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  1. #1

    Duke Alumni Association Tours

    Anybody ever been on one? They look pretty pricey and I wonder if it's mostly retirees (not that there's anything wrong with that so don't go ballistic) with a fair amount of free time.

    Maybe someday in the future?
    Nothing incites bodily violence quicker than a Duke fan turning in your direction and saying 'scoreboard.'

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Santa Cruz CA
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Anybody ever been on one? They look pretty pricey and I wonder if it's mostly retirees (not that there's anything wrong with that so don't go ballistic) with a fair amount of free time.

    Maybe someday in the future?
    My parents started going on some Duke sponsored trips in the late 80s and did a few different ones over the years. They enjoyed them.

    My take on what they told me about them was that the people on the trips tended to be better educated and well off than you might find on an average trip. The trips usually included a professor or some sort of other topical expert that they felt brought added value to the trip. They also liked trips put on by the Smithsonian for the same reason.

    The people on the trips do not necessarily all have a Duke connection though. Sometimes the amount of Duke affiliated people is not enough and it will get merged with other people, possibly from another college travel program.

    The one I remember the most was when they went on one that was a raft trip down the grand canyon. The week of the Duke group got filled up, so they ended up going the week before or after with the same operator. Part of the group they went with was an advance team from the CBS show 48 hours for a show they did in 1990.

    You do pay a premium for these trips vs. what you could find on your own.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Anybody ever been on one? They look pretty pricey and I wonder if it's mostly retirees (not that there's anything wrong with that so don't go ballistic) with a fair amount of free time.

    Maybe someday in the future?
    We've never partaken of one. You are correct though: $$$$.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Anybody ever been on one? They look pretty pricey and I wonder if it's mostly retirees (not that there's anything wrong with that so don't go ballistic) with a fair amount of free time.

    Maybe someday in the future?
    I have heard generally good things, but let me share a personal Womble trick with you: before we went to Madrid a few years ago, we had received a brochure about a Duke trip there...we carefully noted
    the hotel they chose, (some of the other stuff too)...so we figured, what the heck, let's try that place...but we did it all independently, and essentially had a very similar trip at a fraction of the Duke price.
    (we aren't big tour people). The Madrid hotel turned out to be perhaps the best hidden gem of a hotel we have ever found, at a truly bargain price. So thank you, Duke brochure.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by budwom View Post
    I have heard generally good things, but let me share a personal Womble trick with you: before we went to Madrid a few years ago, we had received a brochure about a Duke trip there...we carefully noted
    the hotel they chose, (some of the other stuff too)...so we figured, what the heck, let's try that place...but we did it all independently, and essentially had a very similar trip at a fraction of the Duke price.
    (we aren't big tour people). The Madrid hotel turned out to be perhaps the best hidden gem of a hotel we have ever found, at a truly bargain price. So thank you, Duke brochure.

    You might be singing my song, buddy-wom.
    Nothing incites bodily violence quicker than a Duke fan turning in your direction and saying 'scoreboard.'

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    ...
    Maybe someday in the future?
    Quote Originally Posted by devildeac View Post
    We've never partaken of one. You are correct though: $$$$.
    I'm waiting on the brochure for the DBR "Ymm, Beer" Tour -- some breweries, 3x/day opportunity for violent Carolina bashing, and an in-depth discussion of Marty (Nessley) v. Marty (Pocius)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by Reilly View Post
    I'm waiting on the brochure for the DBR "Ymm, Beer" Tour -- some breweries, 3x/day opportunity for violent Carolina bashing, and an in-depth discussion of Marty (Nessley) v. Marty (Pocius)
    1. ASSuming you meant overseas, so it'll have to be excursions to Germany and Belgium. Happy for domestic breweries, too.
    2. Why only 3x/day c*rolina bashing? If it's the weezie family and the devildeacs, it'll be non-violent and non-stop.
    3. Marty Clark says, "Hi!"

    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by devildeac View Post
    ... Marty Clark says, "Hi!" ...
    Ah, you're interested in the deluxe package. Let me check with the Iron Dukes on the pricing for that ...

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by devildeac View Post
    ...Why only 3x/day c*rolina bashing? If it's the weezie family and the devildeacs, it'll be non-violent and non-stop...
    I wonder if the tour operators take that into account, mixing holeian fans and Blue Devils? If not, the non-violent conjecture wouldn't last long. Incoming lobbed dinner rolls...
    Nothing incites bodily violence quicker than a Duke fan turning in your direction and saying 'scoreboard.'

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    I wonder if the tour operators take that into account, mixing holeian fans and Blue Devils? If not, the non-violent conjecture wouldn't last long. Incoming stale, rock-like lobbed dinner rolls...
    Clarification.
    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    On the Road to Nowhere
    You will always pay more for someone to plan your trip (travel agent) than going through, for example, expedia. Obvious, I know. Then also add in the cost of having an expert Duke faculty member to add context/knowledge to your particular itinerary. Have never been on a Duke trip so I don't know how much that adds to the experience. I'm sure it varies by trip, but I'll bet there's a minimum bar that has a pretty high setting.

    Of course it also depends upon your background how much that would add. If you're doing a tour of Europe and your thesis was on European history, the faculty may not tell you much that you don't already know. But if you were an engineering major who only got to take a few basic humanities courses, it would probably add a lot. If that's your thing...it may bore you to tears.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Watching carolina Go To HELL!
    Quote Originally Posted by dudog84 View Post
    You will always pay more for someone to plan your trip (travel agent) than going through, for example, expedia. Obvious, I know. Then also add in the cost of having an expert Duke faculty member to add context/knowledge to your particular itinerary. Have never been on a Duke trip so I don't know how much that adds to the experience. I'm sure it varies by trip, but I'll bet there's a minimum bar that has a pretty high setting.

    Of course it also depends upon your background how much that would add. If you're doing a tour of Europe and your thesis was on European history, the faculty may not tell you much that you don't already know. But if you were an engineering major who only got to take a few basic humanities courses, it would probably add a lot. If that's your thing...it may bore you to tears.
    You took humanities courses? Really? Why?

    We've looked at the Duke tours, but pricey is certainly the key word. So never did one. Came closest to going on the Cuba tour a couple of years ago when Cuba was still almost open.

    Beat the Wahoos! Or is that too EK board for this thread!?? LGD GTHc! 9F!
    Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!

    Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
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