bus, because that bus company is needing to atleast make enough revenue during that month to mitigate losses, but more likely its probably going to be a crap shoot. If Diamond would offer more money for decent equipment you as a customer would most likely have a even more enjoyable trip.

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nctraveler65
Archdale, US
Sep 18, 2014 6:57 am EDT
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I am on the Diamond Tour trip to South Dakota, this trip is a nightmare. Bus broke down late at night, had to board another bus on the side of the highway, the bus filled with fumes from a broken axle. Today we Will transfer to another bus. Tomorrow we will board another bus to return to NC. I have tried to contact Diamond tours twice and they will not Call, text, etc.me.I have HD video with sound of what total confusion happened. A LOWER PRICE IS NOT Worth your life.

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Lisa Michelle
Chicago, US
Aug 26, 2014 12:28 pm EDT

I just returned from the Cape Cod trip which was great. Our driver, John Nelson was awesome. Some of us would have preferred spending a day on Martha's Vineyard, however no mention was made of the possibility of this. Friends of ours on another bus were given this option. Another complaint is there were no accommodations for the handicapped. Several able bodied women took the first seats up front despite having at least three elderly people who had great difficulty with mobility. Doesn't Dismond Tours have priority seating like most transportation companies? Apparently our group leader did not feel it was her responsibility to request that the able bodied women move, since this never occurred.

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Honestly!!!
dds, US
Aug 12, 2014 12:41 am EDT
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Advertise deluxe motor coach.. but you get a bus with no leg room, no wi-fi, no charging station and a bathroom they tell you not to use. The restaurants were less than average with the exception one being very good on our 8 day trip. The tours were nice and the accommodations were fine with the exception of one dump that had bugs!

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Lillian James- Thomas
Augusta, US
Jun 29, 2014 4:57 pm EDT
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I recently returned from a trip to San Antonio, Texas. The bus was not a large roomy bus as stated., Sun shade was missing from window. Their was 47 people.We had a nice hotel going and coming back from San Antonio w/ sitting area but once we got to San Antonio our rooms were not as nice. I would think staying in a hotel for four days, it would have been nice to have a sitting area.Being in Texas I thought we would of had one steak dinner or brisket even if we needed to add to the cost of a meal .You don't go to Texas and don't have steak. The tour was good, all in all.
Our driver Nick was great, pleasant personality and wonderful man..

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mary volduro
Ansonia, US
May 15, 2014 6:54 am EDT

4th of May 2014 took a trip out to chicago with diamond tours and had a great time. the bus driver, jay, was one of a hell of a guy so much fun we would request him on our next trip to washington in sept. fred the guide was also nice and just overall had a great time.rich and mary henry ansonia ct. 06401

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mary volduro
Ansonia, US
May 15, 2014 6:46 am EDT

just got back from a trip to chicago with diamond tours and we had a great time the bus driver, jay, was awsome, he was so nice we want to request him on our next trip to washington in sept. the guide, fred, was also real nice. we just overall had a great time and happy that we did the tour. rich and mary henry ansonia ct. 06401