Tell me why you choose ship excursions?

[Markanddonna]

Hello,

  I am preparing a talk on cruising to Europe and the Holy Land for a large community group, so I would appreciate your opinions on the topic of ship versus private/independent group excursions. We choose private group excursions for these reasons:

 

* I can research the reviews of the specific tour company

* The experience is usually in a van with no more than 16 to 18 passengers versus the large bus experience of a ship excursion

* You often get to see more sites on these tours

* The cost is often less unless you book a truly private experience for just your family

* The guide usually has more control over the group as you travel, and the members of the group tend not to get "lost" and late.

 

So, the only reasons I can think of to book as ship excursion are:

 

*  People are afraid of missing the ship (I do that only on cruises when missing the ship would be REALLY bad- like in Hawaii when my next stop was a week later in Fiji.)

*  People booked the cruise the last minute and don't have time to research.

*  A person with physical limitations needs a "panoramic trip." where the passengers don't have to walk much.

* The passenger just doesn't like to research or plan and just wants to have the ship do everything.

 

Can you think of any other reasons for choosing either?   Thanks for your input.

 

[Heidi13]

We use both private and ship tours and normally decide based on a risk assessment. Additional reason why we will opt for a ship's tour:

• Short time in port - if we only have 5 hrs and want to get out of the port city we will most likely opt for a ship's tour, if not walking around the immediate area. By taking a ship's tour we can comfortably spend more time on the tour, as you may get off the ship quicker and can return later without concerns of missing the ship.
• Local traffic - some ports have crazy traffic. The ship's tours in Semarang get police escorts to by-pass the traffic. Private tours can be stuck in traffic jams. In these circumstance the ship tours can get longer at the destination.
• Security issues - where security is an issue, in my experience the ship's tours have a police escort and armed guards on the buses.
• When you cruise on premium/luxury ships, the smaller number of pax make it tough to attain minimum numbers for private tours. On our upcoming World Cruise I had to cancel 2 of my private tours, as we were unable to attain the minimum number.

For private tours another benefit is that many of them are readily customisable.

[Flatbush Flyer]

39 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

Hello,

  I am preparing a talk on cruising to Europe and the Holy Land for a large community group, so I would appreciate your opinions on the topic of ship versus private/independent group excursions. We choose private group excursions for these reasons:

 

* I can research the reviews of the specific tour company

* The experience is usually in a van with no more than 16 to 18 passengers versus the large bus experience of a ship excursion

* You often get to see more sites on these tours

* The cost is often less unless you book a truly private experience for just your family

* The guide usually has more control over the group as you travel, and the members of the group tend not to get "lost" and late.

 

So, the only reasons I can think of to book as ship excursion are:

 

*  People are afraid of missing the ship (I do that only on cruises when missing the ship would be REALLY bad- like in Hawaii when my next stop was a week later in Fiji.)

*  People booked the cruise the last minute and don't have time to research.

*  A person with physical limitations needs a "panoramic trip." where the passengers don't have to walk much.

* The passenger just doesn't like to research or plan and just wants to have the ship do everything.

 

Can you think of any other reasons for choosing either?   Thanks for your input.

 

For folks like us who do 3-4 one month +\- long cruises per year (all to different and often unusual locations), it comes down to "there's only so many hours in a day" for research and planning.

 

Thus, we most often do a mix of ship tours, DIY tours and private tours with the private tours reserved for very specific visits that benefit most from personal (or ultra-small group) attention (e.g., the Vatican Museum or a half day snorkel/tour/lunch with Patrick of Maohi Nui on Bora Bora, etc).

 

There's also the issue of tour availability in some far out-of-the-way locations where the ship may have already cornered the market on the best guides. Plus, in this day and age, there is real concern about security in some locations and the ship may take extra precautions one might not find with a private tour.

 

Likewise, long distance tours may find the peace-of-mind of the ship's guarantees regarding late return edging out the private outfit. BTW, read that guarantee carefully. You are NOT guaranteed the ship waiting for you. Rather, you are guaranteed that, in the worst case scenario (e.g., time/tide prohibit waiting), they'll pay your expenses to meet the ship at the next port.

 

As for ship's tour always being more expensive/more crowded, that's not necessarily true. It really depends on the cruise line and your smarts in picking the right ship's tours.

 

For example, our preferred line offers the option of so many "complimentary" tours, which may be counted toward a minimum number of purchases that result in a 25% discount on tours beyond your "freebies." And the nature of quite a few of those tours can require small groups. With a bit of research, you can keep all your ship's tours to a maximum of 12-18 and enjoy a value twice as much as the cost of the "free" perk that had been built into your fare.

 

Another factor for us is that we spend extra time in cruise start/end ports where we'll arrange combo deals for private transfers/guides since we're there for a longer time than a port stop. And that often takes the priority for our touring budget.

 

All taken together, it always boils down to research, prioritization, and balance.

Edited December 27, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[Cruiser_1977]

I don't always do one or the other. I research the options offered by the cruise line and private options. Once in Cozumel I booked Nachi Cocom. That was based on advice from this board and another travel advice site. On my upcoming cruise I booked through the cruise line because it was an interesting (at least to me) excursion with good reviews and the price was "right". There are also times I don't book an excursion and simply wander around. I will be doing this on my stop in Mazatlan.

Edited December 27, 2019 by JennyB1977

[George C]

On our Europe cruise we had a great roll call and many of us researched private tours , then posted them , most of our tours were for about 8 people and and much cheaper than ships. We had 9 ports one we did on our own, one ships tour and 7 private tours. 

[MCC retired]

First timers and those that do little research ahead of time , should stick with cruise line tours.

Tender ports the cruise line tours usually have preference.

Those with lots of OBC  makes the cruise line tours a good way to spend it.

Then of course the old reliable reason for cruise line tours , they know where you are if you are delayed getting back.

[bonsai3s]

MarkandDonna...you've covered most of it.

We usually do DIY...but many years ago, we did a Baltic cruise with a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia.  At the time, passengers who booked directly with the ship included the required Russian visa.  Not sure what the visa requirements are now,...but back then, we weren't allowed to just walk off the ship and DIY.  Perhaps there are other countries where your only choice is to go with a ship's excursion.

[SRQbeachgirl]

The posters above have listed most of the reasons for booking cruise tours, but I'll add the following:

 

• Price guarantee - if you find the same tour for less through a private company, some of the cruise lines will reimburse the difference, plus an additional percentage of the difference.
• VIP experiences - cruise lines often offer some excursions with small groups with a more personalized experience.
• The ability to change excursions quickly and easily if the ship has to change it's itinerary due to weather or other unforeseen circumstance.

[NantahalaCruiser]

23 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

MarkandDonna...you've covered most of it.

We usually do DIY...but many years ago, we did a Baltic cruise with a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia.  At the time, passengers who booked directly with the ship included the required Russian visa.  Not sure what the visa requirements are now,...but back then, we weren't allowed to just walk off the ship and DIY.  Perhaps there are other countries where your only choice is to go with a ship's excursion.

Registered private tour agencies in StP provide the same group visas included in their price just as the ship's tours do. And this was also the case when we did a Baltic cruise about 7 years ago.

[ontheweb]

11 minutes ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Registered private tour agencies in StP provide the same group visas included in their price just as the ship's tours do. And this was also the case when we did a Baltic cruise about 7 years ago.

Our Baltic cruise was in 2007, and the group visa was included in our private tour put together in our roll call.

 

From what I understand there is however one difference from back then. Now cruisers on ship's tours get off first while those on private tours have to wait until after them. That was not the case back then. We on our tour met and got off the ship as soon as anyone was allowed to leave.

[Floridiana]

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

risk assessment

 

Destinations far from the port. There is the risk of not getting back in time. Heidi mentioned it already.

If the ship has to skip a port, I don't worry about the ship excursion payment refund. I get it automatically.

If I organize an excursion, I don't want to be responsible for group payment. That's why I have only done it for my family group.

 

 

[Bizmark'sMom]

I'll take a ship's tour if the place I want to go is over an hour from the port.  It's a security thing - if we're late and the ship has to leave, the cruise company gets me to the next port.  Otherwise, I prefer to DIY.

[cruisemom42]

I find people tend to have different excursion mentalities. Some prefer everything to be taken care of for them and are willing to put up with the larger group size (generally), and somewhat slower pace of ship tours for the security and the certainty that someone else has already done the legwork in putting together the tour, vetting the tour provider, etc.  Ship tours tend to work best for those who are not experienced travelers, who are not cruising primarily for the shore experience, who are anxious about missing the ship or (sometimes) who are more elderly and prefer to know someone else is at least nominally looking out for them. 

 

Others may place a higher premium on private tours in order to see or do more, to customize an experience that is not available via the ship tours, to find a higher quality guide or smaller group in order to have a more satisfying day, or -- and a lot of cruisers seem to fall into this category -- simply to pay less than for a ship tour.

 

A couple of points you might want to make in your talk is that cruise lines often "talk up" the risk of missing the ship and the guarantee that if you are on a ship tour the ship will either wait for you or get you to the next port -- but what they don't mention is that missing the ship is a rare occurrence on private tours, especially in Europe or the Middle East. Also, the fact that private tour sites often post suggested itineraries but many are open to modifying the tours to meet your own expectations (within reason).

 

I am one of the most reluctant ship tour users, but I completely understand that others value them -- when my elderly parents were still cruising, for example, I felt more secure knowing they were taking a ship tour rather than doing things on their own.

 

[babs135]

A common theme is appearing and it's one I would agree with. Namely if the destination of the trip is a fair way from the ship we would be more comfortable with the ship's excursion. For example just about everyone on the roll call or ports of call information forum said that if you wanted to visit Antigua in Guatemala then go with the ship. With such a high volume of similar comments that's just what we did. Felt comfortable with the knowledge that we were on one of many coaches with others from the ship.

[nybumpkin]

We do a mix of private tours, ship tours, and DIY. One reason for doing a ship tour I haven't seen mentioned: if the cruise line has an "exclusive" tour not available outside the ship.  That's happened to us a few times. When we went to Helsinki, we wanted to take the steam train to Porvoo. I couldn't find it outside the ship tour. The next year, we wanted to take the steam train in Skagway (yes, there's a pattern😉). Half the cars were reserved for Norwegian, the other half for Carnival. If you wanted to take the train on your own, you'd have to take one powered by diesel.

[cb at sea]

You book ship's excursions for several reasons. 1. You haven't researched your ports, so you don't know what's available.    2.  You would LOVE to do what the excursion offers without any hassle or planning on your part.  3.  You think an "excursion" is the only way to get off the ship.

 

I'm sure there are other reasons, but there is nothing wrong with ship's excursions, if it's something you really want to do.  It's pretty "fool-proof" and they take care of everything....simply meet when and where they tell you....then have fun.

 

You can do your own thing ashore, especially, if you research your ports a little!  Google or a guidebook is a good resource! 

 

[Hlitner]

Tell you why we book ship excursions?  We can't because we don't!  

 

Hank

[calliopecruiser]

11 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

doesn't like to research or plan

I generally don't do excursions of any type, but if I did go on an excursion it would almost assuredly be with a ship's group because I just wouldn't want to bother planning one.......cruises are pure relaxation for me and I don't want to be bothered with the research.  (That's very different than when I do a land/city vacation, which are about pure exploration for me, and research is half the fun.)

 

(Some of your "cons" for a ship's excursion are very variable - they may not all be large, crowded buses, and if they see fewer sites, that might be better for some people who want more time in fewer places.)

 

It's a reasoned choice, not a default position because I didn't bother to make a choice. 

[donaldsc]

With the exception of a tour that takes me far from the ship so I have to worry about getting back,  I can't imagine any reason why anyone would voluntarily take a ship tour.  

 

DON

[ldubs]

We have done ship excursion, private tours, and on-our-own tours (not to be downplayed as JennyB says earlier).  

 

For us the first, second, and third reasons to do a ship's excursion is  convenience.   

 

This applies to Europe.  Don't know about Holy Land - haven't been.   

 

 

[ducklite]

22 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Hello,

  I am preparing a talk on cruising to Europe and the Holy Land for a large community group, so I would appreciate your opinions on the topic of ship versus private/independent group excursions. We choose private group excursions for these reasons:

 

* I can research the reviews of the specific tour company

* The experience is usually in a van with no more than 16 to 18 passengers versus the large bus experience of a ship excursion

* You often get to see more sites on these tours

* The cost is often less unless you book a truly private experience for just your family

* The guide usually has more control over the group as you travel, and the members of the group tend not to get "lost" and late.

 

So, the only reasons I can think of to book as ship excursion are:

 

*  People are afraid of missing the ship (I do that only on cruises when missing the ship would be REALLY bad- like in Hawaii when my next stop was a week later in Fiji.)

*  People booked the cruise the last minute and don't have time to research.

*  A person with physical limitations needs a "panoramic trip." where the passengers don't have to walk much.

* The passenger just doesn't like to research or plan and just wants to have the ship do everything.

 

Can you think of any other reasons for choosing either?   Thanks for your input.

 

The more we travel the more comfortable we are with DIY. 
 

We are taking one ship excursion on our upcoming Baltic cruise.  The price is reasonable, and I'm too lazy to try to find a private excursion to the same place to save a few dollars. 

 

We will do a private tour for two days in St. Petersburg with just the two of us, expensive but worth being able to move quickly  in order to see and do everything we want--including a few things never offered on any sort of group tour.  The odds of getting back to St. Petersburg aren't high, so time is money.

[dogs4fun]

22 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Security issues - where security is an issue, in my experience the ship's tours have a police escort and armed guards on the buses.

Really? Not questioning your veracity just never heard of this before. Where did your ship tour have a police escort and armed guards on the buses? If security is this tight, it will be a port I will want to avoid in the future.

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

 

(Some of your "cons" for a ship's excursion are very variable - they may not all be large, crowded buses, and if they see fewer sites, that might be better for some people who want more time in fewer places.)

 

 

I think you mostly sail the luxury or near-luxury lines. For mass market cruise lines in Europe and the Middle East, most excursions are either a large bus of around 50 souls or a "small group" of around 24. I find 24 to be still too large for me to have an optimal tour experience.

 

Also, at least for me, the comment about seeing/doing more relates to not having long bathroom/shopping stops where folks wander off and don't come back to the bus on time. I hate wasting time on a tour and I hate "forced shopping" stops and long lunches on tours. When I'm in Istanbul I want to spend my time in the Haghia Sofia, not in the carpet shop down the street or the restaurant across the river.

 

 

[cruisemom42]

2 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Really? Not questioning your veracity just never heard of this before. Where did your ship tour have a police escort and armed guards on the buses? If security is this tight, it will be a port I will want to avoid in the future.

 

Egypt, for one. 

[dogs4fun]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Egypt, for one. 

Is this fairly recent (post 2011)? We didn't have armed guards on our tours in Egypt pre 2011.

Edited December 28, 2019 by dogs4fun