THE MUSIC LOVERS TOURS DIFFERENCE :
Q : ” There are many Musical tour companies in the world. What is different about yours ? ” A: We are a truly ‘hands-on’ operation. Every aspect of every tour is conceived by us, developed by us and booked by us direct with our suppliers. This is the reason ( for example ) that we can guarantee Premium seats for the most difficult of venues, such as La Scala, Milan and the Festival Verdi, Parma. Many other companies work with agencies who buy seats from ticket agencies ( so there are two ‘cogs’ in between ). You will not be sitting on a stool with limited view of the stage. As Sponsors of The La Scala Foundation, Milan, we are able to offer exceptional tickets to each of our performances at La Scala ( as part of our tours ).
In the case of restaurants, we choose the menu and the wine – personally. With all our meals you will have choices – normally 3 of each course. Our hotels are centrally located and full of character, so it is always a pleasant walk to the theatre or our restaurant. Then, of course, is the fact that Jennifer and Stewart are both performers as well as business-owners. You will enjoy their company and their high level of organisation. There are many little ‘touches’ that are not advertised, but included, which gives these tours a thoroughly unique feel. Read more >
TOUR PRICING & PAYMENT :
Q : ” Why are there no prices or hotel names on the website ? “. A : Please do not be concerned. We pride ourselves on offering excellent value and unique experiences. We closely guard our carefully nurtured relationships with our valued suppliers. Often our tours attract the attention of competitors – both large and small. For this reason we do not publish our pricing, hotels and other supplier details online. All tours are fully-priced and it just requires a quick call or an email to receive all the pricing details and options.
Q : ” How do I make payment “? : A : There are a number of ways. We accept cheques ( still ), but it is quicker and easier to pay online by direct transfer to our bank account. We also have a credit card facility and there is a link for this on your invoice. Credit card fees are passed on at cost, which is 1.95% for Australian cards or 2.95% for overseas cards.
Q : ” How about if I am overseas ? “. This is no problem. We can send you our IBAN code ( if required ) to pay straight into our Australian bank account. Normally using our Bank’s SWIFT code of MACQAU2S ( Maquarie Bank ) is sufficient.
We also have Transferwise accounts to enable you to make ‘same day’ and ‘fee free’ payments in Euro, Sterling, Singapore $ or USD $.
Q : ” Can I make a payment online ?”. Yes, you can make your initial tour deposit online. Click on the links on the CONTACT PAGE. The options allow you to make a payment to ‘Reserve your Place’ ( for a tour not yet completely on sale ), to pay the full $2000 deposit for a European tour, or to make the balance of European tour deposit payment ( where you have already ‘Reserved Your Place’ ). Once you are booked in, you will receive periodic invoices ( normally 4 ) with payment links.
BOOKING A TOUR :
Q : ” How can I secure my booking. ? A : If a tour is fully ‘on sale ‘ then a deposit secures your place. You can let us know you are coming by visiting the BOOK NOW page. This will show you ways of paying your initial deposit. We will also confirm your booking by sending a deposit invoice. After this, payments will be spread out evenly, with final payment due around 3 months prior ( for overseas tours ) or 2 months prior ( Australian tours )
Q : ” What is ‘Reserve My Place” ? A : This is our unique system for enabling clients to secure their place while a tour is being finalised and fully-priced ( i.e. prior to being ‘on sale’ ). This normally starts around 2 years to 18 months before the tour departure. Just $200 ‘Reserves Your Place’ and you are safe in knowing that you will have first ‘option’ when the tour goes on sale ( normally 12 – 15 months prior to departure ). You will receive the priced brochure before our main database and have a couple of weeks to confirm your place. Most tours are fully sold from those you have ‘Reserved’. If you decide not to join us, then your $200 is returned immediately. ( this is not very common ).
To ‘Reserve Your Place‘ online, just click here.
OPERA & THEATRE SEATING :
Q : ” Will I have good seats for the performances ? ” : In short – YES. We pride ourselves on securing fabulous seats for all performances and have, we believe, wonderful relationships with the theatre management and box office. This means that we can honestly say ” you will have fabulous seats “. We hear so many stories from people going on other Opera or Musicals tours, where they have seats on stools, have to fight with others for a position in a box or have restricted view. It has ruined their whole experience. Even at La Scala or Festival Verdi in Parma, where seats are almost impossible to secure for many performances, we will deliver what we promise.
Q : ” Can I see where my seats are “? : Yes you can. While we do not allocate individual seats in advance, we can certainly tell you where the group is sitting. We spend a lot of time and care in allocating the seating within our group, and are always fair in offering any exceptional seats to clients in the course of a tour. Special request such as ‘close to aisle’ or ‘as close as possible’ are noted and we do our very best. Generally our seats are in the Orchestra stalls. We are slowly building images of the theatre seating plans and they follow…
Seating plans : Dame Joan Sutherland Theatre, SYDNEY. l La Scala, MILAN l Teatro Regio, PARMA l La Fenice
Q : ” Can I buy just the tickets from Music Lovers Tours ?”. Generally no. We are sorry to say that we are not a ticket agency and do not sell just the opera or theatre tickets. Our tickets are part of our tour inclusions. If you have friends in the city of the performance and would like them to come with you to a performance, then we can often accommodate your request.
TRAVEL INSURANCE :
Q : “Can you buy travel insurance for us ?” A : We have a number of suggestions and a broad outline of what to look for in travel insurance companies CLICK HERE. We are always happy to assist you in choosing a couple of options to try, but it is always better you do the policy purchase yourself to ensure all medical information is 100% correct. If you are a current client, have been trying to buy over the phone and cannot easily access the internet, then we can help get your policy booked if the company offers online applications for policies. Just give us a call on 1300 308 385.
Q : ” Do I need travel insurance for Domestic Travel ? “ A: Yes. While you are covered for medical treatment under Medicare, Domestic Travel Insurance gives you essential cover in case you have to cancel prior to a trip due to illness or injury. Normally they offer a number of other benefits ( such as lost luggage, possessions etc ).
Q : ” Do some Australian travel insurance companies exclude Covid 19 from the Cover ” . Companies will cover you depending on their policy regarding certain levels of travel advice ( from DFAT ). When we last checked, Covermore, a favourite in the travel industry covered you as long as the country was not on the ‘Do Not Travel’ list. Other companies, such as Allianz were excluding countries on the lesser ‘Reconsider Your Need to travel’. All insurers have different terms, so check exactly what you are covered for. Read the article from Executive Traveller click here
Q : ” Does Medicare cover me overseas ” Perhaps. A number of countries have reciprocal arrangements with Australia and these include Italy and UK. Always take your Medicare card. However the level of care will generally be in a public hospital. As with other issues, different insurers treat the Medicare matter differently, but a number of well-known ones will attempt to get you to use these reciprocal arrangements rather than initiate the private insurance cover you have paid for. We have assisted clients on tour to battle attempts to be sent to a public hospital ( for a long wait ) rather than being prioritised for treatment by a specialist. We have often assisted clients ( while on tour ) with staying on a tour, rather than being bundled home for something quite minor. We are there with you all the way, as is our experienced local Tour Director. If you have paid by credit card an insurer may also try to make you claim on the free credit card insurance. You can always speak to us before making your decision on insurer and always ‘stick to your guns’ and know what your rights are. To read an article on Medicare & reciprocal rights click here
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OUR TOURS & TRAVEL UPDATES ‘BLOG’ click here
INFORMATION ON TRAVEL INSURANCE click here
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