North Sea Jazz package 2023

North Sea Jazz festival 2023 package

Firstly if it wasn't for the group of people we travelled with + our own plans, this would have been a disaster.

The service from Blacktrotters and reaction/responses from the owners on this trip deserves a non rating so I will stick with one star. The host Nombuso was putting out fires from the moment this trip started at OR Tambo

1. Our group was the 1st 2 groups to fly out of OR Tambo. The other two groups had their flights delayed and this communicated a day before flying out. Mind you other people had already travelled from other provinces. Connecting flight at Doha was delayed by 8 hours. A change that was done the Tuesday before we left by Blacktrotters which was confirmed by Qatar customer service and denied by Blacktrotters . None of this was communicated to us so we went ahead booking activities for the day of arrival. 8 hours in slow lounge realising we lost 6 hours and another group catching the original flight.

2. On arrival in Paris, we were told the MDs would meet us a the hotel for check in. We checked ourselves in with no welcome from the MDs who had been in Paris a day before the group. No early check in or breakfast was organised for the group that left with the original connecting flight , so they basically checked in when we did. They also only found out about the rest of us that got left behind when we arrived. The hotel in Paris was changed to another, so the 5 minute walk to the Eiffel dream was dashed on arrival (LOL). The food at the new hotel made up for it yazi. Anyway we got over it and moved on.

3. The personalised city tour turned highlights tour was so rushed. Nothing personalised about this tour, no hidden gems seen, no water in the "luxury" vclasses (LOL), no historical playbacks of the locations we stopped at.

4. Having to carry other people's bags to the train station because Blacktrotter had not organised big enough cars to transport everyone and their bags. Shout out the ubuntu spirit that we had as the last group to leave for Amsterdam.

5. Mobile jazz tickets that only got distributed the night before the festival where some people only received them on the day in the afternoon. The frustration of having to wait for the jazz tickets, the elderly having to be helped to navigate apps to download their tickets ON THE DAY OF THE FESTIVAL

6. Having to figure out our own way to the festival via train. Shout out to the locals. Information that Blacktrotter as a luxury travel expert company should have provided WITHOUT having to be asked

7. I don't even want to comment about the 20 HOUR overlay at Doha coming back home which we told about the night before leaving. Yuuu the hotel we were booked into. I'm sure Blacktrotter wouldn't dare post this hotel and the combi transfers on their page. Akere they are luxury travel experts lol lol lol. Not to mention 3 non SA travelers who at passport control found out that the Qatar transit VISA had not been organised. We left them at the airport and got the full details of how they spent 20 hours at the airport. Had to pay for their accommodation and put up a fight for the refund

8. Almost every single driver of the transfer cars were throwing a fit before payment being made. Yazi we watched in annoyed disbelief as cards declined at Amsterdam train station while paying the transfer driver.

9. I laugh now but it definitely was not funny thinking how I handed the admin of this trip to a company that promised me a luxury, curated fuss free holiday. I guess I am the fool for believing their representation of how they would treat us.

10. After the confrontation at Amsterdam central with Mr Afrika, the disappeared on us. His body language, excuses riddled with blame directed at others, blaming even the host (his employee) spoke of a business owner who doesn't care much for any feedback he gets. Always travelling ahead of the group but nothing done to remedy the issues raised along the way. The owners were sure on holiday with us and NOT hosting us. We met another group of people taht had used Blacktrotter for the 2022 trip. We apparently had it worse (LOL)

11. I wouldn't recommend them to any of my close circle, plan trips yourselves or use them at your own risk.