Approaching excursion desk for sales on port day.

[Shawninrye]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

[Mauriesmileco]

Not an experienced cruiser.

 

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

 

Flexible but have a plan.

 

 

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

 

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

 

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

 

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

 

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

 

My first cruise is in July this year and I prebooked excursions myself by looking at review sites I feel the consensus is the ship excursions are mainly photo ops with shopping thrown in. But to each his own I wouldn't leave it to chance you want to get as much out your time ashore as possible [emoji4]

[Shmoo here]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

I doubt that there would be any "sales" on the actual day of the exdursion. And I'm not really sure whether you can actually book excursions the day of the excursion. Generally, it needs to be booked at least a day or two ahead so the excursion operator can set up the necessary transfers/arrangements. You also run the risk of the excursion you want to take being full, if you don't prebook.

 

Or, you can pick up excursions onshore, in most ports. We typically book ahead of the cruise, to ensure we get what we want. Once we picked up an excursion after we got onshore.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't know what cruise line you are sailing on, but HAL does not have sales on shore excursions on the day you arrive in a port. Most times many of the shore excursions are sold out.

I would not want to wait until the last minute.

We like to get most everything settled before we leave whether it a ship's excursion or a private one. There are some ports we know very well and know that vendors ashore will still have room for their tours.

[Shawninrye]

We are on RCCL. I would never wait until the day of.....but I tried to get a couple of the girls to join in with our rental car but they do not want to commit this early. Thus responding they wait to the day of.............

I thought maybe it was common.

I don't understand it. But I am not the norm or normal lol

[Shmoo here]

We are on RCCL. I would never wait until the day of.....but I tried to get a couple of the girls to join in with our rental car but they do not want to commit this early. Thus responding they wait to the day of.............

I thought maybe it was common.

I don't understand it. But I am not the norm or normal lol

 

I'd suggest, if you find an excursion that you're interested in, you go ahead and book it. You might find the others might follow suit. Or not, but at least that way you get what you want.

[cb at sea]

A guidebook should be your first step....find out something about where you're going! You may find you don't need a "guide" to do what interests you! Beaches and shopping are very easy DIY things!

A guidebook will tell you ALL that's in each port...how to get there...why it's of interest, and all about transportation!

I like to know something about where I'm going....going "blind" is expensive and you miss a lot!

If all we want is a relaxing day...that's easy to do on your own, in most places. If there is something specific you feel is a "must do"...then go ahead and book it in advance...you want to get the most from your short time ashore!

 

As far as your situation...tell everyone that they should "do their own thing", if their procrastination upsets you...nothing wrong with that! You don't need to be joined at the hip! Let them do their thing...you do what suits YOU!

Edited May 7, 2016 by cb at sea

[CowPrincess]

We are on RCCL. I would never wait until the day of.....but I tried to get a couple of the girls to join in with our rental car but they do not want to commit this early. Thus responding they wait to the day of.............

I thought maybe it was common.

I don't understand it. But I am not the norm or normal lol

 

My personal motto is "Not my circus, not my monkeys" and it REALLY applies here, IMHO. I traveled with a pair who had zero plans. Not my circus, not my monkeys -- I made my arrangements and they futzed around getting nothing sorted.

 

Enjoy the plans you have made, with the friend who is joining you :) And if the rest do want to join you, make it clear that "this is our plan, this is what we are doing". Don't let them try to rearrange what you have decided on.

[MMOMOM]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

 

I agree with what a lot of the other posters said ... plan ahead and do your own thing. No matter where we are going, be it a cruise or a land vacation, I try and find out everything I can ahead of time. Guide books are good, but you can get a lot online as well. I also use Trip Adviser to read reviews of where I 'think' we might like to go and also to get ideas of things to do. Much research goes into our traveling and it pays off. One of the things I like about cruising is if you are with others, you can still 'be together' either in the cabin, if that's the case, or meet up at dinner, but you don't have to do everything together! Be careful tho, you might find that you become the 'cruise director'!! LOL!! I've been on both land and cruise vacations and had the non-planners say ... 'so what are we doing today?'!! LOL!! We spend too much money when we travel to lose time, miss things, etc. because plans weren't made ahead. Also, the cruise excursions can be good, but always check the private ones as well. Sometimes they are a lot cheaper and you can do what you really want and spend as much or as little time on something doing it on your own. IMO, I would just tell everyone what you plan to do, give them the option of joining you or not and then go ahead and make your plans. Usually works out. No matter what, it's your vacation .... have a blast! :)

[SPacificbound]

Do some research on the ports you will be visiting and see if there are things that sound interesting to you.

 

You can see what RC is offering, you can also go to Trip Advisor and find the tours in those ports that have the best reviews.

[John Bull]

Not an experienced cruiser.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

 

Sounds very much like you're not the only inexperienced cruiser in the group. ;)

 

The girls will be disappointed if they expect to book a ship's tour on the day. There's usually a cut-off point the night before at the latest, and as per other responses a lot of tours will sell out ahead of the cruise.

 

In many places, such as the Caribbean, fixing tours on-the-fly can work - and work very well - using the independent taxis & vans lined up at the pier rather than ship's tours.

Drivers at the pier are reliable & trustworthy, they know each-other, they know their island & they know the importance of back-on-board time. They can replicate ships' tours at a fraction of ship's prices, or suggest alternatives. They will put you together with others on your ship to fill the vehicle. Agree price & rough itinerary & timescale before you get it, pay when you get back (US dollars) - it's the norm. Take your beach stuff, at the end of the tour you can ask them to drop you at a beach ((or shops, etc) near the ship.

You can pre-book independent tours with local operators over the internet or via your ship's RollCall, much the same sort of itinerary - more expensive than on-the-fly but usually a better experience & perhaps better for a planner such as yourself, and certainly cheaper than ships' tours.

 

Activity excursions like zip-lining or river-tubing, or excursions using specialised transport such as 4x4, are more difficult to arrange on-the-fly, best to pre-book them. Some activities can only be booked through the ship.

 

Likewise car rental often needs to be pre-booked cos they too book-out ahead of the day.

 

We can better advise if you quote your ship & ports.

We can also point you toward your cruise RollCall, where you can "meet" others on your cruise.

 

I'd be inclined to mention to the girls the advice you've received from all on this thread, then they might want to join in the pre-planning & decisions. But if they don't, I suggest you follow CowPrincess' advice.

 

JB :)

[sherilyn70]

If we want a specific excursion we find someone in advance to book it with. Otherwise we just pick up a private tour at the port. They have a lot of group van and buds trips available typically, or you can be like us and hire a private 2 person tour. We usually pay the same price for a customized private tour as what we would have been charged for a group tour through the cruise line.

 

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[iheartbda]

My first cruise is in July this year and I prebooked excursions myself by looking at review sites I feel the consensus is the ship excursions are mainly photo ops with shopping thrown in. But to each his own I wouldn't leave it to chance you want to get as much out your time ashore as possible [emoji4]

Not true at all and highly doubtful you would get that consensus on CC.

[paul929207]

Excursion prices often go up as the tours start to sell out.

[GUT2407]

I seldom book any excursions anymore preferring by far to do our own thing and explore the port.

[navybankerteacher]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

 

That is a truly foolish approach. First, a sensible person would do advance research to have an idea of what they wanted to do at given ports - including finding out if they could do it on their own.

 

Second, your best chances of joining a last minute tour would be if that tour was either unpopular or very expensive - two good reasons for NOT wanting to buy into it.

 

Third, your comment that part of the enjoyment is thinking and planning in advance.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Makes me glad I only travel now with my hubby and daughter. I'm the planner for the family and I start with a guide book or two (libraries have them for free, and any good ones you can then go on Amazon and get the latest edition). Then I google each port, and any good info I'll copy and paste into a word doc (adding what I found from the books). Finally I'll check out what the cruise line is offering. Whether or not we book something with them, the tours listed will list the stops and those I'll add to my notes. Then I'll narrow down what I think everyone will like and see what they say.

 

The number one rule for my hubby is no rental cars while on a cruise. He's also added those tours you can book at the pier -- he didn't care for the one we did some years ago. He rather go with the ship's tours for the few times we'll go on a tour...and in all honesty, for the ones we've looked at, they weren't too much more than an independent operator. Maybe the ones you are considering there may be a big difference, but not in our case. And I haven't been on ship's tours that have involved a stop for shopping. Really.

 

Most of the time, we just get an idea of places to sightsee (unless we're just going to a beach...and you can just get a cab for that or go to a beach near the pier). Many times, we'll alter our plans on the run. And there's been a couple of times that we were in a taxi and my hubby will negotiate with the driver for a city tour.

 

One thing we wouldn't count on is that there will be spots on popular excursions on the day (if the ship hadn't closed them by then) or even a day or two ahead of that.

[Nic6318]

We are on RCCL. I would never wait until the day of.....but I tried to get a couple of the girls to join in with our rental car but they do not want to commit this early. Thus responding they wait to the day of.............

I thought maybe it was common.

I don't understand it. But I am not the norm or normal lol

 

 

Hi Shawninrye

 

So it is pretty well understood that you wont get any "sales" on the day you arrive in port. What your friends seem to be saying is that they don't want to bother doing any planning and will just wait till that day and see what is available.

 

Depending on the ship and the itinerary you might be able to go up to the excursions desk and find that there is some excursion later in the morning or afternoon that might still be available. Most excursions would be already underway as soon as debarkation started.

 

Also depending on the port you may be able to get off the ship and find tour buses (independent operators) still filling up who are able to accommodate a few more people.

 

You can choose to do nothing...shopping or go to a bar. You could take a taxi and just go to a beach.

 

These are all possibilities that can work, but it is your vacation as well and if you did some research and found something that you would really like to do try to convince at least one of your friends to commit. If not, your choice is limited to either doing what your friends have decided or go and have fun by yourself.

 

You know, some people don't even get off the ship and enjoy an empty ship. So doing "nothing" isn't all bad, but if you are going somewhere you have never been before and have an opportunity to see or do something that you may not get a chance again, I would say "go for it", your friends can join you if they want. You can tell them what you did that day and they can tell you what they did. Just have fun.

 

have a great cruise

[klfrodo]

...but I tried to get a couple of the girls to join in with our rental car

 

Rental car on your own is the wrong thing to do in my opinion,,, UNLESS, you are very experienced with the driving habits of the country you are in, know the laws of the country you are driving in, have lots and lots of insurance coverage, and lots of cash on hand in case pay offs are needed.

[Dayenu]

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

 

The trip desk is opened at certain hours, and most likely, not when you need it! It is possible to walk up to the bus and ask the ship employee to put you on the bus. We did that. There is no sale, and we did not expect one, just couldn't decide if we wanted a tour or not, till the last moment. They asked to see the cabin key and charged us the same price as on the list of tours.

 

Depending on the cruise and the list of tours, we reserved in advance, reserved on the ship, reserved by the bus. If you are a planner, make reservations for yourself, and let the rest of the group figure it out for themselves.

 

You don't have to buy tours from the ship, you can make cheaper reservations with the land tour companies at every port, or even go off on your own using local public transportation or taxi.

[zqvol]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

 

It all depends on where we are going. If it is Europe or Alaska we plan ahead, if it is the Caribbean we wing it.

[Gwendy]

First you would be lucky to find excursion desk open, staff are organising tours. Research, research, research, Mr Google is your friend. I remember how hard it was before I met him. Check out what is available, what suits you.

, how to get there, entrance costs, how far apart sights you want to see are. Then check what cruise line is offering, can you do this cheaper, safer with another operator? If it is a popular attraction as a private/individual tourist you may have to wait in line while ship tours generally go straight in.

I have had some anxious moments when doing private tours, unexpected problems causing delays and seen many people frantically running for the ship while gangway is being pulled up. Sometimes ship cannot wait due to tides, tug services etc.

I choose ship and private tours, have picked up tours at port, but always allow myself a large time safety net when going private. I often travel alone so get to do what I want, you will meet other people, they are generally a friendly bunch. Be careful if getting sucked in to other plans that you really don't want to do. Sometimes this may be the only time you ever go to this destination, so see and do what you want.

[Shawninrye]

Wow great advice. Therapy in a pill!

This is my girlfriend of 45 years that I am bunking with. The other 8 girls are her sister and her friends.

We are heading to the Western Caribbean.

The problem started with my expectations. My GF said oh I am so glad to have help or have someone else plan! I love to plan so it was a deal for me.

 

In my little pea brain the girls would be excited like my girlfriend.

I involved her with each idea whether it was yea or nay. Or she said I would like to cave tube etc.....

I thought the other girls would react the same. With each idea they would respond we only like to snorkel. Or we don't go to ruins..

I would send the info on sales. No response. My girlfriend was very appreciative.

So.......I get it now.

As my neighbor would say "mind your own business."

These ladies are grown and do not need me to plan their trip. I guess I just wanted to understand why they would not call their TA and take the sales. It was almost as though since it was my idea they were not going to have anything to do with it.

 

As the one post said it is not my circus. I am moving on.

I have taken the advice here and will have fun!

 

You know I used to live in St.John USVI and would see how much people paid for shore excursions from cruise ships for places they could have just driven to.

So when in 2004 a group of girls wanted to go to the Caribbean and the itinerary was places I had been to many times.

I look on shore excursions from the ship and the cost. I could take us for a fraction of the cost to the same places ahead of time!

We had a blast rented cars in each port. St. Thomas-St Maarten. They were responsive and interactive in my emails.

I guess I expected the same from the sister.

So again........I get it!

If there is a sale I am just going to worry about our cabin. (Long story but I have saved us since booking April 5th $463.00 with $250.00 of that in OBC for a JS)

I know when I am not wanted! And I don't need to be the center of attention.

I have a very busy life like everyone!

Thanks again all. I love Cruise Critic.

(I used them my first and only cruise in 2004.

[spookwife]

Not an experienced cruiser.

I am a planner. 9 months out and I am planning my shore time. Renting cars etc.....nothing through the ship. I like to get ahead of the crowds if possible.

Flexible but have a plan.

 

The group of girls I am traveling with (except my cabin mate) don't plan anything before they go. The girl said we just walk up to the desk the morning we dock and ask if there are any sales on shore trips.

I guess my question is that is this how many people plan their excursions?

Has anyone one on Cruise Critic arranged their vacation this way?

I know it is to each their own but does anyone have experience doing it this way?

I think it stretches out the holiday to plan and think and read about where one goes!

 

they do not actually discount the excursions run by the ships. now you can leave the ship and find any number of people willing to haggle a price and schedule so it is quite easy to get something you can afford if you have done some basic homework beforehand.

 

if there is a specific excursion that is a must do/ your cruise will be ruined if you do not get to take it, then you need to pre book it before you even board as the very popular ones WILL sell out. if you want to use up on board credit, then you need to go directly to the excursions desk once on board the first day and sign up then( keeping in mind that some may indeed be sold out).

 

we rarely get so anal as to pre plan the entire trip. to us that its NOT vacation. with my medical issues, it is far too often that I wake up the day of and find that I cannot handle that all day tour after all so I would have wasted money paying for it then not being able to go. I'd rather wait until we arrive and make a decision spur of the moment what to do. closest we get is to research transportation in a port to figure out the best way to say hit their local zoo or botanical gardens( we think beaches are a complete waste, don't do a lot of shopping and have no desire to spend all day at Señor Frogs. )

[sail7seas]

You likely could do better hiring a quide,driver at the port. You easily could find all ship's tours sold out.