ginka Posted January 13, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We have always booked our own shore excursions or done our own thing in the ports and have never had a problem. Recently however, I have seen some posts advicing against booking anything except the ship provided excursions, mainly for the reason that the ship will not wait for you if you are delayed and had booked your own. I had a dream that I missed the boat in one of the ports and becuase it felt so real, I am having this fear that it will happen!! lol. I was just curious what everyone's experiences have been..good, bad..ugly.. with booking your own excursions. Have there been any close calls? Do you know people that were stranded becuase of the excursion being late? Was it the best excursion of your trip and you wouldnt have gotten to experience it if you hadn't booked this on your own? or was it the worse experience and you had no course of action to take becuase you had booked with a private vendor? lets hear the stories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlasianGrl Posted January 13, 2015 #2 Share Posted January 13, 2015 If I do book my own excursions I make sure they're early enough so I don't miss the ship. I try to be back on the ship a couple of hours before we're due to board. I've never been a runner nor do I ever intend to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizinisthebest Posted January 13, 2015 #3 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Aside from faster to the fun, I haven't booked a ship excursion since my second cruise, which was over 10 years ago. Yes ship excursions will wait for you. But from my experience, private operators, taxi cabs, etc. are just as interested in you getting back to the ship on time as a tour operator hired by the cruise line. Nobody wants to see you get left behind. I prefer to book on my own; however this year for one port we are booking a ship excursion, because of the recommendations of friends of mine. I don't hesitate to book private excursions and often don't book anything. Sometimes it's fun to just wing it depending on the port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare crewsweeper Posted January 13, 2015 #4 Share Posted January 13, 2015 For us, it depends on the port and what we like to do. If the activity is relatively close by and there's adequate taxi transportation or an independent provider has a good reputation, we don't hesitate in DIO. For most Eastern Caribbean islands and for Cozumel, Costa Maya beaches and Grand Cayman, this is the general rule of thumb we follow. If where we wish to go is far away (Mayan ruins on mainland Mexico or Belize, for example) or if it's uncertain that adequate return transportation is readily available and the activity is something we really want to do, we'll book via ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRUZBUDS Posted January 13, 2015 #5 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We always allow plenty of time to return to the ship -- ports aren't super important to us. We had to laugh when we heard the standard scare tactics from the CD/Shore Excursion person about how much safer the ships tours are. Not booking with them could be dangerous --- and this was an Hawaii cruise. Not exactly a dangerous 3rd world location :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkportersat Posted January 13, 2015 #6 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I haven't had any issues but I do try to pick things fairly close by and I do a lot of research before I cruise so I know what I am getting my self in to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adriennerm Posted January 13, 2015 #7 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I booked my own shore excursion for the first time in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. I made sure the ending time was well before we were due to leave port. Then I began researching companies and asked for recommendations on Cruise Critic. Both excursions were great and we had time afterwards to chill by the pier before going back onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergus Posted January 13, 2015 #8 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) I do what most people have mentioned: lots of research, reading reviews that are recent, listening to others' advice. The only problem we have ever encountered with booking our own excursions was in Alaska, where it was MISERABLE just trying to get off the ship to get to our activities. Long, slow lines at every single port. We actually missed our whale watching cruise, but were able to take it later in the day. You have to wonder if maybe that's a little bit deliberate, to give folks who book the ship's excursions the advantage. :rolleyes: Edited January 13, 2015 by Fergus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise, J.D. Posted January 13, 2015 #9 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I have had good experiences booking non-ship excursions. The only time I've used Carnival was for the Tulum excursion from Cozumel. It was one of those that the distance and logistics made it unwise to do on our own. I do a lot of research before using an operator. There is a lot of good information here on Cruise Critic and other travel sites. I don't think it is something that should be done haphazard. I can't imagine just walking up and booking with an unknown party unless it was for the simplest of excursions. You have to take several factors into account in deciding whether to use a non-ship operator, such as cost, quality, distance from ship, logistics, time, etc. The "closest call" was in Belize coming back from cave tubing. We got back to the port with what we thought was about 15 minutes to spare, but the line for the tender boat was so long that we really had about 45 minutes. As we were driving back and the time was getting close, I was thinking about what would happen if our bus broke down. That happened when we were in St. Thomas to another group and our operator went to help them after passing us off to a different operator to get us to the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandij Posted January 13, 2015 #10 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I only book ship excursions and on one of them our transportation broke down and we had to wait for a replacement to be sent, luckily the ship waited for us too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare YoungDubFan Posted January 13, 2015 #11 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The only time I book ship excursions is if I have OBC that I need to spend. I did a Baltic capitals cruise last summer and had great success booking a 3-day private tour for St. Petersburg. I did a lot of research on these boards and asked for recommendations. We saw twice as many things for less than 1/2 the cost compared to if we had gone through the cruise company. For the most part, we DIY it in ports. I've also had success hiring a taxi at the port and arranging for a price for a set number of hours of touring. Independent tour operators know local traffic conditions and really don't want to strand anyone in port. They know if this happens, word will get out that they are not reliable and they will lose business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted January 13, 2015 #12 Share Posted January 13, 2015 DW and I have traveled all over the world (on both cruises and land trips) and seldom take any kind of organized excursion (China is one major exception). Over the years we have been to about 100 countries, more then 150 ports, and generally have done most things on our own. Have we had some bad days? Absolutely. But they are far and few between. In the final analysis we simply love doing what we please, when we please, with ourselves! The thought of being crammed onto a tour bus with 50 other similar souls is enough to keep us on a ship during a port day :). We have been frequent contributors on the CC port boards helping other folks who want to also do their own thing in ports. When people start asking us about the so-called risks of doing one's own thing (i.e. missing the ship, getting lost, language barriers, etc) we just smile and suggest they take a ship's excursion. Independent travel is not for everyone and there are plenty of folks who only feel comfortable when they are led around like cattle (except the leader has a sign rather then a bell around their neck). So here is the bottom line. Folks should do whatever makes them feel more comfortable. Those that constantly worry about missing the ship might be interested in our thought on the issue. DW and I seldom even think about missing the ship (it has never happened...but we have come close a few times) as we normally consider it a minor issue that is just part of basic planning. Basic "travel sense" such as going to your most distant points early in the day (and then working your way back towards the port), having a "Plan B" which is what you would do if you did miss the ship, always having the name and phone number of the ship's Local Agent (and sometimes we can even get a phone number for the ship), are just basic planning items. I should add that when it comes to European cruises there are many of us who actually will miss the ship on purpose (so its not really missing the ship) when it makes sense. For example, say a ship is in Civitavecchia one day and Livorno the next and we want to spend time in Florence. We might take the train from Civitavecchia up to Florence, spend the night (and have a nice dinner at a local restaurant), spend most of the following day in Florence (or some other place in the region) and then catch the ship in Livorno. There are also other great European strategies for independent travelers. For example, last spring we took a 25 day Ruby Princess cruise which was ending in Southampton, but we debarked 1 day early in Le Havre where we caught a train to Paris (spent a week there in an apartment) and ultimately had a lovely 3 weeks driving around France. And there are many other similar options that are available to those who have a "spirit of adventure" and enjoy independent travel. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted January 13, 2015 #13 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We take about 30 excursions a year all over the world. Most years none are from the ship. We have never had a problem getting back in plenty of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathammer Posted January 13, 2015 #14 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We take about 30 excursions a year all over the world. Most years none are from the ship. We have never had a problem getting back in plenty of time. Paul, would you mind pinging me privately with an email? Mine is my ID for the forum (c*******r) @gmail.com . Have a quick, non-forum question. Thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathammer Posted January 13, 2015 #15 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Varies widely depending on port and type of excursion. In many European Ports, the city, transportation, etc. is easily accessible, so you can do a lot on your own. In Naples, for example, you can catch a bus up to the train station which has frequent runs to Pompeii and Herculaneum. The subway at Piraeus runs to the Plaka, and you can walk to the Acropolis. On Rhine river cruises, you can catch a bus or train (or sometimes walk) to the same castle that's on the excursion. (You can also do the "catch up with the boat at its night-berth upriver" deal...just let them know ;) ). Of course, you can also go places you have an interest in, but are not offered as an excursion. Some ports commonly have small independent tours to nearby attractions that you can book ahead, or find just outside the port. Do some advance research and you can get some good ideas of what's possible for a specific location. On the other hand, where the attraction is a good distance away from the port, or transportation is iffy, tickets are limited, etc., you might feel more secure using a ship excursion. The Alhambra, for example. One issue we've seen in some Central/South American ports is that the ship docks in what is mainly an industrial port, not near anything of interest, and with little infrastructure for tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted January 13, 2015 #16 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I do what most people have mentioned: lots of research, reading reviews that are recent, listening to others' advice. The only problem we have ever encountered with booking our own excursions was in Alaska, where it was MISERABLE just trying to get off the ship to get to our activities. Long, slow lines at every single port. We actually missed our whale watching cruise, but were able to take it later in the day. You have to wonder if maybe that's a little bit deliberate, to give folks who book the ship's excursions the advantage. :rolleyes: I have never had any delays walking off the ship at an AK port. What line are you traveling on? How big was your ship? DON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergus Posted January 13, 2015 #17 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Don, we were on the Carnival Spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTLcruisers Posted January 13, 2015 #18 Share Posted January 13, 2015 when we first started cruising we would only do ship tours. But as we became more experienced with cruising, started cruising to Europe and discovered cruise critic, we began sharing private tours. We now will sometimes do a ship's tour in Europe - solely based on our comfort level of where we're going - but we mainly do private tours. Marianne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted January 13, 2015 #19 Share Posted January 13, 2015 If you do your research (get a guidebook), and set your WATCH (not your cell phone!!!!) to the same time as the ship's clocks, then you have virtually no risk of missing the ship. This is NOT rocket science! So many thing are easy (and cheaper) to do on your own....you seldom need a "guide" at all. Private tours would go out of business if they made you miss your ship...they are very good about time! Research is key, tho...you need to know something about where you're going...so always read up on your ports!!! That way, you know about transportation, restaurants, beaches, points of interest.....and safety issues (if any). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebr.cruiser Posted January 13, 2015 #20 Share Posted January 13, 2015 We hardly ever do ship tours and would only do one if logistics for a tour we really, really wanted were iffy, such as Tulum from Cancun, or if we had a huge amount of OBC that wasn't refundable. We've never come even close to missing the ship. I usually research here on Cruise Critic, or Trip Advisor or other sites. If it's someplace exotic we haven't been before I get a guidebook. I try to be back at the ship at least one hour before sailing, or more. Sometimes we just get off the ship and do our own thing. Sometimes we pick up a tour on the dock. Usually I reserve a tour, sometimes joining one from our roll call. The only problem we ever had was in Villefranche. It was a tour I arranged, and we got in line to get off the tender over one hour ahead of the tour time. Unfortunately, a medical evacuation backed up the tenders enough that we missed the tour. Fortunately, we had the operator's number and a help desk at the port called him. They had only gotten to Monte Carlo, so he left the rest off and came back to get us. Great service, and we were lucky. Besides being usually better and smaller, private tours are also much cheaper, normally. Touring on our own is even cheaper, but does take some know-how and an adventurous spirit at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wishIweretravelling Posted January 14, 2015 #21 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I've done everything from engaging a private guide to taking the HoHo bus, to getting a taxi driver to provide a tour, to just walking around, to taking the local mass transit, to doing a ship's excursion. It all depends on location, time in port, what's available, and how much research I or the friend with whom I usually travel are willing to do beforehand. Through many, many ports, the worst experiences were the snorkel company not showing up (where we were outside waiting in 100+ degree temperatures) and the ship's excursion where the guide rushed us through the interesting sights to get to the marketplace so he could pocket a commission from our group's shopping. In other words, very minor stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted January 14, 2015 #22 Share Posted January 14, 2015 Paul, would you mind pinging me privately with an email? Mine is my ID for the forum (c*******r) @gmail.com . Have a quick, non-forum question. Thanks, Bill Guessing that the missing part of your email addy is your CC id. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup4565 Posted January 14, 2015 #23 Share Posted January 14, 2015 We have had only one bad experience, and it was our own fault. And it had no bad repercussions. We were at Orient Beach in St Martin, and wanted a cab to get back to the ship. A really sweet-looking guy offered to take us in his "Taxi." We knew it was a gypsy cab. Sadly, a rear tire blew out halfway back to port, and we were left standing by the road. We were picked up in short order by two local ladies in a very modern SUV. They told us a lot about St Martin, and suggested that $10 would not be an insult. Done! Got back to port 4 hours early. All our excursions, whether on local buses or in taxis or with tour providers arranged beforehand online, have enriched our cruising experiences. I don't want to be on a bus of 50 people where everything is as slow as the slowest person. And that's what ship excursions are I try to do my research beforehand, and sometimes I wing it. And I always carry a US $100 bill with me on my adventures, because a hundred bucks US still talks loud. (I'm not even an American and I know $100 US can get you something good). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish1c Posted January 14, 2015 #24 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I find the value to be there when booking independently. It's usually a lower price, fewer people & an all around better experience. One cruise, almost everything that could go wrong did. First port: driver was high, stopped off to buy drugs (I'm serious -- he introduced us to his dealer & encouraged us to shop), got lost & then got the van stuck in the mud. We had to wait for a tow which turned out to be some small guy with a rope. :eek: It worked out OK & after I lambasted the company here on CC, they sent me a check in the mail for a full refund. I was genuinely impressed with their integrity. The bad driver was apparently new & I was told no longer works there. Second port: our tour was cancelled the morning we arrived but they wouldn't give me a refund. I had to pick a different tour. Once I did, we had to divert to pick up another group because their van had broken down. It turned out to be a great excursion but that company is no longer in business. Once caveat . . . if you have a tight turn around, book through the cruise line. My time in port must be at least 2 hours more than my excursion length for me to book independently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted January 14, 2015 #25 Share Posted January 14, 2015 I am not a fan of ship tours, having had some bad experiences with them. I mostly do ports on my own, using public transportation or the occasional taxi. (Most of my cruise experience in the last 7-8 years has been in Europe where the infrastructure is good for doing this....) Any private tours I've taken have been very good; I tend to research them heavily in advance and only go with a small group (definitely not more than 8 and ideally 2-4). Never came close to missing the ship or had a no-show guide or anything like that. Bad cruise ship tour experiences: Getting "trapped" in a carpet demo in Istanbul that took way too much time from our sightseeing and meant we only had a few minutes at one of the iconic sites (Haghia Sophia). Also, a guide who repeatedly disparaged an ethnic minority in her country. One time (a long, long time ago), a tour driver who ran out of gas returning from visiting the volcano in St. Lucia, who had to back down the mountain....a bit hair-raising. Pet peeve on any tour: Guides that provide inaccurate info or who pass off "legends" as facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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