Santana Adventures Reviews 

Our first trip with Santana (and, likely, our last) recently ended with a sigh of relief as we disembarked. My wife and I have traveled extensively by bicycle (16 trips with 5 companies, with daily rides of 40-60 miles)and our trip to Japan was among the worst one we have been on.
Poor communication - details of the trip often not released in a timely fashion. Pre and post-tour details were received 2 months prior to departure (PTD) and you had one week to decide and then price went up $500. Bicycle rental information received 3 weeks PTD and rental was expensive - $1000 for a road bike, $1300 for e-bike. This was in addition to the already expensive base price and other tacked on fees such as cruise extras such as off ship activities, admissions, guides, and rider support (most of these extras were non-existent).
E-mailed trip brochure would qualify as false advertising. 70% of the ports listed on the brochure were changed. Only the first 3 days were the same. A variety of excuses were given (such as the port was too small) however this shipped was booked 2 years PTD and this information should have been relayed to the guests. I am aware that ports may change due to unforeseen circumstances however 7 out of 10 would qualify as a different trip. I have been on 8 cruises and not once was a single port changed. The brochure also had many misleading or photo-shopped pictures that were not part of the cycling tour. The most egregious was one with Osaka Castle and Mt Fuji in the background. Another was a lovely photo of Chureito Temple and Mount Fuji. This image was even on our cruise ID and bike license plates. Unfortunately, this temple was much too far from port to visit by bicycle (70 km one way). I was able to find many of these "photos" on the internet with minimal effort. With no information given about any of the changes to the itinerary or what we would see in the new ports, our group felt that this was not the trip we paid for.
Santana used Ride with GPS for navigation. None of the routes were available PTD. In most cases, the RWGPS route was downloaded the morning of the ride, leaving no time for planning cultural visits or other stops during the day. Most rides were not very scenic, involved long stretches on busy roads (how else would a cyclist get out of a port town) and lacking in dining opportunities for lunch. It seemed obvious that these "carefully curated routes" (as per the brochure) were not actually scouted before they were downloaded. On several rides the RWGPS route has us turn off the main road onto a side road for a short distance (0.5 km on one occasion) before taking us back on the same road while having us cut across traffic twice in order to follow this “curated route.”
There is no support van as such. A van is available for emergency repairs or if a rider gets injured, but if you run out of water of have no food and you are in the middle of nowhere, you are on your own. Luckily Japan has vending machines like every other mile along the road so at least water is available. With limited information of dining opportunities during the ride, most off-ship dining involved getting a snack at the convenience stores such as Lawsons or Family Mart. Not exactly the cultural experience we were expecting.
I could go on and on but but space is limited.
This review is rather long but I think you can understand the level of disappointment everyone in our party had with this trip. We did almost nothing that was described in the e-mail brochure nor was much of any of it discussed in the daily briefings. Many rides involved navigating through very busy port towns and were not particularly scenic. Almost all dining was aboard the ship and was typical cruise fare. While it was good, there was almost no local flavor to the menu. Not having to live out of a suitcase for 10 days did not make up for the fact that we were not really visiting Japan, but merely cycling in a foreign county only to return to our English speaking, “westernized” floating home at the end of each day. The best 2 days of this trip were after we disembarked and met up with our private guide for a 2-day tour of Nara and Kyoto. While this review will not change any minds of the many repeat customers of Santana, it is not meant for them but rather those who are on the fence deciding on their first cycling cruise. While other Santana destinations and itineraries may be better, I am not willing to spend the money to find out.
And to add one last point - Santana had the nerve to flag this review “ because they don’t think it’s based on a genuine experience.” So I had to send proof (with a 3 day time limit) to Trustpilot to prove that I was on this trip. Thus the verified check on the review Clearly this was done with the hope that I would not send the info and this review would be taken down.

If you’re looking for a nine day adventure chock fulll of chaos, unprofessionalism and just outright hubris by the staff, this is the trip for you. If you’re a seasoned bike tour enthusiast like we are, run far, far away from this group as you’d be throwing your money at an individual who simply ought not be in the tour business.

Let’s start with basic communication with Bill McGready, tour operator and owner. Bill and his staff treat e-mails with the same attention as junk mail, that is most of the them probably go in the trash folder, but certainly not responded to in a time, manner, if at all. The one response we did receive (after our second request) was to inform us that we weren’t signed up for the post trip tour because we hadn’t paid the requisite fees. The truth was we had paid, and we promptly sent him another copy of our paid receipt. Otherwise, regular contact was lacking both in attention and detail. If you wanted updates, you had to search through e-mails for a shared Google doc sheet for last minute trip changes, with no prior alert given that changes were made.
The point of embarkation (meeting point for the ship) was changed within a day of our departure, certainly not optimal when most of us were busy enough and preoccupied with international air/ ground travel. Check in to the cruise ship was abysmal, with a 1 1/2 hour wait just to pick up our rental bikes, which were lacking in promised features, and for which we paid the exorbitant price of over $500.00 each.
The AM and PM briefings were sketchy and unprofessional. Bill imparted to the group inadequate route details, minimal safety instruction and, at times, outright misinformation, all the while satiating himself with copious amounts of wine. On day 5 of riding we were finally told we had been making illegal right turns for the previous four days! This information should have been shared on day 1. The route maps he shared with the nearly 300 of us were illegible and obviously drawn up at the last moment. Since this trip was in Japan, we were forbidden from taking food off of the boat for sustenance during our bike rides. Not to worry boasted Bill (for the Day 2 ride), we’ve arranged for you to have lunch at a renowned Ramen noodle restaurant along the route. That restaurant, to the dismay of the cycling group was closed, which meant the entire group of mostly 60-70 year olds could either continue on with the 54 mile ride, or turn back towards the boat. Luckily, I had a factory sealed goo in my back pack to hold me over, but others in our group returned to the boat early basically running on fumes. On this particular day, an older gentleman in the group had a terrible cycling accident and ended up in the local hospital. Bill’s comment in the end of day briefing, while himself cautioning the group about NEVER conjecturing or spreading rumors, was quick to assert that the gentlemen was probably not paying attention, and that he would be able to tell this “simply by looking at the gentlemen’s bike.” We know from the first-hand accounts of a physician who was fortunately on the scene that Bill’s assessment was incorrect. Bill seemed indifferent to the fate of this cyclist who ended up with a three week stay in a Japan hospital.Day 9 was fraught with adventure again as Mikey, the SA route expert was piecing together parts of the route on the morning of departure. He was bold enough to brag to the group about a special curry spice restaurant at the approximate mid-point of the ride, only to find out that they ran out of food before most of the group (not all) had a chance to eat. Also, and likely because of poor planning by Bill, many cyclists waited almost two hours to get off the boat that day because of unexpected and unplanned for customs/immigrations screening. While Bill announced to the group the process was moving quicker, it was actually moving slower. My wife and I were about 20th (out of about 300 guests) in line, and it took us nearly an hour to get off the boat and riding. Also on this particular day, our friend and travel companion took off with us assuming her rented e-bike was fully charged, as was part of the rental obligation. At about the 25 mile mark, the bike’s battery went dead causing a 45 minute wait by the side of the road and a disappointing ride in the van back to the boat. The cost of the e-bike rental was over $1,200.00, but Bill’s staff just couldn’t be bothered with ensuring that the bike was ready to ride.

Like I mentioned at the outset, if you like chaos, disorganization and rudeness, go with Santana. My money will stay with the reputable bike tour companies like Backroads, who truly appreciate your business and pride themselves on genuine customer care and service.

It’s hard to even give it a 1 star. This trip was the 3 D’s
Disorganized
Dangerous
Disappointing
Bill didn’t have the routes ready until an hour before the ride. His chicken scratch maps would make a 4 year old laugh, and he had nothing planned at any rest stops. If we did stop at a restaurant, they would run out of food by the time the later riders arrived.
The routes took us on busy roads which were quite dangerous. All and all a very disappointing experience. I have done 15 Backroads trips and I will never waiver now that I have tried Santana Adventures. One and done!!

We've been on I think 11 cruises with Santana and the three things that keep us coming back are the people, the cycling in astonishing new places and the general ease with the entire process. The Ponant ship that the Norwegian cruise had was astonishing-- (with all the others we've been on being excellent). Tandem cyclists (maybe even more than usual adult cyclists) have a tendency to embrace lots of aspects of life which flows into the meals and side conversations. Take the plunge---.

We had a wonderful trip in Norway! The cycling was spectacular on scenic and well-maintained roads. We enjoy the stops along the way that provide a bit of the history of the area and a look at the life of locals. The ship was exquisite!

Aus/Taz was a great trip, but after doing 11-12 Santana trips now my wife & I do not enjoy the larger ship experience. We feel like the need of larger ports there is too much time spent standing in lines, tenders off ships, & rides that have to incorporate the city/wharf part of the rides. With that said Windstar was a wonderful service ship—the crew was unbelievable. We also realize being a 1st time trip all the “on the fly” changes that were needed and how you best serve us as travelers.

Our two trips this year were amazing. Holland , Netherlands and later Norway. The sites are lovely, the rides were breathtaking ; truly Norway is the most beautiful place to ride.
The Ships were fantastic . Bill and Jan and the entire team went out of their way to make sure everything ran smooth and it did!

We joined Santana on their 2022 Baltic Sea adventure.
This was our second cruise with them, as we did their Sicily trip back in 2018. Santana got it right in teaming up with Windstar. The cruise ship was a great size(312 passengers), and the ship had been thru a complete renovation, so everything was fresh and nicely done. Also, the food onboard was great.
We really enjoy Santana and how they organize their rides. There is not a lot of structure, and there are a lot of options, depending on how much or little you want to ride that day. Also, chartering the entire ship has great advantages, as they are able to adjust the itinerary on the fly, because of weather or other issues that might pop up. They also picked a great company to use for bike rentals, and we rented carbon bikes with electronic shifting. Bill's meetings to discuss the next ride are informative, and not only does he discuss the three options for the rides, but has information on local sites to see and things to do, including for those that may not ride that day. My only complaint on this past cruise was that I think they tried to cover too many ports in a limited time. Consequently, there were a few times when we had to be back to the ship by 2pm, which is a little earlier than we would have liked. But, other than that, we've been really pleased, and I'm sure we'll do another cruise with Santana in the future.

We loved the beauty of Norway and the small, luxurious Ponant ship Santana utilized. The food and service were excellent. The cycling routes were beautiful and well planned.

Greatest trip, ship and bike routes ever! Loved every minute. We were fortunate to have good weather!

Bill, Jan, and all the people who are associated with their business are wonderful. They are happy, helpful, courteous and respectful. I feel that they all work very hard to make the cruise a lifetime experience for the participants. I am definitely looking forward to our next cruise with Bill, Jan, and the crew!

Regardless of weather or unseen problem great adaptability to ensure ever day wonderful. Believe have had the best possible sights by bike on all four trips with the most recent the Baltics. Strongly recommend pre and post tours.

Well organized and efficient- the trip went off as advertised

Santana Adventure trips are always well planned. Even when plans have to change because of weather, or port issues they are always able to reschedule and a good time and great experiences are still achieved.
We love the staff they are all so friendly and helpful.

The good: American Queen Cruise Line Countess is a comfortable boat with a hardworking crew. The original itinerary was very attractive. The musical entertainment arranged for us was good. The bike rental representative from TRAIL really put out a great effort.
Not so good: We had to carry our bikes unassisted up and down four flights of stairs every day. Routes were provided each morning with a hand drawn map. E bikes were "not necessary, not available for rent, and would not be supported" on this ride, yet there were at least 15, including rentals. "Mid Ride feasts" (catering at lunch stops) were terrible, one day the only meal was some meat and seafood mixed with pasta, served in a styrofoam box with a stale roll. The catering staff did not know what was in it. Vegetarians got some lettuce that day. Some rides were miles for the sake of miles, on uninteresting roads, with no rest areas. Santana staff, when available, was constantly making changes, then getting angry or sarcastic when riders asked questions. The constant chaos and uncertainty really undermined the social aspect of the ride and visibly took a toll on the crew of the Countess.

This was such a great trip its hard to describe. The folks at Santana, the boat and the rides itself were amazing. Hard to describe in one short comment -but looking to sign up for our next trip! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime - and looking forward to many more!!

It was a good mix of exercise and travel experiences.The rest stops were well planned to give you a feel of the islands as well as the history of the Tahitians.

Great first trip. Love the detail and options. Will plan another with you

Response to Bill Hyde regarding
*Out and out thieves!
I contracted with Santana Adventures to book a cycling cruise to Tahiti for August 2020. As per Santana policy, full payment was advanced. I received several e-mails from McCready …..*
Yes, our group had the same experience. We paid in full in December 2018 for the Tahiti trip in 2020. We all voted to Get a refund when Santana put out a vote and Wind Star was going to give him a refund. There were 8 of us who voted for a refund. We checked to understand how that vote went down and was told only a handful of people voted to get a refund. After numerous emails and phone calls, his story changed and he said WindStar never gave him a offer for a refund. Not sure what the big vote was all about. Ended up 4 of our party of 8 went on the trip in Nov 2021. I tried to write a review on Trustpilot, but since my payment (invoice) was from Dec 2018, they would not allow it. Interesting, because 170 people paid more than 12 months ago, and I see their reviews were all allowed.

The entire Sanatana team provided a superior vacation experience. The itinerary, routes, and logistical details were all well thought out and executed. This was a very enjoyable vacation experience.