EF Ultimate Break

I paid $3,667 for EF Ultimate Break's "Iceland Winter Escape" tour expecting a 6-day immersive experience for young travelers. What I got was three days of rushed sightseeing, soupy meals, and a whole lot of corporate gaslighting. Let me break it down for the folks considering this trip: 6-day tour? False.
The trip began Monday and ended Friday. Monday was a short orientation walk after a long flight, and Friday was a departure day. That left only Tuesday through Thursday for real activities. EF padded the itinerary with "free time" and called it a tour. Cultural experiences? Nonexistent.
No glacier hike, no Silfra snorkeling, no folk museums, no Icelandic horseback riding, no local immersion. If you wanted depth, this trip stayed in the kiddie pool. "Spa day" at Blue Lagoon?
90 minutes. One drink, one mask, one towel. No robe, no treatment, no relaxation. You're in, you're wet, you're out. It's a tourist pit stop dressed in spa marketing. Group size?
Close to 40 people. If "youth-focused" means hearing about everyone's divorce in a crowded bus, then sure, nailed it. Vegetarian meals?
Repetitive and uncreative. I was served tomato soup and cauliflower multiple times. One meal was just soup and rye bread — valued at $50 by EF, apparently. Tipping?
Brought up before the trip, during the trip, and in post-tour messages. Our Tour Director even dropped her PayPal link in a group chat. Tacky doesn't even begin to describe it. Misleading pricing?
I booked after EF texted "only 2 spots left" for $2,839. Mid-trip, I saw the same tour still open — now for $2,389. I paid more because they fabricated urgency. After returning, I submitted a detailed complaint asking for a partial refund of $1,500 — extremely fair given the hollow itinerary. EF responded with a robotic $150 meal reimbursement and refused further dialogue. So I escalated. Publicly. EF, if you're reading this: Customers aren't stupid.
We know when we're being sold premium and handed budget.
The only thing ultimate about this break was my patience.