Talk me into it: Taking non-ship sponsored excursions

[Eurocruiser2010]

Ok ... I've gone on a few cruises but have ALWAYS spent the money and used the NCL sponsored excursions for one main reason: I don't want to be left behind! :eek:

 

Most of you on these wonderful boards don't use the ship sponsored excursions ... so am I just being naive? Can you really rely on these folks to get you back on time?

 

We are sailing the Jade in June so there are many really cool excursions to be taken that are not offered by NCL. But, I am a little nervous about not having that "insurance" of the boat leaving without me.

 

Make me into a believer! Other than cost, what are other benefits of these type of excursions?

 

Thank you!

[janice4559]

Cost is ninety percent of it. The rest is the flexibility of modifying the excursion to your wants/needs. If you hire the operator, you control the time spent on what and for how long. I can't tell you how many times we've run into the ship's excursion doing the same things we are but for half the cost. The private operators know the ship's excursion schedule and will try to get you there before them. If you don't want to spend the hour scheduled for a certain leg of the journey, you simply cut it shorter.

 

As for the security of not missing the ship - these people know that if they don't get you back on time, their livelihood is in jeopordy. One bad post on cruisecritic and they don't have a job anymore. They rely on tourism to feed their families. They are just as afraid of that happening as you are.

[newmexicoNita]

Ok ... I've gone on a few cruises but have ALWAYS spent the money and used the NCL sponsored excursions for one main reason: I don't want to be left behind! :eek:

 

Most of you on these wonderful boards don't use the ship sponsored excursions ... so am I just being naive? Can you really rely on these folks to get you back on time?

 

We are sailing the Jade in June so there are many really cool excursions to be taken that are not offered by NCL. But, I am a little nervous about not having that "insurance" of the boat leaving without me.

 

Make me into a believer! Other than cost, what are other benefits of these type of excursions?

 

Thank you!

obviously cost is number one, but the private tours are more personalized and smaller. We only do ship tours if time is a problem. If we are in port for say, 6 hours and a tour is 4.5 hours or longer we will use the ship, if the tour is say 3 to 4 hours we do it privately..

 

Nita

[LaurieCM]

We've done private tours in Alaska, Mexico, and St. Thomas. Never any problem. The prices were less, the number of people was less, and they were more pin-pointed to our interests. In the past few years we have chosen tour companies recommended on CC. No regrets.;)

[dalgirl]

All of these are good reasons to choose a private tour operator - we have used both. If you are interested in taking a private tour, and the CC group have consistently given them a good review, try them! We did a mix of private tour, on our own trains, and ship tour in Europe - the ship tour was the worst experience: Herded like cattle, rushed, no chance to see anything in detail - terrible. But in the carribean we have used some ship tours that were wonderful. It really depends on the tour. My new rule: if it is a big bus with tons of people, no thanks!

[dfwguy62]

I think another component of taking on your own excursions is your confidence in yourself that you will be able to deal with the situation IF something happens and you don't make it back to the ship on time. This does not happen frequently and using reputable tour operators will nearly eliminate the risk, but there is a slight chance a van will break down or a huge traffic mess could cause you to miss the ship. If you know that you have done the research to know what your options are and you have somewhat prepared yourself (even if only mentally) then you go a long way toward taking that leap toward doing it yourself.

 

In Europe, for example, I know that I'm comfortable figuring out train schedules to get me to the next port city if I miss the ship. I carry my passport with me on DIY excursions (as opposed to leaving it on the ship) in case I need to take a flight to the next city in a rush or in case I get into a pickle with local authorities. Planning like this will go a long way.

 

To me... it's confidence in the local operators you may use AND confidence in YOURSELF that makes doing it on your own work. If you're not the type of personality to ever have that confidence that "I can do this!", then perhaps ship excursions are better for you. There's nothing wrong using them. They give peace of mind. And when on vacation... that can go a long way. My typical cruise uses a mix of ship excursions, 3rd party operations, and me just getting off the ship and going entirely solo with my day.

 

I hope that made sense. It sounded better in my head.

[cruisinreunion]

As far as worrying about not making it back to the ship, remember that tour operators survive on cruise passenger dollars and if they do a bad job than the word is spread and the people will stop using them. They need to be dependable to survive and from everything we have seen, they excel at this. We have never had a problem, though I am sure a few people have, chances are in your favor for a great experience!

[RichNY]

We rarely take ships excursions. The private excursions tend to be longer and certainly less money.Being shuttled on and off a bus like a heard of cattle is no our idea of fun. On or Med cruise we used only private excursions and were on our way before the busses were loaded..On 2 of our stops we used local transportation, busses and trains and we lost a lot of time. Booking a private excursion would have been a lot better. Check the ports of call board for recommendations and work with your roll call members to put together your own groups...It really works to your advantage..Have fun

 

If you look at the NCL excursions there is no guarantee they will wait for you...

 

A nice thing about the European cruises is you have a lot of time in the ports...10 to 12 hours in some of them. You can book a nice 8 hour tour and still be back to the ship with time to spare..

[Derek King]

I agree with everything that was already said. I would also keep in mind where you are going if you are worried about it.

 

I was in Europe on the gem last year and like dfwguy said if you somehow don't get back in time you can eaisly get to the next city by train. Now if you are in the islands that's not going to be as easy or cheap to get to the next stop.

 

I was concerned about doing a private cave tubing in belize a few years ago because it is a good 45 min or so drive to the site and the next stop was another far away island. But we were picked up at the port while the ncl tour was still lining up for buses. and we were done with our cave tubing and gone and they were all waiting for others to be done with the bathrooms. Also if was me and my wife on a private tour for the same price if not less as the ncl tour. We got a lot of great insight about the country from the local guide since we were one on one with him.

 

The smaller private tours are much more efficent than the big ship tours most times you get back quicker or can see more if not both.

 

Also you will most likely be doing very similar trips that the cruise offers, so if roads are closed, accidents etc that will delay you the cruise tours will also be delayed so the ship won't leave.

[rusticfurnituremaker]

Normal schedule for ship's tour:

Meet one hour early. Sit in bar/lounge waiting for all to arrive. Be herded like cattle to bus. Wait in bus till all settled. Drive to site (sometimes not near enough as the big buses can't get in where vans can.) Follow someone holding a card over their head giving commentary you really can't hear unless you rush to be right next to them. Drive to restaurant to get usually subpar meal which is really not "local flavor". Drive to store that the ship gets a kick back from, taking away your valuable touring time. (unless you wanted that little perfume, rug, jewelry item, etc.) If you are lucky, you can get a few minutes until you get herded back to the bus. Wait for the latecomers (always!!)

 

Schedule for private tour:

Get off ship right away. Go right to your van/car. Take off in minutes to the places YOU want to go. Driver will sometimes give some history and info, some will not as they are not "guides". Get to where you are going, usually right in front of it, instead of at some far away meeting point like the buses. Stay as long as YOU want. Eat where YOU want. Want to be driven to the next point, fine. Want to walk it, fine. Want to shop, fine. Don't want to shop, fine. Find a cute cafe and want to spend the whole time there, fine. Driver picks you up where YOU want. Driver drops you off at ship.

 

Oh, the best part, you pay only about 1/2 the price that others paid. Many of the ship's tours don't go to all the places you want to see. You have to just settle. A private tour goes wherever you want to go. You are with 4-6 other people instead of 50-100.

 

In over 50 private tours I have arranged/taken, the driver has never even come close to getting us back late. I follow the boards and can't even think of the last time I saw a posting about a tour company getting back late. They work like a network and if the worst happens and the car breaks down, etc. they have friends/family who will break their necks to make sure you get back in time. Their business depends on it.

 

I really just can't understand why anyone would take a ship sponsored tour.

 

Amy

[Giantfan13]

We have cruised the Baltics, Hawaii, Alaska in the past 3 years and have ignored all ship tours. NCL is pretty good about this as several other crusie lines really made passengers life miserable in St Petersburg Russia last year by trying to make them wait until all ship excursion passengers had disembarked before they could leave the ship.

But not NCL. as has already been said, ships tours are like a cattle herd in which you join the herd and follow the lead cow all over town. You stop when THEY say stop, you shop where they say shop, and if you MIGHT want to stay at a particular spot a bit longer, FORGET IT, no way, sorry dude, we have to get you back to the ship 3 hours before the leaves.

On private tours YOU set the pace, you set the agenda and you determine where you might want to go, stay longer, or even take a bathroom break.

What I would advise is NOT going with some dude whop might be hanging around the docks looking for people to shuttle around. If you are at all concerned, pick reputable tour groups, tour agencies etc, who, as has been said, depend on the cruise recommendations to survive. read these boards, especially on the Ports of Calls board and see how mnay people recommend certain tours as they are great, cheaper and always get you back to the ship with time to spare.

The ships can spin it anyway they want, try and scare you about missing the ship, but it is so rare, why even think about it. Just stay with recommended tour groups and you will be fine. (richer too).

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Zeno]

Ok ... I've gone on a few cruises but have ALWAYS spent the money and used the NCL sponsored excursions for one main reason: I don't want to be left behind! :eek:

 

Most of you on these wonderful boards don't use the ship sponsored excursions ... so am I just being naive? Can you really rely on these folks to get you back on time?

 

We are sailing the Jade in June so there are many really cool excursions to be taken that are not offered by NCL. But, I am a little nervous about not having that "insurance" of the boat leaving without me.

 

Make me into a believer! Other than cost, what are other benefits of these type of excursions?

 

Thank you!

 

The main thing is to use common sense. In ports where timing may be tight on the excursion you want to go on, it's safer to choose the ship sponsored excursions. However if for example you are in a port where the ship will be docked for 10 hours and you want an excursion that starts shortly after the ship docks and lasts about 5 hours, the chances of your being left behind are awfully slim. If taking a "non-ship" excursion makes you nervous because of reliability issues, check the Port-of-call boards - lots of recommendations for good reliable operators who know that it is an important part of their business to get you back on time. Also ALWAYS plan your excursions so that you will be back at the ship no later than 1 hour before departure (or more if you are going to be nervous).

 

The main benefit of these types of excursions are:

1. PRICE, PRICE PRICE - 99% of the time they will be a lot cheaper than what is offered by the ship

2. Customization - many operators will allow you to customize your tour - particularly if you are in a group of like-minded people

3. Smaller sized groups - the 'ship groups' are invariably MUCH larger and therefore you get less personalized attention

 

Our rules are:

All-day tour getting back late in a tender port - no contest - we use the ship sponsored tour

Long tour in a port we are familiar with getting back one hour before departure, usually we use a "local"

Long tour getting back 1 hour before departure in an unfamiliar port, could go either way, depending on our comfort level with local operators.

Shorter tour (getting us back more than 1 hour before departure) - we nearly always use a local operator.

[saleandsail]

It is interesting that many posters feel quite certain that NCL will wait for a tour if it is late. I have also read anecdotal evidence on some threads that they do; however, NCL used to list waiting for a late ship excursion as one of the reasons to book their excursion, they no longer list it. I'm not saying that they won't wait, I just don't feel quite so certain anymore. For the record, depending on the circumstances, I'm open for either.

[Victress2007]

I agree with Zeno's criteria but I would add one more that is harder to quantify. Safety concerns. In third world countries I am more comfortable taking the ships tour, especially in tough terrain. We did use a highly recommended tour from CC in Belize. In Europe I wouldn't worry at all about going on my own or with a recommended tour from here, but I still wouldn't do a "pick-up" at the port. Even in the US I'm leery of port side unless they have an establishment.

 

I've lived on 5 continents and done lots on my own, but there is something to be said about planning ahead, knowing what is going on around you and having a plan if something goes wrong. Especially when traveling with children I will opt for safety every time.

 

Vic

[Eurocruiser2010]

Thank you for all this wonderful advice!

[Zeno]

It is interesting that many posters feel quite certain that NCL will wait for a tour if it is late. I have also read anecdotal evidence on some threads that they do; however, NCL used to list waiting for a late ship excursion as one of the reasons to book their excursion, they no longer list it. I'm not saying that they won't wait, I just don't feel quite so certain anymore. For the record, depending on the circumstances, I'm open for either.

 

I can't speak for NCL specifically but we were once on a tour (another cruiseline - no longer in existence) that DID get back after departure time and the captain held the ship until we were on board (but not a moment longer - the gangplank was literally pulled up the moment the last person from our tour boarded the ship).

[HokiePoq]

For me, it depends on where you are. When stuck in the mud in the jungle of Belize, I sat in the Range Rover and thought how grateful I was we were on a ship's excursion.

For our upcoming trip, we are going on a number of private excursions with CC Roll Call folks. I figure that there is safety in numbers and they would be less likely to leave 50 people than two or four. We took only ship's excursions in Egypt where they send armed escorts with the excursions. I cannot say anyone who went private had any problem but when language and security is a problem, we go with the ship's excursion.

[logicandsin]

if you are travelling to egypt you need to bear in mind that the journey from port to cairo is 3 hours both ways (not much of a problem if in cairo overnight) and vehicles travel in protected convoy. you will need to check if your private operator supplies a vehicle with wc facilities and aircon as the convoy can not and will not stop until it clears the 'desert run'.

[Turtles06]

Normal schedule for ship's tour:

Meet one hour early. Sit in bar/lounge waiting for all to arrive. Be herded like cattle to bus. Wait in bus till all settled. Drive to site (sometimes not near enough as the big buses can't get in where vans can.) Follow someone holding a card over their head giving commentary you really can't hear unless you rush to be right next to them. Drive to restaurant to get usually subpar meal which is really not "local flavor". Drive to store that the ship gets a kick back from, taking away your valuable touring time. (unless you wanted that little perfume, rug, jewelry item, etc.) If you are lucky, you can get a few minutes until you get herded back to the bus. Wait for the latecomers (always!!)

 

 

 

Sadly, this is hysterically accurate!!

 

On an NCL-sponsored tour to Tulum from Cozumel a couple of years ago (a very long journey each way), the bus driver (and the drivers of about 20 other NCL buses) had us stop on the way to Tulum at some Mexican trinket shop along the highway on the pretext that the restrooms in Tulum were "dirty" and that these nice Mexican store owners had built beautiful clean restrooms for the ship's passengers, but as a courtesy would we please look thru their store..... This turned out to be a "rest stop" of more than an hour (!!!) as folks lined up to buy trinkets, and it deprived us of very precious, limited time in Tulum. The NCL description of this shore excursion did not mention this shopping stop; to the contrary, it said "shopping upon return to Cozumel if time." I was furious about the time we'd wasted.

 

When I called NCL to complain about this, they were really unsympathetic. I had to argue with them just to get some pittance of a refund on what we had paid for this shore excursion.

 

For my part, it's not just that private shore excursions are (substantially) cheaper, it's that you will see so much more, and you'll do what YOU want to do.

[Turtles06]

if you are travelling to egypt you need to bear in mind that the journey from port to cairo is 3 hours both ways (not much of a problem if in cairo overnight) and vehicles travel in protected convoy. you will need to check if your private operator supplies a vehicle with wc facilities and aircon as the convoy can not and will not stop until it clears the 'desert run'.

 

This isn't entirely accurate. We just did a private shore excursion a few weeks ago from Alexandria to Cairo (an overnight in Cairo) and the private vans did not travel in any sort of convoy. Also, our driver offered us the opportunity to stop and use a restroom along the way. (We all declined, having heard the horror stories about public restrooms in Egypt. There were four of us, and none of us could think of any other three hour drive we'd taken when we hadn't stopped at least once to pee! :))

[pyrogy]

Aren't the vast majority of "ship" excursions just the private excursions anyway, contracted out to the cruise line, and modified slightly in some instances? I believe this is common.

 

I have never taken a ship excursion. With even a little research, you can save money with many reputable companies.

 

I remember in B.V.I., I had researched the ferries, etc., to go to Virgin Gorda, and we did the entire trip ourselves, walking through the boulders, etc., and had the best day ever. On our way back in the afternoon, we passed (going the other way) a ship excursion of literally hundreds of people, slowly crowding their way through the boulders. It looked like a nightmare. I felt so bad for them spending that money to do exactly what I had done for just the cost of the ferry ticket.

 

Just one example, but I cannot imagine a situation where I would pay for a ship excursion.

[newmexicoNita]

Aren't the vast majority of "ship" excursions just the private excursions anyway, contracted out to the cruise line, and modified slightly in some instances? I believe this is common.

 

I have never taken a ship excursion. With even a little research, you can save money with many reputable companies.

 

I remember in B.V.I., I had researched the ferries, etc., to go to Virgin Gorda, and we did the entire trip ourselves, walking through the boulders, etc., and had the best day ever. On our way back in the afternoon, we passed (going the other way) a ship excursion of literally hundreds of people, slowly crowding their way through the boulders. It looked like a nightmare. I felt so bad for them spending that money to do exactly what I had done for just the cost of the ferry ticket.

 

Just one example, but I cannot imagine a situation where I would pay for a ship excursion.

yes, this is true, but there are still times the ship excursions are better. We did the Whale watching on Princess a few years ago..It was cheaper than anything we could find privately and they guanateed we would see Whales. DH did a fishing trip in Alaska, it was late getting back and the ship waited. For a new cruiser I think booking via the ship is a good idea. so there are reasons to book through the ship..

 

Nita

[rusticfurnituremaker]

yes, this is true, but there are still times the ship excursions are better. We did the Whale watching on Princess a few years ago..It was cheaper than anything we could find privately and they guanateed we would see Whales. DH did a fishing trip in Alaska, it was late getting back and the ship waited. For a new cruiser I think booking via the ship is a good idea. so there are reasons to book through the ship..

 

Nita

 

 

Nita: I would have to respectfully disagree with you. We have done private whale watching tours out of a couple of Alaska ports, and they ALL guarantee "sightings". Not the number. It is well worth it to the operators to guarantee this, get people, and on the very slim chance of no sightings, refund the $. (Same as they would have done on the ship tour). Also not cheaper. I have done it 3 times and all were substantially cheaper and you didn't have 150 people onboard running from side to side of the boat to spot the whales. So, not better on ship tour.

 

As for the fishing trip, no experience there.

 

For newbie cruisers who don't want to do the legwork on their own, just go on the roll call and join a group put together by a "oldie" cruiser.

 

Once again, my opinion only, NO good reason to take an overpriced cattle tour.

 

Amy

[luvlax]

Ok ... I've gone on a few cruises but have ALWAYS spent the money and used the NCL sponsored excursions for one main reason: I don't want to be left behind! :eek:

 

Most of you on these wonderful boards don't use the ship sponsored excursions ... so am I just being naive? Can you really rely on these folks to get you back on time?

 

We are sailing the Jade in June so there are many really cool excursions to be taken that are not offered by NCL. But, I am a little nervous about not having that "insurance" of the boat leaving without me.

 

Make me into a believer! Other than cost, what are other benefits of these type of excursions?

 

Thank you!

 

 

I would like to add that some times when we have gone on a private tour, it is the same tour company that is providing it for NCL. so we paid less than the other people on the tour.

 

one time we did the ncl tour and were picked up from the ship. the people on our ship who booked the same tour directly with the operator had to get their own way into st thomas to get picked up from a different location. they probably paid less.

 

i agree that with kids if you feel uncomfortable in a port, it is safer with NCL. however i have used tours recommended by Cruise critics and have had a great time and felt very safe. we have felt unsafe on NCl tours too. you always have this gnawing feeling in the back of your mind when travelling down a deserted road whether you are going to make it out alive.

[fin]

Another (cynical) reason for ship sponsored tour is suggested by the thread currently sitting just above this one re the bus crash in Tortola......deeper pockets.

 

Someone else want to count the number of times the word "cattle" appears on this page?