A collection of our 2014 travel testimonials in one place.
Jimmy and Abby | Ireland | March, 2014
Crystal Travel helped plan our honeymoon which also coincided with a family wedding this summer in Ireland. We traveled throughout the UK and Ireland and visited multiple cities over the course of a month, which they helped to arrange and made sure it was completely seamless for us.
The hotels they selected for us couldn’t have been better. We were so pleased at the quality and location of all the accommodations. Vivienne had told us she stayed at all the hotels that she booked for us. They made it so easy for us by pre-paying for all the hotels and providing us with vouchers to use when we arrived.
Vivienne also pre-arranged all our transportation including planes, trains and automobiles, while able to get us the best deal. It was such a relief having someone else handle these arrangements. We did not have a single glitch the entire time.
We have only the best things to say about the Crystal Travel family. They were complete professionals that balanced our ideas with suggestions of great places to stay and things to do. They met with us and listened to all our thoughts and then helped us come up with an expert plan that made the most sense given our time and budget.
We have recommended Crystal Travel to multiple family and friends, pretty much anyone that mentions wanting to travel to Ireland or the UK. We really can’t say enough about how great the Kelly family treated us. Any question or concern was addressed immediately. They made everything so easy and we trust them so much with all our travel needs.
We look forward to booking another trip with them soon!
The Crowe Family | Ireland | March, 2014
For this 100% Irish-blooded group of 10 (including 6 boisterous, over- 50 siblings, 2 accepting, easy-going in-laws and 1 quiet Boston College niece) all traveling with their sweet 94-year old mom, Pegge, it could not have been better. The itinerary you arranged with Meg allowed us both easy relaxation and touring opportunity via land and sea. On the way, we pressed our kind driver to seek out our living relatives and stop at many interesting places, all of which would be prohibitive on a large group tour.
One special aspect of the tour was Jeremiah Horgan, our Kennedy Executive bus driver and tour guide. His personality and generosity made the trip so appealing, allowing us to really experience the local culture directly. He loved Irish music and was proud of his heritage, but most important– he cared about our experience. He answered dozens of questions daily. He even sang songs with us on the bus and went out of his way to meet each request. Jerry is just a delightful person. We highly recommend him.
Your agreed plan fit us perfectly. Staying on the West side allowed us to soak in the best of Galway, Yes—Trad on the Prom! , Cong, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, Killarney, Ring of Kerry, The Dingle Peninsula, the divine music in Dingle – (Check out the Blow-ins at the Dingle Hotel Pub) and Dromoland Castle (wow) and yet still visit wonderful relatives in Doon and Abbeydorney.
Thank you, Vivienne! We will definitely recommend your services to anyone who wants to go overseas. Perhaps we will even go again someday soon. This was truly a gift for us to experience Ireland all together .
Susan Robertson | Revere, MA | April, 2014
Hi Sean,
The vacation was just awesome!!! Loved the CIE tour guide Liam Murray – he was so knowledgeable & kind. We had the best week, the weather was wonderfully mild & sunny with a few showers, except for the one day we were in Dublin. The hotels were all top shelf, the beds so comfortable. Enjoyed the scenery – this was a very active trip, we saw so much. Buses were comfy also.
All in all we would definitely book another trip with Crystal Travel & CIE Tours. Seems we planned this ages ago & now in a blink of an eye its over. Ireland is a gorgeous country. We do plan to go back. I thank you for all you did for us to have an enjoyable trip.
The Fuller Gang | Ireland | July 2014
Ms. O’Brien,
The trip could not have been more spectacular!! We enjoyed every aspect of our vacation! We LOVED the driver with Kennedy Tours– Jerry; very informative, he went above and beyond to get us to the greatest sites! The hotels were wonderful and everything went just — so smoothly!!
I truly appreciate your help and time that went into the planning!! We all have a wonderful trip to remember and are already planning the next trip with the niece that graduates next spring! Thank you again, we will be in touch soon on the next vacation!! THANK YOU!
Katie Borens | Marshfield, WI | August, 2014
I have been meaning to call you! We had an absolutely great trip, Nothing could have been better! Everything and everybody was on time and very accommodating, Dan & Patrick were our drivers. Very different personalities but both were excellent! We were on the interstate on our way home from Chicago before we were supposed to have landed.
I really need to thank you, you did a marvelous job setting everything up for us. It was so much fun, so relaxing and a trip we will never forget. You helped us give our kids a truly memorable trip! Having our own driver made a world of difference. We had no problem getting around Dublin, even took the DART to Howth and spent the afternoon and evening there, hotels were great, absolutely nothing to complain about! Thanks so much! If you have a boss, let him know what a wonderful job you did. We would give you a 10 !
Maureen | Ireland | August, 2014
Hello Ann,
Thank you for the warm welcome home. Our trip was fabulous! Great weather. A bit rainy the last 2-3 days, not enough to stop us at all! It couldn’t have gone much smoother than it did.
The flights, both going and coming home, were on time, pleasant and comfortable. The hotels you arranged for us were wonderful. The Old Ground was lovely and our dinner on the 5th, excellent. The location worked well and we were able to find Steve’s great grandparents’ homesteads, met up with a distant cousin of his, and met and spent some time with some of the locals, one who now owns his family land. We were welcomed and treated like family by all.
The Harbour Hotel was also wonderful, the staff incredibly friendly and helpful, location perfect. We visited with my cousins in Castleblakeney two of the days here, took a ride to Longford and met up with another cousin, and spent a day not driving at all but exploring the city on our own feet. We took the trip out to Salthill and although it was cold, we tested the waters just a bit! The walk was beautiful.
During these first 5-6 days we experienced Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher along with miles and miles of extraordinary scenery. I have no words to describe the Lake Hotel. The view- magnificent! The staff- excellent, particularly Annette at the front desk. We spent an entire day on The Ring of Kerry, and another day on Dingle! Before leaving Killarney we took a Jaunting Cart ride through the National park and made a few stops along the way. Absolutely beautiful views!
The castle was a perfect way to end our trip. The staff at Dromoland treated us like royalty. The dinner here was also excellent; delicious, exquisitely presented and the service extraordinary.
We were greeted warmly with many well wishes for a Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary by many of the staff at each hotel. The breakfasts were amazing and so convenient.
We did not get to The Aran Islands or The Blarney Stone, so…we are already thinking about when we could make the next trip!
The only negatives…I may now be addicted to Irish coffee and scones!
Thank you so much for making all of the arrangements for us. We enjoyed every bit of our trip, even more than we expected.
The Daley Family | Westwood, MA | August, 2014
Hi Vivienne,
My family and I would like to thank you for helping us plan our vacation to Ireland. The trip couldn’t of gone more smoothly from the fights to the accommodations and the private driver who really helped in making this trip so relaxing and informational. And as you stated there was no hidden fees.
The trip was spectacular. I would definitely recommend Crystal Travel to anyone planning a trip.
May Wang | Los Angeles, CA | August, 2014
Hi Ann
Just got home last night. The tour was great and our tour guide, Jonathan Beaumont was fantastic! My only comment is that I wish we saw less and had more time at each place but on the other hand, we got to see some fantastic places. Now, I want to see Ireland again but on my own!
Thanks!
Una | Ireland | September, 2014
Oh Ann Where do I start!
What a fabulous time we had! Really you made it all come together, thank you so much for putting this trip together. I will add a few details for you because of you may like to pass on some insights to your other customers.
We got on the plane, the extra leg room was well worth it plus we got off the plane right away. The dinner was good, you get silverware and a wine glass for the wine plus the food is a little better. I probably wouldn’t order it for the kids again though because you pay for the wine & they didn’t get wine but the lady gave me two! We got served before everyone else, which might make a difference to anyone who wants to go to sleep asap.
We are on our way now, right out to the Hertz counter, they had our reservation, bing bang boom, bought some more insurance and 10 minutes later we walk out about 50 yards,and there is our van with a huge trunk and plenty of space for all six of us.
The weather was warm and foggy. Got to the Malton around 1:00 and our house was ready! What a blessing because the kids were wrecked and were asleep in the car, into bed they went!
The next day we went to Ross Castle and took the boat ride out to Innisfalllon Island to roam about amongst the ruin & see the deer. Absolutely fabulous experience! Then we went to The Muckross House and walked through the gardens & had lunch. My mom had been there with her mother when she was a child! As I am sure you know outings like that way back when were few and far between. It was a sunny and beautiful day.
The next night, (maybe getting the days mixed up at this point) night Muckross Park Hotel to Jarvey’s Pub to meet the cousins. There was a special Irish music show, I think they may do that for dinner tours and such. It was a really good show, not ‘diddly iddly’ Irish music, it was really a good show, a group of 5 girls playing accordion, singing w/ various instruments, Irish dancers, solo singers, etc. It was a really pretty authentic show. We were all up dancing. We had a great night, food was good too, especially the chicken wings! My cousins who were staying there and travel all over the world said that the spa there was unlike anywhere else they had been, out of this world. They had services there that they had never seen anywhere else!
The next day we booked the Gap of Dunloe Tours. We booked in O’Connors pub in town and they picked us up in the old jitney truck (right on time) brought us to Kate Kearney’s, and then we got two pony carts to bring us through the Gap. Well, Ann, the weather was absolutely glorious. I can’t imagine that there could be a more beautiful day to go through the Gap, it was fabulous, it was 65-70 degrees, the guys were lovely, then to Lord Brandons Cottage for lunch on the patio.
The next day was the wedding. We went to the cathedral for the absolutely gorgeous ceremony. The wedding couple got taken away in an old fancy car. We went to the Muckross Park Hotel for the reception, part of it was outside and we had champagne inside, the bridal couple arrived in horse and buggy! It was a fabulous reception, went on until very late, say no more it was just great!
The next day, off to Dromoland Castle. We ended up booking in my mom and my aunt in another room and they stayed the night too. What a lovely reception we got at Dromoland from Aidan and everyone there. Then they upgraded us! Oh what a place, can’t describe and I won’t say fabulous again!!!! But it was heavenly! The gentleman at reception couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating, truly service at its best. We had the most memorable dinner that night in the restaurant, our table was overlooking the sunset over the grounds, the food and service was exceptional We got up the next morning, had a magnificent breakfast, I didn’t want to leave. I would go back to Dromoland in a heartbeat. Dropped the car off, and off we were back to Boston with Mayor Marty Walsh a row behind us!
I thank you so much Ann for making this trip easy and enjoyable. I couldn’t have planned a trip so well coordinated, the flight, extra leg room, the in-flight meals, the van, the hotels, flawless! I have told my all my friends how you, Crystal Travel, helped us so with this trip. Trips like these change peoples lives. Ethan, myself, our kids, my mom and my mother in law, we just had the best time of our lives, reconnecting with my cousins and then meeting my family. oh I guess I want to share it all with you! Thank you!
Beth and Bill Flanagan | North Andover, MA | September, 2014
Thank you so much for planning and booking our family vacation in Ireland in June 2014. The itinerary you suggested, including Dublin, Killarney and Galway, provided the perfect mix of sightseeing and relaxation. The lodging accommodations were impeccable. The transportation limousine bus you arranged provided a comfortable, personalized experience for our first trip to the “Emerald Isle.”
Thank you for making this a wonderful, affordable and memorable vacation.
Brian and Lora Pixley | Beverly, MA | September 2014
Hi Ann,
We had a great time. The hotels were spot for location, service and cleanliness. The itinerary was excellent. I think the only location we would change would be cork. Service and the hotel were very good. Lots of great restaurants. We think maybe Kinsale or the east coast next time.
You guys set us up perfectly. We will go through you guys on our next trip. We will be going back to Ireland but I think we will go to Scotland first.
Brenna Chaplain | Somerville, MA | October 2014
Hey,
Thanks!! The entire trip was amazing. We had such a good time. The race was so much fun and we both finished well before we thought we would! There were so many supporters that cheered us on it was a really great marathon.
The trip itself was great! Everything went smoothly. All of the hotels were fantastic and the staff was great! The O’Callaghan was in the perfect location for the race and for us to get around town. The Royal Court might have been my favorite, probably because of the location, we had such a great time on the coast. Belfast was fantastic also! The Park Inn was nice and tucked away from a busy street so it was quite quiet but also easy to get around. Really it ended up being pretty close to perfect! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and our touring around. We are so glad we got a car, it wasn’t too bad driving and it was nice to have that freedom!
Thanks again for all your help! You really put a great trip together for us!
L&W | Chandler, AZ | November, 2014
Hi Ann! I have so much to say, but there just isn’t the time. This will have to suffice: Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. This was one of best trips ever! We appreciate everything that you arranged and suggested. The week was splendid, and went tragically fast. We had a brilliant time and cannot wait to return (possibly in April?).Thank you! Go raibh míle maith agat!
Until the next time,
Cheers and Sláinte!
