Donna

Posted on 7/01/09

I am traveling with Mariden in less than a month and recently on everyone's
bills there was an additional $390 after everyone thought that all payments
had been finalized. It said on the bill that it's a fuel surcharge. I
think that seems a little high, how do you recommend that I address this with
Nina or whomever at Mariden? I appreciate any help you can give us.
Airfare has dropped recently, and with everyone being connected to the
internet they can see that at Travelocity or a comparable company, the price
of hotel and flight are substantially lower than what we're paying. Next
time, I may just do it independently. I know dinners wouldn't be included,
nor entrance fees to monuments (although they are free for students), but I
take students to the same places every few years. I had previously always
traveled with EF, but was somewhat dissatisfied with the meals and hotels,
especially locations. Therefore, when Mariden contacted me last year, I
thought I'd give them a try. I know I'm rambling, but several of the
parents have concerns, especially because they'd like to give their sons and
daughters the money that they have to send to Mariden for spending money in
Paris. Excuse me for rambling, but it's heavy on my mind. MERCI! Donna

On 6/30/09, Cari wrote:
> Dear Jenny:
>
> Nope, I am not an employee of Mariden.
>
> I took my first trip to Europe as a high school student in 1969, then I
> chaperoned my own high school French students on over 20 European tours
> from 1978 to 2009. My students, parents, and I have traveled with the
> following student travel companies--->Foreign Study League, ALSG, EF,
> Passports, ACIS, NETC, Mariden, and Explorica -- in that order.
>
> I have taught French in the Illinois public school system for thirty-four
> years, 29 of those years in a high school of only 400 students. I have
> had to work hard to keep my French program going, and European tours have
> given my program the oxygen it needed to thrive. The key to a "great
> trip" is careful preparation of students---no matter what company you
> travel with!! Add a dash of positive-thinking,energetic teacher, and you
> have a winner.
>
> No, I am not an employee of any student travel company. Simply call me a
> Mariden-satisfied-customer.
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/29/09, Jenny wrote:
>> On 5/14/09, Cari wrote:
>>> I wish I could take a survey concerning how much preparation
>>> these complaining teachers did for their tours. How many
>>> meetings do they have with their students and their parents?
>>> How much do these teachers actually know about international
>>> travel? Do these teachers & students actually know a foreign
>>> language?...or has the extent of their international
>>> experience just been to Disneyworld?
>>> I have been on some tours where coaches were the chaperones.
>>> On other tours, some of the teachers recruited random
>>> students throughout the school for a "senior class trip".
>>> Those teachers and students had no business going on
>>> educational tours like these. These students were not
>>> prepared one bit for what they were about to see in Europe.
>>> They were better off going on a cruise ship vacation
>>> somewhere in the ocean. Europe is NOT Disneyworld. Europe is
>>> old and crowded, and American students need some proper
>>> orientation in order to appreciate international cultures.
>>>
>>> My trips are called educational tours NOT SUMMER
>>> VACATIONS. The key to a successful trip is preparation. I
>>> spend literally years getting my students ready for these
>>> trips. Language acquisition, videos, meetings, and research
>>> play an important part in preparation. My students must prove
>>> to me that they can speak the language and appreciate the
>>> European culture for what it is, not for what they want it to
>>> be. After all, isn't that why we travel in the first
>>> place....to see another culture for what it truly is?!
>>>
>>> I alert my students, in advance, that there will be
>>> frustrations, delays, rain, uncooperative foreign people, and
>>> hotels that are different from ours. And, Europeans don't
>>> necessarily speak English. That is why it is
>>> called "international travel"...so get over it.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It seems you probably work for Mariden.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/10/09, Cari wrote:
>>>> Solomon: All I can tell you is what I know from my personal
>>>> experience. And, my Mariden experience was a terrific one.
>>>>
>>>> You did make a valid point about "teacher incentives".Mariden
>>>> doesn't offer the teachers the incentives, but they sure do
>>>> offer the students the incentives. This company does NOT pour
>>>> money into the pockets of the teachers. There are some companies
>>>> who entice teachers with promises of outrageous amounts of money
>>>> that come from the unsuspecting students who pay for those
>>>> lucrative"incentives."
>>>> Mariden worked with me so my students got the BEST, possible
>>>> itinerary for the best and the fairest price. I wanted no cash
>>>> incentives. I took ten participants, and the company agreed to
>>>> give the travelers the lowest price they could....the students
>>>> received the incentive...a great low fee! In addition, there is
>>>> NO membership fee...that alone saved my students nearly $100.
>>>> Mariden gave us an all-inclusive fee...it included all metro
>>>> tickets, great meals, very nice hotels, entrance fees to museums
>>>> and to the Eiffel Tower. That has not always been the case with
>>>> other companies.
>>>> I stand by my recommendation of Mariden.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 5/09/09, Solomon wrote:
>>>>> Don't do it. Beware. Cari may have had a good experience but
>>>>> I know many many teachers who have had nightmare tours. They
>>>>> are small and offer no inventives to teachers.

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