Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Anybody have any experiences with this agency? My 8th grade son would like to go on one of these "once in a lifetime experiences" through his school. It's approximately $1800 and lists a "sample" itinerary with 20 different historical museums and landmarks over a 4 day period in Washington, D.C. I'd like to hear from parents or students who have had actual experiences with the company. Thank you.
My son just took his trip to DC with the same outfit this past June, at the end of his 8th grade year. He loved it and had a terrific, safe, and memorable experience. We paid about $1500 and the trip lasted about 4 days if I remember correctly. I made sure he went, because such an opportunity was not available to me at that stage of my life and had it been, I would have been elated and felt privileged to experience something like that. Living on the West coast, we are not surrounded by historical sites like Gettysburg, Philadelphia, the DC museums, etc. and for $1500 to see as much as they do it seems like a downright bargain.
I paid in full for the entire trip without a moment's hesitation.
I'd say $1500 is a bit steep. You could take the whole family there for that price (and my family has on several occasions). I spent a month at a summer scholar's program in Miami complete with all meals, class, books, and excursions- and that was only $3000 not counting airfare.
WorldStrides is a dishonest, slimy company who will try to take you for every dime that they can get. They have hidden fees all over the place; from insurance that you automatically get if you don't check a box,($99.00) to fees that they charge if you make a mistake entering your checking account number with your ACH autopay transaction ($35.00). This last one is not a bank fee - it's their fee!
Don't use this company! Try to talk your school out of it; WorldStrides will steal you blind!
Anybody have any experiences with this agency? My 8th grade son would like to go on one of these "once in a lifetime experiences" through his school. It's approximately $1800 and lists a "sample" itinerary with 20 different historical museums and landmarks over a 4 day period in Washington, D.C. I'd like to hear from parents or students who have had actual experiences with the company. Thank you.
I also went there in 8th grade with that company, as did about half of my entire class (~75 students altogether). That was in 2001, and quite a bit cheaper - I remember $1200 or $1300 as the price. My parents paid, though, as well as gave me about $100 in spending money (it seemed like so much back then!).
It was pretty nice. Our chaperones were certain parents, teachers, and relatives of teachers. We went to a lot of the big sites - the Smithsonians, National Archives, all the big monuments at the National Mall, etc. We didn't go inside the White House, but we did visit the Capitol and meet our representative.
I was surprised, especially at the Smithsonians, to see so many of my classmates wasting their time by sitting around together for the whole visit and not really seeing anything. Must be the terrible mid-teens.
Hotels were very nice business-like establishments. Boys on one floor, girls on the other. I should caution parents that the hotel we stayed at did not block out the soft-core pornography transmitted on Friday nights on the premium channels.
Your student's teacher is making a small fortune going on the trip with your kid. Do you know that?
Worldstrides is slimy and dishonest as hell. Very true.
We used them as my school. One year we turned down their trip. what did they do? THey offered us more free stuff-- tickets, money, etc.
They jacked up the price to 100.00 bucks a head per kid for the teachers. We stopped doing it.
Go with a better company. They are bad and yes--not a thing is ever their fault.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nflorg
WorldStrides is a dishonest, slimy company who will try to take you for every dime that they can get. They have hidden fees all over the place; from insurance that you automatically get if you don't check a box,($99.00) to fees that they charge if you make a mistake entering your checking account number with your ACH autopay transaction ($35.00). This last one is not a bank fee - it's their fee!
Don't use this company! Try to talk your school out of it; WorldStrides will steal you blind!
My kids have travelled with Worldstrides, and we found them to be very professional and well organized. We never had any dishonesty issues, and they did take care of everything. The drivers and tour guides (in Boston, DC and NY) were all very knowledgeable and interesting. The teachers are MOST definitely NOT making a fortune...many of them are my friends....they weren't even paid to go at our school. Their travel costs were covered, that's about it.
I can highly recommend Worldstrides.
uh worldstrides' prices are way above what they need to be.
True there are added value in everything they offer. yes, they will also bribe teachers if they don't want to go with them.
Yes, the hotels, tours etc are great. any company can get them...trust me--- they have a bad reputation.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
WorldStrides - Dishonest Company - Beware!
worldstrides-- dishonest and awful
