Beware of phony "recommendations"... a reminder

[StanandJim]

After reading these nightmares, I was thinking that, as much as I am wanting to get started on a tour immediately after disembarking, perhaps I should have everyone pay the guide at the START of the tour. Then they could tip at the end, if they like.

 

Our feeling is that it is always awkward, and sometimes unsafe to fumble with money for the Guide in front of the Guide, and therefore prefer to organize Tour finances (including what we see as a typical tip) in the comparative sanctity of our meeting place on the ship in the morning.

 

At that point, it is "just us" and we needn't be concerned about passing money back and forth, and the cabin safe is still within reach if we need to retrieve a forgotten credit card, or store currency.

 

Although we are often the Tour Organizers, the Passenger designated to collect the funds for each subsequent Tour generally rotates as the group attempts to keep one another's contributions on an even keel.

 

This method requires the appropriate level of financial transparency, while also keeping everyone involved enough to eliminate suspicions of profiteering.

 

That said, we have always been blessed with Touring Companions who are far nicer and often more responsible than we are.

 

[karska]

Wow. Being somewhat a newbie this is unbelievable to think co cruisers would take advantage. I understand now, being a newbie trying to set up a private tour, that I got very little interest. I'm not naive but.....

Oh well, I'll have to look into other options, as we won't pay for six when it's only us for now. :confused:

[LHT28]

I set my limit to 10 or 12 people in the group...if I wanted to be on a large bus I would just book a ship's tour

I try to find tours that are priced PP not a total for the bus load that way everyone knows upfront the cost

 

I think guides should collect the fee during the tour maybe midway...those that do not have cash then leave them there to fend for themselves :D

Just kidding

we are all adults how hard is it to bring the correct amount for the tour & show up on time

I keep an envelope with cash ready for each tour we have planned I only take that & some spending money ashore

so I will not be fronting anyone ...let them deal with the guide

 

Too bad some ruin it for those of us that are honest

 

 

Lyn

[ORV]

I've booked some private tours and invited others to join, I did not make a dime. I did not want to handle the money and advised each person to pay guide on the day of the tour. I was very transparent and forwarded all the guide emails to the other parties so they would know an exact amount and the required currency.

On one trip a couple did not have the required Euros and they wanted to pay the guide in Canadian dollars. The guide explained he was not running a currency exchange business but this couple did not seem to care, they handed over some Canadian dollars and walked away. We were all embarrassed for them and we increased our tip to make up for the shortage.

Last summer someone on our roll call was banned permanently by cruise critic for allegedly making a profit on setting up Alaskan tours.

I have joined tours organized by others and never had a problem. Love private tours.

 

People are amazing!

 

I have set up every tour I have ever been on, and asked others to join on the roll call. I,too, forward copies of all correspondence to all involved. I let everyone know I will not be collecting their money; they will pay the guide at the end. I have never profited, nor had a free tour, although someone did ask me once if that was the case. I have never come across a guide that even suggests such an arrangement, and would be shocked if one did!

 

After reading these nightmares, I was thinking that, as much as I am wanting to get started on a tour immediately after disembarking, perhaps I should have everyone pay the guide at the START of the tour. Then they could tip at the end, if they like.

 

However, if someone did NOT follow all instructions: have correct cash, currency, etc, and as organizer I would LIKE to say, sorry, you can't come....that means the others would have to pay more to make up for those people.

 

It's a no win situation!

 

I always plan ahead, and have the money for the tour that AM. If I see an ATM, I may get out money for a tour later in the itinerary. I would NEVER go on a tour planning to pay for it after getting to get to an ATM that very day...what if you don't see one?? (very unlikely, but always a chance)

 

If I set up a tour and am the contact person with the tour company then I prefer to collect the money from each participant and then give it to the guide. People can chose to add their tip to that or give it to the guide later.

 

Here is the reason I prefer to do it this way. A few years ago on a group tour the guide claimed the amount collected was not the right amount that had been agreed to. I was not the coordinator, but I had seen a copy of the email and knew he was wrong. Unfortunately the coordinator did not have a copy of the email. (we each gave our money to the guide at the end of the tour) It led to some confusion at the end and left a bad taste for what had been an otherwise good day. If I'm the coordinator I have a copy of the email from the tour company showing the amount, I've collected the proper amount from each participant, and I know the numbers are right. At that point I feel I'll be able to stand my ground with confidence if this situation ever comes up again.

[LHT28]

If I set up a tour and am the contact person with the tour company then I prefer to collect the money from each participant and then give it to the guide. People can chose to add their tip to that or give it to the guide later.

 

Here is the reason I prefer to do it this way. A few years ago on a group tour the guide claimed the amount collected was not the right amount that had been agreed to. I was not the coordinator, but I had seen a copy of the email and knew he was wrong. Unfortunately the coordinator did not have a copy of the email. (we each gave our money to the guide at the end of the tour) It led to some confusion at the end and left a bad taste for what had been an otherwise good day. If I'm the coordinator I have a copy of the email from the tour company showing the amount, I've collected the proper amount from each participant, and I know the numbers are right. At that point I feel I'll be able to stand my ground with confidence if this situation ever comes up again.

 

both good points

I also let people tip if they choose to or not

I just take the payment for the tour

[canuck.qc]

This 'comp' thing is news to me. I have taken several private tours organized thru persons on our R.Call. It's a big responsibility & so much work. I was more than happy they made all the arrangements. They were upfront sharing all the tour info/email addresses/costs/itinerary. I'm not sure if I would be offended to find out that the person received a comp. for their efforts:o . Before leaving home I prepared separate envelopes for each tour. Our groups were never more than 6-8persons and we never had problems. Hats off to CC Members who take on the task. We've never had a bad experience.

[cotto22]

This thread is quite an eye opener. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and words of advice.

[mringenoldus]

I also learned my lesson the hard way......

We had multiple vans booked in Casablanca. At the end of the tour, my driver received a call from another van driver that everyone departed his van without paying. I also didn't want to see the driver be cheated (or have my next accommodation be a Moroccan jail cell) so I had to pay a very large amount to cover the entire van.

 

Later I learned that some of the passengers were not entirely pleased with the tour. Instead of discussing their issue with the driver or the owner in my van, they chose to simply walk away. Most of the people on the van were gracious enough to repay me immediately. However one couple avoided me and then made delaying excuses. If it wasn't for a very persistent friend, I am sure I would never have seen their payment.

 

Now, unless I am only with my friends, I just refer people to the tour company to book into my group on their own.

 

 

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[Paulchili]

This thread is quite an eye opener. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and words of advice.

 

+1

I would have never guessed just how wide spread this "practice" of not paying one's share is among Oceania cruisers :(. It would never ever occur to me to do this and that is why I am so amazed.

Shame on all guilty of this!

[CintiPam]

Wow, this thread has been quite an education. I never in a million years thought that a tour organizer was planning to make a profit for his/her efforts. Transparency has ruled in almost all instances. We prefer to let everyone pay their own share at the end of the day so that the tips are separate and up to the individual. That has worked out best for us.

 

And, in fact, as tour organizers, we sometimes have fronted money for others, but always have been repaid within a few days, such as the time when I had 18 of us on a daytrip to Berlin and one couple simply forget their money; my husband immediately took care of paying their share. They repaid us within an hour of returning to the ship.

 

On a tour in Palermo that I arranged, a spouse felt unwell so only the husband showed up. We made up the difference to the guide, although a few days later the spouse realized that we had paid for her so repaid us.

 

Guess we have been very fortunate.

Edited August 4, 2014 by CintiPam

[StanandJim]

+1

I would have never guessed just how wide spread this "practice" of not paying one's share is among Oceania cruisers :(. It would never ever occur to me to do this and that is why I am so amazed.

Shame on all guilty of this!

 

I don't believe that it really IS widespread, Paul, if only because the required level of disconnect between the Touring Passenger who feels themselves cheated and the Tour Guide is very unusual.

 

They would have to:

A) Never talk to the Tour Guide about money (or visit their Web Site)

B) Never talk to other group members about money

C) Never look at prices or reviews of the Guide Online (where money matters are always KEY)

 

 

In fact, there are so many different ways that anybody could know what the tour prices are, that I'm literally amazed that fudging them EVER works.

Edited August 4, 2014 by StanandJim

[rallydave]

Question for all the tour planning experts. Did a TA several years ago and prior to the cruise booked a tour for DW and I with a well regarded tour company in Barcelona. They stated that I was the first person to book the tour starting at disembarkation and that if I found a certain number of additional passengers, either one or both of us would get our tour free and and who booked on their own would count toward our number of bookings required. No minimum number mentioned. The price for the tour was a fixed price per person no matter how many booked and the free tours for us had no bearing on the normal advertised fixed price. We had to book and pay ourselves and others would do the same. Any refund would be after the fact depending on how many people were on the cruise.

 

I was skeptical about the ethics of this and simply mentioned to a few people who I knew were staying in Barcelona that the tour was available but, nothing more. We had the tour and it was very well done and had forgotten about the free offer once we got home however several weeks later my credit card statement included credits for my DW and my tour.

 

We didn't ask for the credits, had paid our fare up front and everyone paid the brochure price. What would you experts out there have done????

[LHT28]

We didn't ask for the credits, had paid our fare up front and everyone paid the brochure price. What would you experts out there have done????

 

Now you know we all would have sent the money back ;) ...right

[pacheco18]

Question for all the tour planning experts. Did a TA several years ago and prior to the cruise booked a tour for DW and I with a well regarded tour company in Barcelona. They stated that I was the first person to book the tour starting at disembarkation and that if I found a certain number of additional passengers, either one or both of us would get our tour free and and who booked on their own would count toward our number of bookings required. No minimum number mentioned. The price for the tour was a fixed price per person no matter how many booked and the free tours for us had no bearing on the normal advertised fixed price. We had to book and pay ourselves and others would do the same. Any refund would be after the fact depending on how many people were on the cruise.

 

I was skeptical about the ethics of this and simply mentioned to a few people who I knew were staying in Barcelona that the tour was available but, nothing more. We had the tour and it was very well done and had forgotten about the free offer once we got home however several weeks later my credit card statement included credits for my DW and my tour.

 

We didn't ask for the credits, had paid our fare up front and everyone paid the brochure price. What would you experts out there have done????

 

Doesn't sound like you "organized" anything. Not sure how you got "credit" for the other participants.

 

On the rare occasion I am offered a free tour for getting a certain number of participants I refuse and tell the operator to reduce the cost for everyone.

[rallydave]

Now you know we all would have sent the money back ;) ...right

 

And just how would you have sent the money back since it was a credit in Euros to my credit card???? I did contact them via e-mail and the response was they couldn't do anything about the credit as that was their policy and they were simply following their procedures.

 

I had no idea of contact info for the people and don't bank at a bank where I could get a euro check so what was I to do? Don't think I did anything wrong and others may come up with this issue as the company is well known and highly recommended

 

Edit for Laraine. Correct, I didn't organize, simply booked first for our pickup point and really didn't expect to see the credit. Too late once I got the credit to give the money back to the others and the company wasn't interested in doing any more work and spend time to credit several other people??????

Edited August 4, 2014 by rallydave

[Noxequifans]

At this point perhaps best to donate the amount of the credit to a local charity. And also avoid a tour operator who might make a similar offer in the future to prevent a sillier reoccurrence.

[cotto22]

Dave- I don't think anyone who went on the tour with you would begrudge you the credit that was put on your cc after the fact. You did not ask for it, and were not expecting it. I wouldn't worry about it. JMHO, for what it's worth.

[LHT28]

[quote name='rallydave']And just how would you have sent the money back since it was a credit in Euros to my credit card???? I did contact them via e-mail and the response was they couldn't do anything about the credit as that was their policy and they were simply following their procedures.

[/QUOTE]
[B]WHOA
Don't get your knickers in knot ...I was joking
of course no one would send the money back :rolleyes:

How would the other participants know you got the credit anyway[/B]

[Bruin Steve]

Dave,
At that point, you are right...there's little to do...
But that also sounds particularly odd...
The tour company was, I guess, trying to use you to promote the tour to others...but it seems they were really getting little from the "bargain". Why give back anything in that situation?

Typically, I don't just "sign up" for a fixed price tour...
I usually organize my own group. I find people to join us based on conversations on the Roll Call...I'll usually try to influence it a bit--finding people with the same interests in a particular port who sound like would make a comparable group. Usually it's people who have been active on the roll call...

And, usually, all of the financial arrangements are completely negotiated up front with the tour company well in advance of the cruise. There are no variables. We are not open to allowing the tour company to add any unknown others to our group. No surprises, no enlarging the group beyond what I am comfortable with (and, typically, this is no more than 6-8 people--what fits into a single van). No surprises.

But, I guess, if I wasn't organizing a group...just signing up for a fixed price tour and leaving it up to the tour provider to accept other people or not...then I guess I'd take a free rebate. Just can't understand why on earth the tour company would even offer it under those circumstances...

And I certainly would NOT have marketed their tour to others knowing they made that offer...and, at a minimum, I would have disclosed that to any fellow roll call members when talking about the tour.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

[quote name='ORV']I agree. I usually organize a few tours and am more than happy to share tour operator's website as well as any email correspondence with them to other tour members.

I'd be really surprised to see this practice among Oceania guests, but you never know.[/quote]

Some one on our shared cruise did that. He got a free tour for organizing. We did not tour with him.

[canuck.qc]

Am I the only one who see's nothing wrong with a comp. especially when the rest of the group is not been charged more than the advertised price. You have someone who does all the research, booking arrangements plus takes all the responsibility so why get upset??? I am new to this comp thing, am I missing something:confused:

[TrainBonds]

I see no problem with it so long as you fully disclose it to your group. You have basically agreed to be a paid professional tour operator. No problem if disclosed and you don't advertise on cruise critic.


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[oregon50]

[quote name='canuck.qc']Am I the only one who see's nothing wrong with a comp. especially when the rest of the group is not been charged more than the advertised price. You have someone who does all the research, booking arrangements plus takes all the responsibility so why get upset??? I am new to this comp thing, am I missing something:confused:[/QUOTE]

I know what you are not missing......gratitude and common sense.

[jo-b]

[quote name='pacheco18']FYI
On the 2014 Cape Town to Singapore cruise there was a woman named Vicki (who has since been permanently banned from CC) who represented herself to be a fellow cruiser and set up excursions for 40 plus cruisers in each port. Turned out she was making a mint on these excursions and her antics caused a great schism on the roll call. Ultimately I am told she did not even go on the cruise and left folks to fend for themselves with the operators in the ports. You can go to that roll call and read all about it.

I am on the 2015 cruise and she actually emailed me when she saw I was setting up excursions -- offering to do it for me. LOL I warned folks on my roll call as I think she was trying to contact cruisers to do the same thing for our cruise.

It does happen, even on Oceania.[/quote]


I think we had dealings with this lady on a Celebrity cruise. We thought we were signing up for a small group tour in France to Aix en Provence, had all the tour company details etc. She asked that we all pay up front on the first sea day as she had organised a few tours and wanted to make sure she had all the money sorted ahead of time , seemed fair enough.
Then on the day we were on a coach with 40 people and she was in a minibus with 6 others!! Turns out she was a TA. :o

But other than that we have so far been lucky both with tours we have arranged and ones we have been on with others.

[Noxequifans]

The take away from this thread is that the roll call offered excursions some times are not what they seem to be. Also, it appears virtually impossible to identify the truly legitimate. Even the fact that all are paying the tour posted price doesn't reveal the hidden kick backs/commissions. We have never used the roll call excursions and I now feel we made the right decision.