I booked a river cruise in Jan. 2018 with Grand Circle Travel for a cruise in May 2018. Grand Circle advised me to take the travel insurance insuring me that for any reason something happen on the trip or I had to cancel the trip I would receive a refund. This was NOT true. Shortly after I booked the trip I had to cancel the trip due to family matters. I had already made the necessary down payment and purchased the travel insurance, which I thought was through Grand Circle since I had paid Grand Circle. As it turned out the insurance was with a company called "Trip Mate". I filed my claim with Trip Mate in mid Jan and expected to hear from them shortly. Over the next six months I tried calling Trip Mate to see what was happening with my claim. I was never able to get through to speak with anyone. Even after leaving my phone number, which their auto voice system suggested, I never received a return phone call. I finally contacted Grand Circle for their help. Even though I had paid Grand Circle for the insurance their only comment was that Trip Mate was a third party that they hired and they had no control over someone they hired for their business. After many more phone calls to Grand Circle they finally agreed to give me a $500 credit, instead of a cash refund, for any furture trip wih them. This was not what I was told by Grand Circle when THEY sold me the insurance policy. I find this very deceptive on their part. It turns out that the only way to receive a cash refund is if the cancellation is for medical reasons, which Grand Circle NEVER to me. The $500, which is way less then I paid for the insurance, is worthless since I never intend to take anymore trips with Grand Circle. After the lies and misinformation, Grand Circle is one company that I will never travel with in the future and have and will be advising all my friends and family to avoid at all costs.