Keukenhof Gardens was fabulous!!! Just find another way to get there. The tour operator, Alex, falsely advertised this as a "private tour, for just our party, up to 3 passengers" for $425. We booked it months in advance directly with a Viator agent for pick up at the Rotterdam cruise ship terminal. Days before the tour date, we receive an update via Viator from our tour guide. Alex is now advising us that he had soooo many more inquiries that he has changed it from a private tour for 2, to a group tour of 10 (plus his wife and 2 teens, for a total of now 14). It was tooo late for us to rebook with someone else. We could have saved $150+ per person if we had originally booked a group tour. I called Viator, they gave me the run around, bottom line they didn't care at all. Then, days later, he is reaching out again, now offering us a "short walking tour" for $100 more to be paid directly in cash to him. We also did not receive the meeting place information the day prior. (We were not the only ones.) Once we finally found Alex (he wasn't looking for us), then we had to continue to wait outside in the cold, the "minibus and driver" he hired was also over a half hour late. Alex had no qualms about his bait and switch scheme to line his pockets at our expense.
Dear Mrs. Nemeth, some other customers (participants) of Keukenhof tour experienced the same procedure as you did but evidently they have much more better meanings about everything happening around that day. 1) The mean of transportation - yes, it is true I hired mini bus for more persons which was much more comfortable and equipped than my (small) private car and VERY PROBABLY I made them joy and happiness ..thus not only to you but to some other people as well ..and evidently they have 5 star reviews (e.g. Mrs. Olivia, your fellow traveler , this tour participant)... about personal impressions and meanings - it's illusory to discuss about it. 2) Meeting time - you discuss mini bus was delayed 1/2 hour. It's true, this is common situation here in Netherlands on crowdy highways. It could happen to me with my car as well. ..oh yeah… you didn't mention that ALL OF US WAITED FOR YOU NEXT CA 10-15 MIN AFTER BUS FINALLY CAME BECAUSE YOU URGENTLY NEEDED RESTROOM... but we're living beings... everybody must ..isn’t it ? ..b.t.w I didn’t comment anything. Even more I took you there and waited for you until you finish… like real gentleman, right ? 3) Transportation - it was more than enough in luxury mini bus ( pax 16) so what do you have against my wife and my cousins who joined us... You were about lack of space in the bus or what?? This is ridiculous and discriminatory remark madam. 4) Additional walking tour in Rotterdam - yes , it’s true.. I offered to you and to rest of customers additional 2 hours walking tour in Rotterdam for 100 USD after coming back from Keukenhof. Why? Because you booked just transport and entrance tickets TO and FROM Keukenhof. Initially Rotterdam WAS NOT part of the tour in Keukenhof and since it was a bit time to organize a short walking tour in Rotterdam, I simply offered to all of you additionally and optionally. It was optional on 100 %. 5) Meeting point - madam, I meet and greet my customers coming to Port of Rotterdam within at least last 5 years at the same place and the same way – the main entrance /exit gate of Rotterdam Passengers Terminal building… and there is no any other. I really don’t understand why you walked away ca. 100 meters of that point? I met the rest of participants at agreed place and it wasn't any problem.. . (E.g. yesterday I met 8 of them as well without any problem)… and nobody had complains about ..except of you of course… I was waiting for you all this time madam so that’s one and only reason why I didn’t looking for you. You were not one and only person I was waiting for…I had next 9 passengers. ..and I repeat one more time – ESTBLISHED MEETING POINT WAS ENTRANCE/EXIT FROM THE PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING NOT THE BUILDIN’S CORNER CA 100 M FURTHER ! 6) Waiting in cold weather conditions – I am sorry madam but I am not "chosen one" and gifted ed to create nice weather conditions up on somebody’s wish… Nor for anybody else nor even not for myself….and Keukenhof is located in windy and rainy Netherlands not in Africa. 7) Qualms, bait, switch scheme etc. … - Madam you got what you paid….maybe even bit more that you expected.. This is business… and yes , I am here to earn money in my business …fair play business … and its my motto ! Finally take a look the rest of my reviews and experiences with other customers. They refer enough about me and my fair play attitude regarding my customers and things I do. I wish you many pleasant moments on your roads around world. Cheers! Alex
