New Century and Travel Adventures sold

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Fieldtrips Chatboard

New Century and Travel Adventures sold

by socaliforniamagistra

Feb 25, 2010

I just heard this at a district meeting.

Just to let you know that there are lots of changes in the student tour industry.

New Century Tours and TravelMBA has been bought by Worldstrides (backed by venture capital - Charlesbank Capital Partners and Silverhawk Capital Partners).

Travel Adventures has been bought by a German company called, Tui.

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Rob On 3/01/10, socaliforniamagistra wrote:

Interesting insights...my experience with Junior Tours was on trips to NY. I know they are based nearby and have tremendous expertise and contact throughout the city which make the trip educational and unique. Perhaps Williamsburg is not their strong suite. Who do you recommend as a 'travel designer...See More

Mar 2, 2010

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socaliforniamagistra I would be interested to know what you have seen in New York as it is true that companies know their local areas best.

I lived in NYC while I was at NYU and Columbia, so I got to know the city pretty well and I didn't want to do the same NYC trips that I had been on when I wasn't the teacher in charge of planning. While the students were ...See MoreI would be interested to know what you have seen in New York as it is true that companies know their local areas best.

I lived in NYC while I was at NYU and Columbia, so I got to know the city pretty well and I didn't want to do the same NYC trips that I had been on when I wasn't the teacher in charge of planning. While the students were excited about being in New York City, there was too much shopping time, meals at chain restaurants, emphasis on pop culture, and the city guides merely pointed out the sights.

A local Lutheran school principal I met on a cruise a few years ago told me that they had their trips professionally designed by someone who had been their tour guide and suggested I contact her, which I did. It was a radically different experience from the ones that I had with three mega tour companies. She gives me lots of choices and I have the students research and vote on the places they would like to visit - so each tour has been unique.

Here are some of the places we have gone to in New York City during the past three years: The Skyscraper Museum; the Tenement Museum with a first person program; Federal Hall program; a visit to a Jewish synagogue near Chinatown; the Irish Hunger Memorial(where she hired an Irish tenor to sing songs and tell a couple of stories concerned with the famine, Ireland, and immigration to the US); a colonial meal at Fraunces Tavern with a balladeer singing colonial and Erie Canal songs; we sailed on a tall ship from the South Street Seaport Museum (great educational programs) and my students learned not only about the local marine life and maritime history of NY, but they were also deckhands (BTW we didn't go near the food court); we had educational tours at the New York Historical Society focused on Slavery in New York; the United Nations; lunch at Katz's Delicatessen; and an evening ride on the Staten Island Ferry.

This May, they students voted to visit the new Chinese in America Museum after a Saturday Dim Sum lunch, El Museo del Barrio (with an ethnic lunch at their cafe), and a wildlife tour of Central Park (one of my students saw a documentary about the hawks and got the whole class interested).

Of course, we also see a Broadway Show, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, and, 'Top of the Rock', instead of the Empire State Building.

Normally my trips have been seven days: 3 days in NY, 2 days in DC, and 2 days in Williamsburg or 2 days in NY, 2 days in Philadelphia, 1 Day in Gettysburg, and 2 days in DC. For 2011 I'm planning a Boston, New York trip since many of our feeder schools already have a DC/Williamsburg trip in 5th or 6th grade (which is why I only spend 2 days max in DC).

The designer is called, Instructours. The tour operator I use (LEADUSA leaddiscoveryusa.com also knows New York extremely well, so everything runs smoothly. My guide, who travels with us, is wonderful.

On 3/02/10, Rob wrote: > On 3/01/10, socaliforniamagistra wrote: > > Interesting insights...my experience with Junior Tours was on trips > to NY. I know they are based nearby and have tremendous expertise > and contact throughout the city which make the trip educational and > unique. Perhaps Williamsburg is not their strong suite. Who do you > recommend as a 'travel designer'? > > -Rob

Mar 3, 2010

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Christine I have been using a company called NationsClassroom for the past few years and they have been amazing to work with! This year we are doing a combo trip to Washington, DC, Williamsburg and stoping at Monticello. They never give you a cookie cutter itinerary and always try to fit attractions into what you are teaching in your ciriculum. They have won...See More

May 12, 2010

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Sean That's weird with Junior Tours. It must have been a while ago because I got info a couple months back about a Williamsburg trip and it had Jamestown and Yorktown in it. I'm sure if you wanted less of the touristy stuff, they'd do it. The guy there told me on the phone that I could change things around or add things that weren't on their itinerary. ...See MoreThat's weird with Junior Tours. It must have been a while ago because I got info a couple months back about a Williamsburg trip and it had Jamestown and Yorktown in it. I'm sure if you wanted less of the touristy stuff, they'd do it. The guy there told me on the phone that I could change things around or add things that weren't on their itinerary. I'm not a huge fan of that president heads park either. It's okay.

On 3/01/10, socaliforniamagistra wrote: > The higher prices come from the fact that WS are owned by venture > capitalists and the fact they offer such high 'stipends' to the > teachers. There's very little left over to put into the trip > itself. Bigger is not better. > > However most of the student tour companies and travel agents > follow the same old itineraries. That's why I have a specialist > designing my trips and then presenting it to the tour operator. > > I have a great tour operator who really knows each place we visit > and her history; she also works well with the designer. If my > district would allow me to travel without a student tour company > and simply use the tour designer, I would; it would be far cheaper > for the kids and parents. > > As per Junior Tours, it is a student sightseeing tour company like > most of the others, but not as big. OK for grad trips. > > When I contacted them a couple of years ago, it seemed to me that > their trips had very little true educational value. For instance, > I requested Williamsburg and was given an itinerary that included > a full day in Busch Gardens and nighttime activities at a touristy > park that had kitchy busts of US presidents and a ghost tour > without any inside visits to the buildings in Williamsburg. They > had cut out Jamestown, Yorktown, and the evening tours conducted > by Williamsburg staff. We're not coming from Orange County to see > that. It was not a good fit for my purposes. > > > > On 2/25/10, NVhistoryjunkie wrote: >> ....too bad. Less options will most likely result in even >> higher prices from worldstrides and they are already over- >> priced.

Sep 15, 2010

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mslutheran Jamestown and Yorktown may be on an itinerary, but WHICH Jamestown or Yorktown? Did they give you a CHOICE, or didn't you know you had one? I bet it is the re-created Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center, but they're not the actual, National Park historic sites. Not many companies suggest that you take your groups to Jamestown Island to...See MoreJamestown and Yorktown may be on an itinerary, but WHICH Jamestown or Yorktown? Did they give you a CHOICE, or didn't you know you had one? I bet it is the re-created Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center, but they're not the actual, National Park historic sites. Not many companies suggest that you take your groups to Jamestown Island to learn about archeology and sit where representative democracy in the new world was born, or tour Yorktown Battlefield and have your group 'storm' the redoubts and learn tactics. We take the time to go to both Jamestowns and Yorktown battlefield.

What you actually DO at these places is what separates the quality of the trip and companies.

How would you know exactly what to ask for if you always get the same itinerary?

Let's face it, it's easier for companies to offer a basic 'touristy' itinerary because it takes less work. Teachers who ask for things that are not on their itinerary are 'high maintenance'. Worldstrides called what I wanted, DEVIATIONS! . .

On 9/15/10, Sean wrote: > That's weird with Junior Tours. It must have been a while ago > because I got info a couple months back about a Williamsburg trip > and it had Jamestown and Yorktown in it. I'm sure if you wanted > less of the touristy stuff, they'd do it. The guy there told me on > the phone that I could change things around or add things that > weren't on their itinerary. I'm not a huge fan of that president > heads park either. It's okay. > > > On 3/01/10, socaliforniamagistra wrote: >> The higher prices come from the fact that WS are owned by venture >> capitalists and the fact they offer such high 'stipends' to the >> teachers. There's very little left over to put into the trip >> itself. Bigger is not better. >> >> However most of the student tour companies and travel agents >> follow the same old itineraries. That's why I have a specialist >> designing my trips and then presenting it to the tour operator. >> >> I have a great tour operator who really knows each place we visit >> and her history; she also works well with the designer. If my >> district would allow me to travel without a student tour company >> and simply use the tour designer, I would; it would be far cheaper >> for the kids and parents. >> >> As per Junior Tours, it is a student sightseeing tour company like >> most of the others, but not as big. OK for grad trips. >> >> When I contacted them a couple of years ago, it seemed to me that >> their trips had very little true educational value. For instance, >> I requested Williamsburg and was given an itinerary that included >> a full day in Busch Gardens and nighttime activities at a touristy >> park that had kitchy busts of US presidents and a ghost tour >> without any inside visits to the buildings in Williamsburg. They >> had cut out Jamestown, Yorktown, and the evening tours conducted >> by Williamsburg staff. We're not coming from Orange County to see >> that. It was not a good fit for my purposes. >> >> >> >> On 2/25/10, NVhistoryjunkie wrote: >>> ....too bad. Less options will most likely result in even >>> higher prices from worldstrides and they are already over- >>> priced.

Sep 15, 2010

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