Viator question

[Floridanamaw]

Has anyone used Viator to book excursions and if so were you happy with them? I have found some things in Quebec City on their site but I'm unfamiliar with Viator. Anyone??

[cherylandtk]

Tour guide recommendations are best found in the ports of call forums, here is the result of a search on viator done there

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=74741190

I've used them in other cities and countries with good results

Edited August 2, 2015 by cherylandtk

[SuiteTraveler]

For Old Quebec City - you really don't need a tour guide unless you are just doing it for convenience? Everything is located in a very small area that is best walked as it is flat and easy to navigate. Here is a great do-it-yourself port guide: http://www.tomsportguides.com/Quebec-06-10-2011.pdf

 

However, there is a free smart phone enabled walking tour here:

http://ilotdespalais.ca/activities/circuit-quebec-on-mobile/

Available in English.

 

If you feel you must have a tour guide, this is a lovely tour combining food and a tour of Old Quebec:

http://www.toursvoirquebec.com/en/our-combos-old-quebec-the-food-tours

 

If you want to experience an amazing meal, I recommend Aux Anciens Canadiens located in Old Quebec at 34 Rue St. Louis in an old white house with a cheery red roof. They open at noon and the food is amazing and very Canadian.

[john watson]

Has anyone used Viator to book excursions and if so were you happy with them? I have found some things in Quebec City on their site but I'm unfamiliar with Viator. Anyone??

 

I have used them in New York for helicopter tours. Just print your voucher out after paying and turn up at the specified location with voucher plus passport as identification.

 

Rergards John

[Louise22]

I am a big fan of Viator. Just returned from Prague where we prebooked a day tour out of town and everything went smoothly. Previously, I have booked a taxi from the airport to my hotel in Russia, Vietnam and Portugal. Always someone waiting for me with a sign and my name on it. Paying ahead saves having to have the local currency immediately on hand. And, because you have prepaid, no fare uncertainty.

[Shorex]

Remember that Viator is just a middleman - they do not operate tours, they contract with local tour providers that you could book independently. That said, Viator screens tour providers and in general reviews are positive.

[cruisemom42]

Remember that Viator is just a middleman - they do not operate tours, they contract with local tour providers that you could book independently. That said, Viator screens tour providers and in general reviews are positive.

 

Very important to note this -- the tour is only as good as the local provider used by Viator. I have had a range of experiences with tours I've booked through Viator but in general I haven't been too impressed. I think it's better to try to find the actual tour provider so you can read reviews on them.

 

Some Viator tours are run in more than one language (has happened to me twice that there have been three language groups with one guide, which means you have to listen to the "spiel' 3x each and every time the guide speaks....)

[Floridanamaw]

Thanks for the info. I was looking at using them just for a short tour in Qubec the afternoon after we board our ship. We don't leave port until the next day. I'm still undecided whether to use them or DIY and just explore some of the area close to port. The ship does not offer anything the day we board. They do the next day.

[cbr663]

We used Viator for an excursion for our Caribbean cruise this past winter and we will never book with them again. When we arrived at our island, we had great difficulty trying to find the location to meet the tour. Some guides told us where to wait, and after waiting for well over an hour and watching other tours leave, a guide came and told us that our tour had been cancelled. At this point, all of the other tours had left so we were left not knowing what to do or where to go. We simply ended up walking around for a bit and then went back to the ship.

 

When we got back home, I checked my email and found the email notifying us of the cancellation. It had been sent one day prior to the tour. We were at sea on our ship and did not receive it. We did receive a refund from Viator a couple of days later.

 

This was a great lesson learned. This was our first visit to this island and we were really looking forward to the excursion and touring the island. Without a plan "B", we felt that the visit was a waste of time and a tremendous disappointment.