Iceland excursions

[Blackjackman]

How easy is it to book an excursion in Iceland that is not thru Viator or the cruise ship that is reasonable priced in Reykjavik?  

[CruiserBruce]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you look down the board there are a few recommended tour vendors. If you reach out to them, its usually pretty easy to book private tours.

 

"Reasonably priced" is a vague, totally subjective term. But I would definitely expect them to be cheaper than the cruise line excursions.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you look down the board there are a few recommended tour vendors. If you reach out to them, its usually pretty easy to book private tours.

 

"Reasonably priced" is a vague, totally subjective term. But I would definitely expect them to be cheaper than the cruise line excursions.

It would be difficult not to be cheaper than the cruise lines' excursions!

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

"Reasonably priced" is a vague, totally subjective term. But I would definitely expect them to be cheaper than the cruise line excursions.

 

And, as a general matter, have better guides.

[CruiserBruce]

45 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

And, as a general matter, have better guides.

Iceland is a little different than most countries, as their tourism industry, particularly in the small towns is a bit under developed. You can get, as we did, a wide range of guide experience.

[Senga]

We had no issues booking our 3 Iceland excursions.  Great customer service, excellent prices, well recommended on TripAdvisor.  Book EARLY.

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, Senga said:

We had no issues booking our 3 Iceland excursions.  Great customer service, excellent prices, well recommended on TripAdvisor.  Book EARLY.

What guide or guides did you use?

[edinburgher]

 reasonable priced in Reykjavik? 

 

As others have said "reasonable" is subjective, but you should be aware that prices in N. European  countries can be higher than in other European countries such as Spain and Portugal due to the high  cost of living in them.  Have you cruised previously? If so and your your only previous cruising has been to the Caribbean, expect to be shocked...

 

Prices in Scandinavian countries,  (and I include Iceland in that) can sometimes be eye wateringly expensive compared to "home country" prices, especially when it comes to meals and alcohol pricing, and you should also  expect to pay  more for excursions

 

A bit like Alaska, where tour costs and incidentals such as accommodation and dining can be higher than in other areas of the USA.

Edited April 14, 2023 by edinburgher

[Senga]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

What guide or guides did you use?

Not allowed to give that information on CC but if you search May 13, 2023 Sky Princess, Norway/Iceland.

 

[ontheweb]

1 minute ago, Senga said:

Not allowed to give that information on CC but if you search May 13, 2023 Sky Princess, Norway/Iceland.

 

You are not allowed to name Travel Agents, but you are allowed to name tour operators as long as you have used them.

[janetcbl]

5 hours ago, edinburgher said:

 reasonable priced in Reykjavik? 

 

As others have said "reasonable" is subjective, but you should be aware that prices in N. European  countries can be higher than in other European countries such as Spain and Portugal due to the high  cost of living in them.  Have you cruised previously? If so and your your only previous cruising has been to the Caribbean, expect to be shocked...

 

Prices in Scandinavian countries,  (and I include Iceland in that) can sometimes be eye wateringly expensive compared to "home country" prices, especially when it comes to meals and alcohol pricing, and you should also  expect to pay  more for excursions

 

A bit like Alaska, where tour costs and incidentals such as accommodation and dining can be higher than in other areas of the USA.

Part of the reason for some of the high prices is the high “hidden”  tax you pay, for example on alcohol, cigarettes and automobiles. You  are helping to pay for the cost of alcohol problems, and lung diseases when you purchase the first two items.

[Nitemare]

On 4/13/2023 at 10:10 AM, Blackjackman said:

How easy is it to book an excursion in Iceland that is not thru Viator or the cruise ship that is reasonable priced in Reykjavik?  

REALLY easy.  And don't use Viator or any third party unless you have no alternative.  Adding an extra layer in rarely saves money and definitely causes communication issues if there are delays or cancellations

[edinburgher]

for example on alcohol, cigarettes and automobilesYou  are helping to pay for the cost of alcohol problems, and lung diseases when you purchase the first two items

 

I don't actually believe that warning first time visitors to Scandinavia of the high prices they can expect across the board is a bad thing.

 

Alaska was referenced as a comparison which Americans could relate to as the cost of tours/excursions is quite frequently mentioned in posts or threads. on the Alaska forum 

 

Nobody mentioned tobacco at all, I don't think many visitors would even think about buying an automobile as a souvenir,and the reference to alcohol pricing was only one example of an area wherethe quite substantial price differential.would be noticed by tourists from other countries who might want to indulge in a beer or small glass of wine during their stay.  So using your same logic, are you saying that  the cost of dining  (especially in Norway) is somehow connected to paying to alleviate obesity problems should they purchase a meal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by edinburgher

[janetcbl]

18 hours ago, edinburgher said:

for example on alcohol, cigarettes and automobilesYou  are helping to pay for the cost of alcohol problems, and lung diseases when you purchase the first two items

 

I don't actually believe that warning first time visitors to Scandinavia of the high prices they can expect across the board is a bad thing.

 

Alaska was referenced as a comparison which Americans could relate to as the cost of tours/excursions is quite frequently mentioned in posts or threads. on the Alaska forum 

 

Nobody mentioned tobacco at all, I don't think many visitors would even think about buying an automobile as a souvenir,and the reference to alcohol pricing was only one example of an area wherethe quite substantial price differential.would be noticed by tourists from other countries who might want to indulge in a beer or small glass of wine during their stay.  So using your same logic, are you saying that  the cost of dining  (especially in Norway) is somehow connected to paying to alleviate obesity problems should they purchase a meal?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have no idea about the prices in restaurants; I would imagine it is to pay the workers a decent wage. I only mentioned tobacco, alcohol and automobiles because I knew a little about the tax situation regarding those items. Sorry if I in some way offended you.

[ontheweb]

Somewhat on the topic of Iceland excursions, do tour guides in Iceland expect tips?

[bearette]

Trip advisor in each town has a nice list. Go to the port you are in on Trip advisor and start emailing, several were already sold out for our July sailing.

[edinburgher]

Sorry if I in some way offended you.

 

 

Apology accepted.

 

I had said

 

Prices in Scandinavian countries,  (and I include Iceland in that) can sometimes be eye wateringly expensive compared to "home country" prices,especially when it comes to meals and alcohol pricing, and you should also  expect to pay  more for excursions

 

i had only given these examples as they are areas where cruise pax would be more likely to spend ashore.

 

 And many pax on Scandinavian itineraries return to ship with empty shopping bags as the prices have deterred them from buying souvenirs such as woolen jumpers or gifts for families.

 

TBH, I think Norway is the most expensive.of them all, with Denmark possibly the least expensive although it is difficult to be exact.  We have though, noticed that prices appear to rise the further north one travels.One time we saw some American pax from our ship outside a  "Golden Arches" outlet in Norway where they had taken photos of the menu/price list above and behind the counter.as they were so surprised at the cost of a Big Mac burger, fries and soft drink combo, and some Scandinavia fellow pax on some of our 6 or 7 Nordic itineraries have told us they very rarely dine out, often not even on birthdays or anniversaries as the cost is too high even for them.  They tend to socialise more at the homes of themselves or their friends or their families.

 

Glasgow used to have many Icelanders fly in to go on shopping spees, and when there was a ferry from a Norwegian port to Newcastle, free shuttle buses used to meet the ferry passengers and give them a free ride to a major local shopping centre where they were known to spend spend spend, so it must have been quite a saving to shop here rather than at home.

Edited April 15, 2023 by edinburgher

[Nitemare]

On 4/15/2023 at 9:51 AM, ontheweb said:

Somewhat on the topic of Iceland excursions, do tour guides in Iceland expect tips?

Most do not.  We've had everything from "if you enjoyed your tour there is a bucket by the exit you can leave a little something for your guide in" to "there is no need for that".   There are Free tours that are tip supported (mostly walking tours in the city) and we generally still tipped guides, but maybe half as much as in the states, and tips were very gratefully received.