Non Cruise Line Excursions. Too Risky?

[Daniel A]

56 minutes ago, ducklite said:

My next cruise I'm not taking a single shore excursion from the ship or a private provider.  Unless something drastically changes, we're DIYing the entire thing--including renting a car and driving well over an hour away twice.  

Just plan to be back plenty early.  We are stopping in Honfleur, and will rent a car and drive to Normandy.  We depart that evening at 7:00 pm, so we'll plan on having the car returned and being back on board by around 4:00.  It gives us a solid buffer in case of traffic or other unexpected delay.

What happens if your rental breaks down?  The last time I had a rental break down, the company said it was my responsibility to get the car back to their location.    Car rental companies don't offer the services they used to.  I'd want to make sure I had some type of insurance to get me back to the ship.  It sounds like a great time though!!  Good luck!

Edited August 5, 2019 by Daniel A

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

What happens if your rental breaks down?  The last time I had a rental break down, the company said it was my responsibility to get the car back to their location.    Car rental companies don't offer the services they used to.  I'd want to make sure I had some type of insurance to get me back to the ship.  It sounds like a great time though!!  Good luck!

 

Nothing in life comes with a 100% guarantee. You pays your money and you takes your chances. I mean, someone could say that they will only book connecting flights with a 5-hour layover to avoid risk of missing the connection -- and then something will happen that keeps the first flight grounded for seven hours....while at the same time most of us are comfortable with far less time in the airport between flights. At what point do you accept that there is a small but manageable risk and just move forward?

 

In general I find many cruisers tend to be a bit nervous about doing things on their own, perhaps one reason why they've gravitated toward cruising to start with. Having a Plan B in mind, which I'm sure ducklite does, is also a good idea and perhaps alleviates some "worry" about getting back to the ship to getting to the next port, if needed.  (Admittedly it's a bit more difficult when you're island-hopping in the Caribbean, but in Europe it's generally no big deal to get from point A to point B.)  

 

Some think it would be the 'end of the world' or that they would have to be given tranquilizers if they missed the ship at a port. For them it's perhaps best to stick with ship tours, especially if the worry is so paralyzing that it costs them their ability to enjoy the day.

 

Others can take it in stride.

[ducklite]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

What happens if your rental breaks down?  The last time I had a rental break down, the company said it was my responsibility to get the car back to their location.    Car rental companies don't offer the services they used to.  I'd want to make sure I had some type of insurance to get me back to the ship.  It sounds like a great time though!!  Good luck!

I rent from highly reputable companies (I'd rather pay a few bucks more for better service and more reliable vehicles) and worst case scenario, I've got my passport and credit card with me, and would fly/train/ferry to meet the ship in the next port.

Edited August 5, 2019 by ducklite

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

 

Well, that was your fault, not the fault of any private excursion company. 

We know people who were delayed by private touring companies who missed the ship.

[Cruzaholic41]

2 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We know people who were delayed by private touring companies who missed the ship.

 

And I know people who were delayed on ships excursions and missed the ship. 

[lenquixote66]

1 minute ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

 

And I know people who were delayed on ships excursions and missed the ship. 

Which cruise lines because we have been cruising since 1973 and never heard of a ship leaving before anyone was delayed on a cruise booked with the cruise ship .

[ducklite]

39 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Which cruise lines because we have been cruising since 1973 and never heard of a ship leaving before anyone was delayed on a cruise booked with the cruise ship .

One of the mass market ships left a port in Maine (Bar Harbor maybe?) without hundreds of passengers due to a low tide situation.  Those passengers were put up in hotels and then put on motor coaches to join the ship the next day.  That was maybe five years ago?

 

I know there have been other situations where a ship has left port early, but that is the one that comes immediately to mind when we have threads like this.

[Cruzaholic41]

39 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Which cruise lines because we have been cruising since 1973 and never heard of a ship leaving before anyone was delayed on a cruise booked with the cruise ship .

 

Well now you have. My sister’s bus broke down in Mexico and they were so far from the port, another bus couldn’t get there in time. She heard the ship waited a little while but finally left. Luckily, the next port was also Mexico so they were bussed to the next port and put in a hotel. 

 

That was on Princess. 

 

 

[akcruz]

Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with.  Nobody on these boards is going to change others minds from a few comments so why be so insistent?  

 

Personally we have, and do, ship excursions, private excursions and DIY days.  We take a look at the port, decide what we would like to do and then figure out the best way to do it.  There are pros and cons to all options.  Some things we take into consideration are safety at the port location, distance from the port, availability of excursion (sometimes the cruise line has exclusive rights so you can only book through them) and finally price.  We use trip advisor and the ports of call boards here on CC to help us decide.

 

Whichever way you choose to visit a port enjoy all, let's try to keep it fun and positive!

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

 

Well now you have. My sister’s bus broke down in Mexico and they were so far from the port, another bus couldn’t get there in time. She heard the ship waited a little while but finally left. Luckily, the next port was also Mexico so they were bussed to the next port and put in a hotel. 

 

That was on Princess. 

 

 

Aha,we have been on 6 cruise lines but never on Princess.I can tell you 2 really negative things about Princess . In 2005 a woman posted on an internet cruise board that she was sexually harassed by a Princess Cruise employee.

I also read that the Activities Manager On a Princess Cruise sexually harassed a passenger.This guy was fired and is currently employed as a party DJ in Fla.

[cruisemom42]

52 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Aha,we have been on 6 cruise lines but never on Princess.I can tell you 2 really negative things about Princess . In 2005 a woman posted on an internet cruise board that she was sexually harassed by a Princess Cruise employee.

I also read that the Activities Manager On a Princess Cruise sexually harassed a passenger.This guy was fired and is currently employed as a party DJ in Fla.

Princess is far from the only line where passengers have been left.

 

On a HAL cruise in Alaska a few years ago, a fairly large number of passengers on a HAL tour were left behind because they couldn't get back to the ship on time (there were weather issues) and because of those same weather issues, the ship couldn't wait. 

 

HAL also had the misfortune of being in the news for the sensational attack by a crew member on a female passenger onboard -- she was raped at knifepoint and almost killed:  https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-cruise-ship-attack-sentenced-20150107-story.html

 

My point?  Not sure any cruiseline has the lock on being the "best" or "worst" line.

[Aquahound]

4 hours ago, akcruz said:

Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with.  Nobody on these boards is going to change others minds from a few comments so why be so insistent?  

 

Ain't that the truth!  

 

Another option is taxis in local ports.  It's pretty easy to recruit a couple other people and to hire your own taxi for the day.  I did this in Martinique on my last cruise and it was wonderful.  We went everywhere the busses went, but for half the price and quadruple the comfort.  The pit stops at local watering holes weren't too shabby either.  

[DarrenM]

We used independent operators. They were absolutely brilliant.

 

And saved us a lot of cash as frankly the cruise lines are just taking your eyes out.

 

That's two things now I am moaning about from my last cruise.

 

Starting to sound like Stan from life of Brian now. What have the romans ever done for us.

[cb at sea]

We are huge fans of DIY things ashore.  You simply have to be aware of the time.  Unless you are a habitually late person, there is little "risk".

[Daniel A]

18 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Some think it would be the 'end of the world' or that they would have to be given tranquilizers if they missed the ship at a port. For them it's perhaps best to stick with ship tours, especially if the worry is so paralyzing that it costs them their ability to enjoy the day.

 

Others can take it in stride.

There is also the inconvenience to the rest of the ship's passengers when the ship doesn't leave on time because they are waiting for late returns or no returns.

[cruisemom42]

56 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

There is also the inconvenience to the rest of the ship's passengers when the ship doesn't leave on time because they are waiting for late returns or no returns.

 

Not sure if I understand your post. Cruise lines only wait for their own late returnees. At most they MAY wait an additional 15 or so "courtesy" minutes for late arrivers if not on a ship tour. Those doing private tours or doing their own thing are on their own though -- and I have witnessed many a captain who did not wait for returnees, even those sometimes running along the pier because they are late.

 

Additionally, I've noted that ship tours have a tendency to return late:  because they know they can do it with impunity. When I went on a cruise to Israel and Egypt -- both places with lengthy drives to/from port and long tour days ashore -- it was a given that I, on my private tours, was back onboard ship well in advance of sailaway time. However, in all three ports, there were announcements made that the ship would be delayed substantially in departing due to late arriving tour buses, some as much as 2-3 hours late. 

 

When I later spoke with someone who was on one of the ship tours in Israel that was so late returning, I asked the reason. She told me that their guide repeatedly said to them throughout the day that there was no rush, even though they were running late, because the ship would wait...

 

 

[Aquahound]

13 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Not sure if I understand your post. Cruise lines only wait for their own late returnees.

 

I don't agree with this.  It seems on every cruise I've taken in the past several years, there was at least one port where we waited for a late return.  

[akcruz]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

There is also the inconvenience to the rest of the ship's passengers when the ship doesn't leave on time because they are waiting for late returns or no returns.

 

I am not sure why you are fighting so hard to put down those who choose to do something besides a ship tour when in port.  If you, or your wife, are not comfortable with it no problem. 

 

However there are many who have found they appreciate what a private tour can provide and are responsible to find a reputable one and take responsibility if something where to happen.  We have had some of our best experiences on private tours, far better than what we have experienced through the ship but we are comfortable with travel around the globe and are fairly easy going when traveling.  

 

Isn't it great that we all have options that provide us what we are looking for? Again can't we all just appreciate that we all get to travel and see wonderful places not put down or find fault with others choices because they don't align with ours?

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

I don't agree with this.  It seems on every cruise I've taken in the past several years, there was at least one port where we waited for a late return.  

 

Are your cruises mostly in the Caribbean? Maybe that's the difference. Mine tend to be overseas.

 

That said, the captain on the Celebrity cruise we were on over Christmas in the Western Caribbean was well known for leaving punctually and actually left at least one set of stragglers behind...

[Cruzaholic41]

It is a false statement to say a ship will only wait for ship excursion passengers. First, it’s not guaranteed the ship will even wait for them. But like Paul said, I can’t say how many times I’ve heard them calling for late passengers and even waiting upwards of an hour for 2 people to get back. And no, I haven’t only seen this in the Caribbean. I recently saw it on a Northern Europe Viking Ocean cruise. 

[cruisemom42]

45 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

It is a false statement to say a ship will only wait for ship excursion passengers. First, it’s not guaranteed the ship will even wait for them. But like Paul said, I can’t say how many times I’ve heard them calling for late passengers and even waiting upwards of an hour for 2 people to get back. And no, I haven’t only seen this in the Caribbean. I recently saw it on a Northern Europe Viking Ocean cruise. 

 

Okay, let me re-phrase myself.

 

On ship-sponsored tours, the captain will do everything in his/her power to ensure that all tours return to the ship before departing. However, there are a very small percentage of cases where this does not happen due to various circumstances such as bad weather, inability to remain berthed at the port (e.g., space is not available past a certain time), or distance to next port.

 

When travelers do not take a ship-sponsored tour, there is no guarantee that the ship will wait for them if they are late, and in many cases if they are late, they will miss the ship. Perhaps some ships/lines offer a grace period when possible, but it is not guaranteed and strictly up to the captain and the circumstances. If a passenger knows they risk being late, the best thing to do is to contact the port agent so that they are aware and can plan accordingly. 

 

Edited to add: FWIW I've been cruising since the 1970s and I have never been on a cruise where the ship waited more than AT MOST 30 minutes for any late arriving passengers that were not on a ship tour.  And even that 30-minute window is pretty rare.

Edited August 6, 2019 by cruisemom42

[Cruzaholic41]

Cruisemom42, you can post it 100 times, and 100 times you’ll still be wrong. Your posts just aren’t totally accurate on this subject. 

[ducklite]

I wouldn't expect a ship to wait for me.  I'll save well over a thousand dollars versus taking shore excursions provided by the ship.  I'll be able to go at my pace and see the things that most interest me.  Additionally we won't have to wait for stragglers and people who move at a slower pace than we prefer.  

 

It won't cost me more than $300 for two people to take buses, trains, planes, ferries, or a combination of them to the next port.  The minimal risk is far outweighed by the benefits.

 

The more we travel, the more comfortable we are with doing our own thing.

[cruisemom42]

22 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

Cruisemom42, you can post it 100 times, and 100 times you’ll still be wrong. Your posts just aren’t totally accurate on this subject. 

 

oh-kay. 😉  

 

We all post from our own knowledge and experience and that's the best we can do. 

[hotsauce126]

I prefer non cruise line excursions. Every independent excursion I've taken has been better than every cruise line one. Smaller groups and cheaper as well