Passengers taking other passengers on private tours and charging

[Expat Cruise]

7 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

I would not consider 47 guests or 6 private cars or 15 guests a private tour although it may work for you.  A couple  of the things that I like about private tours are flexibility, the ability to walk into a small restaurant that the guide knows personally or not trying to keep a large group together.  When I set up a private tour, I keep my maximum group size to 8 or maybe 10 people at most.  I often even do private tours with 4 people.  However, different strokes for different folks. 

DON

Don I agree with you when we had 47 people it was for the port we did not do as one group, we had three 15 passenger vans going HCMC Tours, and one 29 passenger bus doing a Mekong River Delta Tour. The largest group was the Mekong River Tour with 16 guests.  But it still have a small tour feel. In other ports we did groups of 4 in one mini van, and had 6 vans, all doing the same basic tour but the group could make changes. 

 

We had a great group of people on the cruise, and it was a longer cruise at 23 days so more time for the group to form friendships.  I tired to do our Hong Kong Tour with 4 people but after 22 days it became 12 guest, it still was a great tour because it was 12 friends who had been together and bonded as a group before the start of the tour.

 

It was work to put these tours together but with many sea days it gave me something to do. I can say I did not need the gym, leaving 25 notices at cabins on every deck, bow to stern is a lot of walking. 

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

I would not consider 47 guests or 6 private cars or 15 guests a private tour although it may work for you.  A couple  of the things that I like about private tours are flexibility, the ability to walk into a small restaurant that the guide knows personally or not trying to keep a large group together.  When I set up a private tour, I keep my maximum group size to 8 or maybe 10 people at most.  I often even do private tours with 4 people.  However, different strokes for different folks. 

 

 

 

I think of a private tour as Mrs Ldubs and me, the tour guide and the driver.  Or alternatively, a small group, as you say.  And yes, flexibility.  

 

Not to say the group tours organized through roll calls are not good.  I am certain they are much better (and a bargain) compared to most ship excursions.  Hopefully any shenanigans about making money at the expense of fellow passengers is the rare exception.   

[brillohead]

I've been around here for almost 15 years now, and I've never encountered another passenger who was selling a tour that they were operating themselves.  

I have organized snorkel excursions a couple of times that I wanted to do myself, and gotten additional people to join me in order to make it economically feasible for me to do a private excursion.  And like many others have mentioned, this was all done with everyone knowing who the tour operator was and everyone paying him in cash on the day of the tour.  (I detest large snorkel groups with a passion.)

 

[mnocket]

3 hours ago, brillohead said:

I've been around here for almost 15 years now, and I've never encountered another passenger who was selling a tour that they were operating themselves.  

 

And yet they exist.  I've only encountered one couple who does this, yet I have run across them on two different cruises.   

[chamima]

23 hours ago, brillohead said:

I've been around here for almost 15 years now, and I've never encountered another passenger who was selling a tour that they were operating themselves.  

I have organized snorkel excursions a couple of times that I wanted to do myself, and gotten additional people to join me in order to make it economically feasible for me to do a private excursion.  And like many others have mentioned, this was all done with everyone knowing who the tour operator was and everyone paying him in cash on the day of the tour.  (I detest large snorkel groups with a passion.)

 

 

19 hours ago, mnocket said:

 

And yet they exist.  I've only encountered one couple who does this, yet I have run across them on two different cruises.   

 

 

And we have only encountered one woman does it but she , also, seems to be on many of our cruises.

I'm sure she's also on many more cruises than just the ones we're on.

I guess it's easy to cruise a lot when it's either free or a means of making money.

 

And, brillohead - that's why most of us spend time and energy organizing tours.

 

 

 

[Sancho_proudfoot]

We have done numerous  private tours. A few times, some shipmates have  said "that  sounds  fun, can we join you?" 

 

Always, always, always  we have  said yes, of course, would  be great to have  you along.  Split the  cost  evenly between the party (or in the case of a couple of Segway tours, they  just paid  the operator the additional cost direct)