A Trip of a Lifetime - Perfectly Planned and Unforgettable…read more We recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to Liverpool and Wales, and we owe it all to Across the Pond Vacations. From start to finish, the experience was absolutely seamless--more than we could have hoped for in every way. Simon was simply incredible to work with. From our very first conversation, he truly listened and engaged with us, taking the time to understand what we were looking for and what would make this trip meaningful. He was not only knowledgeable and kind, but also fun and easy to work with--a true expert who clearly loves what he does. Every little detail was thought of and perfectly executed. We especially appreciated the combination of the electronic app and the beautifully organized binder that laid out each day's itinerary. Both made it easy to stay on track while still feeling relaxed and unhurried. The experiences Simon booked for us were spot-on--above and beyond our expectations, and so perfectly suited to our tastes. It felt like every activity and destination had been selected just for us. We never had to worry about a thing, which allowed us to be fully present and soak in every unforgettable moment. If you're dreaming of a customized, thoughtfully curated vacation across the pond, look no further. We can't recommend Across the Pond Vacations--and Simon--highly enough. Truly an unforgettable journey!

I am taking this opportunity to write this way overdue review on my trip to England October…read more15-October 30, 2024, personally crafted by Across The Pond Vacations. I initially contacted Anne Marie Clarke late in October, 2019 with the intent of going to England possibly in May, 2020. Then Covid happened which put my plans on hold. I can't recall exactly when I again contacted Across The Pond but think possibly April, 2024. Having traveled a fair amount I prefer private and not large group tours. I did my research and although there are many well known companies that had good reviews and offered customized private tours I wanted to deal with a boutique firm and ATP was just that. Additionally, that they were located in the U.S., knew England very well as both Anne Marie and Simon Clarke (from England originally) lived there for many years was a plus. It took several revisions to come up with the "perfect" itinerary, and as hectic as it was at times, I had a wonderful trip. The hotels with their staff were wonderful and very accommodating. I appreciated that the hotels were ideally located and welcoming. I will be writing a separate review for each hotel in London, Bath, The Cotswalds, York and Liverpool. The private guides to include driver/guides I had were marvelous with whom I established a real connection and remain in contact with a few of them. There is a reason why these individuals deserve the title of Blue Badge Guides and were expertly selected by Across The Pond Vacations. The transport arranged - private drivers, were courteous, personable and of course on time. Although I appreciated the in depth itinerary with directions provided by Google Maps, the binder was a bit much to carry around especially since I was taking trains and carrying my own luggage. Each day I would take the appropriate page out of the binder to guide me. I believe an option to receive all digitally would be welcome for those who embrace technology as many of us are adept with using Google Maps and Apps. It would be wonderful if ATP had an app (although I recognize this can be costly to develop) to use such as Travefy or some such itinerary planner. Additionally, the use of WhatsApp could facilitate any communications necessary when travelling as there are small tour companies that set up "group chats" when a client is traveling. Overall I appreciated that my trip was designed in such a way that I would not be "overscheduled". There was adequate time to meet the guides and spend time touring and tickets for the sites had appropriately timed entrances. Although all was wonderful, a dream for me was to see Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre in the West End - London. I had tea at Claridges prior to the performance. When Anne Marie and Simon found out that The Blenheim Palace would be closed they arranged for me to have more time with my Cotswalds guide and I received a mini-tour of Oxford. A refund for my ticket was initiated promptly after the trip. There were so many highlights and so many pictures to show but unfortunately I am unable to add them but trust me this trip was a photographers heaven. I loved the small group tour arranged to The Yorkshire Dales and upon my return binge watched All Creatures Great and Small, got my Bridgerton fix in Bath and so many more memories. Now that I have binged 7 seasons of Outlander Scotland is on my list. If anyone reading this review has specific questions, please do message me. I do recommend Across The Pond Vacations for your Great Britain travels.

Very easy and convenient office to communicate with…read more I ordered my JR Rail pass vouches online on the JR website and chose to pickup at the NTA office. When my order was ready for pickup, I received an email to confirm that the order was ready. The office is easy to find. It's located in a large building in Gardena with plenty of parking spaces in its parking lot. The office itself is located on the 6th floor of the building right when you exit the elevators. The office is quite small and no one is staffing the front area, but there is a phone on the table at the entrance with instructions on how to reach someone. I appreciated that they had sanitizing wipes and sanitizers next to the phone to keep things clean. I dialed the number on the instructions and a woman on the other line immediately picked up, verified my name, and brought my order out. The woman was super friendly and helpful. She gave me each of the vouchers and confirmed that all the names were printed correctly, gave me guidance around exchanging the vouchers and activating them at the station. She also gave me some guides for JR and Japan in general. Overall a very smooth experience!

Wow, I haven't actually typed out a review on a PC in like, at least 12 years…read more Gosh, I even had to pull up my Yelp password. My situation is that my family and I are avid skiers/snowboarders. (Steamboat once/every year and Mammoth at least 3x/ever year) I know the IKON pass has created exponential travel opportunities to the famous 'japow' slopes in Hokkaido for non-natives within the past 3-4 years. We've earnestly prepared ourselves from a feasibility point of view to do this trip this upcoming Winter '25. We've looked into our kid's school to understand what we need to go on a 2 week trip to Japan. The wife has ensured she would start making sure her work would be blocked out during those 2 weeks. I actually have an email from my supervisor confirming I could take the 2 weeks off during that time. We've saved/scrimped this past spring/summer by not taking our 'normal' vacations and we are now at the point to pull the trigger on flights/hotels/tour packages/etc. But we have no experience traveling to Japan and I wanted this trip to be perfect. (Don't just rely on whatever I've read on Reddit.) It just so happened at my church, a fellow churchgoer had an amazing trip just this past summer and he was showing me pics on his phone/telling me tales about how he and his large family had headed over, how everything was perfect and amazing. I asked that million $ question, "how did you book it?" He actually recommended Nippon Travel Agency to me and I was so stoked, because for some reason it hadn't crossed my mind to use a travel agency. (* The pic of this review is proof that this place was referred to me by a churchgoer friend of mine. Some of you naysayers can say, 'oh, anyone can create that on photoshop.'. But the way their corporate signature is laid out, they will know I'm not making this up. Clearly this review is mostly for the ownership.) So the following Tuesday, I called and asked for help to plan the trip. The lady who answered the phone said she would transfer me after I explained my purpose. Unfortunately, the transfer dropped the call. I called back to the same lady, she tried to transfer me, and it happened again. The call dropped. The third time I called back, it was another lady. She sounded annoyed that I called back and she asked me what I was looking for, which was to book a trip to Japan for family and myself. I asked if I could make an appointment at their office so I could come in since it's less than a 15m drive from my work. She sternly advised me that no one comes into their office and everything must be done through email. She told me to send it to support@ntaamerica.com. I sent the request 8 days ago and crickets. Not one response back.

We event with EXG on safari in Tanzania the day after the recent elections which were extremely…read morecontentious. We had difficulty getting to the country and could not contact them to tell them of travel changes. Never fear they were there with the champagne waiting to welcome us. It just got better from there. The staff at least two people were at each hotel in I make sure we were settled in. The safari guides were incredible and the food en route around the Serengeti was well done. We had a breakdown which is typical when driving on the unmade roads but they had a spare vehicle and a service truck follow us the whole time so we were delayed for 10 minutes and our truck was ready for the next days activities. I would highly recommend Tanzania and EXG Safari they are a class act.

Thank you Hector for turning a negative into a positive!…read more Hector was attentive and receptive to the negative experience we had at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (yes, out of all places). After listening and being empathetic, he proceeded to present us with options on how he could turn our experience around. And he sure did! My daughter's 3rd birthday ended being magical after all. :)

It's easy to pass by Disneyland City Hall as soon as you enter Disneyland theme park. Once you pass…read morethe theme park entrance from the turnstiles, take the left path way and it will be in Town Square. Disneyland City Hall is the main center for guest relations. If you have any questions about your experience in Disneyland, you'll want to go here! You can also get help with the following Maps Showtimes First visit or celebration buttons General Help navigating park operations You can also stop here for things like lost & found as well as providing guest member compliments! There was a recent refurbishment completed on the Disneyland City Hall in 2024. The improvements included enhancements on both exterior and interior components of the City Hall. The lobby was expanded, allowing for additional space to accommodate guests. If it's your birthday, you can stop by here to get a pin! The team members here are amazing!

For my first ever cruise, we chose the 'Quantum of the Sea' 5 days by Royal Cruises as it was a…read moremedium sized ship going to Mexico; good for people reluctant to cruise and get sea sick. It was pretty steady that I didn't really need motion sickness meds. I have been always scared to take a cruise. I am a land vacationer person. Watching the Titanic movie, that was my fear...LOL. My friend did the preparations but there were many hiccups. The app was decent to use. We flew to Long Beach airport which was the closest to the port and the earliest flight in case of delays plus lots of empty seats and no crowds. It's a smaller airport but I would rather be closer than going to LAX. It s too traffic there and unpredictable. Arriving, the entrance procedure was smooth. Make sure to bring your passport and ticket. We actually were able to get on the ship as we had a lunch reservation for our group. We had balcony rooms in the sixth floor, I would recommend anything above the seventh floor to avoid the emergency pod views. All the restaurant and activities reservations were done on the Royal app. All purchases on the ship was through the ship card given to you. No cash transactions. Every one of the staff was friendly and helpful. There were a few pool sections. The back of the ship pool was more for adults. The middle pools were more for kids. There was rock climbing, surf pools, bumper cars, pool, racket courts, a theater where price is right was done, there were a few bars for karaoke or live bands. So many activities for everyone. This trip was more for relaxation after a very hectic two weeks. I think this ship is good for all ages. We did a few activities. Departing the ship can be hectic but I would recommend to leave the room before 8am, head to the breakfast buffet and leave as late as possible so the elevators are not as crowded. We took a later flight just for this. Take a taxis then uber as it's a fixed rate. And Enjoy! [34R,2026]

This is my second Cruise with Royal Caribbean. Another great experience with them! The staff is…read morebeyond helpful, wonderful and friendly They go above and beyond. We had a balcony room on the 10th floor, our state room attendant was great and left our room very clean Every time we were out and about exploring. I have been on 3 Carnival cruises, and I will never go back to them. They were great, but the crowd is just a no! they make you never want to go back. I'm sure you've seen the footage on the news. From the main dining room to the specialty restaurants, the staff is what makes this Cruise, a memorable one. I don't have one bad thing to say about Royal. We got the drink package which pays for itself after the fourth drink. I can't wait to take another Cruise!