Private curated excursions through Celebrity?

[luv2ndhalf]

Has anyone ever used the private excursions that I have occasionally seen offered by Celebrity? I know that they are much more costly, but was curious about the planning process and if they are worth it?

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, luv2ndhalf said:

Has anyone ever used the private excursions that I have occasionally seen offered by Celebrity? I know that they are much more costly, but was curious about the planning process and if they are worth it?

You can get the same experience through Toursbylocals at a fraction of the price and you deal direct with the guide rather than through an intermediary.

[luv2ndhalf]

I have used Tours by Locals in Europe and really liked them. My only concern is getting back to the ship on time, or if, unfortunately, we go back to only  being able to go ashore on “ship sponsored “  tours 😞

[TeeRick]

13 hours ago, luv2ndhalf said:

Has anyone ever used the private excursions that I have occasionally seen offered by Celebrity? I know that they are much more costly, but was curious about the planning process and if they are worth it?

Are you referring to Celebrity Private Journeys? Yes they are more expensive but in my experience quite well done.  You get the benefits of a Celebrity excursion (ship cannot leave without you).  But a very customized and personal experience.  Worth it to me these days.

[canderson]

13 hours ago, luv2ndhalf said:

Has anyone ever used the private excursions that I have occasionally seen offered by Celebrity? I know that they are much more costly, but was curious about the planning process and if they are worth it?

If you are talking about "Private Journeys", you work with a shoreside planner to come up with an itinerary that is suitable for you.  You provide the specific places/events that are of interest to you, and if it's possible during the length of your port stay, they'll work up an itinerary that accommodates your wishes, or they will propose alternatives if not.  If you accept their offer, they will hook you up with a local guide to execute the plan, often from an agency that already handles the published excursions for that port.  We arranged for two of these on our last cruise.

 

These trips can be costly.  After working with shoreside, they will send you a 'formal' copy of your itinerary with a quote for the service.  That said, and in spite of some early misinformation, we found that these excursions CAN be paid for in whole or in part with any non-refundable OBC which is already available before you set foot on the ship (refundable, e.g., that provided directly by a TA, most often does not show up until you board).  For those who have accumulated a silly amount of OBC due to repricing post-final or whatever reason, this can be a fun 'splurge'. 

[the penguins]

35 minutes ago, luv2ndhalf said:

I have used Tours by Locals in Europe and really liked them. My only concern is getting back to the ship on time, or if, unfortunately, we go back to only  being able to go ashore on “ship sponsored “  tours 😞

Don't worry. If the latter you would receive a full refund. If the former TBL will pay for overnight accommodation and to get you to the next available port. For added security we always tailor the tour to come back at least 1 hour earlier than the ships latest "back on board time" which has the added bonus of usually missing the lines to get back on the ship.

[Jim_Iain]

We have done Private Journey a number of times and were exceptional.  

 

As @luv2ndhalf said similar to Tours by Locals with one exception.   We had tons of OBC we had to burn off.    Tours by Locals had usually been less expensive but recently their prices have really climbed.

 

I've used them about 30 times and always returned with plenty of time.   In fact we have sometimes just said we were worn out and returned early.   Remember it is a private tour and  all the tours I've had the person was willing to customize as the day went on.

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by Jim_Iain

[the penguins]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

We have done Private Journey a number of times and were exceptional.  

 

As @luv2ndhalf said similar to Tours by Locals with one exception.   We had tons of OBC we had to burn off.    Tours by Locals had usually been less expensive but recently their prices have really climbed.

 

We find the TBL prices very much reflect the hourly pay rates in each country. For example Scandinavia tends to be very high South America cheaper. In addition at present there is what think of as the "Covid affect" as those businesses/guides which have survived now struggle to recover from 2 years of no income - think Celebrity prices. 

[Tourist123]

I see that TBL offer tours for 4, 6 or 8 people.  Is there a way you can book for 2 persons and share with others?

[canderson]

31 minutes ago, Tourist123 said:

I see that TBL offer tours for 4, 6 or 8 people.  Is there a way you can book for 2 persons and share with others?

A good idea is to handle this via your roll call.  If you can present the requisite number at the outset, it makes things much easier.

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

If you are talking about "Private Journeys", you work with a shoreside planner to come up with an itinerary that is suitable for you.  You provide the specific places/events that are of interest to you, and if it's possible during the length of your port stay, they'll work up an itinerary that accommodates your wishes, or they will propose alternatives if not.  If you accept their offer, they will hook you up with a local guide to execute the plan, often from an agency that already handles the published excursions for that port.  We arranged for two of these on our last cruise.

 

These trips can be costly.  After working with shoreside, they will send you a 'formal' copy of your itinerary with a quote for the service.  That said, and in spite of some early misinformation, we found that these excursions CAN be paid for in whole or in part with any non-refundable OBC which is already available before you set foot on the ship (refundable, e.g., that provided directly by a TA, most often does not show up until you board).  For those who have accumulated a silly amount of OBC due to repricing post-final or whatever reason, this can be a fun 'splurge'. 

Can these Celebrity private tours be tailored to just include those in your own party/group or do they require a minimum number of people regardless?

[Jim_Iain]

58 minutes ago, Tourist123 said:

I see that TBL offer tours for 4, 6 or 8 people.  Is there a way you can book for 2 persons and share with others?

You pay the same rate usually for 2 as you would with 4 and there may be a surcharge for 6 and 8.   You can then list the tour on your Roll Call will find people that want to join you.     You may have to foot the bill at first but I've also joined tours and volunteered to send a check for my part month in advance. 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, the penguins said:

We find the TBL prices very much reflect the hourly pay rates in each country. For example Scandinavia tends to be very high South America cheaper. In addition at present there is what think of as the "Covid affect" as those businesses/guides which have survived now struggle to recover from 2 years of no income - think Celebrity prices. 

Agree.   I recently had one in Portugal and was about $700  but it was a very customized tour and included a driver and admission, tolls etc.   It turned out to be well worth the cost.

 

On the other side we booked a 1/2 day tour with Private Journey in the Caribbean and it was only $325.  

[canderson]

57 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Can these Celebrity private tours be tailored to just include those in your own party/group or do they require a minimum number of people regardless?

You can set one up for any number.  For ours in November, it was just for the 2 of us.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

You can set one up for any number.  For ours in November, it was just for the 2 of us.

Thank you for this, very good to know.  We much prefer private tours, the group tours whether on small vans and especially on tour buses are totally not our thing.

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, Tourist123 said:

I see that TBL offer tours for 4, 6 or 8 people.  Is there a way you can book for 2 persons and share with others?

We find a tour we like, take out any lunch stop and substitute with coffee/cake breaks, also remove any lengthy shopping stop. We choose a guide that has a vehicle that holds 6 to 8 then put it on the Roll Call to share with one other couple splitting the cost. This gives us plenty of room in the vehicle. We also make it clear that we walk slowly (Anita uses a folding walker) and we take lots of photos. We are happy to book the guide, pay the deposit and the balance and collect the other half of the cost once onboard and before the tour. Yes we take a bit of a risk but it has always worked out. Great way to spend a day with no waiting for busses to load/unload. Stop when we like. Walk with the guide rather than trailing behind like being back at school. 

[Daneenm]

Thank you so much for posting this @luv2ndhalf!  I was just about to post a similar question.  Hubby and I are on the Ultimate Southern Caribbean in November and I have been researching excursions.  We are not too keen on the 50 person bus tour (especially now) and I recall @Jim_Iain mentioning setting up a private journey.  
 

For those who have done this, have you typically arranged it ahead of the cruise or just worked with someone in The Retreat when you are on board?  Also, thanks @Jim_Iain for an idea of pricing.  I realize they will all be different but at least that gives me a general idea.