The Independent Traveler

[Sea Do]

Beyond the obvious reason that they want you to book their own ship tours, why doesn't Oceania do more to facilitate the "independent traveler"? It would seem that O. could very easily obtain information about the port shuttles (times, terminus location in the city, connecting bus and train schedules, etc.) and provide it at the start of a cruise rather than wait until the ship is at each port to do so. I realize that the local port reps provide this info, but that can be a hectic experience and valuable touring time is wasted waiting your turn in line and then planning your course of action. It seems to me that just a little effort on O.'s part could make for a much better experience for those of us who like to go out on our own.

[LHT28]

It may be just me but I never understood why people wait until they arrive at the port to look for things to do there or how to find transit options etc...

 

We usually do this well in advance or arrange private tours

 

If you book last minute or the port is substituted that is understandable in those cases

 

I usually have maps/information ready before I leave home

 

I do agree it would be nice if they noted on the itinerary which ports have a free or fee based shuttle service ..just like noting the tender ports

 

 

 

Lyn

Edited November 20, 2013 by LHT28

[Hawaiidan]

THe ship has bars, wine cellars spas, special seating and oh yes shore excursions to assist with their profit and make money. Were they not to have this added income the fares would climb 20 to 30 or more%

 

Simply said it is not in the ships best interest to show you how to do things that hurt their profitably...

 

If you owned a store that sold widgits would you eagerly give a potential customer a map and directions to the discount widigit mart across town.:o

 

It remains thus incumbent upon you to acquaint, research and develop knowledge on where you are going and how to do it. You paid big bucks for the ride and the bed and the chow... its up to you now to choose what to do off the ship...

[ronrick1943]

I agree, why not print everything you need before you go. It's easy and fast--then you toss as you use them. It's simple and you don't waste time.

Rick

[Pet Nit Noy]

Beyond the obvious reason that they want you to book their own ship tours, why doesn't Oceania do more to facilitate the "independent traveler"? It would seem that O. could very easily obtain information about the port shuttles (times, terminus location in the city, connecting bus and train schedules, etc.) and provide it at the start of a cruise rather than wait until the ship is at each port to do so. I realize that the local port reps provide this info, but that can be a hectic experience and valuable touring time is wasted waiting your turn in line and then planning your course of action. It seems to me that just a little effort on O.'s part could make for a much better experience for those of us who like to go out on our own.

 

The resources you're looking for already exist on this web site. Go to the Port Call boards -- subdivided by region -- where you'll find lots of posters asking questions and sharing the benefit of their own research/experience. With so much valuable information available in advance, you can get your planning needs met without cutting into in-port time.

[computerworks]

Yup, the "independent traveler" doesn't need a port map from the ship.

 

We figure all that stuff out way in advance. :p

[hondorner]

Besides which, it's not like Oceania is a mass market line sailing exactly the same itinerary ever 7 days. In a significant number of cases, they only reach many of the ports once or twice per year -- and with the ever-evolving itineraries, sometimes it's the first time an Oceania ship has called at that port.

 

All things considered, I think they're do a good job of just obtaining the information they need to offer ship's excursions. It would take an advance team worthy of a USA politician to gather all the possible information an independent traveler might want, and even then someone would complain if they got something wrong.

[canuck.qc]

'Independent Travelers' usually choose their cruises for the itinerary & tend to research each port and book private tours. They are generally very well prepared and have little or no need for additional info. at port. They are off and well on their way in the early a.m. They book their tours, transfers, train & entrance tickets etc. well in advance. There are some who consider the 'ship as their destination' and they have a whole different perspective on visiting each port, a more casual approach. They book a few cruise offered tours and are happy to pay for the convenience. They don't usually have a set list of things they must see at each port and are happy to tour with large groups. They get their info from the Newsletter the nite before or at the destination table O sets up at each port, which I think do a fairly good job. The Independent Traveler is just that ...very independent!

Edited November 20, 2013 by canuck.qc

[pacheco18]

It may be just me but I never understood why people wait until they arrive at the port to look for things to do there or how to find transit options etc...

 

We usually do this well in advance or arrange private tours

 

If you book last minute or the port is substituted that is understandable in those cases

 

I usually have maps/information ready before I leave home

 

I do agree it would be nice if they noted on the itinerary which ports have a free or fee based shuttle service ..just like noting the tender ports

 

 

Lyn

 

It's not just you

We plan way ahead, do lots of research, check out the many port guides on the web (including the ones on CC).

 

If you are truly an independent traveler you should not have to rely on the cruise line to provide the information and I suppose Oceania has that figured out.

[RJB]

It's not just you

We plan way ahead, do lots of research, check out the many port guides on the web (including the ones on CC).

 

If you are truly an independent traveler you should not have to rely on the cruise line to provide the information and I suppose Oceania has that figured out.

We always start with CC. Usually can find most of the info. we need to find all the tours we need. Then of course its Google for everything else. Just have to put in a little work to save a lot of money and get a much better tour. :):)

[robbie21]

I am a map guy. You just cannot have too many maps of a strange town. So, I usually swing by the tourist desk and see if I can pick up another good map. I don't stand in line because there are always people tying up the agent asking basic questions that I got answers to six months ago. (For Laraine make that 18 months:p) Most of these folks will be lucky to find their way to the gangplank. I feel sorry for them but not enough to help them :D

 

Robbie

Edited November 20, 2013 by robbie21

[pacheco18]

I am a map guy. You just cannot have too many maps of a strange town. So, I usually swing by the tourist desk and see if I can pick up another good map. I don't stand in line because there are always people tying up the agent asking basic questions that I got answers to six months ago. (For Laraine make that 18 months:p) Most of these folks will be lucky to find their way to the gangplank. I feel sorry for them but not enough to help them :D

 

Robbie

 

Hilarious

You know me too well LOLOL Eighteen months is about right.

Care to join us on any of our cruises? Check out my signature

We'd love to travel with you again.

[orchestrapal]

As the song goes, "be prepared."

A big part of being independent cruisers are the months and months of talking about the ports (and the food)and doing the research.

[Host Jazzbeau]

As the song goes, "be prepared."

 

Tom Lehrer?

[pacheco18]

Tom Lehrer?

 

LOL

 

Blast from the past

I have not heard his name is decades

I think I have an album of his somewhere -- in the garage? LOL

[Pet Nit Noy]

Tom Lehrer?

 

I hadn't thought about Tom Lehrer's songs in decades.

 

Be prepared.

That's the Boy Scout's marching song.

Be prepared .

As in life you march along.

Be prepared to hold your liquor pretty well.

Don't write naughty words on walls if you can't spell...

 

If you're looking for adventure of a new and different kind

And you meet a little Girl Scout who is similarly inclined.

Don't be nervous.

Don't be flustered.

Don't be scared.

Be prepared.

 

The scariest part is that I just typed those lyrics from memory. After doing that, I went to a lyrics site to check my memory. Admittedly, I've left out about as much of the song as I recalled, but there are important and more recent things in my life that I don't recall as well as the lyrics to Lehrer's song.

[xrvlcruiser]

showing our age, are we? Me too!

[Host Jazzbeau]

I hadn't thought about Tom Lehrer's songs in decades.

 

Be prepared.

That's the Boy Scout's marching song.

Be prepared .

As in life you march along.

Be prepared to hold your liquor pretty well.

Don't write naughty words on walls if you can't spell...

 

If you're looking for adventure of a new and different kind

And you meet a little Girl Scout who is similarly inclined.

Don't be nervous.

Don't be flustered.

Don't be scared.

Be prepared.

 

The scariest part is that I just typed those lyrics from memory. After doing that, I went to a lyrics site to check my memory. Admittedly, I've left out about as much of the song as I recalled, but there are important and more recent things in my life that I don't recall as well as the lyrics to Lehrer's song.

 

You did very well indeed. I remembered the song and the gist, but you must have worn the grooves off your album ever more than I did to have such detailed recall.

 

And, another thread hijacked!

Edited November 21, 2013 by jazzbeau

[jertom]

I am a map guy. You just cannot have too many maps of a strange town. So, I usually swing by the tourist desk and see if I can pick up another good map. I don't stand in line because there are always people tying up the agent asking basic questions that I got answers to six months ago. (For Laraine make that 18 months:p) Most of these folks will be lucky to find their way to the gangplank. I feel sorry for them but not enough to help them :D

 

Robbie

 

I am also one who cannot get enough maps. So I bring my own from websites and see what else I can find during the cruise. At one port the Concierge in the lobby had a better city map than the tourist desk, which I only found by asking him if he knew the open hours at some attraction. At Civitavecchia the tourist desk had a pile of maps of Rome and UNDER that pile were maps of Civitavecchia.

[ShopperfiendTO]

Beyond the obvious reason that they want you to book their own ship tours, why doesn't Oceania do more to facilitate the "independent traveler"? It would seem that O. could very easily obtain information about the port shuttles (times, terminus location in the city, connecting bus and train schedules, etc.) and provide it at the start of a cruise rather than wait until the ship is at each port to do so. I realize that the local port reps provide this info, but that can be a hectic experience and valuable touring time is wasted waiting your turn in line and then planning your course of action. It seems to me that just a little effort on O.'s part could make for a much better experience for those of us who like to go out on our own.

 

It's also that the port may not come to be (dangerous/impossible to dock), so providing it before is unnecessary and may just add salt to the wound on the missed port (the huge book of excursions for the port can be considered a marketing expense).

[CintiPam]

I am a map guy. You just cannot have too many maps of a strange town. So, I usually swing by the tourist desk and see if I can pick up another good map. I don't stand in line because there are always people tying up the agent asking basic questions that I got answers to six months ago. (For Laraine make that 18 months:p) Most of these folks will be lucky to find their way to the gangplank. I feel sorry for them but not enough to help them :D

 

Robbie

 

Me too! Give me a map, and I am a very happy lady. I always pick up the one being given out at the tourist desk.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

So I am in Rome right now. Yesterday we went up to the Forum ticket office, no line. Today we went into the Colosseum with the second part of our ticket in hand, passing hundreds of folks standing out in the rain waiting hours for tickets. Don't these folks know how to prepare? Don't even get me started on the folks who had no rain gear with them.

 

I know I lugged my Hunter rain boots for a reason.

[I_r_a]

Hi All,

 

Re maps: I am about to get a tablet that can access maps on the internet as well as being used for GPS.

 

Does anyone have experience with such things?

 

Ira

[computerworks]

Hi All,

 

Re maps: I am about to get a tablet that can access maps on the internet as well as being used for GPS.

 

Does anyone have experience with such things?

 

Ira

 

I have quite a lot on my Smartphone as well.

 

Be sure the maps "work" without a 'net connection. :p

 

If not, they will be great when you are within a WiFi area.. costly if you are roaming 4G.... and useless in "a dead zone."

[robbie21]

I have travelled with tablet users who have struggled with their mapping apps. I have tried a few on an Ipod. IMHO there is no beating a good paper map. One big problem is being able to see current location and destination on one screen. Often when you zoom out you lose detail. Also when you zoom the scale changes and you lose your perspective. With a paper map you just unfold it and you can see everything you need in one glance.

 

Also GPS signals can be weak or nonexistent in cities with tall buildings and narrow streets. They fail just when you need them most.

 

And paper maps are a lot cheaper:D