Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

02/25/2023

Review on 02/25/2023

Tour

We saw so much and had a terrific and knowledgeable tour manager.

06/21/2022

Italian Vistas, I do not recommend

Service

First of all this was an expensive tour and did not deliver the itinerary they advertised. So they say it was due to the weather. We had to skip the trip to the Island of Capri, due to the weather, instead we stayed in Sorrento which was lovely, however, the tour mgr. took us to a Etched Wood store where they tried to sell us expensive handcrafted items. Mgr also took us to a Leather shop where they tried to sell us also very expensive factory made leather goods. In Venice Mgr took us to a glass blowing manufacturing factory where they also tried to sell us extremely expensive items. Wait, it gets worse, we took a boat to the glass factory, however, on the return we had to ride the public transportation boat, now with Covid this was not a good idea as it was too crowed and most of us had to stand enroute to our hotel. We visited Pompeii, the tour guide there was below average, his jokes were of poor taste, he had us tour a brothel in old Pompeii, I did not care to even go into the dwelling, however, my tour mgr. insisted I had to in order to follow the tour. This tour guide was also persistent in collecting his tips. We were told we could not visit the Simplon Pass in Switzerland, due to the weather. We then figured it out, there were only four of us in the tour that had signed up. No it was not cost effective for Collette. We stopped in Verona, where, Mgr invited all to follow the custom of groping the statue of Juliet's breast, then we were told we could go shopping again. How yes, the worst was the lemon and fresh mozzarella farm, they made pizzas for us, however, prior to our lunch we sat thru a demonstration of pizza making. The owner gave to two gentlemen an apron with a naked Michelangelo image on it, however, added to the image was an image of an enormous *****. This was not only of poor taste it was offensive to each gentleman and his wife. There was a couple of persons that tested positive to Covid, in retrospect we then should have all been tested, as the person was sitting behind me on the motorcoach. The day before departure we all took the antigen test, we had to pay cash, no credit cards. Upon arriving home I tested positive for covid. This could have been avoided in so many ways during this trip.
Tour

i enjoyed visiting the many Cathedrals done on my time.

Thank you for sharing your experience from your Italian Vistas tour with us. We have forwarded your feedback to our product and tour manager teams. They will review it and use it to improve the tour for future guests. If you would like to set up time with one of our customer care representatives to share more about your experience we would be happy to set that up for you. We appreciate you being a loyal traveler with us and hope to travel with you again soon

Collette Support

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

Over and above the incredible Seitz Arturo manager was absolutely incredible very professional and very personable.

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

Over and above the incredible Seitz Arturo manager was absolutely incredible very professional and very personable.

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

The experience was great from the planning stages to the return home. It was not an easy time to go to Israel with the COVID restrictions and testing but it was all handled by Collette with ease. This is my second trip to the Holy Land, first was with another provider, this time around my experience was so much better.

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

The experience was great from the planning stages to the return home. It was not an easy time to go to Israel with the COVID restrictions and testing but it was all handled by Collette with ease. This is my second trip to the Holy Land, first was with another provider, this time around my experience was so much better.

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

Knowledgeable, well prepared and professional

05/19/2022

Review on 05/19/2022

Tour

Knowledgeable, well prepared and professional

05/15/2022

Review on 05/14/2022

Tour

I felt i was robed it was one of the most awful trips i have ever taken.And what was bad about it was everything

Thank you for choosing us for your recent tour. We’re disappointed to hear about your recent experience. We have forwarded your feedback to our team. They will be reviewing this feedback and using it to enhance this tour for our future guests. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Collette Support

05/15/2022

Review on 05/14/2022

Tour

I felt i was robed it was one of the most awful trips i have ever taken.And what was bad about it was everything

Thank you for choosing us for your recent tour. We’re disappointed to hear about your recent experience. We have forwarded your feedback to our team. They will be reviewing this feedback and using it to enhance this tour for our future guests. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Collette Support

05/14/2022

Review on 05/14/2022

Tour

we did not get what we paid for. some of the places we were to visit were not available we also paid 40 dollars extra for a baptism we never got like was advertised and when i asked for a refund never heard back. And tour director acted like it was a chore taking us from place to place

Thank you for choosing us for your recent tour. We have forwarded your feedback to our tour manager team. They will be reviewing this feedback and using it to enhance this tour for our future guests. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Collette Support

05/14/2022

Review on 05/14/2022

Tour

we did not get what we paid for. some of the places we were to visit were not available we also paid 40 dollars extra for a baptism we never got like was advertised and when i asked for a refund never heard back. And tour director acted like it was a chore taking us from place to place

Thank you for choosing us for your recent tour. We have forwarded your feedback to our tour manager team. They will be reviewing this feedback and using it to enhance this tour for our future guests. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Collette Support

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

Wonderful experience, Mr. Jazy, ou tour guide was very informative. Would take another Collette Vacation.

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

Wonderful experience, Mr. Jazy, ou tour guide was very informative. Would take another Collette Vacation.

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

A couple of places on the agenda were closed and should have been known to the guide before we got there. There wasn’t a smooth transition going to Jordan.

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

A couple of places on the agenda were closed and should have been known to the guide before we got there. There wasn’t a smooth transition going to Jordan.

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

It was the greatest experience I’ve had.

05/13/2022

Review on 05/13/2022

Tour

It was the greatest experience I’ve had.

03/26/2020

Service

Good pickup and return home by the shuttle service
Tour

Israel part of the tour was excellent. Jordan part of the tour was lacking, the tour guide did not seem fully prepared for the tour.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Pilgrimage to Israel Discovery tour with the Jordan extension. We're happy to hear you enjoyed your time in Israel and apologize for the issues you experienced on the extension. Your comments will be reviewed by our internal department managers so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

03/22/2020

Well organized guide and knowledgeable

Service

Yes I would. Quality product
Tour

Each day was well organized andkept on on time do sites could be visited and enjoyed

Thanks for sharing! We're glad you had a great time. We'd appreciate if you could share your experience, photos and, videos on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/GoCollette/Reviews We appreciate you and look forward to traveling with you again soon.

Collette Support

03/19/2020

Very good tour - good service - good guide - a bit too busy.

Service

The guide Billy was excellent - very patient, very knowledgeable, very adaptable when someone had a "problem" etc. Bus driver also very pleasant and excellent driver - got that bus into very tight areas - amazing! As an elderly person - and we were many - I thought the pace of the tour was a bit too hectic. The terrain in most places was difficult to say the least, and a slower pace for the day might be a improvement. As it is, the schedule was so busy, it was hard to keep track of each place - perhaps a slower day's schedule would be an improvement.
Tour

First day could be SLOWER - trying to cope with jet leg takes a bit of time. We had two changes on the flight - Detroit to Frankfurt, then Munich, then Tel Aviv - absolutely exhausting - and then the first day was busy, busy. Need to slow it down some and definitely cancel the no. of stops on the way.

02/20/2020

Would definitely go w collette again couldn’t improve anything’s

Service

It was wonderful well organized felt safe saw a lot tour manager was knowledgeable he was the best
Tour

There were so many but I really enjoyed the Dead Sea all day he history we heard about all the places we visited

01/08/2020

Pilgrimage of a LIFETIME!

Service

Our trip was planned perfectly from start to finish. Our flights were great, our tour guide and bus driver were superb! I would definitely book with Collette again!
Tour

This was such a wonderful trip from start to finish. Our tour guide and driver were both superb and professional. Every day was packed with visits, Mass and a wealth of information! It was an incredible adventure!

12/27/2019

It was well organized. The tour guide was very knowledgeable

Service

Yes I would recommend them.
Tour

It fulfilled my expectations.

12/19/2019

Wonderful Adventure

Service

Very well planned out. Tour guide very knowledgeable. Tour bus trade went well at Jordan border.
Tour

To many wonderful things we did

12/12/2019

Holy Land Pilgrimage amazing!

Service

Collette was great with communication before the trip so we were very clear on the itinerary and how to prepare. The customer service was terrific getting back to us with change of seating for flight and any questions. The tour guide Billy Jazzy was brilliant, enhanced the quality of our trip with his ability to guide our group of 36 efficiently & safely through each site visited. We saw more in a week than I thought possible! The hotels were in good locations and nice. I wish we had more dining options than buffets at hotel. A few local lunches were great while we were out on tour for the day, but it’s hard with busy agenda and large group to provide other meal options I guess. I’d recommend Collette for the Holy Land Pilgrimage!
Tour

2nd hotel wasn’t clean, Hotel buffets for dinner each night just ok.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Pilgrimage to Israel Discovery tour. We're sorry to hear you were disappointed with one of the hotels on tour. Your feedback will be reviewed by our Product Design Team so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

12/12/2019

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Service

Well arranged tour, excellent service in organizing, advertising, and with special needs.
Tour

Jerusalem was the highlight of the tour, and floating on the Dead Sea was a great experience!

12/12/2019

The second hotel was very dirty and the food was poor at best

Service

The service was very good from the US stand point professional and personable. The bus drive was excellent. the tour manager was very well versed in the region. He on occasion was very pushy with other groups trying to keep our place inline and that was something he could have done off line.
Tour

The Sea of Galilee The Tent

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Pilgrimage to Israel Discovery tour. We're sorry to hear you were disappointed with one of the hotels on tour. Your feedback will be reviewed by our Product Design Team so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

11/30/2019

Everything went fine

Service

I would definitely buy from them and/or recommend them to others.
Tour

We had a professional, considerate and knowledgeable tour guide. I had a beautiful experience all around. Dead Sea and Mount Tabor were definitely the best experiences. I had issues with the first night in Tel Aviv Hotel. I fell in the tub due to left over soap (I guess they forgot to rise the tub during cleaning) and had bruises until my return. I didn't bother reporting that because we only had one night there. No other problem otherwise.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Pilgrimage to Israel Discovery tour. We're sorry to hear you fell at the hotel in Tel Aviv. Your feedback will be reviewed by our Product Design Team to ensure future guests do not encounter the same situation.

Collette Support

11/30/2019

Loved every minute!

Service

This was a journey of a lifetime and I’m so glad I went with Collette
Tour

The most powerful experience was being in the Sacred Pit where Jesus spent the night alone and full of despair the night before he hung on the cross to die.. Everyone was overwhelmed with tears. I also loved being at the Sea of Galilee. It was amazing to think that Jesus walked on the same shore.

11/28/2019

Service

Very good tour. Tour guide was very knowledgeable. Fun to be in a group of people with similar interests. Nice that everything was taken care of ahead of time.
Tour

We got to see most of the most popular sites. It was a dream come true to tour the place where Jesus was born, lived, and died. Israel is a beautiful place. We were concerned about security, but we never felt unsafe. The advantages of going with a tour group are convenience, knowledgeable tour guide, with a group of similarly minded people, no worries about the details. Disadvantage was that we couldn't stop to spend additional time at favorite sites as we had to keep moving to see all the sites. This tour should have been one to two days longer.

11/25/2019

Service

great guide in Israel. need a guide in Jordan=not just a driver also could have used some help with a guide to get thru customs from Jordan back to israel
Tour

loved mount nebo-could have used a guide

11/25/2019

Service

Our first tour experience -- very well done Collette! Days were filled with interesting and informative events. The tour guide was excellent and the accommodations were first rate. And Israel was an unbelievable country! Monsignor Bakke is the best!!
Tour

see above

11/24/2019

Service

We covered a lot of ground in a short time and Msgr. Bakke did a great job of leading our group.
Tour

Favorite experience was the trip on the sea of Galilee. Should have suggested footwear for the Dead Sea dip!!

11/24/2019

Service

First day we just sat in the lobby waiting for a room
Tour

Guide was awesome, driver was good also.

11/23/2019

Service

Marvelous, well-informed guide. Itinerary included everything that we wanted to see, and a few things that we had not anticipated seeing.
Tour

Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

11/23/2019

Our group had the BEST tour guide!

Service

Yes, definitely recommend Collette!
Tour

Only regret is I wasn’t prepared for proper footwear to wear at Dead Sea area

11/23/2019

A dream of a lifetime to walk in the footsteps of Jesus

Service

Everything made our trip run smoothly. We were more than satisfied. Your customer service was great when we needed to call and have some attention noted for my husband’s bad knees down getting a seat to help accommodate his situation.
Tour

Our guide was exceptional. He brought history to life with his knowledge. Having Monsignor Larry to guide us and have Mass daily was a tremendous asset especially having him as a dear friend. The whole experience was a cherished lifetime memory. Being on the boat in the Sea of Galilee was spiritually felt and touching the place where Jesus was born was beyond words. The tour of places we went brought the Bible to life and a personal connection walking with Jesus.

11/22/2019

A trip of a liferime

Service

Being a past travel agent for many years, always felt very positive in suggesting Collette tours. I really liked the airport pick up from home.... I was not satisfied with the choice of Hotel in TelAviv.... Kfar Maccabiah, Dirty, Mold inside the room and in the hallways,furniture broken couldn't open the drawers, also location could have been better.......Also I was disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see the grave of Jesus.........
Tour

Just the whole experience of visiting the Holy Land.......It deepened my belief......what a wonderful experience.........

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the hotel in Tel Aviv. Your feedback will be processed and our Guest Relations Team will be following up with a resolution.

Collette Support

11/21/2019

Service

Prompt; organized; informative; recommendable customer service; knowledgeable staff
Tour

All of the places were testifying

11/21/2019

Service

Unacceptable hotels , location for the property in Tel Aviv was too far from the city center, mold in the bathrooms and ceilings , torn down furniture Leonardo Jerusalem should be replaced with Leonardo Plaza at the very minimum
Tour

Can’t recall any, tour started very early in the morning and were up at 5:00AM every day

Thank you for contacting us again regarding your Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced at the hotels. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out to discuss your feedback.

Collette Support

11/21/2019

There was too much to do in one day I would’ve cut out some of the historic

Service

We were on a religious pilgrimage. And I asked the guy to days in a row to pray the rosary and that was fine. On the third day he said that we would not have time to say it on the bus. We had 45 minutes when we were heading home to our hotel that we could have said it. There was no talking by the guide. When we arrived at our hotel he apologized that we did not have time to say the rosary today. But I held up the rosary and said we would do it in our room which was 1411. And I invited him to join us. The rest of the time he allowed us to pray the rosary on the bus. Also when we got to the border of Jordan for our extentWe had to wait for two hours for a bus and had to ask our guide to get us some water to drink. We should’ve been taken better care of for the price we paid for that extension.
Tour

Because I was in a Holy Land I was able to have a religious experience despite all of this being shuffled around and moving so fast through these religious areas. That was God

11/20/2019

trip of a lifetime. A true pilgrimage

Service

Excellent service. Wonderful choice of tour company and guide.
Tour

Each stop was explained by tour director and made our trip a true pilgrimage not just a trip.

11/17/2019

Our tour guide Rami Abu Hanna made the whole trip. He was just awesome!

Service

The accommodations were very nice and the tour was well organized. The only problem I had was the first day was a waste because nothing was planned.
Tour

I cannot provide my favorite memorable experience. I believe this was the most moving experience I will ever have.

11/16/2019

Great trip. Wonderful guide. Well planned out. Hotels were nice. Great food

Service

Well planned out. Fabulous guide. Nice hotels. Great food.
Tour

Best guide ever. Very knowledgeable.

11/16/2019

Service

The guide that led us through Israel was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed his explanations and he was able to answer most questions.
Tour

It is hard to provide one favorable experience as there were so many. Touring Jerusalem and Masada were very memorable

11/09/2019

It was a very good tour for 10 days.

Service

You handled our transportation and luggage very well. There were sites where we went that were totally unnecessary such as the Jordan River (the place where Christ was Baptized is now on a military base) and the Upper Room (there is nothing there as evidence of Christ and The Last Supper). There was NO free time as we purchased the "Tower of David" light show and the Dead Sea packages. If we hadn't purchased these, we would have had free time. The only place we were able to shop was one store in Bethlehem. I would only recommend this trip to someone that was in the best of shape. My husband and I are in very good shape and everyday was exhausting. We should have returned to the hotel around 2:30/3:00 not 5:30/6:00.
Tour

It was the trip of a lifetime. My favorite experience was when I touched the spot where Christ was born.

10/24/2019

Service

Thank you Collette for doing an amazing job of organizing every detail that made our trip so wonderful!
Tour

I loved that we experienced so many places in a short time! I loved it all, but perhaps my most touching and memorable experience was visiting The Garden of Gethsemane and the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Our tour guide was very informative and considerate of our needs! The only thing I would change would be to stay in a hotel within walking distance of restaurants and shops. Our last night we had dinner on our own, and we had to pay taxi fare to drive a considerable distance to a restaurant. It was quite pricey!

10/24/2019

Collette can do better

Service

The hotels for this trip were absolutely terrible. The hotel in Tel Aviv was in a suburb, away from any close by restaurants. Since it was the high holy days - the hotel restaurant had only expensive buffets. The room was moldy - in the shower, at the base of walls. The furniture was peeling and dirty - in both the rooms during our 2 stays. The staff was rude/not helpful. The hotel in Tiberius was also very second rate. The rooms were also not clean. Its clear that cleaning does not include corners. The tour guide was excellent. He was so knowledgeable and worked tirelessly to get us advantageous postions in lines at the various holy sites we visited. Eddy is absolutely a treasure.
Tour

The tour was excellent altho crowded in Jerusalem. Our tour manager Eddy was excellent

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the hotels chosen for this tour. Your comments will be reviewed by our Product Design Team in Israel so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

10/24/2019

Service

our tour guide was fabulous our driver was excellent but the hotel choices were poor selections
Tour

our destination was a fabulous thanks to our tour guide and driver made our trip safe and memorable

10/24/2019

The tour was jam packed with wonderful tours of the Holy Land.

Service

Arrangements were well planned as the destinations were accomplished every single day, we didn’t miss anything.
Tour

My expectations were satisfied by visiting the most important sites.

10/15/2019

Excellent experience

Service

The trip was choreographed very well with pickups and deopoffs. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and very personable. Bus driver was excellent and also very personable. Overall the trip was just done very well!
Tour

Overall travel and guides were great. Loved getting historical information about old city Jerusalem.

10/10/2019

Awesome

Service

It was great. There were only two problems the whole time. One was dinner at the hotel that the hotel didn’t know about. Not sure who’s fault that was, Collette’s or the hotel’s. This was promptly solved by our guide. Two was the bus that was supposed to pick us up and take us back to the airport was almost two hours late. Aside from these, it was outstanding. I would not hesitate to use Collette again. Our guide was amazing. He was very nice and very knowledgeable.
Tour

The tour was amazing. The pace was just a little fast but very informative and the guide was outstanding. It’s very hard to choose a favorite experience. Seeing and touching where Christ was born and buried were both very moving. Seeing the places where He walked and talked, I can’t describe the feelings I had.

10/10/2019

Review travel arrangements and communication

Service

Communication was not good. We were at the Jordan border and the guide tried to call the emergency number and nobody answered. I myself called twice about a lost item on the Iberia flight, the last call on the emergency number and never got an answer back. Contacted lost and found on Iberia airlines and didn't get an answer back. The flight schedule was the most long I have even been on to get to Israel. The hotel in Tiberius was filthy and we had a view on the trash pile behind it.
Tour

See comments higher up. The guides were good.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you experienced on tour. All feedback from your group will be reviewed by our Product Design Team. According to our notes we have been in contact with you regarding the item you left behind on the plane. We will follow up once we have more information the airline.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

It was a great trip!

Service

Yes I would recommend them! I would have given Collette an excellent but we did have two situations. For some reason....we did not have dinner reservations at our last hotel...even though we were supposed to. It was all cleared up for the remainder of our stay....but we did have to find another place to eat for dinner one night. Also, our bus was very late picking us up for our flight back to the states. Because the bus was 1 1/2 hours late....we were unable to do our tax exemptions at the airport and it was a very tight squeeze making it through security and on to our flight. As they say....stuff happens! So, all in all it was a great trip! I only mention these things because you are asking for information on how to improve your travel company and your arrangements. I thank God for the wonderful trip and for keeping us all safe.... I feel like we were truly blessed because any thing can happen when you have over 40 people on a 10 day trip over seas!!!! Thank you for a beautiful and memorable trip!
Tour

I feel like we were able to make the most of this trip. We were given many opportunities to explore Jerusalem and other cities that were ancient and a part of Jesus' life and ministry.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're happy to hear that overall it was a great trip but are sorry to learn about the issues you experienced on tour. Your feedback will be reviewed by our Product Design and Logistics Team's so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

Service

Overall, a good experience. I think the number of places we visited was too many in one day for most of the days. The pace for the first day especially was too frantic. Getting over jet lag etc. was difficult. Restroom facilities were also a problem. I realize in some ways the issues were out of Collette's control.
Tour

Old City of Jerusalem....

10/10/2019

Good trip Like Italy very happy about it! Bill.

Service

Sometimes when the guide is out of sight if he could say we are going right left or straight ahead when in crowded place and making many turns. Bill.
Tour

Good tour favorite place the church of the nativity

10/10/2019

Great until coming home

Service

The trip back was terrible. Bus was 2 hours late. JFK was a mess and the connection was too close together. We had to leave 5 people in JFK
Tour

It was okay. We didn't really have that much time to pray. We spent just as much time in gift shops

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're sorry to hear about the issues you experienced on tour with us. Guest Relations will be reviewing all feedback from your group and will be communicating a resolution through your group leader.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

long days, long walks, very busy trip.

Service

We had a wonderful tour guide. Hotels and food was good, but not great.
Tour

Walking the way of the cross.

10/10/2019

A few things weren't coordinated very well.

Service

Yes. I would use again but having traveled many times, there were a few things that were not good.
Tour

Most days were crammed with too much. Exhausted by 8pm when we get back on some days and then dinner and then get up and on bus at 7:30. When we left at 2 am on last day, bus driver did not have a list of the ones going at that time. Thought 13 but actually only 11 so couldn't check on list and waited 30 minutes after getting up at 1am.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're sorry to hear about the issues you experienced on tour with us. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Product Design Team so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

Good guides, bad hotels disappointing food

Service

I sent in a detailed recap of my issues. The Jordan extension was fabulous and hotels and food were 180 improvement from Israel. The itinerary and guide were fine and in fact good. The hotels selected and corresponding food was well below expectation and showed no creativity except for a fish lunch. To add to the frustration, there was no tour manager on our reentry into Israel (there was someone at the border to get us on the bus). I had to unload bags for the majority of the bus as there was no tour manager, no hotel curb service. There was a lot of confusion on when transfers were happening. You put us in a predominantly Jewish hotel on Sabbath. There was no coffee, a very LIMITED food option, no restaurants near by requiring several taxi expenses that should not have been needed! I am happy to talk any of these. I
Tour

Tour Managers in Israel (prior to reentry) and in Jordan would have been good-excellent.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're sorry to hear about the issues you experienced on tour with us. Guest Relations will be reviewing your feedback and will follow up with you.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

Collette staff added tremendous value to the trip

Service

Jake who met with us months before the tour did a great job explaining what to expect day to day on the tour. The tour host in Israel met the group at the airport and was with us daily until the time he dropped us off at the airport. He was excellent explaining details on the history of each site we visited, what to expect to see and maneuvering us through crowds. He was especially useful in getting the group to historical sites at times we could avoid long lines waiting to get in. His explanations of each site really added value to the visit and made each day more enjoyable. Can't say enough good things about the staff, the tour and the value added by having local expertise with us every step of the way.
Tour

The value added by the tour guide can't be overstated. Having someone share the history of each site and what to expect prior to each site visit really added value to the trip.

10/10/2019

Service

Did well: organization/planning of daily trip schedule, super tour guide, security never a problem. Hotels were nice. Needs work: airline travel issues! Stop blaming it on the airlines, and be proactive. Two months before the trip, Collette accepted 8 hr JFK layover for a group of 40 elderly people. I found plenty of options when I searched. Had to complain too much to get this improved. Never heard back from local Collette agent after I emailed her either. Next up: tipping tour guide and bus driver excessive amounts should be included in the original trip price. Next: Perception was Collette allows tour guides to choose where bus can shop, and advise group where not to shop. Just feels like someone is getting a kickback on this. I suspect some of the "included" lunches were done this way too. A few lunches were crowded with several bus tours all going to the same location for lunch. I would prefer Collette coordinated bus drivers to pick up American style box lunches and water while waiting for us to finish a tour site, so we could eat on the way to the next site.
Tour

see earlier comments on service.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with suggestions for improving this tour. Your comments will be reviewed by our internal department managers so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

10/10/2019

Israel/Jordan Tour

Service

Local Guides in both Israel & Jordan were great. Very organized & efficient. Bus drivers were superb....really handled their vehicles well in tight spaces. I have nothing but great things to say about the local guides & drivers. One of the hotels was very dirty...I had blood on my pillowcase, trash on the floor. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned at all. The optional tour to the Dead Sea was awful. Too crowded, like a honky-took experience with bars, too many people, filthy bathhouse.
Tour

Most memorable experience was a tie between being rebaptized in the Jordan River and walking the Stations of the Cross in old Jerusalem. The optional tour to Dead Sea was awful...very filthy place, too crowded, like a cheap Las Vegas experience. I went into the Dead Sea in Jordan & it was clean, peaceful. One of the hotels was dirty.

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're sorry to hear about the issues you experienced on tour with us. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out regarding your feedback.

Collette Support

10/06/2019

Service

Everything was processed for us. Airlines tickets, hotel rooms, transportation and food.
Tour

Everything was planned for us. Including where to purchase our souvenirs. It would have been better to spend more time at the religious site and less time at the scheduled gift shops.

10/04/2019

Trip of a lifetime

Service

First class accommodations and a tour guide (Micky) who was extremely knowledgeable
Tour

The Holy Sepulchre and tour of the old city

10/03/2019

Service

everythink
Tour

everything the places everything

10/03/2019

It was a great experience! Our tour guide made the difference

Service

It was great, every thing was top shelf. Mickey our tour guide was the best. We hit all the important sites and no waiting or wasted time.
Tour

All the holy sites were interesting, but I liked the Transfiguration Mount the best. The Dead Sea experience was memorable.

10/03/2019

I would NEVER RECOMMEND Collette for booking airfares

Service

I will never use Collette for airfare services. Totally unacceptable. The actual tour part of the experience was a 4 1/2 stars and done well
Tour

Again the tour experience was 4 1/2 stars. The whole airline waiting until 24 hours for seats is unacceptable. Especially when I paid $5000 for business class seats

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear you were disappointed with the your airline arrangements. Your feedback will be reviewed by our Air Coordinators and airline partners so that the overall touring experience for our guests can be improved.

Collette Support

06/23/2019

Service

Tour guide "Eddy" was great
Tour

hotels not what we expected and meals mediocre. Days packed and on site ran into another - no time to appreciate what we were experiencing

06/23/2019

Service

Terrific guide "Eddy" Hotels substandard and not the 4 star we were expecting. Jam packed schedule with little time for reflection or appreciation of the sites. Would not recommend to anyone. Planning for the trip was easy and the customer ervice reps very responsive.
Tour

substandard meals and hotels and schedule too packed - no time to appreciate where we were

Thank you for traveling with Collette on our Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land tour. We're very sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with the meals, hotel choices and pacing of the tour. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Product Design Team in order to improve the overall touring experience for our guests.

Collette Support

06/22/2019

Too many points of interest for time allotment. Air travel too long, there

Service

Air travel could be more direct, not so many changes. Flight times too early.
Tour

Not enough "on our time" or rest between events.

06/21/2019

The trip was great. A few bumps but very good

Service

Yes to both questions There were a few last minute changes. But over all very good
Tour

Again very good. Nothing is "perfect!"

06/20/2019

Service

More information prior to the trip would have been helpful.
Tour

My favorite part was the Sea of Tiberius, in part because there were fewer crowds.

06/06/2019

Service

Customer service was very responsive and helpful. The trip was wonderful. The guides and bus drivers (and buses) were great and very responsive to questions and concerns. The hotels were good. The food was great. I have no complaints at all.
Tour

Every visit to holy places was memorable. The Masses at each holy place each day were so memorable.

05/01/2019

Air fare arrangements need improving

Service

Having used Collette for the fourth time this trip I was hoping the flying options would have improved. You either have the choice of flung coach or business. One is too cramped for my legs and the other is too rich for my wallet. Flying coach plus or premium is how I prefer to fly long distances, but Collette will not work our these arrangements. I was able to fly with my group and obtain my own air fare.
Tour

Our group was made ups of christian travelers, most being Catholic, but our guide throughout the Holy was Muslim. He was an excellent guide and knew all the details of the holy sites, even quoting the Bible quite often, but some of our group would have preferred a christian or Catholic guide. One complaint was most of the hotel arrangements did not feel like 4 star hotels even though the booklet listed them as being such. Also, our first day in Jerusalem was a total waste, we arrive before noon and did nothing until dinner that night. Collette could have arranged at least to transport those of us who arrived early into Tel Aviv to see the sites, instead of hanging out in an out of the way hotel that provided no option within walking distance.

04/11/2019

Service

I received all the required information in a timely fashion. I was able to make changes without any problem.
Tour

The knowledge, organization and character of the tour guide and driver were instrumental in appreciating the incredible sights and history.

04/07/2019

Service

Overall was pretty good! My only concern was at the Leonardo hotel in Jerusalén, there was a bed bug in my bed and ants in the bathroom! Attached is a video of the bed bug.
Tour

Was a great time! Nice memories

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out to discuss your feedback.

Collette Support

04/06/2019

Service

Enjoyed the pick-up and delivery service to and from the airport. The pick-up in Te Aviv and delivery back to the airport. The hotels were ok not great. The food at the hotels was substandard, usually cold when it should have been hot. The service at the hotels was not great; we usually had to handle our own luggage if we wanted to make the bus on time. The arrangements by Collette were great.
Tour

There were too many sites scheduled each day. We had little time at each site. Would have enjoyed either more time there so we could take in all of the sites with more time or less sites with more time at each site. The religious sites selected were good. Did not enjoy having to go shopping at pre-selected sites. Would have rather enjoyed more free time to shop on our own.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Product Design Team in order to enhance the overall touring experience for our guests.

Collette Support

04/06/2019

A great tour company!

Service

The tour guide was knowledgeable and knew the tour sites well. The transportation starting from home, airports, transfers and sites was exceptional! The food provided was delicious and true to the regions we visited. The only thing I would change would be to allow some down time between one or two days of tours. The days were long and packed with information while moving from place to place.
Tour

The places we visited were exactly what we signed up for and well organized. Visiting the Dead Sea as an optional tour was a highlight but I wish we could have spent more time there as that was the only free day we had.

03/19/2019

A trip of a lifetime.

Service

The service was wonderful. The hotels were comfortable. The pilgrimage was tiring. Up early and on the go all day. Came back each night exhausted but thrilled with all the beautiful sights. The food was good. The airline made the trip very comfortable. The flight was long but I was able to sleep.
Tour

The tour was wonderful. Jerusalem was my favorite experience seeing all the sacred sights where Jesus was. I loved going to Jordan. Petra was my favorite experience.

03/17/2019

Service

Christian tour should not be put in Hasidic hotel that observes sabbath H rules and kosher dietary constraints
Tour

Tour guide Eddie was very good and accomotating.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel and for providing us with this valuable feedback. Your comments will be reviewed in order to improve the overall touring experience for our guests.

Collette Support

03/14/2019

I would give it a #3 out of #10!

Service

Hotel and food were kosher ... I would have preferred better quality food and hotels. Tour was very busy with 5 AM wake up and returning back to hotel near dinner time. We weren’t given any itinerary with specific timeframe of our activities. Eddy and Joe were great, but I would have plan it differently... If I only knew!
Tour

Too much information it was getting overwhelming.. you’d forget what you were looking at.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Product Design Team in order to improve the overall touring experience for our guests.

Collette Support

03/11/2019

Service

i was not happy how our tour guide behavior. He was very pushy where we should shop, waiting for his kick back. i was told by Rusty Brandt, that Collette backs us on any purchases for returning items and for me to wait till i got back for doing a return. I have not heard about my return and was charged back for product stocking fee of $85.00 return shipping was $37.00. So no, I am not happy. I also got sick and missed one whole day of trip, don’t know yet whether i will be refunded. Sarita Tijerina
Tour

Holy Sepulchral , and the surrounding areas

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. We are very sorry to hear about the disappointment you experienced while on tour. We are aware you have been in contact with a member of the Guest Relations Team in regards to these issues. Your feedback will be reviewed in order to improve the overall touring experience for our guests.

Collette Support

03/11/2019

I would not take a Colette tour based on experience of inadequate hotels

Service

All the hotels that Colette used were "old" & needed to be remodeled badly!!! The first hotel the shower head was clogged & barely any water came out. The second hotel only had the heat on in the rooms. When we tried to put on the air conditioner or fan it would only throw out hot air. We were told that the air conditioner would only be turned on in April. If it was warm or stuffy in our room then we had to open the slider type window. Needless to say bugs flew in the room & we could hear all the outside noises! Not a good solution! The third hotel also did not have the air conditioner turned on. So again we were at the mercy of opening the window because of the warmth & stuffiness in the room! There were no vent switches in any of the hotel bathrooms! Which only aggravated the stuffiness & warmth every time one bathed. The buffet type food for breakfast & dinner was ok. But after awhile it was the same ol thing each day & that got old quickly! A greater variety of food needs to be available. As well as some good ol standbys for those who are alittle homesick for mac & cheese or a burger.
Tour

The tours were "too rushed" & "too much" was packed into each day! I felt like I really didn't get to enjoy my surroundings because we were "always" on a very tight schedule to complete seeing all the venues each day! Very little free time & NO down time at all!!! By the time all was said & done I was ready to go home & completely exhausted!! We walked each day 3 to 4 miles. That didn't include the time spent waiting in line for an hour or two to get into a venue. The two most memorable experiences were at the Sea of Galilee when we rode a boat for almost an hour (yea)! The Dead Sea experience was also nice because we were able to spend a whole hour relaxing & lounging there without being rushed to leave. We even got to ride some camels!

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. We are very sorry to hear about your experience on tour with us. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out to discuss your feedback.

Collette Support

03/02/2019

Service was great

Service

Yes
Tour

Because service was great

02/17/2019

Service

The pilgrimage to Israel was the best group trip I have ever been on thus far. Such a wonderful experience to share among new friends. Our guide was tremendous, and I would recommend this trip to everyone.
Tour

The tour had a lot of excursions which kept us busy. We had only one day of rain, and we made the most of that day

02/07/2019

A well-organized, amazing pilgrimage.

Service

The whole management team was most helpful when I called with questions, prompt with answers or help as needed, provided great support through the agent I worked with. I could not have been more pleased. The hotel accommodations were excellent. Our tour guide was most knowledgeable. I look forward to my next trip with Collette!
Tour

All of the Holy Sites visited left a deep impression on those traveling with me and myself. Of the Masses I celebrated, the highlight was at Bethlehem, only about one hundred feet away from the Grotto of the Nativity of Jesus we visited afterwards. Our tour guide was most knowledgeable and the historical and religious background he supplied at each site made the visit that much more significant.

02/03/2019

An Unforgettable Pilgrimage

Service

The hotel selection was great, and the pace and the tour guide were exceptional.
Tour

The hotels, pace and tour guide Bilegh Jazi were great.

02/03/2019

Service

Nasar, our guide, was excellent!
Tour

Sea of Galilee and the knowledge of nasar the tour guide.

02/02/2019

Israel - 3rd time is the charm

Service

Overall it was a great experience. There was one minor glitch in communication, but we were able to cope with that. As the group leader, I had been told that a group of 6 would be joining us so I prepared enough materials for 32 people. Unfortunately once in TelAviv, I learned there were another 5 people added to the group. I always print extra materials but it ended up that 2 people did not receive my group song book or a book of prayers that focused on the Holy Land. A few had to share and it was not a big deal; however, when I lead groups I plan for excellence and this reflected poorly on me (in my opinion). This was the 3rd time to visit Israel and definitely the best mostly due to our tour guide Billy. He was excellent. A few had a minor issue that a Muslim would lead a Catholic group but I thought he did a very good job. Maybe I'm just more accepting of others of different faiths?
Tour

Excellent! The tour manager went above and beyond for our group

02/01/2019

Service

At our ONLY meeting with a Colette Rep he really did not have the answers to a lot people's questions. He seemed uncertain how things would work and relied on our group guide a lot for answers. The hotels we stayed in were not the most conducive to the size or our group nor accommodating. Water on the bus was absolutely terrible!!!! People had to purchase their own bottled water bc the water supplied by bus was awful. Restaurant selection was not very good - everything was the same. Everything was rushed because there were too many sights planned in too little days to do the sightseeing in.
Tour

Too little time to see and experience everything that was scheduled in this tour. Tour should have been 12 days not 9 or less should have been scheduled.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. Your feedback will be reviewed by the Product Design Team for Israel in order to improve the overall touring experience our guests.

Collette Support

02/01/2019

Service

First class all the way. second trip with Collette and just as good as the first. Hotels, food, transportation, planning: all great. Crowded places and too many other visitors trying to see and do the same things were the only drawbacks to the trip. Would do it again with Collette but would select the off season to do it.
Tour

look at previous statement

02/01/2019

Service

Did a good job in following promised itinerary. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.
Tour

Enjoyed overall experience.

02/01/2019

Service

Yes I would use Collette again. Tour was a little too rushed.
Tour

Well organized. Masada tour was my favorite part. Our guide was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and courteous. I thought too many stops were packed into each day. I feel I could have had a more enjoyable time if we visited fewer sites but spent more time in each. I feel we needed more free time to explore the sites in depth. Some are just a blurred memory.

02/01/2019

Pretty good tour enjoyable

Service

I went on a Catholic pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. The flyer mentioned being able to renew your wedding vows at Cana. Apparently this is available if you set it up in advance. I thought it was on our tour but it wasn’t. I wanted to see Christ’s tomb this was listed on the tour. I was only able to see it because I got a cab went myself early in the morning and then took a cab to catch the tour bus. Again if it was planned in advance we could have had mass and then seen the tomb immediately following if someone had set it up. I went and waited hours twice until I got in. I was never able to get to see the site of His crucifixion. Once again it should have been planned better
Tour

Could have been planned better.

01/19/2019

Very disappointing hotels and food. The advertising was 4 star but not so

Service

I wrote a letter and received a phone measage.. When I called back I never heard back from Collette. The food was reheated from the night before. The rooms were worn and not 4 star. I tried to use the front desk for local restaurants and they weren’t helpful.
Tour

Guide didn’t speak clear English. Best experience was day off from tour. Got to Holy Sepulcher early morning and enjoyed church. Itinerary changed several times. Nice booklet but not followed.

Thank you for traveling with Collette to Israel. A member of the Guest Relations Team will be reaching out to discuss your feedback.

Collette Support

01/18/2019

Holy Land Pilgrimage

Service

It was a wonderful trip. We packed in a lot in 8 days. There were some changes in scheduling at times, but everything worked out for the best. The guides were knowledgeable, the Foisies of TravelVision were very helpful and accommodating. Hotels were very good, particularly the last one we stayed in with wonderful dining experiences. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
Tour

Bethlehem, Cana, Nazareth, Jerusalem..each day was a fascinating experience. Everything we saw and did was educational and spiritually invigorating and brought us back to a most historical time of early Christianity in its scriptural context. It was interesting, too, to see other facets of Israel in contemporary times, to learn more about the different faiths and people who inhabited the land and still do today.

01/18/2019

Good tour, well organized. Currency was an issue. Too steered shopping.

Service

Navigating the airports, flights and hotel info was really good and well organized. Our tour guide (Raed Makhouli) in Israel was Outstanding and extremely knowledgeable. However, it would be helpful for Collette to better inform guests regarding the use of Credit Cards and US dollars before departing for Israel. About half of our group was unable to use the ATM at the hotel to exchange for shekels. And many of the retail vendors did not take Credit Cards. This made it very disappointing when buying merchandise to bring back. We would have exchanged our money at a bank in the US before departing if we had known and understood what would happen when we were in Israel. It would have been appreciated if we were allowed a small amount of time on each day's tour to frequent the local food stands and vendors instead of being steered to only pre-determined places to eat and shop. I realized the immensity of packing a lot of sites and experiences into each day, but some of the flavor of the Israeli experience was lost on the strict pre-determined schedule. The only day to explore Jerusalem and the city/culture was also the day that you had to make a choice ... a free day in Jerusalem or lose the day at the Dead Sea. I personally would have rather skipped Akko (Acre), the Knights of the Templar, in order to spend some time enjoying the food stands and merchandise vendors in the cities. I would have enjoyed seeing more of Jaffa and walking the streets and seaport. I know our trip was a religious pilgrimage tour, but a little of the current Israel would have been nice too.
Tour

Memorable experiences were the special holy sites: Jaffa, Basilica of the Annunciation, Town of Jesus - Nazareth, Primacy of Peter, Sea of Galilee boat ride, Mount Tabor, Shepherd's Field, Basilica of Nativity, Masada, Dead Sea, Church of the Holy Sepchular, Mount of the Beatitudes, Jordan River, Gethsemane), the amazing landscape and foods. I would have preferred to leave out Akko/Acre & Caesarea Maritime and spent more time in Jaffa. I would certainly take other tours with Collette again..

01/18/2019

Service

The pace was too fast and we could not take advantage of enjoying the sites we visited. Jerusalem was too crowded with people and we could not see all that we came to see because we were just shoved around by people and did not have time to visit all the sites because of the number of people. We had to leave and move on before we could even get into places that had a 3 - 4 hrs. wait-line to get inside.
Tour

I was in Jerusalem 25 years ago and it was nothing like this trip. We were able to go into sites that have now been closed to the public. It was a "holy" experience. Everything has gotten too commercial. Did enjoy Masada and the Dead Sea which I did not visit before.

01/18/2019

Service

The service in Israel was top notch...made especially good by our guide who was phenomenal. I did find the tour a bit rushed as we seemed to pile in a lot of sites per day. Things changed in Jordan. Now as for destination..I fell in love with Jordan...I would go back in a heartbeat. Our guide was good but we had no whisperers so when we arrived at a site, we couldn’t hear what he was saying unless you were right next to him. And our last night in Jordan was scary. There was no rep at the hotel so when our tour leader went in to see about our rooms, the bus driver took off with us...I guess to find a better parking spot but he just kept driving and he wouldn’t say where he was taking us. When he finally turned around and went back, I personally, was ill with relief. I don’t like being that frightened. Overall it was a good tour.
Tour

The trip to Wadi Rum...spectacular!!! If I ever went back I would want to stay overnight to view the stars ...the guide I talked to said it is magical.

01/18/2019

Service

The pre-trip information was very confusing because it was incorrect most of the time. There was no information in the app for the tour extension.
Tour

The actual trip was well organized and enjoyable. The local guides provided great background information and they were able to make changes to the order of site visits when necessary.

01/18/2019

Service

Way too rushed.
Tour

It was too rushed and was more of a tour than a pilgrimage

01/18/2019

Service

Highly comprehensive and informative with their pre-departure information. Everything was spelled out carefully and completely. Our Collette representative, Pat Chapin, was fantastic.
Tour

All of the heritage sites were great. Cana was particularly memorable as was the Via Dolorosa.

01/18/2019

Tour of a lifetime and worth having a tour guide!

Service

They provided a very good tour rep who was knowledgeable and caring. Our accommodations and food were fine, tour spots were what we expected and wanted. Wished the tour could have slowed down pace a bit to be able to enjoy the religious sites with more individual prayer time.
Tour

Most memorable spot was going to the Church of the Holy Seplechure

01/18/2019

Will not use Collette again or recommend them.

Service

Days were too long. Exasting! No time to shower or rest before rushing to dinner. No cultural experience. No time to shop in the markets. Almost every dinner was at the hotel with the same experience. Would have been nice to eat at different restaurants with different choices to order. Very poor help for lady who didn’t get her luggage for 4 days. She had to track things herself. Didn’t get to see the Holicost museum or experiences an Israeli Christian mass . The stores we were taken to were too expensive and very over priced .wasted way to much time at hotels waiting for room assignments and keys.
Tour

Tour guide was good.. bus was very nice . people were great!

Thank you for your feedback regarding the Pilgrimage to Israel tour. This tour and its itinerary are designed to engender both faith and cultural experiences. Time for shopping may be limited as a result. This tour includes many significant religious and cultural sites. Due to this, days can be longer than what may be typical but the pacing is moderate. If you would like to discuss the tour or any other matter further, please feel free to contact the General Manager of Collette's Canadian office at 888-243-5549 Ext. 40153.

Collette Support

10/27/2018

A most amazing and fulfilling Pilgrimage to the Holy Land!

Service

Excellent! The tour bus was beautiful. Our tour guide, Nasser Aweidah, was very knowledgeable & friendly. Our Bus Driver, Ismail, was an outstanding driver & very courteous.
Tour

Every place we visited was just so spiritual. Church of the Nativity, Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall to name just three.

12/01/2016

Wonderful Tour

Service

Details were given in a timely manner. The pick-up service to and from the airport, both here and in Tel Aviv was appreciated
Tour

The boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and the sites in the old city of Jerusalem were most memorable.

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Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

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Israel: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land