It’s always so interesting for me to hear about how you get the most out of your OAT adventures—whether it be a hidden spot you found while exploring, a special dish you enjoyed, or the people you met along the way. Sometimes, our most memorable exchanges can stem from our asking a question as simple as, “What are you having?”
Cindy S. loves many things about Greece—which she has visited twice already. Here, she shares an experience in which the traveler became the tour guide … and four strangers became fast friends.
Dear Harriet,
Last year, my traveling companion, Ray, and I took an OAT trip to Greece and as we were landing, I felt like I was coming home. It was my second trip to Greece and I can't wait for my third. There is no better way to see it than on a small ship.
One day into the trip, the captain informed us that because of the weather, we would be docking at an unscheduled island ... so we saw all the islands on our itinerary—plus one more.
On our stop in Naxos, we did a morning tour past the castle. I noticed on the bulletin board outside of the castle entrance that there was a show that night. Our walking isn't that great, so I knew we wouldn't make it in time.
As we continued on our walk, we walked by one of the tavernas. I noticed a couple eating something that looked delicious. I asked what it was and they said, “Yogurt with honey.” We sat with them for almost an hour, during which I told them about the show at the castle.
Later that evening, Ray came running in saying, “Your friends are here!” I didn't know what he was talking about since we had no “friends” there. Then he explained that the couple we had met was outside of the boat—they had come to thank us. Because of us, they saw the show and said it was wonderful. They also wanted to wish us the best on the rest of our holiday.
That experience is why I love the country and I tell everyone they must see it on a small ship to experience the real Greece.
Cindy S.
4-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador
Potomac, Maryland
While outgoing travelers like Cindy find it easy to make friends both on and off their small ship, others are hesitant to travel in a group—particularly if they’re traveling solo. In an OAT small group, however, most travelers realize they needn’t have worried. Vera S., for example, shares how comfortable she felt on her recent trip to the Dalmatian Coast.
Dear Harriet,
I just returned from a wonderful trip to the Dalmatian Coast. I remember every stop we made. I did not even mind getting up in the middle of the night to see the new bridge connecting two parts of Greece! I had a nice roommate and I can’t recommend the trip enough. As a widow, it is sometimes difficult to feel comfortable traveling with a large group, but the OAT groups are just right for this.
Sincerely,
Vera S.
8-time traveler
Cupertino, California
Although our focus on this edition of Harriet’s Corner is Greece and Croatia, I wanted to take a moment to address our neighbor to the north. I’ve received several inquiries like the one below from Sheila D., who wants to know why OAT can’t send mail to Canada.
Dear Harriet,
I am an experienced traveler with OAT and Grand Circle who lives in central Canada. I would be pleased to call my women friends and encourage them to travel using OAT, but your policies are not user-friendly to Canadians and your company will not send mail to a Canadian address.
I consult your website for information about trips and find it very informative. I have declined receiving your promotional brochures and now have specific information sent as an email attachment each time I travel. The reason for this is because all print material from your company is sent to my son's address in Wisconsin, which both he and I find an inconvenience. I have recruited one Canadian friend who has traveled with me once and will do so again in January, but her mail also goes to my son's address because she has no family members living in the US.
There is no reason why a progressive, successful company like yours cannot move to a paperless system.
Regards,
Sheila D.
12-time traveler
Central Canada
Sheila, thank you so much for sharing your concerns. I’m happy to report that we’re making some changes to our mail policy for Canada. In the past, it’s not that we didn’t want to mail to Canada, it’s that we weren’t able to mail to you. Our database and automated mailing systems weren’t built to handle Canadian ZIP codes, which, unlike American ones, contain letters as well as numbers. To work around this problem, we asked that our Canadian travelers provide us with a mailing address in the U.S. to which we could send OAT travel documents. We realize that this process was not ideal for our Canadian travelers—or for the U.S. residents tasked with forwarding OAT information to their Canadian friends and family.
I’m glad to be able to tell you that we are currently working to fix this mailing issue—which will enable you to receive travel documents for 2010 departures directly to your home in Canada.