- What is the difference between a Charter and a
Tour
Package ?
- Why do I need 40 passengers
for a tour package?
- Are there any costs that are NOT included
in my price ?
- You mention a driver's gratuity - how much is
customary ? Why isn't it included in my rate ?
- Does Classic Tours own and maintain their own
motorcoaches ?
- What about insurance ? Can you provide an
insurance certificate ?
- Will my price change after I
receive a confirmation ?
- Are Classic Tours' drivers safe
?
- Where is Classic Tours licensed
to operate ?
- Can I visit Classic Tours'
offices ?
A charter is simply the renting
of a motorcoach and a driver for a certain period of time. Your rate is based on
a formula of miles and hours. The
price is the same, regardless of the number of passengers on board.
A tour
package, on the other hand, may include meals,
admissions, accommodations, and other amenities.
A tour rate is calculated
on a "per person" basis, usually based on 40
passengers per motorcoach. Upon request,
Classic Tours will gladly calculate your rate on a
smaller number of passengers.
Unlike a charter, where the cost is the same whether there
are 10 passengers or 56 (our largest capacity motorcoach), tour packages involve
additional costs, such as meals, admissions, accommodations, and so forth that
are calculated on a per person basis. The cost
of transportation is then divided by 40 and added to the component costs. The cost increases
proportionately if you would like us to base the trip on, for example, 30
passengers. To demonstrate - if the ticket cost to the ABC Theater in NYC
(not a real theater) is $75.00 and your meal cost is $25, the entire cost,
including transportation (based on $1,000 for your entire group), would be $125 per person for 40 passengers
($75 for your theater ticket + $25 for your meal + $25 for transportation). If
you reduce your count to 30 passengers, the cost would be closer to $133 per
person ($75 for your theater ticket + $25 for your meal + $33 for
transportation). We have found that 40 passengers is a reasonable number for most
groups.
Classic Tours is always happy to calculate the rate based on a
lower number of passengers so that you can make the comparison and decide for
yourself.
NOTE: When comparing our prices to those of
our competitors, be sure to compare the minimum number of passengers required
and, also, the number of "comps" provided. Different companies offer
different policies. Classic Tours "comp" policy is among the most generous
in the motorcoach industry.
For one-day tours, Classic Tours offers
"comps" (complimentary tours) for the 41st, 47th, and 55th passengers. For
multi-day tours, we offer comps to the 41st and 42nd passengers.
Beware
those companies that offer comps, for example, to the 47th and 48th passengers.
If you have only 42 passengers, those companies give you zero comps, whereas
Classic Tours gives you 2 comps for the same number of passengers!
Usually, the only additional
cost is the customary driver gratuity and, in the case of multi-day trips, the
driver's accommodations and chambermaid gratuities. However, there may
occasionally be an added fee for parking (e.g., Yankee
Stadium) or a required government permit (e.g., Cape
May, NJ, Washington, DC).
Our travel professionals will make you aware of these
added charges when you make your reservation. All tolls
are included. There is no sales tax on transportation; sales tax for
expenses such as meals and admissions ARE INCLUDED in your tour rate.
The standard driver gratuity is 10% of the cost of a charter.
For tour packages, the customary driver gratuity is
$2.00 per passenger per day. It is standard practice
in the motorcoach industry to exclude driver gratuities from the price.
Of course, if our driver does not meet your expectations,
a smaller gratuity might be in order
-- as well as a call to our office!
Some groups
prefer to include the gratuity at the time of booking. For example, a
bride or groom may wish to add the gratuity to the motorcoach rate so that they
do not need to seek out the driver on the day of the wedding. Our travel
professionals would be happy to add in whatever amount you wish.
Some
groups wish to take up a collection on the motorcoach or run a "50-50". We
encourage these groups to do so when the motorcoach is NOT
in motion, for safety reasons.
Absolutely! All of our coaches were purchased
brand new and are maintained at our own Lakewood, NJ garage facility. Our lead
mechanic, Kevin Hull, and our
Maintenance Coordinator, Al Soden, are among the most qualified and experienced
maintenance technicians in the industry. Our entire Maintenance Staff -
mechanics, cleaners, detailers - are known throughout the industry for Classic's
attention to detail and excellence.
Our motorcoaches are inspected twice a year and meet all
requirements as determined by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Our
coaches are serviced every 5,000 to 6,000 miles. During the busiest times
of year, this may be more than once per month.
Classic Tours is fully insured by Lancer Insurance Company, a leader in
motorcoach insurance. An insurance certificate can be furnished, upon request.
Your group may be listed as "additionally insured" if necessary.
Although our confirmations have always included a
provision that we may add an energy surcharge if circumstances dictate, in 25
years, it has rarely been necessary to do so.
If the price of fuel doubles between the time that
your confirmation is signed and the time that your trip runs, we
may ask for a surcharge. BUT, once again, we
make every effort to honor the originally quoted price and we have done so over
99.8% of the time.
Are Classic Tours' drivers safe
?
Classic Tours is proud to maintain the highest safety
rating, as determined by the United States government. Each of our drivers
is individually road tested by Classic Tours' president. We demand that
our drivers operate our motorcoaches safely, professionally, and courteously at
all times.
Classic Tours holds two "authorities", or licenses to
operate. We operate in New Jersey under NJMVC 469C, which authorizes
operations throughout the state of New Jersey. We also operate throughout
the United States and Canada under USDOT 255501 (ICC MC168204).
Can I visit Classic Tours' offices
?
Yes. Our offices are located in the Hudson City
Plaza at the corner of Route 70 and Route 571 in Manchester, NJ. Although
our patrons are welcome at any time, we suggest that customers wishing to plan
trips and/or tours make an appointment so that we can set aside sufficient time
to give you our undivided attention. Our garage and operations center are
located at a separate location in Lakewood, NJ.
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