Approaching excursion desk for sales on port day.

[CowPrincess]

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.

 

Don't take it personally. You still have to travel with these people :) You have done what you could to help. That's all you can do.

[John Bull]

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.

 

Excellent post - yes, you get it.:)

 

As in many responses you've received, the others will be lucky to fix up even one short-notice ship's excursion. But they'll be able to have a blast winging-it by touring with the local operators - undoubtedly cheaper (as you know), usually more fun, more flexible than ship's tours.

To a degree they'll be taking pot-luck, some experiences will be better than others. And they'll need to be fastidious about the risks of delays heading back to the ship. But their worry, not yours.

 

It's stuff like cave-tubing that might be more difficult to fix up at the port, especially if large groups are needed, ditto the risk that rental cars will be booked-out.

 

No point in delaying the booking of such tours as you're particularly keen on, but you're clearly aware that you too can wing-it if you make allowances.

 

Have a good one

 

JB :)

[Shawninrye]

Don't take it personally. You still have to travel with these people :) You have done what you could to help. That's all you can do.

 

You are right about. I still have to travel with these people. And I will not come between sisters even if we have been friends 45 years!

And really they have not done anything "wrong" except not respond the way I wanted them to! Ha ha

So I'm done pouting and I will get back to what's important like Sunday laundry and Mothers Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers.

Shawn

[sail7seas]

We have had good luck gertting privwate tours from the line upof locals at the dock.

Edited May 8, 2016 by sail7seas

[mammajamma2013]

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.

 

Princess allows excursion purchases same day of the excursion. November 2007 Mexican Riviera, August 2014 Alaska Inside Passage, March 2016 Eastern Caribbean - we booked same day excursions. No sales, however, and you do run the risk that the excursion will be sold out.

[celle]

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!

 

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 get it. You were trying to be helpful, but the others didn't want your help. That's OK. Don't take it personally. It's just that it's difficult to get everyone to agree to anything - just like trying to herd cats.

 

You and your friend arrange what you want to do and leave the others to make their own arrangements. You'll all be able to talk about your different experiences on shore when all you get together in the evening.

 

I only travel with my husband and sometimes even we two don't do the same thing on shore. He may choose one tour and I may choose another. Later in the day, we have fun telling each other what we saw and did.

 

We once travelled with another couple and we agreed from the start that we would meet for breakfast and dinner, but each do our own thing for the rest of the day. It worked out very well.

[Gwendy]

I often travel with my daughter, sometimes we do the same tours, sometimes not. She has different interests to me. We both enjoy our tours and have lots to talk about when we get back to the ship. Same on sea days, she will go to different activities, sometimes I just sit in a chair and read.

You don't have to be joined at the hip with your fellow travellers, enjoy your times with them but make time for what you enjoy.

Sometimes people can't be convinced to do it your way, even though you know it is the best way! Lol. Enjoy your cruise

[Rala]

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 would not wait until day of to book. Also, I have never heard of a sale on a shore excursion no matter when it is booked. A member of our party on a recent cruise tried to book an excursion on the day of the excursion and was told it was unavailable, so he was out of luck. If you and your cabinmate want something specific, book it early. Have a great time!:)

[sail7seas]

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

 

[b[i ALSO

disaggreeethat statetment would be a consensus here on,CC[/b]

[loretta5ue]

The only way I've gotten a "sale" or reduced price was either by booking early - discounts on multiple excursion packages on cruise website or when my excursion was canceled due to lack of people--- I had to fight for that, they gave us a higher price excursion for the price of the one we booked.

 

I'm a planner too (Engineer), I've done cruises with groups of 4 and 20. Waiting to book can be frustrating. I tend to do a better job of convincing others by showing them the activity so they can get excited. You all can wait to book onboard but depending on the adventure- like the dolphin stuff it may sell out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Mikiejag]

Its funny to read some of these because I have the same opinion. Book ahead for what you want and then adjust...

 

Yet, just getting off of the Dawn last week, every day the Excursion desk had a line, people were buying for the next day and the remainder of the cruise. I didn't really get it.

 

Why take the risk? but day after day, the line stretched out and they were never less than 4 people deep until the last sea day... lol