HAL Shore excursions vs private

[drowelf]

HAL are also offering their best price guarantee where they will refund 110% of the cost if you find the same tour cheaper. Which makes me wonder if they have tightened their pricing.

Its our first cruise with them, the RCCI prices were astronomical in Europe last year, but that is familiar territory to us so felt confident just to wing it. We've never travelled in Asia so trying to be organised, although my daughter who will be with us travelled Vietnam and Cambodia last year with nothing more organised than a sarong and flip flops - maybe I should take a leaf out of her book and chill!!

 

They should actually say identical tour and not the same. I've read reports that if the other tour departs earlier/later or is longer/shorter by as little as 15 minutes, they say 'its not the same tour'. I would not be surprised to see that extend to even the order of the stops. I have yet to read any posts where someone was able to use this feature and its also 110% of the difference in cost.

[corkpopr]

:cool: 38 cruises and we never take ship tours. much cheaper on your own and no getting on and off a bus with 50 others.

[OlsSalt]

:cool: 38 cruises and we never take ship tours. much cheaper on your own and no getting on and off a bus with 50 others.

 

Many HAL tours are smaller than "50 people on a bus", and many are limited to far fewer than that up front. Try not to paint HAL tours with such a broad brush - there is great variety and varying levels of activity required makes the more "active" and "strenuous" ones self-limiting.

 

The larger bus tours fall mainly into the "easy" category which are greatly appreciated by those who have mobility issues, but still want to get out and see new things in each port or revisit old favorites. HAL (excursion franchise) does a good job covering many bases. Which is not to say private tours can offer good options too. But don't dismiss what HAL also offers, along with the built in pluses they provide. Convenience and peace of mind are intangibles that are worth something too.

[avian777]

... I have yet to read any posts where someone was able to use this feature and its also 110% of the difference in cost.

 

HAL's 110% price guarantee was previously discussed on CC, and there were several Posters who confirmed that HAL had, in fact, honored the guarantee, even when the tours were not identical. Here's a link to a Thread that has those Posts, if you don't mind letting facts interfere with your opinions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2562015&highlight=ship+tours+price+guarantee

[iancal]

I think that the largest private tour that we have taken had 8-10 people, though usually less. So we typically get a customized tour, a vehicle that does not require a large parking space or time to load/unload, no shopping stops, the ability to customize the tour, and usually very good, personal, informative conversation with the guide. As a bonus, the tours are generally organized to avoid the cruise line bus tour crowds at popular attractions.

 

Though price is not the issue, the cost is typically less that the cruise line. In Europe we have found the costs to be significantly less. It is a value for money decision.

[Floridiana]

Please explain how you accumulate mariner points on a HAL tour. Is it by booking with HAL or by shopping on the tour? I have never heard of it before, but we haven't been on HAL for a few years. We'll be on the Grand Asia and Pacific cruise this fall.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Please explain how you accumulate mariner points on a HAL tour. Is it by booking with HAL or by shopping on the tour? I have never heard of it before, but we haven't been on HAL for a few years. We'll be on the Grand Asia and Pacific cruise this fall.

 

HAL gives Mariner day-points (toward star status) for the number of days you book plus bonus day-points for booking a suite and bonus day-points for money you spend with HAL. The spending bonus is one day-point for every $300 you spend, either on board or from the website (advance purchase of tours, etc). Eligible spending includes hotel charge, tours, specialty dining, shops on board, spa, drinks, etc.

 

Spending bonus does not include any money you spend while on a tour with HAL.

[Hawaiidan]

We are going on our first HAL cruise in Asia at Christmas. I have started researching shore trips and contacted several tour companies/guides for ideas and prices.

I am finding that the HAL prices are comparable, if not in some cases cheaper than what the private companies are quoting. As a family of 5 it all adds up and I thought private tours would be a lot cheaper.

Has anyone else had experience of shore tours in Asia? Roughly what prices were you paying and how did you find the ships tours if used?

From what I am reading it doesn't sound like a good plan to just do your own thing in these ports as there are lots of issues.

As an example I spoke to a guide yesterday who quoted me $85 per person for a Hoi Ann trip from da nang, with the marble mountains. The HAL trip is $80, it is slightly shorter but that probably suits us as we have two teenage boys with us and unless its a beach will probably not appreciate the trip for at least ten years!!

 

Any advice/feedback much appreciated.

 

 

 

Thanks

Tracey

 

 

Tracy, as a general rule its best to go with a private tour for your group. It may be a few dollars cheaper to take the HAL tour but your forgetting one thing... the quality of the tour to you.

With your own tour its the 5 of you With HAL it is going to be 50-60+ people and half the tour time will usually be take up with just getting on and off the bus and bathroom breaks, Many will be slow and disabled which will eat into your time.There will be all sorts, I am not demeaning these folks but many on the HAL tours will be less mobile than you. That is the price you pay in a group who's participants you have no control over.

 

Another factor is the Hal tours usually have a stop to shop that takes up time Your group can see twice the things enjoy them longer and spend more time experiencing things not traveling.

[cruisemom42]

 

Spending bonus does not include any money you spend while on a tour with HAL.

 

Yes, let's not give them any ideas. :eek:

[OlsSalt]

Tracy, as a general rule its best to go with a private tour for your group. It may be a few dollars cheaper to take the HAL tour but your forgetting one thing... the quality of the tour to you.

With your own tour its the 5 of you With HAL it is going to be 50-60+ people and half the tour time will usually be take up with just getting on and off the bus and bathroom breaks, Many will be slow and disabled which will eat into your time.There will be all sorts, I am not demeaning these folks but many on the HAL tours will be less mobile than you. That is the price you pay in a group who's participants you have no control over.

 

Another factor is the Hal tours usually have a stop to shop that takes up time Your group can see twice the things enjoy them longer and spend more time experiencing things not traveling.

 

Another unfounded HAL excursion exaggeration - 60+ people on a single bus making feeble bathroom breaks taking up half your tour time. Gheesh, give this a rest. Yes your exaggerations are demeaning the entire operation and array of HAL excursions choices. Try comparing hiking to the top of Pulpit Rock in Norway on, your own or using the HAL tour if you want a factual example of the depth of HAL tour offerings.

[iancal]

60 peop[le or 20 people is all the same to us. Not interested. The point is we prefer a small tour group. You only have to see the tours lined up on the dock to see how many folks are signed up.

 

Nor do we see any percentage in signing up for cruise line tours simply to earn mariner or other such credits. Most especially Mariner points since the program is hardly stellar compared to others.

[kazu]

Another unfounded HAL excursion exaggeration - 60+ people on a single bus making feeble bathroom breaks taking up half your tour time. Gheesh, give this a rest. Yes your exaggerations are demeaning the entire operation and array of HAL excursions choices. Try comparing hiking to the top of Pulpit Rock in Norway on, your own or using the HAL tour if you want a factual example of the depth of HAL tour offerings.

 

Here's a deal for you - stop exhorting on the wondrous HAL tours and we'll stop talking about all of our horrnedous experiences ;)

 

I've given HAL a chance on tours on every cruise and been disappointed severely at least 50% of the time.

 

The bathroom breaks are not a "line" nor are the "free time" where they stop you off at a store to shop. :(

 

Our small group tour that we booked in Hawaii ended up being a much larger group even though we paid for the smaller group. The shore excursion person just shrugged her shoulders.

 

On our upcoming cruise, so far, everything is being done on our own or by private tour. HAL's don't even make sense. In Brest until late in the evening and HAL 's tour to Quimper is 4 hours. It takes an hour to get to Quimper so, tell me why only 2 hours when we are there late?

 

I just shake my head at some of them and say "why????"

 

Each to their own. HAL tours are perfect for you but they are not for many of us that want more than a taste of a place. We might not see it all, but we will get more than a glimpse with some research and planning and bypassing the crappy excursions that HAL is offering on our upcoming cruise.

[OlsSalt]

Here's a deal for you - stop exhorting on the wondrous HAL tours and we'll stop talking about all of our horrnedous experiences ;)

 

I've given HAL a chance on tours on every cruise and been disappointed severely at least 50% of the time.

 

The bathroom breaks are not a "line" nor are the "free time" where they stop you off at a store to shop. :(

 

Our small group tour that we booked in Hawaii ended up being a much larger group even though we paid for the smaller group. The shore excursion person just shrugged her shoulders.

 

On our upcoming cruise, so far, everything is being done on our own or by private tour. HAL's don't even make sense. In Brest until late in the evening and HAL 's tour to Quimper is 4 hours. It takes an hour to get to Quimper so, tell me why only 2 hours when we are there late?

 

I just shake my head at some of them and say "why????"

 

Each to their own. HAL tours are perfect for you but they are not for many of us that want more than a taste of a place. We might not see it all, but we will get more than a glimpse with some research and planning and bypassing the crappy excursions that HAL is offering on our upcoming cruise.

 

Here is the deal kazu - stop discounting and intentionally distorting my HAL shore excursion experiences, and you continue to have free reign to post your own. Which you always have. This is not news to anyone. Having contrary experiences while on the same ship at the same time is proven to be a fact of life on this forum. Carry on, and enjoy your P-dam cruise - where also I believe you think everything is perfect while we thought it was merely okay and a bit quirky. There you have it.

[drowelf]

HAL's 110% price guarantee was previously discussed on CC, and there were several Posters who confirmed that HAL had, in fact, honored the guarantee, even when the tours were not identical. Here's a link to a Thread that has those Posts, if you don't mind letting facts interfere with your opinions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2562015&highlight=ship+tours+price+guarantee

 

I stand corrected, snarky comments aside :->, but until this point I had not seen any successful reports and several about unsuccessful attempts for the very reasons I gave.

[kazu]

Here is the deal kazu - stop discounting and intentionally distorting my HAL shore excursion experiences, and you continue to have free reign to post your own. Which you always have. This is not news to anyone. Having contrary experiences while on the same ship at the same time is proven to be a fact of life on this forum. Carry on, and enjoy your P-dam cruise - where also I believe you think everything is perfect while we thought it was merely okay and a bit quirky. There you have it.

 

Here is the deal Old Salt, stop making HAL shore excursions out to be the end all to end all. They are not.

 

Of course everyone has different experiences but you can't tell me that everyone of your HAL shore excursions has been perfect with no long "restroom stops" no shopping stops, no late starts, etc.

 

And, if they have, you are the luckiest cruiser I know. It's not a normal fact of life on any cruise shore excursion.

 

Thanks for the good wishes on our upcoming cruise. I've never said the P'dam was perfect. No cruise is perfect. But I am hoping it will be still be my favourite ship when we get off ;)

 

It's all about choices. Sail on what appeals to you and I'll take the itineraries and ship that appeals to me and everyone is happy :)

[avian777]

I stand corrected, snarky comments aside :->, but until this point I had not seen any successful reports and several about unsuccessful attempts for the very reasons I gave.

 

Thank you for your very uplifting Post above - it is always nice to see a person admit to being wrong, and I take my hat off to you!!!

BTW I apologize for the snarky comment in my earlier Post.

Edited April 27, 2018 by avian777

[Floridiana]

HAL gives Mariner day-points (toward star status) for the number of days you book plus bonus day-points for booking a suite and bonus day-points for money you spend with HAL. The spending bonus is one day-point for every $300 you spend, either on board or from the website (advance purchase of tours, etc). Eligible spending includes hotel charge, tours, specialty dining, shops on board, spa, drinks, etc.

 

Spending bonus does not include any money you spend while on a tour with HAL.

 

Thank you for the clarification.

[Floridiana]

When it comes to tours, a small number of participants is better than a large number. We have had excellent large and not so large tours even small tours organized by the cruise line; many private tours, some first rate and some with the worst tour guides ever!

Conclusion: Everyone needs to do what they feel comfortable with and hope the group is fine and on time. ;-)

[AncientWanderer]

We would always prefer a small, more personal tour rather than a ship tour, if possible. BUT...sometimes in small or relatively undeveloped ports, we prefer to book cruise line excursions because they have first grabs at everything -- the best English speaking guides, access to limited-access tourist sites, dining venues, boat charters and so on. In some ports these things really are quite limited, and if more than one ship is in port, forget it -- no availability or having to make do with less than optimum transportation, etc. I'd add that as the ships get bigger, this is becoming more of an issue, even in well-developed ports.

 

Forgive me if this was already discussed. I skimmed the thread and didn't see that anybody had touched on this.