Is NO ONE booking ship shore excursions???

[~Fianna]

Yes, I was the one who used the term 'authentic', but Hank's use of 'atmosphere' is a much better choice. What I was trying to describe is getting the feel of a place, not just stopping in to see its artwork or heaven forbid its 'factory direct shopping opportunities'. I mean wandering down side streets, encountering open air markets where the 'locals' actually shop, sitting in a sidewalk cafe people-watching, all the things you cannot do when part if a group of 60. I don't care what you say, you cannot possibly get the 'feel' of a place driving through it in a huge tour bus. You have to get out and walk!

 

This argument can go on forever. Those who are comfortable, and indeed prefer, exploring on their own, will never see eye to eye with those who choose to use planned excursions. We're are fortunate to have those choices. Think about how many people never get more than 100 miles from home!

 

Cathy

 

I think Cathy hit an important point. For some people... probably many or even most people, these are once in a lifetime trips and so they really do NEED to see everything that makes a certain city "worth" going to. The Vatican and the Coliseum, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and Versailles, etc. They also don't have a lot of experience or the desire to build up a lot of experience trying to find their way around in places that don't speak their language. They want to do a Grand Tour, and take a lot of pictures, bring home something to remember the trip by and cross this off the "bucket list".

 

For those people, a ship tour that covers the highlights and lets them buy souvenirs is exactly what they want.

 

The authenticity or ambiance or whichever word covers it is something that appeals to a very different group of travelers. As I posted in another thread, when we stop in Livorno, we're not even planning on going to Florence because we know we're going to be back. That makes a world of difference in how you plan a trip and there aren't a lot of people in who have the luxury of saying "No, I really don't want to rush through Florence because I'm planning a long land trip anyway, so we'll do that next year" because there are very few people who can afford long vacations and trans-oceanic flights "next year".

 

It's easy to be a bit of a travel snob when you have that kind of time/money but the reality is that most people don't have that kind of disposable income.

[trvlrs]

Private tours vs shore excursions hmmm...

 

Private tours:

Pros: You plan your trip and you get to see what you want. The time is yours. If you get to a monument, a museum, etc... and decide not to spend much time you can leave and alter your itinerary. You are basically, the boss.

Cons: It can cost quite a bit more than the shore excursion but not necessarily. From experience, Europe is the most expensive especially Italy.

 

Shore Excursions:

 

Pros: No research to be done ahead of time (saves a lot of time). You don't have to worry, if you hired the right company or not.

Cons: You must see what the tour has on the agenda and can't alter anything. You have to deal with bathroom breaks and a set lunch time and place

 

If you are a seasoned traveller and can afford the private tours, I believe it's the way to go.

If you like planned tours than obviously shore excursions are for you.

 

A bit of advice for someone going to Alaska. We cruised celebrity 4 years ago and the hydroplane ride over the glaciers in Juneau (shore excursions) was fully booked. Needless to say, we were very dissapointed. We decided to just walk around Juneau and explore the town on our own.

When we disembarked, they were many kiosks selling the same kind of tour for half the price. We booked one of them.

We boarded the hydroplane with 6 other passengers. We were surprised to find out, they were on our ship and had paid twice the amount we had.

 

Last year, we cruised the Baltic sea and did all of the ports on our own and 3 days in St Petersburg with a private guide. No regrets...

[marylandcrzer]

I've often structured my own excursions, especially in easily accessible ports where getting about isn't exceptionally difficult. There are ports where I wouldn't think of going it alone (St. Petersburg comes to mind) and where (again St. Petersburg comes to mind) it was really comforting to be on a ship tour and know there was a helping hand if needed (as an example, our tour bus broke down in St. Petersburg and I was pretty sure the ship would be there when we got back (it was). It just seems to me that the decision is so individual and so conditional:). Thats why it's so helpful to have so many viewpoints to consider.

[TrojanHoosier]

TrojanHoosier ... and much of my family is in Indy!!

 

As for Ramses, I did all of my research right here on Cruise Critic. Ramses is very well reviewed ... and, I never felt they were that small! We'll be going to the museum in the afternoon. We're doing just one day with them out of Port Said. Guided Tours Israel is also very well respected here on CC. We've booked them out of both Haifa and Ashdod.

 

With Ramses it will be just me an my DW. We're sharing the two Israel excursions with a mom and daughter that we connected with through our ship's Roll Call section of the site.

 

Have a great trip. What ship?? What date??

@BigGuy25: Thanks for your reply. I'm new to posting, so forgive me if I get redundant posting the same message on a couple of boards. I feel like I'm pestering you.

 

We're sailing on Pacific Princess/Athens-Rome/July 2. Your ship too, yes?

 

If you're interested in adding two people to your tour in Haifa and/or Port Said, let me know! My mom and I are trying to find small groups to join while in Israel & Egypt.

 

Thanks again!

[CathyCruises]

The idea of 50 people geting on and off the bus with maybe half having mobility problems scares me.

 

Funny you should mention mobility. Our last shore ex, and the one that made us become died-in-the-wool DIYers, was to Florence. We are reasonably fit and not mobility-challenged at all. But on that tour, we were forced to walk for 4 1/2 hours straight--from getting off the bus at the Accademia to finally having lunch near Santa Croce. That is not our style. We like to walk, stop and have a coffee, browse, check out things that catch our eye; not just walk-walk-walk. I was SO grateful to be able to sit down finally at lunch and enjoy the glass of Prosecco on my table. But was very soon chagrined to find that 'lunch' in Florence was roast beef and mashed potatoes! WHAT??? That did it--never a ship's tour for me EVER again! I paid $150/pp for that tour and it was a terrible experience. So much to see, and there we are waiting at the bus 30 extra minutes each time we stopped for random passengers to decide to rejoin us.

 

When we were in Europe earlier this year, we walked for hours each day, but at our own pace (sometimes very quickly since it was so cold!) and stopped whenever we felt like it. We would decide each day where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see, and off we went. And many thanks again to Cruisemom for all the less-well-traveled Rome suggestions, almost all of which we did!

 

Cathy

[cruise kitty]

Someone mentioned the time factor, a good example for us was Fuchal. We were off the ship as soon as was allowed, we walked along the shoreline walkways all the way to the cable car, we were able to take our time, & take pictures on the way. As we were getting on our cable car a large private tour group from our ship showed up, I believe they were in 3 private vans, we saw them quite a bit through out the day, they were basically seeing the same sights as we were, but being driven everywhere, not our style. The vans even met them at the top of the cable car to drive them into Monte, they missed out on a lovely walk. We were able to sit at a cafe whenever we wanted to have a quick snack or beer, & by walking we really got a feel for the town & the locals.

[Hlitner]

Cathy, Forty years of experience tells me you are preaching to mostly a deaf audience. Many of our fellow Americans have a mind set that they must "see everything in a day" and will not accept that by doing so they really see nothing. It is a lesson many of us do not learn until after years of travel. We used to try and change minds, but have learned that our efforts are better spent just helping those that really want help.

 

Hank

[CathyCruises]

I hear you, Hank. I am just so grateful that there is a place like this where people who want to do more have the resources available to them. After just having spent 2 months in Europe, we don't know where or when our next trip will be; but wherever it is, and be it a cruise or a land-based vacation, I will be on these boards seeking info.

 

DH has never been to Alaska, and with cruises being so cheap I am considering maybe doing one this summer. Summer is always our busy time here in the mountains, and I have never been able to get away, but as we will likely be moving back to California in the next few months, a quick Alaska trip may fit in well. I do remember a shore ex we took on our Alaska cruise that had to be mid 90's--a jet boat into a marshy area where we saw lots of eagles and otter and then we came out into the open ocean and saw tons of orcas breaching (sp?). That was a really fun trip, probably $200/pp now! But if we go I will study up beforehand!

 

On the Celebrity boards, someone was asking directions to WalMart in Juneau--be sure that is ONE stop we will not be making!

 

Cathy

[Hlitner]

I hear you, Hank. I am just so grateful that there is a place like this where people who want to do more have the resources available to them. After just having spent 2 months in Europe, we don't know where or when our next trip will be; but wherever it is, and be it a cruise or a land-based vacation, I will be on these boards seeking info.

 

DH has never been to Alaska, and with cruises being so cheap I am considering maybe doing one this summer. Summer is always our busy time here in the mountains, and I have never been able to get away, but as we will likely be moving back to California in the next few months, a quick Alaska trip may fit in well. I do remember a shore ex we took on our Alaska cruise that had to be mid 90's--a jet boat into a marshy area where we saw lots of eagles and otter and then we came out into the open ocean and saw tons of orcas breaching (sp?). That was a really fun trip, probably $200/pp now! But if we go I will study up beforehand!

 

On the Celebrity boards, someone was asking directions to WalMart in Juneau--be sure that is ONE stop we will not be making!

 

Cathy

 

We live in Puerto Vallarta during the winter and often try to help folks who have question about that port. The most common questions have to do with Walmart! Go figure.

 

Hank

[hubofhockey]

Please remember that there are many of out here who can't get to the Mediterranean so often and can only dream of spending a couple of months there. This is the frame of reference to many first timers on these boards. Nothing wrong with soaking it all in and there is also nothing wrong with a packed day of sightseeing. We aren't doing ancient rome and vatican in one day (skipping vatican). But many on the roll call are. Good for them. We all have different priorities and values for our limited time in ports and our abilities to go back and travel like this in the near future.

[CathyCruises]

We live in Puerto Vallarta during the winter and often try to help folks who have question about that port. The most common questions have to do with Walmart! Go figure.

 

Hank

 

Can't believe they have Walmart there too! I lived in Guadalajara for 3 1/2 years back in the 70's, and there was nothing in the stores that I even recognized then! But that's where I learned to cook--no shortcuts available so I had to do it all from scratch.

 

My favorite PV hotel is the Sheraton Bouganvillas--is it still there?

[Hlitner]

Can't believe they have Walmart there too! I lived in Guadalajara for 3 1/2 years back in the 70's, and there was nothing in the stores that I even recognized then! But that's where I learned to cook--no shortcuts available so I had to do it all from scratch.

 

My favorite PV hotel is the Sheraton Bouganvillas--is it still there?

 

Not just one Walmart! We now have 3... two of which are in PV and a third out in Neuvo. We also have a Sams and a Costco. It's almost like home. You need to keep in mind that during the winter there are more than 50,000 Canadians and Americans who call PV and the surrounding region Home!

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Can't believe they have Walmart there too! I lived in Guadalajara for 3 1/2 years back in the 70's, and there was nothing in the stores that I even recognized then! But that's where I learned to cook--no shortcuts available so I had to do it all from scratch.

 

My favorite PV hotel is the Sheraton Bouganvillas--is it still there?

 

Not just one Walmart! We now have 3... two of which are in PV and a third out in Neuvo. We also have a Sams and a Costco. It's almost like home. You need to keep in mind that during the winter there are more than 50,000 Canadians and Americans who call PV and the surrounding region Home! And Yes, the Sheraton is still there although now it is a combination vacation club (time shares) and hotel.

 

Hank

[maryann ns]

I know this if off topic, but there is very little do it yourself information on the Asia section of Ports of Call. Do any of you have any experience there? I know I will not be taking ship tours, but may try to avoid some private tours as well.

 

 

Maybe if some of you do have experience you could post to the Asia board.

[SASSYIN2]

Hank

We just bought a Condo in PV and travel there quite a bit in the winter. I have also helped people who have questions about the port, and you are right either they ask about Wal-Mart, Costco or is it safe tehre. We have never had a bad meal or felt unsafe there anytime in the last 10 years.

[Hlitner]

I know this if off topic, but there is very little do it yourself information on the Asia section of Ports of Call. Do any of you have any experience there? I know I will not be taking ship tours, but may try to avoid some private tours as well.

 

 

Maybe if some of you do have experience you could post to the Asia board.

 

We have taken a few Asian cruises and love cruising in that part of the globe. Since there are relatively few cruises (when compared to the Med) in that part of the world it does get reflected with fewer CC port posts. To us, many Asian ports are great for do it yourselfers (us) although some countries (particularly China) do present some challenges.

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

Hank

We just bought a Condo in PV and travel there quite a bit in the winter. I have also helped people who have questions about the port, and you are right either they ask about Wal-Mart, Costco or is it safe tehre. We have never had a bad meal or felt unsafe there anytime in the last 10 years.

 

Guess we are getting off topic but such is life. We absolutely love living in PV (my DW thinks we should keep it a secret) and get more excited about returning there then we do about long cruises. We have also never had a bad meal, drink the local water and have never been sick, can walk the streets day or night with no fear, enjoy the nearly perfect winter weather (this year was not quite up to standards), etc etc. And for those wondering, the tourist office did not pay me for this post :)

 

Hank

[tom_uk]

There is one caveat to be made about the DiY approach: you have to be prepared to cope if things go wrong with your plans. We had this experience in Naples a few years ago. We didn't run into serious difficulties, but we had a disappointing, frustrating and more expensive day than we had expected. I blogged about it here.

 

So DiY doesn't always work best. That's not an argument to not DiY, but it is a statement that sometimes you will be disappointed.

[petesweet]

That's our experience as well. We were in Istanbul last autumn on Celebrity Solstice, and I had researched using the trams really thoroughly. We were off the ship just after 2pm, on a tram by 2:15, and walking into the grounds of Topkapi Palace before 2:30 - everything went really well. That evening several of our table companions were expressing unhappiness about their afternoon. They'd all been booked on ship's excursions around Istanbul, and had run into traffic congestion, made heavier because of the additional traffic/security caused by the IMF meeting that was taking place in the city! As a result it had taken them a bit more than an hour to get from the ship to the old part of the city. When we explained what we had done, not only were they envious (which, I must admit, felt good) but also astonished that we knew what to do. "How did you find out about it all?" was the frequent question, and they were generally astonished when we told them about Cruise Critic, various blog sites, etc. And these weren't stupid people: two of them had been teachers, and one of the others was a well-known lawyer.

 

Of course, the other side of the coin is that regular posters here invest a *lot* of time in this community. Perhaps other people simply don't want to make that investment in time.

 

I have two contributions to this great discussion.

1. While a private excursion allows you to personalize your tour, it's great even if you don't make any changes to the set tour. Having six or eight people to get into and out of the vehicle and in line for the bathroom breaks, etc., allows much more time for sightseeing.

2. There are two kinds of nonship excursions. We're talking here about the European (Asian, African) ports, but if you were to be in the Caribbean, you could walk to the end of the pier and catch a $15 tour. That's the kind to be cautious about. You don't know if the vehicle is roadworthy or if the driver is careful, etc. You might luck out, or you might end up missing your ship.

Bottom line: For me in these overseas ports, I'll do the research and book the private tours. When we were in St. Petersburg, Russia, we paid half the price of the ship's excursions and saw twice as much.:)

Kathy

[petesweet]

The third benefit to me might be the most important one. By having to take the time to do the research, you learn a lot about the place you are going. So as opposed to just kind of showing up at someplace, you gain a lot more understanding of the where's, why's and how's. Not to say you can't learn this and still take a ships tour but when you are DIY you have to learn it to pull it off.

 

Kirk

 

Good point. I have discovered that, but I failed to mention it. It's what I am spending hours doing right now. I am reading in depth about all of the sights we will be stopping at in Rome, and it is fascinating. I'll guarantee I'll get a lot more out of our independent tour than the other seven people in our van.

Kathy

[cruisemom42]

There is one caveat to be made about the DiY approach: you have to be prepared to cope if things go wrong with your plans. We had this experience in Naples a few years ago. We didn't run into serious difficulties, but we had a disappointing, frustrating and more expensive day than we had expected. I blogged about it here.

 

So DiY doesn't always work best. That's not an argument to not DiY, but it is a statement that sometimes you will be disappointed.

 

 

You do always need to have a Plan B (and sometimes even a Plan C) if you want to DIY. Most cases you won't need it; but if you do it's best to make like a Boy Scout and be prepared.

 

I put together a list of some of the things I think are essential when deciding whether or not DIY is for you here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=23506959&postcount=8

 

Having said all of that, I can also list many times when ship tours have gone awry as well. I think there is some quote about travel being the art of adapting well to the unexpected or something like that....:D

[Hlitner]

CruiseMom, We think your list of things is terrific and agree with all your comments (and that is after more then 40 years of independent travel). We would add a few more items to your list. Have a plan "Z" which is what you can do if you are very unlucky and miss the ship. Note: We actually will set our "cushion" based on this issue. For example, if the ship is in Livorno and will be in Civitavecchia or Monte Carlo the next day we would perhaps cut things a bit tighter then usual since we know it would be easy to catch the ship the following day.

 

We also believe in going to your furthest point (from the port) early in the day and working your way back towards the port as the day progresses (this only works in some ports). In fact, if in a port like Cannes you should go and follow your plans and then spend your last hour or two exploring Cannes so you have no worries about getting back to the ship.

 

One other thing is to give consideration to renting a car in some ports. This is an option often overlooked by cruisers, but it makes a lot of sense in some ports where you want to see multiple sites.

 

Hank

[jay44]

I'm still a novice to cruising, but the three cruises I have been on I have booked the ships tours and have been totally satisfied and will continue to book for my next one!

[CathyCruises]

Maybe because you have never gone DIY! Different strokes and all that. Personally I am unwilling to pay triple or quadruple the prices I could see the same sites for myself. . .and do it at my own pace, with the stops I want, and not be forced to stop at particular shopping areas. But if you are happy with it, more power to you, and I am sure your cruiseline loves you for it!

 

Cathy

[Hlitner]

I'm still a novice to cruising, but the three cruises I have been on I have booked the ships tours and have been totally satisfied and will continue to book for my next one!

 

As long as you are satisfied with ships' tours and the prices you certainly should continue booking those things. We love to help folks that are looking for something other then the usual tours, but not everyone likes to be free and independent.

 

Hank