Ships Tours

[taxmantoo]

We rarely book ship-sponsored shore excursions preferring the flexibility, costs and personal service associated with private tours.

 

On our recent (October 24) Zuiderdam cruise, we had concerns about booking our own in Panama and Costa Rica because both involved travelling long distances away from the ship. And are we glad we booked with the Cruisse Line!!!

 

Our excursion from the Pacific side of the Canal came back to the ship over one hour late but that is nothing compared to the next day in Costa Rica. We were scheduled back on the ship at 3:30 pm for a 4:00 pm sailaway. Due to an accident not involving our bus on the highway coming back from a rain forest, we did not get back to the ship until 5:30 pm!!! And they were waiting for us! Some of the dock lines were already undone, and we did not even have time to make it back to our room that the ship was already moving but THEY WAITED! We were approx 40 passengers on that one late bus who were very thankful and relieved to have booked with HAL. Not an experience for the faint of heart!

 

Had a chance to have dinner with the Captain on the following night. I can say that he was not a happy camper and related to us how expensive that was for the cruise line with the motors running while they were waiting. He was in contact with the tour company the entire time and suggested to them several alternate means of getting us to the ship but they stuck to their original plan.

 

Moral of the story... You never know!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have been on a couple of ship tours that were late getting back to the ship -- we never worried knowning that the ship would be there waiting for us.

We have also been late leaving from ports as we had to wait for buses to get back.

Things can and do happen. That is why we prefer to take a ship tour.

[Typhoon1]

It may cost more, but it's a cheap price to pay knowing the ship won't sail until you have returned. We only take tours booked through HAL.

[bepsf]

Similar happenned to us in Norway on the Flam Railway - There was a delay in the train returning to take us back to Flam but the ship was right there at the pier...

...as we stepped off the train, a few people tried to head back to the gift shops, but Captain Van Donssellar pressed the whistle button indicating that he needed us all back on the ship NOW.

[schoolinmy3]

We just booked tours for our cruise to the Mediterranean and for the first time I booked all our excursions through HAL. Since I am traveling with my oldest son but not my husband or the rest of the family I just wanted to have the peace of mind that everything is taken care of for me. On our last cruise all five of us went and the cost was just too much so we had a combination of DIY and private as well as the ship's tours. I have to say I enjoyed HAL's tours as much and sometimes more than what we did on our own.

Diane

[catl331]

Most times the ship will wait but if the port authorities need you to leave you must and also some ports are tied to the tides. You must go and they will leave in these instances! HAL used to have trips to San Jose Costa Rica from the western ports but stopped them altogether because due to traffic and accidents on the narrow roads, the excursions were consistently overdue.

[BCislandgirl]

If you are on a shorex booked throught HAL, and the tour you are on is late, and the ship just cannot wait for you and leaves... is it true that HAL is then responsible and makes the arrangements for you to catch up to the ship at the next Port of Call??

[Linda&Vern]

:rolleyes: I would like to hear from someone that this has actually happened to. I have never heard of a group on a HAL tour being left at a port.

[Linda&Vern]

If you are on a shorex booked throught HAL, and the tour you are on is late, and the ship just cannot wait for you and leaves... is it true that HAL is then responsible and makes the arrangements for you to catch up to the ship at the next Port of Call??

Yes - quote from HAL's website: "In the very rare event that your tour is late and the ship must leave, we will arrange at our expense to get you to the next port of call. With independently booked tours, you are responsible for rejoining the ship at the next port of call."