Celebrity excursions worth it or Not??

[Richardme]

Hello,

i'll be sailing on the Celebrity Solstice on august 3rd for a Med. Cruise,leaving from Barcelona.

I am wondering if the excursions offered by the Shipping Company are overpriced or worth the money ??

we mainly like to stroll along and take in what comes our way and naturally be back on board by the required time any ideas ???

[Denny01]

We've used Private Tours, Ship Tours and wandered on our own. Just depends on the port and what we want to do. The ship tours are usually more expensive than a private tour, and more people are on them, but I've enjoyed many of them, and they are easy to set up and usually well run.

 

The big difference is, the Ship says they will wait for you if your tour is held up/late. That has happened (not to me), but realize it has to be commonsense of how long they would wait.

 

My suggestion is to go over to your cruise's Roll Call. That is a Forum that is set up for your specific cruise. Go to the top of this forum, select Celebrity Roll Call, find your ship, then go through the threads named with your cruise's date. There should be a ton of people discussing your specific cruise, may have some private tours, and you can join in.

 

Have fun!

 

Den

[Nebr.cruiser]

It's very subjective. We almost always do private tours for better quality and lower price, or just wander around a port if that's easy there.

 

Ship tours are usually more expensive, but you do have the safety net that the ship will wait for you if the tour is late. They may also be easier for inexperienced cruisers or those with mobility problems.

[Lsimon]

There is no hard and fast rule here. There are many people here in Cruise Critic who insist that all Cruise Line excursions are bad and overpriced. I do not find that to be the case at all. It is my firm belief that one should evaluate all the options, check the reviews, and then decide what is right for them.

 

We generally choose private excursions or just tour on our own without any formal excursion tour if that option is right for a given port. But in some cases we do take cruise line excursions and have been pretty much as happy with those as we have been on private excursions. Some have been absolutely fantastic and great choices. Some have been not so nice but we've been on a couple poor private excursions as well.

 

A couple things to consider, particularly in Europe:

 

Many private excursions just have a knowledgeable driver who will driver you to the point of interest and wait with the car to transport you to the next point of interest These drivers generally are not licensed tour guides and therefore can not accompany you into the tourist points of interest. However cruise line tours always have a licensed tour guide who will guide you within the attraction to provide commentary and point out things of interest. As some attractions guides might be available for hire at an additional cost with advance booking or on the spot.

 

Second, at some Europe ports the main attraction is a long ride in heavy traffic from the port. Rome and Florence are good examples of this. The cruise line tour operators have contact information for the ship and the ship checks them in on their return so if they are delayed due to traffic or other issues the ship will wait for your return. Even though most private tour companies have excellent records of prompt return, this feature gives many a huge peace of mind that makes the excursions more enjoyable for them.

 

The only negative about cruise line tours is that there will almost always be more people on the tour than a private tour - increasing the times required to load and unload the vehicle. Other than that most of the complaints I read about them are things where a little advance research could have set expectations properly.

 

The bottom line is there is no one answer here that is right for everyone and there is nothing wrong with taking a cruise line excursion. The biggest mistake one can make is to decide before doing any research at all that they will only do private excursions or that they will only do cruise line excursions. Those that will only do one or the other are missing out on some great opportunities.

 

On research: The research I'm suggesting is not hard. A great starting point is the Cruise Line excursion list that you can download from the Celebrity web site for your cruise (or for a similar cruise if your cruise is too far off to have a complete brochure available). Even if you're not looking for a cruise line excursion this will give you a good idea of what is available at each location. The second place to do some research is on the Cruise Critic port of call forums - a great place to get both general recommendations for a port and to find reviews of specific cruise line or private excursions - the forum search tool is your friend here.

[Richardme]

Thanks Den

[Fblack]

We also have done tours several ways. The main thing is NOT to miss the ship. As an example when the ship stopped in Rostock for a day, we used a ships tour to travel to Berlin. We knew it was a long trip and did not want to miss the ship if we were late returning from a Private tour.

 

Once on a stop in Livorno, a few passengers took a private driver to Florence. Unfortunately for them, a soccer match caused a near riot and closed some roads along the way back from Florence. The ship sailed away on time and we actually watched them from our balcony return late. The ship was about 100 yards away from the pier and did not turn around for them.

[Minoushka]

In certain areas that may be tricky dicky due to politics or other such things I prefer going with the cruiseline Time is also a BIG factor in this If I only have half a day somewhere I prefer not to go too farfrom port and if I do I take the cruise line tour

If you like to experience things on your own then go ahead I find private tours really great Maybe I have just found the right people I trust opininons here a LOT So far people have been very accurate about their recommendations I try to help out as well when there is a question put on these boards

Some private excursions are cheaper but not always But smaller vans do go where big busses don't

Bon Voyage

 

Michele

[techwatcher]

Depends; both have pros and cons. Arranging a ship's tour is easier but you will pay more than an equivalent tour arranged privately. Arranging a private tour is a little harder, or more fun, depending on your viewpoint but you will probably pay less.

 

Private tours can be more flexible and tend to have smaller groups; with a ship's tour you get what's written and there will be a coach load, possibly several.

 

The main advantage is peace of mind. As I sometimes say 'if there's two of you on a private tour and you're back late, the ship may well have sailed without you, if there's FIFTY-two of you on a ship's tour and you're back late, the ship will wait for you'.

[denisey]

On research: The research I'm suggesting is not hard. A great starting point is the Cruise Line excursion list that you can download from the Celebrity web site for your cruise (or for a similar cruise if your cruise is too far off to have a complete brochure available). Even if you're not looking for a cruise line excursion this will give you a good idea of what is available at each location. The second place to do some research is on the Cruise Critic port of call forums - a great place to get both general recommendations for a port and to find reviews of specific cruise line or private excursions - the forum search tool is your friend here.

 

The other resource I added to this list is good guidebook(s). We used the Rick Steves Med Cruise Port book and did all of our ports on our own on a recent cruise. I supplemented it with DK Eyewitness Greek Island book and DK Eyewitness Malta book.

 

One big tip I heard, was that if you are going to do the port on your own, go to the attraction the furthest away first and then work your way back to the ship. This way if the time is tight, you are closer rather than far away.

 

Have fun planning.

[SusieV]

 

 

On research: The research I'm suggesting is not hard. A great starting point is the Cruise Line excursion list that you can download from the Celebrity web site for your cruise (or for a similar cruise if your cruise is too far off to have a complete brochure available).

 

Larry, is it possible to get a copy of the excursion list for a cruise you aren't booked on? I've tried but haven't been able to figure out how. I wanted to get an idea of what Celebrity offers in Hawaii so that I can do some research on my own but shore excursions are not yet available for my Solstice cruise.

[Lsimon]

Larry, is it possible to get a copy of the excursion list for a cruise you aren't booked on? I've tried but haven't been able to figure out how. I wanted to get an idea of what Celebrity offers in Hawaii so that I can do some research on my own but shore excursions are not yet available for my Solstice cruise.

 

Hi Susie!

 

Yes. Celebrity web site is down today so I can't give you a link, but on the general excursions page there is a section (towards the bottom of the far right column) that allows you do download a PDF excursion brochure for any Celebrity cruise. You just need the cruise ship name and sailing date - no booking number is needed.

 

Excursion brochures are generally available 3 to 6 months before a sailing date. Towards the early end if your sailing is towards the beginning of a season (Nov. or Dec. for Caribbean cruises or April/May for Europe cruises) and towards the end if your cruise is towards the latter part of a season (March or April for Caribbean cruises and Oct or Nov for Europe cruises). If the brochure for your cruise isn't up, or if it doesn't have many excursions listed yet, then try one for an earlier sailing that goes to the ports you're interested in. The excursions are usually (but not always) the same for a given port.

[fleckle]

We also do a combination of ship excursions, excursions with independent operators, and just going off to do our own thing on our own (typically by renting a car, using local public transportation, or walking).

 

 

Some of the factors we take into consideration in deciding which way to go are

 

- recommendations of others

 

- distance of our furthest destination from the port

 

- ease of getting from one attraction to another on our own

 

- time constraints

 

- availability of plan B for getting back to the ship, just in case anything goes wrong with plan A

 

 

- location of the next port and ease of catching up with the ship there, just in case

 

- price comparisons

 

- our own comfort level with the local language and surroundings

[travellerin1984]

We do both on our own, Celebritys excursions and private excursions. I usually think if we are going far away from the port we take a Celebrity excursion or private day tour. Sometimes it is actually cheaper to take Celebritys tour because we are only two persons. If we take a private tour for only two persons it costs a lot of money. Usually you have to have a group of at least 8 people to get a good price. It is not always easy to find people with same interests (or you don't just feel like beeing social all day) I have experienced the ships tours more anonyme but in a good way. You can go with the flow and see the attractions and don't have to mingle with your group at the same way. If you have a small group it it more intensive. It depends how you want to spend your holiday. We like to mix. Go on our own, just feel the atmosphere and find great restaurant, next day take a ships tour and see the most important attractions without having to read guidebooks and get adequate information. Sometimes we take private tour with others because we want more of a social and intensive experience.

[Denny01]

Boy, this thread has some of the best advice and examples without getting into overdramatizing either option. Those of us who have cruised a good deal can learn something here, also.

 

I've give some specific examples to emphasize the good info given:

 

1. Check what the next port is: On the S American cruise, we were in Puerto Madryn. After realizing that the next port was Port Stanley, and there is No way of getting from Argentina to there if I missed the boat, I cancelled the idea of a private tour or going any distance away on my own, and we toured the local town. Neat place.

 

2. Is the Ship Tour avail as a private one? In Stockholm, the ship's tour we signed up for was the Millinnium Tour, based on the 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' books. Went on line to find a private tour - the city CoC ran the same tours, and didnt have it avail as private because they were running the ship tour, so took the ship tour. Fanastic tour.

 

3. How far away are you goiing and flexibility getting back: Went to Florence and used the Ships tour that just gets you there and brings you back. As said in an earlier post, too far to chance (for us) to go on our own. And he price of the ships 'tour' (not really a tour, just transportation) was pretty close to the train or private transpotaiton.

 

4. Back ups if taking a private tour: Took a private tour to Berlin. It was also far, but that private company stated clearly that they had backups (another bus) if there were 'issues'. Took the chance. Well worth it.

 

So you see, it is a mix. No real answer All based on your threshold of concern, pricing and what you want to do with your time.

 

By the way, there are good tour Apps, not just city maps for iPads and iPhones. And you dont need wifi to use them. We have one for each of our upcoming ports and will be using a few. And for iPad/iPhones, take a look at ApTracker, it shows you recent Apps that had a price, but are now free. Got lots of touring info Apps that way.

 

Den

[uktog]

It is as everyone has so rightly said, not a hard and fast rule. We have done ships excursions, private trips just the two of us, private trips with a group through our roll call and walked around places on our own.

 

Our sources of information to help us decide for each port are

 

1. These forums especially the ports of call boards

2. Tripadvisor forum for the town we are visiting - I find posting questions there are very useful as natives who are not necessarily steeped in the ship vs non ship debate

3. I google hop on hop off bus for each port - if one is running I do my homework about its pick ups and frrequency as it is often a great option for seeing things at a far lower cost than the cruise ship

4. I look and see if the ship is offering a walking tour of the port, that usually means it is a good port for a DIY walking tour at which point I google the local tourist information office and I see what they might have available.

5. I think about the language of the country, how much can I speak and how much be some "intelligent reading" can I do myself (ie bus signs) - so in Vietnam that was an immediate no, I will not be on my own cruise

6. I look for "compromises" sometimes there are "On your own" excursions where the cruiseline will take the hassle of getting me to a place and I know if I am at the designated pick up for the return time there will be no issues but I can do what I want and ship where I want once I get there - Hoi Ann on your own was one great example of that as it also included a couple of nice photostops en route

 

So I have used a great hop on hop off bus in both Lisbon and Palma, I found a walking tour online for Split and Venice and further afield, I just wandered in Sorrento (it was a repeat visit) and Rhodes and I picked up a DIY walking tour headset unit in Tallin

 

There are some ports where what I want to do has only been available through the ship and others where I felt the risk of relying on other providers and transport was too great to go it alone so I again went with the ship

 

And do you know almost the best thing, the weeks of planning ahead of a big cruise, the gathering of the information and the making of the decisions. It is however beaten by the fun I then have each day on a trip whatever type it is

[Conshydot]

You always have to weigh the pros and cons others have mentioned, but I do have a story.

We took the St Lucia Railway Excursion offered by X. Half way through the ride, first car derailed. We were stuck in the middle of a sugar plantation for nearly two hours watching the crew try to re-rail the car. We arrived two hours after the scheduled sail away. The Silhouette was still waiting with open gangplank.

 

All during our "adventure" the railroad crew assured us that the X crew knew of our dilemma. The crew of the railway could not have been more hospitable and accommodating. The waitress in our car even used a manila folder to fan the guests. (note to anyone caught in a hot railway car, in the sun, Ice and Altoids taken together are very cooling).

 

In making a decision, please remember to factor in traffic, soccer matches, and acts of God.

[cruiseguy61]

It is as everyone has so rightly said, not a hard and fast rule. We have done ships excursions, private trips just the two of us, private trips with a group through our roll call and walked around places on our own.

 

Our sources of information to help us decide for each port are

 

1. These forums especially the ports of call boards

2. Tripadvisor forum for the town we are visiting - I find posting questions there are very useful as natives who are not necessarily steeped in the ship vs non ship debate

3. I google hop on hop off bus for each port - if one is running I do my homework about its pick ups and frrequency as it is often a great option for seeing things at a far lower cost than the cruise ship

4. I look and see if the ship is offering a walking tour of the port, that usually means it is a good port for a DIY walking tour at which point I google the local tourist information office and I see what they might have available.

5. I think about the language of the country, how much can I speak and how much be some "intelligent reading" can I do myself (ie bus signs) - so in Vietnam that was an immediate no, I will not be on my own cruise

6. I look for "compromises" sometimes there are "On your own" excursions where the cruiseline will take the hassle of getting me to a place and I know if I am at the designated pick up for the return time there will be no issues but I can do what I want and ship where I want once I get there - Hoi Ann on your own was one great example of that as it also included a couple of nice photostops en route

 

So I have used a great hop on hop off bus in both Lisbon and Palma, I found a walking tour online for Split and Venice and further afield, I just wandered in Sorrento (it was a repeat visit) and Rhodes and I picked up a DIY walking tour headset unit in Tallin

 

There are some ports where what I want to do has only been available through the ship and others where I felt the risk of relying on other providers and transport was too great to go it alone so I again went with the ship

 

And do you know almost the best thing, the weeks of planning ahead of a big cruise, the gathering of the information and the making of the decisions. It is however beaten by the fun I then have each day on a trip whatever type it is

No one has mentioned the fact that with the Cruise Line excursion you bypass the long lines of tourists waiting on line to get in. This is critical in popular tourist cities such as Rome, Venice, etc. If you only have 4 or 5 hours to tour, you will not want to spend an hour on a long line of tourists.

[jacketwatch]

Hello,

i'll be sailing on the Celebrity Solstice on august 3rd for a Med. Cruise,leaving from Barcelona.

I am wondering if the excursions offered by the Shipping Company are overpriced or worth the money ??

we mainly like to stroll along and take in what comes our way and naturally be back on board by the required time any ideas ???

Our very 1st cruise was the western Med out of Barcelona and we did all private tours. Actually we followed the recommendations of our TA at the time and simply got a cab from the docks, cut a deal and off we went. It worked very well though I realize this may not be for everyone. As your wants seem pretty low key I think this would work well for you too and the $$ will be way less. For example the ship (Splendour of the seas) was charging $170.00 pp for a Rome excursion as there were 3 of us this would have been $510.00. We cabbed it on our own for $200.00. The other ports reflected big savings as well over ships tours.

 

If a cab off the docks is too iffy for you then you can go to the port boards here and as for recommendations for private tours or go to the roll call to inquire about shared tours.

[Glendakayself]

Larry, is it possible to get a copy of the excursion list for a cruise you aren't booked on? I've tried but haven't been able to figure out how. I wanted to get an idea of what Celebrity offers in Hawaii so that I can do some research on my own but shore excursions are not yet available for my Solstice cruise.

 

Another method for finding shore excursions: Bring up the cruises in which you are interested as if you are ready to book. Click on "More Details" instead of "Book Now." When your detail page comes up, click on the the tab for "Shore Excursions." That will bring up the potential excursions for your cruise and estimated prices as you select ports from the drop-down menu.

 

Depending on the port, we find that ship excursions provide a great peace of mind.

 

Example #1: We were on a ship excursion in Jerusalem and Bethlehem when our bus was held by armed guards for about 45 minutes. We had no guide at the time, as we were leaving Bethlehem heading to Jerusalem and a guide was not allowed to do both cities. Our Bethlehem guide had exited the bus, so we could cross the boarder. The driver suddenly could not speak English, as he constantly communicated with the guards and others on the phone in other languages but not with the passengers until the situation was resolved. I kept telling myself that Celebrity would be aware and would help us catch up with the cruise if we were left behind. If we had been on a private excursion, I'm not so sure.

 

Example #2: We were on an Alaskan cruise on Summit in 2004 when pod problems occurred causing us to be late into every port. Many had pre-paid private excursions, and lines were quite long at the pay phones to work out arrangements. Celebrity had already worked out the arrangements for those booked on their excursions and sent info to the staterooms, refunding money where necessary.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We do both ways group and ship tours..

[EithneMay]

We usually do a mix of private and ship based tours. Sometimes ship tours are great, sometimes not. The key is to do your research before and find what is best for you in each port.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gonzo70]

I am not a fan of booking excursions through the cruise line; IMHO in most ports (with a little research) you can have a MUCH better experience booking an excursion on your own or with a small group via your Roll Call.

 

Here is the negatives of cruise line excursions: Often overpriced, often placed on a coach bus with 60 people (so you move at a snails pace and have limited access to guide), inability to customize the tour, often mediocre guides, often have a forced stop at a shop where the cruise line is receiving a kickback, food stops tend to be at touristy areas rather than authentic cuisine of where you visit.

 

Here are the negatives of a private tour: Requires more research/planning and risk of being on your own if arrive late back to ship.

 

For me the pros of a private excursion in most situations are head and shoulders over booking via a cruise line. I enjoy researching private excursions and by using reputable guides/companies your odds of missing the ship are minuscule.

[OCruisers]

There is no hard and fast rule here. There are many people here in Cruise Critic who insist that all Cruise Line excursions are bad and overpriced. I do not find that to be the case at all. It is my firm belief that one should evaluate all the options, check the reviews, and then decide what is right for them.

 

So AGREE! Thanks for posting this! :)

 

LuLu

[lovemylab]

We do a combination. We did a catamaran tour in Antigua through the ship last year - it was cheaper to book with them vs. direct with the company. We've also seen some excursions that are exclusive to the ship and can't be booked on your own.

 

As others said, it's important to do your research.

[Dale]

We usually book ships tours. When we use this method we ask for the last bus to avoid being on a bus with :) “60” :) other people. Another benefit to being on the last bus is, we usually are able to have 2 seats each.

Other times we normally do our own tours. We do the tours by using a hand held GPS. I get the coordinates for the places we want to visit from Google Earth. Put them in the GPS and we are on our way.