Ports - do you normally go on a tour

[lyjima07]

Do you normally go on a tour at the ports, or do most people do it on their own? We are not real active people, so I am thinking we might want to do it at our own pace. Any suggestions? Do alot of people stay on the boat? First cruise and I just have lots of questions. I guess most will be answered once we are sailing.:D

[fdpevey]

I have been reading these boards for years - and always check the Ports of Call boards to hear other ideas. We have done self-guided walking tours, we have arranged for independent taxi drivers who are recommended on these boards to pick us up at port, we have used professional tour operators, we have rented cars in ports, and we have taken ships tours. It is just the two of us - my husband and me - so this may be very different for people who travel with large groups or families. For the most part, we take ships tours for several reasons:

 

1. Someone else is in charge! All the work I have to do is select the tour - I don't need multiple emails to hammer out details; I don't need cash to pay at the end of the tour (which is often requested); I don't have to solicit on the Roll Call for others to fill up the van; when we reach a fork in the road of the path we're taking, I don't to decide if we want to go right or left. I go on a cruise to relax - and there is something about worrying if the next arranged trip will work out, or the people I recruited to go with us will like it, etc., that detracts from that total relaxation for me.

 

2. The quality is typically good and you are fairly certain about what you will get. Some cruises ago I arranged a taxi tour WITH a driver/guide recommended by these boards, only to get off the ship to find out that driver/guide had passed us over to another ... who didn't speak English ... and the driver/guide had been unable to get tickets to the park we wanted to attend. We made the most of it AND were lucky enough to find another couple at the dock who spoke the native language, but it was not a pleasant experience.

 

3. We learn a lot about what we are seeing. A tour guide is great - they explain what you are seeing. Could you read that from a guide book in a self-guided tour? Yes, but having someone explain it is more relaxing for me and someone else is doing it (refer to #1). Can you use a private operator? Yes but there is always the chance it won't go as you expect (refer to #2).

 

4. Getting lost in an unfamiliar place is no fun. We rented a car for a self-guided tour once, and got lost. The man who was driving (this was a group that had gotten together through the Rolls Call boards) got us back to port, but we missed a stop we wanted to make. Again, there was a language issue in the country for reading signs or getting directions.

 

I understand many love the challenge of putting together independent tour operators, and they save money by doing so - I respect that and hope those who are avid independent travelers will also respect this point of view. I invest our money in my relaxation by having most of our tours handled by the ship.

 

The one deviation of that would be Italy. Many of the sights there are on very narrow streets into which big busses cannot pass. For those I would recommend a local tour company who handles van groups.

 

Just my .02 cents.

[lyjima07]

I appeciate your 2 cents, and appreciate the time it took to give me lots of details. Thanks!

[phoenix_dream]

When we first started cruising we generally took the ship's tours. Now we generally either do not take a tour at all, pre-arrange one based on advice found on these boards, or negotiate one with a taxi driver when we disembark. If we do not take any tour it is generally because we only plan to get off the ship and walk around town, or because we plan to take a taxi to the beach. IMHO almost all beach tours are a waste of money compared to taking a taxi and possibly renting a beach chair on your own.

 

If we are going someplace where we would feel a bit uncomfortable going out on our own (maybe it is not quite as safe as some ports - for example, Acapulco), then we would definitely use a ship tour. Also, in some cases, if there is a specific activity you are interested in and there is limited availability, you might need to book the ship's tour or possibly miss out. (this can happen in Alaska for example).

 

We have only cruised to Carribbean and Alaska so I cannot speak for other areas.

[TraceyP]

It all depends on what you like to do!

 

Most people do generally get off in port. So, some folks love to stay on the ship and relax when it's in port because it's usually quiet and low key. I noticed that there were a few ports where a lot of people don't get off the ship (for various reasons, i.e. safety, lack of interest, etc). You can usually get better deals in the spa when the ship is in port if that interests you.

 

Some people just walk off the ship and look around the "port" area just outside the ship. If you just want to get "out" and walk a bit then this may be enough for you. Depending on the port this can be more interesting in some places than others. Recommend you read the "ports" boards to see what people are saying about what's available. There may be a lot of shopping and not a lot of sights just off the ship. So if you want to see some sights recommend you consider an excursion.

 

The ship offers a variety of excursions for different activity levels, including almost always some sort of bus ride around to the main sights of interest.

 

You can also easily find non-ship excurions on the "ports" boards (or other websites like TripAdvisor) which again have varying levels of activity and can usually be customized for your interests and needs.

 

Or you can always just hire a taxi to take you on a tour as well, but IMHO, you take a bit more risk here that you don't get a great guide like you would with one of the tour guides you find in advance.

 

So recommend you spend some time on the "ports" boards and ask more questions once you get a better idea of what types of activities or locations look most interesting to you.

[BroncosFan2010]

We always research the ports in advance and plan what we want to do. I keep a folder for each port with excursions, beaches, activities, etc... If we change our mind (and have not paid for something in advance) we have options.

[bighairtexan]

If I've only been to a port once or twice, I often do an organized tour. I no longer book through the ship because they are really expensive and often you're herded like cattle in a bus. Independent tours are often so much smaller and flexible if you want to skip something or add something.

I'd suggest (as others have) going on Trip advisor and the port threads on CC and do a bit of research. It's fun to do and will save you a bundle.

 

After I've been to a port a bunch of times, then I usually wing it, either walking or taxi-ing to a beach or point of interest.

[cb at sea]

We usually go to a beach....easy and cheap to do on your own, in almost everyplace. A guidebook can be your best friend and INVESTMENT...it can save you alot of $$$$!

[Kellie Poodle]

Whether or not we take a ship's excursion mostly depends upon where the ship docks and how much time is available. If the ship is docking miles away from the attraction, we will use the ship's excursion because if we are late returning, the ship will wait. If we take a private excursion and return late, the ship will not wait for us.

 

If we are in a port where there is enough time and not too much distance to what we want to see, we will arrange our own excursions. We find we enjoy hiring a local guide with a van over the bus trips offered by the cruise lines because we can tailor the trip to our own preferences like not being forced to spend an hour at some shop the ship's tour company has a deal with.

 

If there is any question of timing, we opt for the ship's tours. I hope this helps you make your decisions.

[Lsimon]

A lot of it depends on what one wants to do and what port we're talking about. You can get some tailored responses by including that info here.

 

If I'm in St. Martin and want to go to the beach I'll just hop in a taxi.

If I'm in Livorno and want to go to Florence Italy for the day with the possibility of an hour or more of heavy traffic on the return trip, I'll either take a ship's tour or at least the ship's transportation.

 

The bottom line is that you have to figure out what you want to do. For the best time do a little research on the port and decide what you want to do and the best way to do it. Then go with that.

 

There are a lot of people who will "only" do ships tours. There are others who think those are terrible and will "only" do private tours. Like most things in life the best answers lie in the middle not in the extremes and there is no single answer that is right for everybody. You will likely see a lot of very strong feelings on the subject here but don't feel pressured one way or the other by other's opinions.

 

Some people don't want to do any planning or research and want the security of relying on the ship's tours to get them back in time for sailing. Others love doing the research, planning the details, and want to see things in smaller groups with the kind of freedom a large ship group doesn't allow for. In many cases the private tours are less expensive too - but often not by much.

 

I do both and have both private tours and ship tours among my all time favorites.

 

 

 

Here is my quick & easy research guide:

1. Read Celebrity's excursion brochure (online or download from Celebrity's web site) to get an idea of what is offered on the island and by the ship.
   
2. Google the port name and/or "tours" or "excursions" along with the port name and browse the results.
   
3. Cruise critic has a short overview of most ports of call on their main site which includes "what to see".
   
4. Browse through the Cruise critic port of calls board and also learn to use the search function to search through those boards for the name of any tour you're considering in order to get reviews from others who have done them. If you ask for recommendations on the port of call board do include the type of activity you're looking for so you won't get recommendations for tours of flower gardens when you want to go snorkeling some place.
   

[cruise kitty]

We're mostly do it yourselfers. Took two ships tours many years ago, & would never, ever do so again. Not a fan of waiting for the herd to board the bus, or shopping "opportunities" However, they work for some people; there is the no worries, no responsibility factor. That said, I am a bit of an obsessive planner & researcher, I also utilize many pod-cast tours for sights we'll visit, so it's kind of like having a guide with us. We will use a private tour guide in Ephesus, because it seems that we'll really need the ruins there explained by an expert, but otherwise we'll rely on ourselves. I think what I enjoy most is the satisfaction of really educating myself ahead of time, & experiencing the people & culture by using the local buses & trains. Some good questions to ask yourself:

 

do you enjoy planning & research?

are you comfortable & experienced with public transportation?

are you in good enough physical shape to walk a lot?

safety factor of the port, I'm fine in most European cities, but I'd get an accredited tour in Egypt or Isreal.

 

There are pro & cons to private tours, ships tours & diy,

really depends on what type of person you are & what you wish to get out of your port.

[CaroleLee]

Do you normally go on a tour at the ports, or do most people do it on their own? We are not real active people, so I am thinking we might want to do it at our own pace. Any suggestions? Do alot of people stay on the boat? First cruise and I just have lots of questions. I guess most will be answered once we are sailing.:D

 

Depends on your ports. If you just want to shop or beach. Then take a taxi. If you want an indepth (if 8-12 port hrs can be deemed indepth) research the port & make arrangements for a pvt tour.

Carole

[CelebrityMan]

...as a new cruiser, don't get the impression from the Board (this thread, or others) that ship purchased shore excursions are ONLY large herds of folks crammed onto 47-passenger buses.

 

Many ship excursions are limited to but a few people and are very specialized tours. Do take the time to review the online/downloaded shore excursion brochures or speak with the Shore Excusion Deck/office personnel once you are aboard ship.

 

Also, when you are aboard ship your stateroom interactive television will provide additional tour information, often accompanied by a video that shows what the tour is like.

 

Whatever you select to do, have a MAGNIFICENT cruise vacation!!

 

 

 

CM

[Lois R]

...as a new cruiser, don't get the impression from the Board (this thread, or others) that ship purchased shore excursions are ONLY large herds of folks crammed onto 47-passenger buses.

 

Many ship excursions are limited to but a few people and are very specialized tours. Do take the time to review the online/downloaded shore excursion brochures or speak with the Shore Excusion Deck/office personnel once you are aboard ship.

 

Also, when you are aboard ship your stateroom interactive television will provide additional tour information, often accompanied by a video that shows what the tour is like.

 

Whatever you select to do, have a MAGNIFICENT cruise vacation!!

 

 

 

CM

 

Hi Cal,:) thanks for this post because I have taken ship tours that

were quite fun:D. I have taken Culinary tours through the cruiseline

and they have been fantastic:). Actually, I will be in Dominica next

month and Celebrity is offering a new Culinary trip and I decided

to do it. Hoping it is as fun as it sounds. I have also done other

tours through the cruiseline~sailing solo all the time, sometimes I just

stick with the ship. Now there are places I do go on my own so it

just depends on the port and what is offered and what each person

feels comfortable doing. St Croix, for example. I found a place

called Sandcastle on the Beach and went there last year with 5 friends

from the rollcall. I am going again this year too. I asked others if they

want to join me but I would defintely go there on my own this time:)

 

 

There are choices for everyone, through the ship, independent

operators or just going off on your own.

[Joedog]

Some might not agree but as you say that this is your first cruise I would recommend taking tours offered through the ship only.

 

That is absolutely the safest and easiest way to go and there will be many tours offered for various interests and fitness levels.

 

Once you have cruised and experienced a few port visits you will have an understanding of how a port visit works, what it takes to get on and off the ship, what types of transportation and tours are generally available and where they are generally located, time management so you don't miss sailaway and just basic interacting with the locals.

 

I am pretty certain most experienced cruisers do not book too many tours through the ship BUT I bet almost all of them did their first cruise, unless they were sailing with someone who had already sailed before.

 

Above all, whatever you decide, have fun and take lots of pictures.

 

Joe

[Lsimon]

...I am pretty certain most experienced cruisers do not book too many tours through the ship BUT I bet almost all of them did their first cruise, unless they were sailing with someone who had already sailed before....

 

Our first cruise or two were Caribbean cruises and we were not cruising with others who had taken cruises before. On those early cruises we just wanted to go to the beach and some shore snorkeling. We just took cabs as that is the best way to get to the beach in the Caribbean.

 

On later cruises as we got into more involved excursions and we sometimes would chose a ship's excursion if one sounded good or had good reviews. I think one of the first ship's excursions we took was the Fan-ta-sea catamaran sail in St. Kitts, on our 4th or 5th cruise, which remains one of our favorites!

 

These days, and 20 cruises later, we tend to one or two ship's excursions on our recent Caribbean cruises and a few more than that on European cruises.

[TeaBag]

We mostly take private tours as they are less expensive.

 

Lois Dominica is a lovely island. We took a private tour in Nov and it was our favorite tour. Unfortunately I can't remember the name! It was just one of the buses waiting where we got off the ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I'm jealous as I have to wait till Nov!!!

[Lois R]

We mostly take private tours as they are less expensive.

 

Lois Dominica is a lovely island. We took a private tour in Nov and it was our favorite tour. Unfortunately I can't remember the name! It was just one of the buses waiting where we got off the ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I'm jealous as I have to wait till Nov!!!

 

Hi,:) I have been there once before and yes, the plushness of the

mountains are lovely.

This new tour is about food and sounds really fun to me:D

[suz56]

...as a new cruiser, don't get the impression from the Board (this thread, or others) that ship purchased shore excursions are ONLY large herds of folks crammed onto 47-passenger buses.

 

Many ship excursions are limited to but a few people and are very specialized tours. Do take the time to review the online/downloaded shore excursion brochures or speak with the Shore Excusion Deck/office personnel once you are aboard ship.

 

Also, when you are aboard ship your stateroom interactive television will provide additional tour information, often accompanied by a video that shows what the tour is like.

 

Whatever you select to do, have a MAGNIFICENT cruise vacation!!

 

 

 

CM

 

I agree. Last year I was with my mother so we opted to only do ship tours. Every one was wonderful. None were too crowded and the tours themsevles were all quality tours. We were completely satisfied (well, except for the submarine tour in Barbados. The people and the boat ride to the dive spot were great but the tour itself was pretty lackluster).