Excursions, yes or no?

[houstoncruisers2001]

I say no and I'll tell you why.

 

We have been on four cruises and we have never booked an excursion. It seems to me that most of the complaints on these boards have to do with excursions in one form or another. Either the excursion wasn't worth it, the excursion was overpriced, it was cancelled, it was overbooked, the ship was late to port, the tenders were slow or the ship couldn't tender at all due to high seas. All this leads to stress.....a vacation killer. The last thing I need on a cruise in more stress, so I avoid excursions like the plague. I know I am in the minority on this and there are excursions out there that do interest me, but if we can't do it on our own(and we do) we're just not going to do it.

 

We have never had a bad cruise or a bad cruise experience and I attibute that in part to not dealing with the hassle of excursions.

 

I'd like to hear what others have to say.

[Druke I]

While I agree that ship's excursions can be problematic, I do go on them in certain ports.

 

If in a foreign country where I don't speak the language, I find that "canned" excursions often are a good way to get an overview of the immediate area. I sometimes go on a "canned" tour in the AM, and then wander back to interesting areas after lunch.

 

On the other hand, sometimes I stay on ship, and forego excursions altogether.

 

Isn't it wonderful we have so many choices?

[cherylandtk]

I know where you are coming from--on our very first cruise we did the excursions our TA said we "had" to take, and while not let down, did not find them the highlight of the trip. We swore to take half as many excursions on our next cruise....and each subsequent cruise we talk about spending more time on the ship and less on land. LOL we are now booked for cruise # 6 and 7 and still have not cut out excursions, but we are much more selective and willing to do things on our own.

[bplazo]

I love excursions!

 

We just got off our last cruise on Sunday. We did the southern route and every excursion we did was better than the previous one. All our tour guides were great and we learned alot about the islands.

 

The one day we did not have an excursion booked I was bored. I do not book with the cruise lines because they tend to be overcrowded. We did a jungle tour in St. Lucia and our group of three were the only ones in the land rover compared to ones booked with cruiselines that had van loads.

[JordanF]

I'm a lawyer, so of course my answer is: "It depends." We had the best two-day tour of St. Petersburg (Russia) last summer. On the other hand, we enjoyed some of the other cities on our own. We have had great excursions, mediocre ones, and even a couple we wish we had not taken.

 

Generally, we will take some, but not too many.

 

BTW, these boards have been quite helpful in helping us choose.

[RichardCruiser]

I agree that the shore excursions are very expensive for what you get. However, we decided that if we go to a new port we should take a tour to see what that part of the world is like. We have just 1 excursion planned for our Feb. 2, 06 cruise.

 

Norwegian - Starward 02/94

Norwegian - Windward 02/95

Holland American - Noordam 02-96

Norwegian - Seaward 02/97

Celebrity - Zenith 02/98

Royal Caribbean - Rhapsody 01-99

Celebrity - Horizon 01/2000

Celebrity - Century 02/01

Carnival - Triumph 02/02

Royal Caribbean - Adventure 02/03

Princess - Dawn 01/05

Princess - Coral 02/06

[mii]

When we first started to cruise my DH and I would take every excursion we could in every stop because we did not know if we would ever get to those stops again. Well considering that I will be taking my ninth cruise next year and have two more after that on the books we have gone back to the same places and also new ones and have been much more selective in our choosing of excursions. Some we still take from the ship, the rest we do on our own. Although we have never had a bad ship excursion there have been two or three that have been outstanding as far we are concerned. The Experience the Yukon and Eco-experience through the Tortugero Canal in Costa Rica were absolute highlights of our trips.

 

Marilyn

[1bigballer]

I have always found it best to just get off the ship and find and book your own excursions. I think you will ALWAYS have a smaller group & ALWAYS pay less money this way. I have found that you get much more personalized service and discovered some "off the beaten path" locals while booking your own once you leave the ship. I'll never forget my first cruise that stopped in Ocho Rios Jamaica. Those poor people we saw from our ship with a hundred people in the group doing the Dunn's River Falls tour all holding hands. Meanwhile we were with 4 people climbing away, stopping where we wanted, swimming where we wanted, and having a great time. Just my 2 cents.

[spongerob]

I'm an engineeer so of course my answer is, "It depends." (Sorry JordanF, couldn't resist! :) )

 

If at all possible we prefer to do things on our own, but sometimes it just makes more sense to take a ship's tour. We have mostly been complimentary of the tours offered. Occasionally we have felt that the price has been out of line for what was delivered, and once we've resorted to filing a formal complaint following a tour. Overall we've had a good sense of satisfaction with ship's tours.

 

We have always felt that we sieze the day more completely when we can do things on our own and on our own schedule. The only caveat if that if you volunteer or get nominated to organize a private tour for a large number of people, it can be stressful. If the group is of a manageable size, it's not such a hassle.

 

Our best days have been those where we've planned nothing at all, and just let things develop on their own. Sometimes you get some nice surprises when you keep your planning to a minimum and just let the winds take you where they will.

[llund]

I usually try to book excursions not offered through the ship and find my own guides. They are usually much less expensive and you see more. However, on our next cruise, it will only be my husband and I so we are booking 2 through the ship. That way we can meet others on the cruise.

[Pam in CA]

Like a few others, I say "it depends." Most of the answers for "I always go on my own" presume that you're cruising in the Caribbean or where English would be understood.

 

If I were getting off the ship in St. Petersburg, for instance, I don't think I'd feel confident that I'd find a reliable English-speaking tour guide on the dock who would be able to show me what I'd like to see and get me back to the ship on time. Likewise, in Casablanca or even Kusadasi. And I definitely wouldn't take anything other than a Princess tour in Egypt.

[Times Prince]

I'm an engineeer so of course my answer is, "It depends." (Sorry JordanF, couldn't resist! :) )

Wow, Sponge, I too am an engineer, and yes "It depends"

 

After some early experiences, our preference is to only book half day tours so we can do something fun, and still have time to kick back and relax, either on shore or back on the ship.

 

We like booking through Princess, as for the most part they have screened the tour operators to some standard that provides us a feeling of safety. For full day tours we always book through the ship, having had the experience of being the last bus load to return from Tulum - they held the ship's departure for us.

 

We are also learning when to "do it yourself". An expensive tour to a national park in Alaska, with some other stops was no match for the $5 bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier that we found in our AAA travel guide - and we spent hours there rather than the 45 minutes allotted on the tour, the highlight of that cruise for us.

 

So "It depends". Isn't it great that cruising allows us all to do our own thing, no matter what tours we do or don't take?

[Budget Queen]

I never take ship excursions and always go on my own. BUT it requires you to do your homework and have plans and reservations in place before you leave. If you wait until in port, you are eating up valuable touring time. :)

 

There are only a very few destinations that I stay on the ship, most of the time, I like the port touring.

 

I'm just back from cruise 35 and have traveled like this for years. A good source of accurate information, that's current are these boards. Consider using them in your next port visit perhaps?

[City_Woman]

We usually do a combination of things on our own and excursions from the ship. It really depends on what particularily we want to do.

 

For our upcoming 10-day, we are planning on just 1 ship excursion and then meet up with Godfrey in St. Thomas. Other than that, I am researching what we can do on our own.

 

We have only ever had 1 disappointing excursion, and that was weather related. We have learned not to do snorkeling excursions - not because we don't think they're great - but my hubby isn't a strong swimmer and I spend more time worrying about him than I do snorkelling.

 

So, that's why they created 100+ flavours of ice cream; not everyone like vanilla!

 

Cheers,

[Floflegs]

I never take ship excursions and always go on my own. BUT it requires you to do your homework and have plans and reservations in place before you leave. If you wait until in port, you are eating up valuable touring time. :)

 

There are only a very few destinations that I stay on the ship, most of the time, I like the port touring.

 

I'm just back from cruise 35 and have traveled like this for years. A good source of accurate information, that's current are these boards. Consider using them in your next port visit perhaps?

I agree. We read up on the ports and took taxis, usually sharing with another couple, to the places we wanted to see.

[cruznliz]

The OP implies that doing the ports on your own is less stressful. I disagree. We take many ship excursions for all the reasons mentioned above, not the least of which is getting back to the ship on time. Whenever we book on our own or go off on our own, "missing the ship" is always in the back of my mind and interfering with my enjoyment of the port. :eek: Of course statistically it doesn't happen too often, but I certainly don't want it to ever happen to ME!

 

I agree if you take a cruise to relax, then by all means take a Caribbean or Mexican cruise and do whatever you like. ;) Don't take a European cruise to relax. There is way too much history and things to see and do. We cruise to see some of the world and if we get to sleep late or take an afternoon nap at some point during the cruise, then so much the better. But relaxation is not our primary reason for going. We are used to coming home from a cruise way more tired than when we left but we have seen and done amazing things around the world and are completely refreshed by it. :D

[Drumbum1977]

We always budget for 1 excursion that we can take in the morning, leaving the afternoon for beach or shopping. We do ones that involve animals sights or swimming with animals...etc...something that isn't done everyday.

[Miramar]

I always take 1 or 2 ships excursions in each port. One in the morning and one in the afternoon if time allows. I never find the ships excursions to be stressful--in fact I feel more relaxed due to not wondering if the guide will get us back on time or not. None of the tours I've taken have been over crowded either-- maybe it's beacuse I cruise in early November when it's not busy.

When I travel to islands for a land vacation I have plenty of time to book excursions on my own when I don't have the ship's sailing schedule to take into account.

[Linda the Book Lover]

The DH and I do a combination of both....I plan and he goes along with it :D Seriously, I check out CC and do a little investigation on my own and then decide if we will go on our own or not. We have enjoyed most excursions booked through the ship but we enjoyed all the excursions we booked on our own.

[Pam in CA]

Again, it really depends. If you're in a foreign country, it frequently makes sense to book the ship's excursion, even if it costs a bit more. I think of it as "insurance" that I'll get back to the ship on time and that if the excursion isn't what I expected, I have someone to notify.

 

Last May, when we were in Barcelona for the day, the Shore Excursion Director said, "If you go off on your own, be sure to bring your camera so you can take a picture of the ship sailing away." He meant it jokingly and not as a threat. However, two couples did just that: watched the ship sail away for France. They had to get a train and travel overnight to meet us in Cannes.

 

A few years ago, my sister took an excursion on the Amalfi Drive. There was so much traffic that the bus was grid-locked and could only inch forward for hours. (There's no going backwards or finding an alternate route.) Because she was on a ship's excursion, the ship waited over two hours for them to return. If you'd been on your own, you would probably have missed the ship if it hadn't been delayed by the ship's excursion.

[DesrtDrmr]

I'm married to an engineer, so it Depends :D (on what I book!) My DH is much too busy in his head to even think about cruising until it's time to pack.........then he remembers to ask me where we're going. As we book so far ahead, he has forgotten...........while I plan almost every day while waiting for cruise time to come. (I really SHOULD get a life!)

When we go to ports we haven't been to, we always take a ship's tour of the island or city. We want to see what the countryside looks like, and hear what the guide has to say about his home. We book ship's tours because we know they have been "vetted" by the cruiseline, and we wont be left behind if we run late. We usually book a morning tour so we can poke around by ourselves in the afternoon. We want to get a feeling for the area so we can decide if we want to return. The ports we have been to before, and there aren't very many, except St. Thomas, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Maui, we generally walk around, shop, or just stay on the ship and relax, do laundry, whatever................ We try to pick different itineraries each time.

I think it's great that we all have so many options.

[suntan]

However, two couples did just that: watched the ship sail away for France. They had to get a train and travel overnight to meet us in Cannes.

 

A few years ago, my sister took an excursion on the Amalfi Drive. There was so much traffic that the bus was grid-locked and could only inch forward for hours. (There's no going backwards or finding an alternate route.) Because she was on a ship's excursion, the ship waited over two hours for them to return. If you'd been on your own, you would probably have missed the ship if it hadn't been delayed by the ship's excursion.

 

And herein lies my fear - that if I go off on my own I will be taking pictures of the ship leaving port without me. We are on a ship's excursion last year where the tour operator decided to take us on an unscheduled tour of the city. We were on our way back but were an hour late - we heard the tour operator talking to someone (might have been someone from the ship) asking where were we. We made the ship with 10 minutes to spare. As noted above, because this was a ship's excursion they would have waited for us if we arrived later than the schedule departure time.

 

We were in Colon, Panama this year and the cruise director said that if you were not booked for one of the ship's excursions, then your safety was at risk if you went off on your own.

 

We did go off on our own in Costa Rica - our waiter set us up with a friend of his and we had a great tour of the area and we did get back with plenty of time to spare.

 

I guess to decide on whether to take a ship's excursion or go out on your own depends on several factors - e.g. how comfortable you are in foreign countries, do you have the same rational (or irrational) fear I have of not getting back in time and seeing the ship sailing away if you go out on your own. :(

 

Whichever you choose, I hope you get to enjoy what the islands have to offer.

 

Have a great day everyone!

[Steamboatin]

We always (as previously mentioned many times here on these boards) take the ship's excursions for the "insurance policy" that we will not miss the vessel's departure.

 

Have seen too many people left screaming at the wharf as we sailed away.

 

Likewise have had the vessel held up for us several times when our excursion was late in returning to the vessel. Had we been on our own we would have been left stranded in a foreign country with our passport and everything else aboard the vessel as it sailed away without us.

 

Rather have peace of mind over stranded in foreign country. Extra cost of "insurance policy" is well worth it.

[Oliver Sudden]

:confused: Our recommendations concerning shore excursions:

A. Be wary of cancellation fees.

B. Read the information thoroughly, especially the disclaimers. Usually the cruise lines act as booking agents on a commission basis. There is no guaranty on the quality, satisfaction or safety offered by the cruise lines.

 

We have taken a few, and found that some are good and some are not so good. We do much better on our own.

 

However, taking tours (taxi or minibus) on your own cab be quite risky as far as getting back to the ship on time. Many of these operators are on a very worn shoestring, so breakdowns and delays can happen.

 

:D So, it's up to you what you do, as long as you go into this with an open mind. You will learn from experience.

 

PREVIOUS CRUISES:

Jun 1989, RIVER CRUISES, -- Paddlewheeler Julia Belle Swain, GD

Sep 1993, US NAVY TIGER CRUISE, USS Halsey CG23, HI-CA, EXC

Nov 1997, CAPT. COOK CRUISES, Murray Princess, Australia, EXC

Jan.1993, RCL Majesty of the Seas 1st big cruiseship, we were green

May 1998, US NAVY TIGER CRUISE, USS Fife DD 191, HI-WA, EXC

Apr 1998, US NAVY TIGER CRUISE, USS Fife DD 191, HI-WA, EXC

May 1999, DELTA QUEEN STEAMBOAT CO, Delta Queen, EXC

Sep 2000, US NAVY TIGER CRUISE, USS Fife DD 191, HI-WA, EXC

May 2001, HAL Maasdam. E. Caribbean, VD

Feb 2002, HAL Rotterdam, S. Caribbean, exc. ship decor, EXC

May 2002, CARNIVAL Pride, W. Caribbean, garish decor, VG

Sep 2002, CELEBRITY, Mercury, Panama Canal, Rail & Sail FR

Dec 2002, CARNIVAL Spirit, E. Caribbean, nice decor, VERY GD

Apr 2003, HAL Statendam, CA-HI, good all around, VERY GD

Aug 2003, CARNIVAL Paradise, E. Carib., non-smoking ship, EXC

Sep 2003, CARNIVAL Paradise, W. Carib., non-smoking ship, EXC

Dec 2003, HAL Noordam, E. & S. Caribbean, VG

Mar 2004, HAL Volendam, W. Caribbean Wayfarer, VG

May 2004, MSC, Lirica, West Indies, GOOD

Nov 2004, HAL Prinsendam, 28-day Amazon River Explorer, VG

Feb 2005, CARNIVAL Glory, E. Caribbean, POOR

Mar 2005, CARNIVAL Glory, W.Caribbean, POOR

July 2005, CARNIVAL Miracle, W. Caribbean, EXC

COMING UP

Dec 2005 RCL Mariner of the Seas, E. Caribbean

Apr 2006 HAL Ryndam, S. Caribbean INCLUDING ARUBA!

Sep 2006 CARNIVAL Sensation, Bahamas (a short one)

[Coolmama_1]

We try to do one excursion in each port. We go early and choose things that we would never be able to do anywhere else. We like the cultural things as well as historical. Then we shop:D