northbird Posted June 18, 2014 #1 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It is DH's 50th this year and he has always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. I see Princess offers a Machu Picchu excursion while docked at Lima (Callao) Peru. I would love more information about this excursion and if it is worth the steep price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUZGAL53 Posted June 18, 2014 #2 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It is DH's 50th this year and he has always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. I see Princess offers a Machu Picchu excursion while docked at Lima (Callao) Peru. I would love more information about this excursion and if it is worth the steep price. We did it a few years ago and to us it was worth every cent we spent. Some people told us we could do it on our own, but with a plane, bus and train we figured it would be better to go with Princess! We like "having our hand's held" and not have to worry about where to go, what to do and if we will get back to the ship on time! If you go and can stay at the Monistario Hotel in Cusco, we'd highly recommend that as well. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CA Posted June 18, 2014 #3 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Be aware that this is a logistically difficult excursion. Two years ago, on the Star, there was fog covering the port and the ship wasn't able to dock until well after 1pm which meant that those on the tour missed their flight. I believe they caught another flight and had a shortened (but great) tour. Some were very disappointed but there was nothing the ship could do. We weren't even sure we could get into port. Princess took care of those on tours. As always with a tour like this, relax and go with the flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colo Cruiser Posted June 18, 2014 #4 Share Posted June 18, 2014 (edited) It is an excellent excursion and well worth the cost. You only live once I say go for it. :) We absolutley loved it and had the protection of Princess along the way. Edited June 18, 2014 by Colo Cruiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare gottagocit Posted June 18, 2014 #5 Share Posted June 18, 2014 It is DH's 50th this year and he has always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. I see Princess offers a Machu Picchu excursion while docked at Lima (Callao) Peru. I would love more information about this excursion and if it is worth the steep price. I would look closely at the cost and consider making the trip as a land based trip from home. We spent 5 days in and around Cusco with another 3 at Aguas Calientes at the base of MP. It is a trip we will never forget. It also wasn't that expensive compared to many places we've been. It's a long way to go for a few short hours in the ruins that are so large and so interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carole_T Posted June 18, 2014 #6 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Have you looked at the cruise tour on the Golden on Dec 3? 17 day cruise then 6 day land tour. We are doing it in 2015 on the Star. I couldn't see paying for a cruise and being off the ship for 3 days paying for an excursion at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettycoop Posted June 18, 2014 #7 Share Posted June 18, 2014 We did the princess tour in March of this year and had a wonderful time. It was worth every penny to visit such a wonderful iconic place. Hotel in urubamba was lovely it was a shame we could not stay longer to appreciate fully the facilities. If you have any questions we would be more than happy to help. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey73 Posted June 18, 2014 #8 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Have you looked at the cruise tour on the Golden on Dec 3? 17 day cruise then 6 day land tour. We are doing it in 2015 on the Star. I couldn't see paying for a cruise and being off the ship for 3 days paying for an excursion at the same time. I agree. You can also do the 7 day land tour which includes Machu Picchu and then cruise from Santiago to Rio on the Golden, that one starts on Dec 14 in Lima. That one looks fabulous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted June 19, 2014 #9 Share Posted June 19, 2014 (edited) In my opinion, if you can tour it before the cruise or after the cruise, it is better than the rush which is part of the excursion in the middle of the cruise. Before or after the cruise (either by Princess or an independent tour) you will have multiple days to see not just MP, but other areas of historical and cultural interest. When we did it, we were a group of five with a private guide and spent five days on our tour (six days would have been better). Doing it privately, we did have to arrange for our own plane flights. Also, we had two times at MP, one afternoon and the following morning. That gave us two chances for good weather and no fog. Edited June 19, 2014 by caribill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted June 19, 2014 #10 Share Posted June 19, 2014 In my opinion, if you can tour it before the cruise or after the cruise, it is better than the rush which is part of the excursion in the middle of the cruise. Before or after the cruise (either by Princess or an independent tour) you will have multiple days to see not just MP, but other areas of historical and cultural interest. When we did it, we were a group of five with a private guide and spent five days on our tour (six days would have been better). Doing it privately, we did have to arrange for our own plane flights. Also, we had two times at MP, one afternoon and the following morning. That gave us two chances for good weather and no fog. I agree, why be rushed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smslms Posted June 19, 2014 #11 Share Posted June 19, 2014 We have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu, but given the length of the cruise we were on, it wasn't logistically feasible to do a land tour prior to embarkation or after disembarking. Therefore we opted for the 3 day shore ex through Princess. At no time did we feel rushed, all travel arrangements went exactly as planned. We had an adequate amount of time in Cusco and on site at MP and did not get caught up in any large crowds. Our guide was very entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. We stayed in two truly excellent hotels, our only regret being that we couldn't stay there longer. Food throughout the trip was excellent. The only caution we would issue is to pay attention to the statements about altitude sickness. It did not affect us but because we have been at altitudes between 8000 and 13000 ft on numerous occasions knew what to expect, however at least two people that we know of on this trip became extremely ill, to the point where there was some doubt that one would be allowed to board the plane from Cuzco. All in all, although the trip is relatively expensive, we felt it was worthwhile. The reality is what is another couple of thousand dollars when the overall cruise/trip is costing ten times that amount and you have the chance to do something that you have always wanted to do. Just our opinion for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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