Recently a tweet from the Australian Writers’ Centre turned up in my timeline for a competition of theirs for the ‘Best Australian Blogs Competition’.
I had a look through the entry and the terms and conditions. I usually do the latter to see if there’s anything nasty hiding in the terms and conditions for various competitions. Mostly I end up not actually entering competitions because many include terms like ‘indefinite use’. The terms and conditions for this competition don’t appear to include anything like that.
Trafalgar, a travel company I’ve never heard of is offering as part of the prize a “A seven-night guided holiday to an international destination”, but when I read it the first time I did skip over the description, but went back and re-read it as one of the terms struck me as odd.
“Guided holiday”, what is that?
On Trafalgar’s website FAQ it states:
“On a Trafalgar holiday you can be sure that every detail is taken care of - from our fleet of luxury coaches to our expert Travel Directors, all of which will give you an insider's perspective on every destination to create a memorable holiday experience you simply could not have your own.”
Luxury coaches.
So, it is, what I thought when I first read “guided holiday”.
It’s a bus tour.
On Trafalgar’s FAQ they have a question that is “What is the difference between "visit", "view" and "see" in the itineraries?” and have to define what each of these mean.
“See” means that bus drives past. “View” means you get led off the bus for s short stop, by which I take it to mean it’s a toilet stop, it says “this is a great opportunity to take photos”. “Visit” means you actually get to get off the bus and have a look around, have a look around a site where you have to pay to get in, though the entrance fee is included. So that’s something.
What I find a little bit surprising, edging close to ludicrous is that many blogs are about personal experience. In fact the Australian Writers’ Centre’s categories for the competition are:
Maybe I’m an odd one out, but thinking of holidays I like to have unique different experiences and (forgive the pomposity) I want control of my own destiny. Or at the very least my own destination.
I don’t want to be led around like a lamb in a road train on the way to slaughter.
Which is how I’d liken a ‘guided holiday’ to.
I’m sure people have seen those bus tours at tourist locations (and road houses) around the world, being led off the bus to have their 5 minutes of photos, toilet break and whatever else.
I can’t think of anything that would inspire writing less than a guided holiday. Just the thought of one makes me grumpy.
I can’t think of anyone who’s under 65 or without children who would actually think a guided holiday was a good thing.
So, after being cramped into a plane to get to whatever destination you’re going to what’re going to do? Get into a car you can drive yourself? No, why do that? How about jump onto public transport in whichever city you’re in? Oh no, you wouldn’t want to mingle with the ordinary people? What about catching a taxi? Some local knowledge and setting everything rush past at ground level? No, a taxi where you might be over charged or the taxi driver might not have English as a first language?
I know, how about you get straight off that aluminium tube that flies and get onto a bus! A bus that’s air conditioned. Where you’re with other people who’ve paid exactly the same price (or maybe a little more to be able to have a little more freedom than you) and then be driven around to all the various locations where you’re trotted off to take photos and then shoved back on the bus before being taken to your hotel room.
What a terribly awful idea.
Can I think of any positives of this idea?
Well, I do know of concepts like this that I can see the appeal of. The Captain’s Choice which is a business that I wouldn’t quite describe as being cheap.
But it does provide an experience which would be unique and yet still safer and different to going alone. I know people who’ve gone on Captain’s Choice tours and have thoroughly enjoyed them.
The Captain’s Choice tours a good for individuals of a certain age who want to experience unique situations without the faffing around that one might not want to do.
But still allowing you out and doing things.
It’s something I just don’t think a bus tour allows. Yes, you do get free time according to the websites I’ve looked at but...
But I should be sticking to my topic of positives for the bus tour. Sorry, what was the language? “Luxury coaches”. Yes. That’s so much better than a bus tour.
Well, like a Contiki Tour you could go out all day, take some photos to put on social media and then get drunk at night. Get drunk to block out the reality of being stuck on a bus.
Thinking on that I think I’d still prefer to go on a Contiki Tour than a “guided holiday”. There’s probably little difference between a tour and a guided holiday, aside from the more florid language to describe the latter.
But with a Contiki Tour, to take a random example a 14 Day “European Highlights” tour is priced at AUD $1981. Included in that price is meals; 13 breakfasts and 7 dinners.
From Trafalgar a sort of comparable tour is the 17 day “Wonders of Europe 2014” tour priced from AUD $5799. Included in it is 16 breakfasts and 7 diners.
I’m not a ‘go on a tour’ sort of person. But I think from a seeing things point of view, even from a kicking back and enjoying life and seeing the things point of view, I’d still enjoy the Contiki Tour more than the Trafalgar tour.
Plus there’s the cost difference. Almost 3 times the price of the Contiki Tour. For a bus tour.
Sorry. Luxury coach guided holiday.
At least with a Contiki Tour there’s going to be lots of other people who’ve paid a small amount of money with hopefully cash left over to spend on alcohol to help white out the nights (and days).
Plus, spending a smaller amount of money means, if things go awry, or you want to be able to go and do something additional to the tour it’s a cost, but as you’re not spending a huge amount on the tour these bumps can be ignored.
With a luxury coach guided bus holiday tour, spending what is a considerable amount on a bus tour, you’re going to want, and going to expect that everything goes smoothly and you get precisely what it says on the tin. You’ll also be quite annoyed if it doesn’t go as smoothly as it’s suggested it would, as many reviews on Epinions.com suggest.
It is rather telling on that the apparent age of everyone on Trafalgar’s website appears to be greater than 50. It’s in stark contrast to the Australian Writers’ Centre (AWC) website which also features images of people all looking much more youthful. I don’t think anyone on the Australian Writers’ Centre’s website is over 50, or if they are it’s a very youthful 50.
None of the people listed on the AWC’s “Graduate case studies” page seems like the sort of person who would grab at the chance to go on a guided bus tour holiday.
The other prizes that the AWC is offering comes from the AWC itself and Random House, which are I think a much better fit for such a competition than a guided bus holiday.
I was tempted to title this post ‘How not to win a competition’, not that I’ve yet to actually enter the AWC’s blog competition. But as I’ve just spent 1400+ words slagging off the concept of one of their sponsor’s business I don’t think I’d be in the running to win anything.
I had a look through the entry and the terms and conditions. I usually do the latter to see if there’s anything nasty hiding in the terms and conditions for various competitions. Mostly I end up not actually entering competitions because many include terms like ‘indefinite use’. The terms and conditions for this competition don’t appear to include anything like that.
Trafalgar, a travel company I’ve never heard of is offering as part of the prize a “A seven-night guided holiday to an international destination”, but when I read it the first time I did skip over the description, but went back and re-read it as one of the terms struck me as odd.
“Guided holiday”, what is that?
On Trafalgar’s website FAQ it states:
“On a Trafalgar holiday you can be sure that every detail is taken care of - from our fleet of luxury coaches to our expert Travel Directors, all of which will give you an insider's perspective on every destination to create a memorable holiday experience you simply could not have your own.”
Luxury coaches.
So, it is, what I thought when I first read “guided holiday”.
It’s a bus tour.
On Trafalgar’s FAQ they have a question that is “What is the difference between "visit", "view" and "see" in the itineraries?” and have to define what each of these mean.
“See” means that bus drives past. “View” means you get led off the bus for s short stop, by which I take it to mean it’s a toilet stop, it says “this is a great opportunity to take photos”. “Visit” means you actually get to get off the bus and have a look around, have a look around a site where you have to pay to get in, though the entrance fee is included. So that’s something.
What I find a little bit surprising, edging close to ludicrous is that many blogs are about personal experience. In fact the Australian Writers’ Centre’s categories for the competition are:
- Personal/Parenting
- Lifestyle/Hobby
- Food (reviews or recipes)
- Commentary
- Business
- Words and Reading
Maybe I’m an odd one out, but thinking of holidays I like to have unique different experiences and (forgive the pomposity) I want control of my own destiny. Or at the very least my own destination.
I don’t want to be led around like a lamb in a road train on the way to slaughter.
Which is how I’d liken a ‘guided holiday’ to.
I’m sure people have seen those bus tours at tourist locations (and road houses) around the world, being led off the bus to have their 5 minutes of photos, toilet break and whatever else.
I can’t think of anything that would inspire writing less than a guided holiday. Just the thought of one makes me grumpy.
I can’t think of anyone who’s under 65 or without children who would actually think a guided holiday was a good thing.
So, after being cramped into a plane to get to whatever destination you’re going to what’re going to do? Get into a car you can drive yourself? No, why do that? How about jump onto public transport in whichever city you’re in? Oh no, you wouldn’t want to mingle with the ordinary people? What about catching a taxi? Some local knowledge and setting everything rush past at ground level? No, a taxi where you might be over charged or the taxi driver might not have English as a first language?
I know, how about you get straight off that aluminium tube that flies and get onto a bus! A bus that’s air conditioned. Where you’re with other people who’ve paid exactly the same price (or maybe a little more to be able to have a little more freedom than you) and then be driven around to all the various locations where you’re trotted off to take photos and then shoved back on the bus before being taken to your hotel room.
What a terribly awful idea.
Can I think of any positives of this idea?
Well, I do know of concepts like this that I can see the appeal of. The Captain’s Choice which is a business that I wouldn’t quite describe as being cheap.
But it does provide an experience which would be unique and yet still safer and different to going alone. I know people who’ve gone on Captain’s Choice tours and have thoroughly enjoyed them.
The Captain’s Choice tours a good for individuals of a certain age who want to experience unique situations without the faffing around that one might not want to do.
But still allowing you out and doing things.
It’s something I just don’t think a bus tour allows. Yes, you do get free time according to the websites I’ve looked at but...
But I should be sticking to my topic of positives for the bus tour. Sorry, what was the language? “Luxury coaches”. Yes. That’s so much better than a bus tour.
Well, like a Contiki Tour you could go out all day, take some photos to put on social media and then get drunk at night. Get drunk to block out the reality of being stuck on a bus.
Thinking on that I think I’d still prefer to go on a Contiki Tour than a “guided holiday”. There’s probably little difference between a tour and a guided holiday, aside from the more florid language to describe the latter.
But with a Contiki Tour, to take a random example a 14 Day “European Highlights” tour is priced at AUD $1981. Included in that price is meals; 13 breakfasts and 7 dinners.
From Trafalgar a sort of comparable tour is the 17 day “Wonders of Europe 2014” tour priced from AUD $5799. Included in it is 16 breakfasts and 7 diners.
I’m not a ‘go on a tour’ sort of person. But I think from a seeing things point of view, even from a kicking back and enjoying life and seeing the things point of view, I’d still enjoy the Contiki Tour more than the Trafalgar tour.
Plus there’s the cost difference. Almost 3 times the price of the Contiki Tour. For a bus tour.
Sorry. Luxury coach guided holiday.
At least with a Contiki Tour there’s going to be lots of other people who’ve paid a small amount of money with hopefully cash left over to spend on alcohol to help white out the nights (and days).
Plus, spending a smaller amount of money means, if things go awry, or you want to be able to go and do something additional to the tour it’s a cost, but as you’re not spending a huge amount on the tour these bumps can be ignored.
With a luxury coach guided bus holiday tour, spending what is a considerable amount on a bus tour, you’re going to want, and going to expect that everything goes smoothly and you get precisely what it says on the tin. You’ll also be quite annoyed if it doesn’t go as smoothly as it’s suggested it would, as many reviews on Epinions.com suggest.
It is rather telling on that the apparent age of everyone on Trafalgar’s website appears to be greater than 50. It’s in stark contrast to the Australian Writers’ Centre (AWC) website which also features images of people all looking much more youthful. I don’t think anyone on the Australian Writers’ Centre’s website is over 50, or if they are it’s a very youthful 50.
None of the people listed on the AWC’s “Graduate case studies” page seems like the sort of person who would grab at the chance to go on a guided bus tour holiday.
The other prizes that the AWC is offering comes from the AWC itself and Random House, which are I think a much better fit for such a competition than a guided bus holiday.
I was tempted to title this post ‘How not to win a competition’, not that I’ve yet to actually enter the AWC’s blog competition. But as I’ve just spent 1400+ words slagging off the concept of one of their sponsor’s business I don’t think I’d be in the running to win anything.