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CB Travel and Vacations Diamond Tours Unethical tour bus replacement
Diamond Tours

Diamond Tours review: Unethical tour bus replacement

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10:38 am EDT
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Tour to Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island on 9/10/23 - 9/16/23. Coordinated by Diamond Tours (Tour number 1963405); signed up by Stanton Tours. This trip has been fraught with problems from the start. While some problems were beyond control and are understood (bus broke down and schedules missed), there is one issue that cannot be dismissed. On our 2-day trip home, our tour bus was replaced after the 1st day with a dilapidated mini bus (35 capacity) and a mini-van (14 capacity). The bus/mini-van had no bathroom, was not cleaned, did not have sufficient storage space, or comfort. The bus was “old” where pieces of the synthetic leather of the seats were ripped and stuck to clothing, and there was no modulating of the airflow except for on/off. So people were either hot or freezing. Many people (including myself) felt sick due to the constant shaking/vibrating of the bus when driving. It felt we were riding on flat tires. Note: we were informed that the reason for the bus switch was that another tour needed a bigger bus and paid more. This is poor customer service and ethically not acceptable. Since somebody made money on this bus switch at our expense, a refund is requested and required.

Desired outcome: Trip refund.

Update by Fred Soetekouw
Sep 19, 2023 8:43 pm EDT

Request refund. This trip (Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island on 9/10/23 - 9/16/23, which was coordinated by Diamond Tours and signed up for by Stanton Tours) has been fraught with problems from the start. While some problems were beyond control and are understood, there is one that cannot be dismissed. On our 2-day trip home, our tour bus was replaced after the 1st day with a dilapidated mini bus (35 capacity) and a mini-van (14 capacity). The bus had no bathroom, no sufficient storage space, and no comfort. Several people (including myself) felt sick due to the constant shaking/vibrating of the bus when driving. It felt we were riding on flat tires. Additionally, the heating/cooling system in the bus was inoperable. People were either hot or cold: there were no vents in the bus to regulate the temperature; and Water was leaking out of the A/C unit behind the driver seat (I have a video of that if needed). Finally, the bus driver did not appear to be fully trained. No attempt was made by the driver to assist the older or disabled women on/off the bus. Bottom line: We had 35 people crammed into a vehicle with no A/C and no bathroom, in an unsafe bus with what appears a not fully trained driver, for a 350 mile (8 hour) trip. Note: we were informed that the reason for the bus switch was that another tour needed to a bigger bus and they paid more. This is poor customer service and ethically not acceptable. Diamond Tours should have provided/coordinated an acceptable replacement instead of allowing a bus company to provide a vehicle that is not reliable, unsafe, and should have been scraped. Since somebody made money on this bus switch at our expense, a refund is required.

This bus switch turned what should have been a pleasant experience into a nightmare.

I have pictures of the bus, both inside and outside, the water dripping from the A/C behind the driver, and older/disabled women getting on the bus without driver assistance.

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