Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!

London
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12 reviews
15 helpful votes
Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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We booked a 3 day 2 night tour to Halong Bay through our hotel, who were using A-Z Queen. Firstly, the boat was decrepid, the staff were drinking all day and extremely rude.

They told us we couldn't stay on the boat that night as planned, that we all had to go to Cat Ba island to stay in the hotel that night. When we get to Cat Ba town, the tour guide disappears. We found him sitting drinking beer opposite us. He told us the hotel had overbooked and there were no rooms for us and to go away and leave him alone. When we told him we had paid money to stay in a hotel, he turned around and hit my female friend, swore at us and punched a male friend in the arm. So we left.

The weird thing was that all the Vietnamese ppl on our tour miraculously got rooms whilst we were left on the street. Even stranger was the fact that the westerners on the A-Z Queen boat who arrived in Cat Ba just before us, had also been told no rooms left for them. Yet the Vietnamese on our tour arrived later and they all had rooms.

They tried to make us stay in someone's house (4 in a random room with 1 bed) whih was infested with insects and had bedbug blood stains on the sheet.

When we said now, they harassed us on the streets for FOUR hours, trying to make us stay in that random house 1km away.

Eventually, we all (12 of us) slept on the streets in Cat Ba and bought $20 tickets to get back to Hanoi the next morning.

It is a MASSIVE scam in Cat Ba - they will not give rooms to Westerners at the weekend (when we enquired, we were told yes they had a room in many places, but as soon as the manager came down everytime we were turned away with 'no room'). Even the next night when 3 ppl stayed on, some restaurants wouldn't even let Western people in, saying the whole restaurant was reserved for the locals (even though it was deserted).

So, STAY CLEAR OF A-Z QUEEN and be careful on Cat Ba because you might well have to sleep on the street and encounter much hostility, even if you go during the week.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions. We hope to spread the word as much as poss so noone else (esp. if you were a girl travelling on your own or something!) has to go through what we went through.

Llanbrynmair...
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14,956 posts
13 reviews
22 helpful votes
1. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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I can scarcely believe this! For a start the Vietnamese never turn down business without good reason - most simply cannot afford to do so. As for numerous hotels and restaurants refusing your custom, may I ask how you were behaving at the time?

hanoi
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102 posts
3 reviews
11 helpful votes
2. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Hi you,

i am very sorry for you, however seldom had this happened in Vietnam. Could you please tell me the price your paid for your trip and the hotel where you booked?

johannesburg,southaf...
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665 posts
14 reviews
8 helpful votes
3. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Hi there, what you went through sounds like a nightmare. Several respondants requested information from you regarding your tour and what you paid. You as yet have not responded. Please do so asap.It is so important to confirm and followup your horrific story. I remember going onto the web while we were planning our trip and did look at AZQueen's site - I must admit it didn't leave me with much confidence - but certainly also didn't frighten me. Hope you respond. (As an aside, I note that this is the first and only message that you have sent to TA. Where else did you go in Vietnam and how did you fare in other places and in Hanoi itself. Thanks in advance for responding.)

Phong Nha-Ke Bang...
Destination Expert
for Da Nang, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
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3,404 posts
218 reviews
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4. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Travel, that was my first suspicion about this post. I'm always suspect of 1 post wonders and what their purpose is.

Drifter

Llanbrynmair...
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14,956 posts
13 reviews
22 helpful votes
5. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Too right some of you!

When I used the words 'I can scarcely believe this' it was a British understatement that a person claiming to come from London would have understood as 'I don't believe a single word of this'. Thus was the gauntlet thrown down (challenge made), but unsurprisingly there was no response.

The whole thing is too far-fetched. Yes, things can certainly go wrong with cruises or tours and expectations might sometimes not be met, but being hit, punched and refused entry to hotels and restaurants in the absence of objectionable or aggressive behaviour on the part of the poster and his/her companions - I think not.

Thus one suspects that the original post was the work either of a troll or of a competitor with an axe to grind.

Keentraveller, if I am wrong please do come back and state your case.

Melbourne Australia
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50 posts
32 reviews
32 helpful votes
6. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Not happy to see this type of thread on here.

Why has the poster only made one post and ignored requests (numerous) for more information.

As someone looking for info on Vietnam, this type of unsubstantiated scuttlebutt can cause real issues when booking.

How could a newbie like me even consider A-Z Queen now? It is probably a pack of lies but how would I know.

Mods need to do something about one post attacks like this, especially when the poster will not respond to genuine questions.

Hanoi, Vietnam
Level Contributor
832 posts
2 reviews
7. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Hi,

I am sure that tour guide never dare hit or punch the customer. Because he know that he will get big problem at police station after that.

I have heard something about A-Z Queen travel, i might believe in your complain about quality. When you buy with very very cheap price like A-Z Queen, you should mind of the trouble about the quality like you had.

Thank for your sharing experience but you should be responsible for your post on this forum with the other members.

David

Brisbane, Australia
Level Contributor
153 posts
28 reviews
73 helpful votes
8. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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WOW - wow - WOW .... I am shocked to read this about ANY tour in Vietnam - we have just been in Northern Vietnam and the people are GREAT !!

We booked with Pinta Cruiser (Columbuscruises) - they were FANTASTIC ! Great food/ great crew/ great trip.

We stayed at the Jasmine Hotel - THEY were fantastic!

We travelled to TamCoc Caves - the guide was also great!

I find it a shock to read anything like this on tripadvisor (although I read a *one-off reporter* on Jasmine Hotel which was FAR from the truth!!)

Lets keep a level head when reading reviews on tripadvisor - its a fabulous place for travellers to gain information - we have travelled extensively with the help of tripadvisor people (thankyou)

For those travelling to Vietnam ..... It is a wonderful country and Halong Bay is MAGIC - definately one of the planets most gorgeous spots!

keep travelling and enjoying our wonderful planet!

Seoul
3 posts
9. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!
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Oh, it's terrible. I had a great time at Ha Long when travelled with Bien Ngoc Cruise. I didn't have any trouble.

We made all the booking online, not with the hotel. I booked with Tun Travel, i found their site here: http://www.hotels-in-vietnam.com/hotels/vietnam_tours/bienngoccruise.html hope this help!

Anyways, thanks for your advise!

10. Re: Cat Ba scam - do NOT go with A-Z Queen!!

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