Terrible

Ratings
Overall
1
Growth: 1
Support: 1
Fun: 1
Housing: 1
Safety: 1
Review

I have waited a few weeks before posting this review to allow the dust to settle and also to give GVI time to respond to my direct emails with them. The response I have had from GVI has been wholly unsatisfactory and I hope that parents read this and think carefully before booking with GVI and sending their children abroad with this company.

Pre Trip

Beware… When signing up you will receive mountains of paperwork to complete. Immigration forms, numerous T&C’s, doctors forms, solicitors forms, police checks, references, covid passes etc etc.
I am sure most of this is necessary but GVI could streamline this somewhat, instead they just throw it at you and to make it worse communication with them once the booking and PAYMENT has been made is non-existent, this leaves parents panicking that something may be missing or filled out incorrectly as the trip approaches.

We were also blatantly lied to by GVI.
We specifically asked would there be any add-ons/extras once the trip is paid for, the verbal response was that apart from the flight was NO. This is incorrect….
You will need to pay for a private medical note from a GP, you will need a solicitor to fill in a Notary form (at least £100). We were booked on a diving trip and to all the parents amazement it only comes to light when booked that we need to supply the majority of the diving equipment. All of the wetsuits & masks etc as well dive watches & maker buoys have to be purchased in advance and taken on the trip. It would be much more environmentally friendly if this could be hired/borrowed whilst on the trip as is usually the case when diving abroad. What made it worse that some items weren't even required or used, such as the marker buoys or the expensive diving watch. These didn't even make it out of the box!!

During the trip.
After the hassle and never ending expense we never the less sent our sons in the hope that they got out of the trip what was promised… Not the case.
The trip quickly turned into a farce, it transpires that the majority of the staff in Mexico were themselves just volunteers, I believe they offer some of the adult GVI participants free board etc to assist in looking after the teenage group. These volunteers had absolutely no experience or qualifications in looking after younger people, they couldn't be bothered and some of them became quite threatening. At one stage we were getting reports home and were worried for the safety of our children. Thankfully some of the staff decided to walk out and this was a relief, they were obviously not suitable and we were worried that something terrible could happen.

When getting to Mexico the group were amazed that they were then confined to the compound for large parts of the day, after an hour or two of the so-called activities they were just expected to sit on their beds all day in something similar to “House Arrest”. The whole trip was in then danger of disintegrating, the group were contacting home complaining of the situation and GVI contacted the parents admitting that there were issues and gave a load of spurious excuses.

In the end they didn't do half of what was promised and it certainly wasn't the marine conservation/ diving trip we all paid a lot of money for. It turned into a beach holiday with a bit of diving thrown in!! The group enjoyed each others company and got the most out of it that they could but many things like coral monitoring/conservation & beach cleaning were non existent, they were meant be there to volunteer but not one volunteering duty was undertaken.

When they got home we were waiting for an in-depth email & post mortem from GVI perhaps explaining what happened and some admission of fault..Perhaps even an expected partial refund, instead they just went silent.

I then emailed GVI and their response was appalling. They choose to respond in a very legalistic manor and not apologetic at all, of course they quote various T&C’s, its probably why they bamboozle you with paperwork when booking.

On the trip itself they basically blamed the participants for the lack of coral research they said the group couldn't be trusted....Incredible!! Lots of parents & group met at the airport and you couldn't wish to meet a nicer bunch of pleasant and well educated young people, some of the group were even studying marine biology so to insult us and treat the group who had paid an awful lot of money for the trip with such disdain tells you a lot about GVI.

The response from GVI has led me to the opinion that they are bordering on being a “Rogue Company”. I wouldn't be surprised if they are in financial troubles, they obviously severely cut back on what was promised and what we paid for. It has now only come to my attention that there are groups of people not just from this trip but many others that are considering legal action against GVI for various reasons..
As the company is based in South Africa remember that they are not covered by ATOL or ABTA, if they fold you will loose your money.

Think twice.

Would you recommend this program?
No, I would not
Year Completed
2022