We have just had very nice holiday to beautiful Majorca.
This is a hotel we have stayed in several time before, so nothing much for me to write about really
However I will tell you about our trip to the Caves of Drac.
OH and I had both visited these caves, separately several years ago. We would both like to see them again so I decided to book us on a trip .
I saw the half day trip on the Jet2 holidays page. Our holiday was with Jet2, who we have always been happy with. We are still and would book further holidays with them. We would not however book another Jet2 excursion (and I have told them so)
This was advertised as a half day trip, an hour each way on a coach to the caves with admittance to the caves.
We were to be picked up at 9.05, but had to be waiting at the pick up point 15 minutes before.
So we set an alarm, went down for breakfast early and were outside the hotel before 8.50.
Therein lays my mistake. I had assumed that the pick up point was across the road, where our airport transfers drop off and pick up. I presumed a Jet2 holidays tour would be picking people up near their guest's hotels. No.
I admit that I should maybe have checked at reception that the street mentioned was that actual one, but OH and I both (wrongly) assumed we were to be picked up at the hotel. I don't think we would have even booked to go on the trip had we realised that it wasn't.
Anyway we waited way beyond the time, then went back into the hotel out of the heat. We tried the contact number for Jet 2, but didn't really get anywhere.
I decided to use the Jet2 Whats app messenger
To cut a long story short they told me the coach had come, but as we were waiting at the wrong place it had gone without us.
I said as the instructions were not clear and we had waited, would it be possible to rebook for another day. After some investigation he told me there was a trip to the caves the following day which he could book us on - Yes please.
He then said Make sure you wait at the right place this time
He said he couldn't download the map, but gave me instructions. We sort of knew vaguely where he meant, but in retrospect I should have gone back on the chat and asked for the map.
So another alarm and early breakfast and off we went. It was farther than we woud have chosen to walk in that heat, but not too far. We left a lot of time to we could rest on the way, and walked on the shadier side of the street. When we got there I was really unsure that this was the right place. It was too close to the traffic lights to be a stopping place, but it sounded like the place he had described.
Just as we were giving up a coach slowed down and stopped. The tour guide had my name and told us this was NOT the place, which was further back along the road they had driven down. She let us on of course and off we went. Feeling a bit silly.
She announced that we would be changing coaches in Palma. This was news to us as the trip had been sold as an hour each way on the coach. As we approached Palma she gave very clear instructions on which number coach to get for different ongoing tours.
We got off, and waited and found a few other going to the caves. After several minutes our coach arrived and we boarded.
We were taken to the caves. The (new) tour guide told us where the toilets were, where the coach would be parked, and that we had to be back at the coach by 12.20. She said this more than once. Not once did OH or I hear any mention of tickets. As we were a group I presumed there was group ticket. Having left the hotel a long time before our first stop was the toilets, then a short walk to the entrance to the caves. The queue was long, we joined it. We had been queuing few minutes when I noticed that everyone seemed to be holding tickets. I still thought we had group one, but then it dawned on me that as our group were now not together, how would that work? I still had some faith in the group ticket idea until spotted someone we recognised from our group - with tickets. OH asked where they got them from and they said the guide had given them to them as they got off the bus
We left the queue and went back in search of our guide in the cafe area I didn't think I would recognise her but OH said she would. We couldn't see her but OH found the driver. He spoke no English so that was no good. I went to the window where you could buy tickets and explained. The lady there was very helpful, asked who we had come with and I told her we were booked via Jet2 but had arrived on a Lemon Tours bus. She contacted the guide and told us she was on her way.
Well. She arrived and spoke to us like naughty Year 6 schoolgirls. Where were we ? Why didn't we get off the coach with everyone else and get our tickets??? Apparently it was OUR fault that she had not only failed to give us our tickets when we got off the coach with everyone else, and when she had two left over tickets she made no attempt to find us to give them to us. Unbelievable.
We had got off the coach in the normal manner, down the steps. We were neither first nor last, what she was doing when we got off to not see us and give us our tickets I have no idea.
She said we had missed our slot, it went at 11, we were too late. We were not pleased and walked off to sit in the outdoor cafe area, seething.
The guide went into the office, came out and said, trying to be friendly now, that we could have a half hour tour and still see the short concert at the end. Having wasted the day driving there for nothing we obviously agreed to that . A lovely young man took us in the back way, on a quick tour through the caves with his torch lighting the way and we arrived at the concert seating area just in time. We had to sit right at the back, which was quite high up. The short concert was beautiful, but as we were so far up the queue for the little boat ride, which along with the concert is one of the highlights, was so very long once we got down, we wouldn't have had time to ride it and get back to the coach. We took the walk back instead and saw a bit more of the caves . We were glad we have got into the caves, but it wasn't what we booked or paid for.
All back on the coach in time, and 5 minutes along the road we stopped at shopping centre. We were told there were toilets there and a cafe. The guide got off. A few other people followed, the rest of us stayed, having just got on the coach! The guide came back and told us we all must leave the bus! We traipsed into the centre, which sold only jewellery. OH and I ignored it all, went to the loo then just bought a bottle of water from the cafe. This was all very frustrating as it added over 20 minutes to our journey time, and if we had stayed at the caves longer we could have gone on the boat.
Back to Palma eventually and off the bus. I hope to never see Lemon tours again!
The good thing here was that along with another man we had private transfer back to our hotel. This was very pleasant, and in fact we asked the driver to drop us along the road from the hotel so we could have lunch at a tapas bar. It was after 2.30 (so much for the half day tour)
The caves themselves are lovely. A so called Jet2 excursion farmed out to Lemon Tours with an inefficient and rude guide not at all.
https://www.cuevasdeldrach.com/en/index.php?_gl=1*1izz352*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTA0MzM3NjQyM C4xNzgyMzI4OTAx*_ga_VCJZZ21EDR*czE3ODIzMjg5MDAkbzE kZzAkdDE3ODIzMjg5MDAkajYwJGwwJGgxMDMxODU2NTcx
This is a hotel we have stayed in several time before, so nothing much for me to write about really
However I will tell you about our trip to the Caves of Drac.
OH and I had both visited these caves, separately several years ago. We would both like to see them again so I decided to book us on a trip .
I saw the half day trip on the Jet2 holidays page. Our holiday was with Jet2, who we have always been happy with. We are still and would book further holidays with them. We would not however book another Jet2 excursion (and I have told them so)
This was advertised as a half day trip, an hour each way on a coach to the caves with admittance to the caves.
We were to be picked up at 9.05, but had to be waiting at the pick up point 15 minutes before.
So we set an alarm, went down for breakfast early and were outside the hotel before 8.50.
Therein lays my mistake. I had assumed that the pick up point was across the road, where our airport transfers drop off and pick up. I presumed a Jet2 holidays tour would be picking people up near their guest's hotels. No.
I admit that I should maybe have checked at reception that the street mentioned was that actual one, but OH and I both (wrongly) assumed we were to be picked up at the hotel. I don't think we would have even booked to go on the trip had we realised that it wasn't.
Anyway we waited way beyond the time, then went back into the hotel out of the heat. We tried the contact number for Jet 2, but didn't really get anywhere.
I decided to use the Jet2 Whats app messenger
To cut a long story short they told me the coach had come, but as we were waiting at the wrong place it had gone without us.
I said as the instructions were not clear and we had waited, would it be possible to rebook for another day. After some investigation he told me there was a trip to the caves the following day which he could book us on - Yes please.
He then said Make sure you wait at the right place this time
He said he couldn't download the map, but gave me instructions. We sort of knew vaguely where he meant, but in retrospect I should have gone back on the chat and asked for the map.
So another alarm and early breakfast and off we went. It was farther than we woud have chosen to walk in that heat, but not too far. We left a lot of time to we could rest on the way, and walked on the shadier side of the street. When we got there I was really unsure that this was the right place. It was too close to the traffic lights to be a stopping place, but it sounded like the place he had described.
Just as we were giving up a coach slowed down and stopped. The tour guide had my name and told us this was NOT the place, which was further back along the road they had driven down. She let us on of course and off we went. Feeling a bit silly.
She announced that we would be changing coaches in Palma. This was news to us as the trip had been sold as an hour each way on the coach. As we approached Palma she gave very clear instructions on which number coach to get for different ongoing tours.
We got off, and waited and found a few other going to the caves. After several minutes our coach arrived and we boarded.
We were taken to the caves. The (new) tour guide told us where the toilets were, where the coach would be parked, and that we had to be back at the coach by 12.20. She said this more than once. Not once did OH or I hear any mention of tickets. As we were a group I presumed there was group ticket. Having left the hotel a long time before our first stop was the toilets, then a short walk to the entrance to the caves. The queue was long, we joined it. We had been queuing few minutes when I noticed that everyone seemed to be holding tickets. I still thought we had group one, but then it dawned on me that as our group were now not together, how would that work? I still had some faith in the group ticket idea until spotted someone we recognised from our group - with tickets. OH asked where they got them from and they said the guide had given them to them as they got off the bus
We left the queue and went back in search of our guide in the cafe area I didn't think I would recognise her but OH said she would. We couldn't see her but OH found the driver. He spoke no English so that was no good. I went to the window where you could buy tickets and explained. The lady there was very helpful, asked who we had come with and I told her we were booked via Jet2 but had arrived on a Lemon Tours bus. She contacted the guide and told us she was on her way.
Well. She arrived and spoke to us like naughty Year 6 schoolgirls. Where were we ? Why didn't we get off the coach with everyone else and get our tickets??? Apparently it was OUR fault that she had not only failed to give us our tickets when we got off the coach with everyone else, and when she had two left over tickets she made no attempt to find us to give them to us. Unbelievable.
We had got off the coach in the normal manner, down the steps. We were neither first nor last, what she was doing when we got off to not see us and give us our tickets I have no idea.
She said we had missed our slot, it went at 11, we were too late. We were not pleased and walked off to sit in the outdoor cafe area, seething.
The guide went into the office, came out and said, trying to be friendly now, that we could have a half hour tour and still see the short concert at the end. Having wasted the day driving there for nothing we obviously agreed to that . A lovely young man took us in the back way, on a quick tour through the caves with his torch lighting the way and we arrived at the concert seating area just in time. We had to sit right at the back, which was quite high up. The short concert was beautiful, but as we were so far up the queue for the little boat ride, which along with the concert is one of the highlights, was so very long once we got down, we wouldn't have had time to ride it and get back to the coach. We took the walk back instead and saw a bit more of the caves . We were glad we have got into the caves, but it wasn't what we booked or paid for.
All back on the coach in time, and 5 minutes along the road we stopped at shopping centre. We were told there were toilets there and a cafe. The guide got off. A few other people followed, the rest of us stayed, having just got on the coach! The guide came back and told us we all must leave the bus! We traipsed into the centre, which sold only jewellery. OH and I ignored it all, went to the loo then just bought a bottle of water from the cafe. This was all very frustrating as it added over 20 minutes to our journey time, and if we had stayed at the caves longer we could have gone on the boat.
Back to Palma eventually and off the bus. I hope to never see Lemon tours again!
The good thing here was that along with another man we had private transfer back to our hotel. This was very pleasant, and in fact we asked the driver to drop us along the road from the hotel so we could have lunch at a tapas bar. It was after 2.30 (so much for the half day tour)
The caves themselves are lovely. A so called Jet2 excursion farmed out to Lemon Tours with an inefficient and rude guide not at all.
https://www.cuevasdeldrach.com/en/index.php?_gl=1*1izz352*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTA0MzM3NjQyM C4xNzgyMzI4OTAx*_ga_VCJZZ21EDR*czE3ODIzMjg5MDAkbzE kZzAkdDE3ODIzMjg5MDAkajYwJGwwJGgxMDMxODU2NTcx
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