An ode to private excursions

[mahdnc]

A somewhat interesting article about a poorly informed travel magazine publisher:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/02/private-shore-excursions-how-to-get-away-from-cruise-ship-crowds.html

[cruisemom42]

Interesting -- almost sounds like a made-up story to promote private tours, lol.

 

I find there are two camps when it comes to using a private operator. Some just want the lowest cost (e.g., less than the ship tour for the same itinerary). Others really do look for that "bespoke" experience. I'm that rare bird who will spend $$$ for a great, well-qualified and well-reviewed guide and a small tour vs. paying for an expensive cabin on the ship. I'm all about that experience!

 

A couple of the best private tour experiences I have ever had:

 

--In Israel where it was just me and a private guide (archaeologist, specialist in Roman archaeology in Israel) walking along the Roman aqueduct in Caesarea in Israel in the late afternoon with the sun slanting down over the Med, looking for inscriptions/graffiti of the Roman soldiers who built it 2,000 years ago... (On a second visit to Israel with the same guide we visited the Roman city he had excavated and swapped stories about Roman coins.)

 

--In Campania (the area around Naples) visiting "off the beaten track" places with just my travel partner and an extremely knowledgeable guide -- who is now the director of the Egyptian museum in Torino -- we went to Cumae, Baiae, Puteoli among others but what I remember most is visiting the fabled "cave of the Sibyl" just off Lago Averno. It was like something out of time, we had to meet the caretaker/landowner, the elderly gentlemen who owned the property; Carlo spoke no English but was a born story-teller, guiding us through the dark cave with a hand-held oil lantern and his dog at his side. Sadly, he told us his family had no interest in continuing the tradition of maintaining the cave for tourism and wanted to sell the property. He has now died.  Here's a review of someone's similar experience:  https://www.napoliunplugged.com/grotta-della-sibilla.html

 

 

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

I will never do cruise sponsored excursion ever again. I’ve been using TBL almost exclusively for almost 10 years. Loved every single one except for maybe 2-3. 
 

Not sure what was “poorly informed” about the article. 

[George C]

Really prefer private tours also, much nicer to travel with a group of 6 to 10. Plus they are cheaper. When we did Europe the last time we did all private except for one in Capri. Caribbean we skip many islands and just want a little beach time on others , after 50 plus Caribbean cruises.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, George C said:

Really prefer private tours also, much nicer to travel with a group of 6 to 10. Plus they are cheaper. When we did Europe the last time we did all private except for one in Capri. Caribbean we skip many islands and just want a little beach time on others , after 50 plus Caribbean cruises.

We book it just for the two of us (unless traveling with friends). Really get a personal experience.

[Charles4515]

8 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

I will never do cruise sponsored excursion ever again. I’ve been using TBL almost exclusively for almost 10 years. Loved every single one except for maybe 2-3. 
 

Not sure what was “poorly informed” about the article. 

 

I don't do cruise sponsored excursions anymore either. Have not for years. The cruise lines like to scare passengers about missing the ship etc. I research the companies and use ones like TBL that have guarantees about returning us to the ship on time.

[Charles4515]

5 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

We book it just for the two of us (unless traveling with friends). Really get a personal experience.

When we did St. Petersburg we booked a private excursion for four of us to the Hermitage. We got to see the artists we were interested in. Those on ship sponsored tours were running around in groups of 30 with wireless headphone. Even independent tours which were groups of 12 while doing better tahn the ship tours were not getting a personal experience. 

[mahdnc]

38 minutes ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

I will never do cruise sponsored excursion ever again. I’ve been using TBL almost exclusively for almost 10 years. Loved every single one except for maybe 2-3. 
 

Not sure what was “poorly informed” about the article. 

 

No, I said that the writer was poorly informed.  I found it hard to believe that a travel magazine publisher was reticent about taking a cruise because she imagined "a little tiny cabin and no window" and then discovered that "some cruise ships have spacious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows".  Really?  You're in the travel magazine publishing business and this is a surprise to you?  So this epiphany was either made up (to make the article more interesting) or she is poorly informed, or maybe she is extremely specialized (e.g. expert on the best dog sled rides in Cambodia).

[Charles4515]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

 

No, I said that the writer was poorly informed.  I found it hard to believe that a travel magazine publisher was reticent about taking a cruise because she imagined "a little tiny cabin and no window" and then discovered that "some cruise ships have spacious suites with floor-to-ceiling windows".  Really?  You're in the travel magazine publishing business and this is a surprise to you?  So this epiphany was either made up (to make the article more interesting) or she is poorly informed, or maybe she is extremely specialized (e.g. expert on the best dog sled rides in Cambodia).

Most of those travel writers for magazines are not paid, they get comped so they don't get to go on a cruise unless that happens. You can't trust a lot of what they write about anything. They want to keep getting the free travel. That is why they are writing for travel magazines. 

[mahdnc]

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

Most of those travel writers for magazines are not paid, they get comped so they don't get to go on a cruise unless that happens. You can't trust a lot of what they write about anything. They want to keep getting the free travel. That is why they are writing for travel magazines. 

I would not expect a travel writer to have to go on a cruise to know about spacious suites and amber waves of grain. 

[Wakepatrol]

Board an air conditioned bus with one hundred plus people, enjoy stops for junky souvenirs and finish the day with a ride back with a watered down rum punch- NAH

[TMLAalum]

We've enjoyed many excellent private excursions with our traveling companions.

Our most unique was in Gibraltar when we managed to book a retired RAF gentleman to bring us to and lead us up the Mediterranean Steps. A young couple from our roll call joined us. DH and I walked back to port after the climb because we were meeting family for a fish n' chips lunch, but the couple took up the guide's offer to show them WWII seige tunnels not open to the public. They were thrilled!

[smtcan]

5 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

When we did St. Petersburg we booked a private excursion for four of us to the Hermitage. We got to see the artists we were interested in. Those on ship sponsored tours were running around in groups of 30 with wireless headphone. Even independent tours which were groups of 12 while doing better tahn the ship tours were not getting a personal experience. 

One of our best private tours was in St. Petersburg too.  We were cruising with a three generation family group of ten, with ages ranging from 11 to 75.  Our guide was an English teacher on summer holiday and she was really good at keeping the children engaged while showing the adults what they wanted to see.  I am really glad we had such an excellent experience there, because I would certainly not return in the current situation.

 

We also had a wonderful Goodwill Guide in Japan for two couples.  He was proud to show us his city and enjoyed the opportunity to use his fluent English.  His service was free.  All we paid for was his lunch and bus fares while we were together.  In common with most Japanese he made it clear that tips were not expected or accepted.  At the end of a strenuous day, which involved walking up many hills, he told us he was 85 and had great grandchildren!

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I would not expect a travel writer to have to go on a cruise to know about spacious suites and amber waves of grain. 

I agree the first part of the story seems made up, and specifically she hates cruising yet her husband booked a surprised cruise and she didn’t contest it
 

I think what’s throwing some people off on here is people don’t realize we have Monica, the CNBC contributor, writing an article about Tammy, a travel writer 

 

The article heavily promotes TBLs yet it appears they’re not affiliate links, so she’s not getting paid by TBL clicks

 

Skimmed Monica’s twitter to see other articles she wrote, this is her writing style, highlight a problem and offer the solution

[NutsAboutGolf]

The elephant in the room, like anything is cost.  The CNBC article points out a ship tour and private tour are the same costs at $100/person.  However, their private tour total cost is $600, this is whether you’re a couple, a couple with a kid, etc, yet it just so happens they’re party size is 6.  Majority of cruisers are couples so it would be $300/person for most.  Lastly, the article states private tours avoids hoards of tourists…Maybe that’s true for the first or second attraction but to claim all day will be hoard-free is highly unlikely as you’ll often have land based tour operators

 

To summarize, it all comes down to cost/seeing the value…In the article’s examples, if the ship offers a tour for $200/couple and a private tour is $600/couple, which would you choose (rhetorical)?

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Majority of cruisers are couples so it would be $300/person for most.  

 

Many cruisers put together small groups via their roll calls to minimize the cost. 

 

And that's certainly a good way to roll most of the time, assuming you can find someone who is interested in the same sites. I've set up my share of small private tours in my time; I think the key is good communication -- communicating what the tour covers, what's expected (be on time, etc.), level of walking difficulty and so on.  It can be a very good value vs. ship tours.

 

Unfortunately, the more I travel the more specific my interests get. I often want to see smaller, less easily accessible sites and often cruisers are more focused on seeing the big blockbuster sites that most first-time visitors want to see.

 

I will pay (and have paid) for private tours for one -- yes, up to $500-600/day -- if it means I can see and do exactly what I want to see and do. As I said, more value for me there than being in a big suite on a ship.

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

The elephant in the room, like anything is cost.  The CNBC article points out a ship tour and private tour are the same costs at $100/person.  However, their private tour total cost is $600, this is whether you’re a couple, a couple with a kid, etc, yet it just so happens they’re party size is 6.  Majority of cruisers are couples so it would be $300/person for most.  Lastly, the article states private tours avoids hoards of tourists…Maybe that’s true for the first or second attraction but to claim all day will be hoard-free is highly unlikely as you’ll often have land based tour operators

 

To summarize, it all comes down to cost/seeing the value…In the article’s examples, if the ship offers a tour for $200/couple and a private tour is $600/couple, which would you choose (rhetorical)?

My experience is that most private tours are both less expensive than the ship tour and better than the ship tour. However at some ports it is worth paying more if you have the budget and to use something like TBL but it is not necessary to use TBL or spend $600 to get a better tour than the ships tour.  She was pushing TBL which is certainly worth it but there are many local tours that can be booked independently that are quite reasonably priced.  Our small group private tour of the Hermitage was actually a reasonable custom add on to a more general private tour that we did because of our personal interests. We had a nice ride in a Mercedes too. We also got a stop added at the synagogue in St. Petersburg. The private tour without the custom add ons would have been less cost than the ships tour.  

[mcrcruiser]

Perhaps for the first  10 cruises we used ships tours until i learned it far better to organize small group  private tours ;which I arrange the tour & the design of the tour   . Even though we may have multiple vehicle tour  groups from our roll calls ,we never go past 12 in a vehicle built for 14 & one that is designed for touring . We have done this & we are now over 90 cruises  .not only do we see & learn & see more but ,the cost is far less than any ship tour .We have done these private small group tours all over the world

[abbydancer2003]

I use TBL sometimes, tours organized by folks in my roll call sometimes (including me) and sometimes I'll book with ShoreExcursionGroup.  I don't worry too much about missing the ship, since if they do one time, they'll be out of business pretty quickly.  I like the smaller groups and finer control. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Many cruisers put together small groups via their roll calls to minimize the cost. 

 

And that's certainly a good way to roll most of the time, assuming you can find someone who is interested in the same sites. I've set up my share of small private tours in my time; I think the key is good communication -- communicating what the tour covers, what's expected (be on time, etc.), level of walking difficulty and so on.  It can be a very good value vs. ship tours.

 

Unfortunately, the more I travel the more specific my interests get. I often want to see smaller, less easily accessible sites and often cruisers are more focused on seeing the big blockbuster sites that most first-time visitors want to see.

 

I will pay (and have paid) for private tours for one -- yes, up to $500-600/day -- if it means I can see and do exactly what I want to see and do. As I said, more value for me there than being in a big suite on a ship.

 

In 2019, on a NCL west med sailing I've set up private tours successfully but have also been part of rollcalls where someone was trying to setup tours and for whatever reason they couldn't find enough people.  Post pandemic, we're about 10% ship tours, 20% no tours/on our own and 70% independent tours but they're not private nor do we need to recruit others in order for the tour to take place.

 

I totally understand some would have no problem paying $500/person for a tour but that is the minority.  I'm shredding light on the article making it sound like you can just simply book a private tour for $100/person; often you need to recruit others in order to make that happen

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

My experience is that most private tours are both less expensive than the ship tour and better than the ship tour. However at some ports it is worth paying more if you have the budget and to use something like TBL but it is not necessary to use TBL or spend $600 to get a better tour than the ships tour.  She was pushing TBL which is certainly worth it but there are many local tours that can be booked independently that are quite reasonably priced.  Our small group private tour of the Hermitage was actually a reasonable custom add on to a more general private tour that we did because of our personal interests. We had a nice ride in a Mercedes too. We also got a stop added at the synagogue in St. Petersburg. The private tour without the custom add ons would have been less cost than the ships tour.  

 

Can private tours be cheaper than ship tours?  It will vary from port to port and will require research

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Can private tours be cheaper than ship tours?  It will vary from port to port and will require research

Yes research is nessecary when booking private tours. Not just for the price. I don't want to share a bus with 30 people. A small group is a lot better so I may pay more but is usually is not much more unless it is really private like a two person tour. Ship tour is a lot easier. I enjoy doing the research. I spend a lot of time doing it and learn a lot about the ports before hand. I can understand that research is not everyones forte.  I even do it for friends and family members for trips I am not going on. 

[RTR 21-0]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:28 AM, Wakepatrol said:

Board an air conditioned bus with one hundred plus people, enjoy stops for junky souvenirs and finish the day with a ride back with a watered down rum punch- NAH

Nailed it!