How to buy tours? By your own or with the cruise line?

[MANDMTRAVEL]

Hi, I have cruised many times before with different lines. This August I will be doing my first Mediterranean MSC cruise from Barcelona. this will also be our first time in Europe and would like to see as much as possible.  

However I am not sure on how to buy tours? By your own or with the cruise line?  We are a family of 4 our kids are 14 and 16.

 

Thanks!

 

[CruiserBruce]

You can book with the cruise line, you can book with a private vendor, or you can DIY (do it yourself), where you might travel around an area on foot, by taxi or rental car, or the various forms of public transit.

 

There are vendors here recommended for private tours in virtually every port.

[mar214]

If this is a new travel area for you, a good place to start is to see what your cruise line offers in each port, then check and see what local tour companies offer the same tour and compare costs. This will give you a good jumping off point to see what the popular tours are. We always check the tour company reviews to see if they have a good reputation. Rick Steves has a book for Mediterranean cruise ports. It's worth the investment to read up on each port and see what he says are the highlights. With Mediterranean cruises, some research is necessary in order to maximize your time in each port. You also want to be sure you plan activities that will appeal to your teenagers. It's worth the research time - you will all come home with some amazing memories! Enjoy! 

[fishiecrackers]

We are doing a mix of ship excursions, private tours, and walking around on our own for our Mediterranean ports. I am also traveling with my teenagers, so after asking them if there were any "must see" things for them in the cities we were going to, I started my research by Googling "things to do in XXXcity with teens," and looking at the ship excursions to see what was popular in each area. I would also look on YouTube and watch videos by searching like "One day in XXXcity." Once we decided what we wanted to do, we did a ship excursion if the convenience made it worth the price, and otherwise we did private tours. We built in a few days with no tours because I know my kids personally are not going to want to do a tour every single day (nor does my budget), and made sure to have a good mix of churches/ruins/museums and things that are NOT churches/ruins/museums.

 

We probably don't have the same ports because we're leaving out of Rome, but I'm happy to share what we decided on if we are going to any of the same places!

[cruisemom42]

Good suggestions above. I'll just add that with a built-in group of four, you'll probably find that taking a private excursion (e.g., local vendor but set up in advance), you'll pay about the same as for a ship tour -- sometimes less -- yet you'll have considerably more latitude to customize your tour.

 

In Europe when you book a private car, you really do have control of the itinerary and can ask them to add or subtract stops based on your interest. (But do follow their recommendations on timing -- most are extremely conscientious and want you to get back to the ship in plenty of time before sailing.)

 

Agencies frequently recommended here are very reliable.

 

[John Bull]

If you list your ports - preferably with the day-of-the-week and disembarkation & sailaway times, plus anything else that you think might be relevant - we can better advise on ports which are easy to DIY and any which might best be done as a ship's excursion.

 

JB 🙂

[MANDMTRAVEL]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:33 PM, mar214 said:

If this is a new travel area for you, a good place to start is to see what your cruise line offers in each port, then check and see what local tour companies offer the same tour and compare costs. This will give you a good jumping off point to see what the popular tours are. We always check the tour company reviews to see if they have a good reputation. Rick Steves has a book for Mediterranean cruise ports. It's worth the investment to read up on each port and see what he says are the highlights. With Mediterranean cruises, some research is necessary in order to maximize your time in each port. You also want to be sure you plan activities that will appeal to your teenagers. It's worth the research time - you will all come home with some amazing memories! Enjoy! 

Thank you very much for your answer.

[MANDMTRAVEL]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:35 PM, fishiecrackers said:

We are doing a mix of ship excursions, private tours, and walking around on our own for our Mediterranean ports. I am also traveling with my teenagers, so after asking them if there were any "must see" things for them in the cities we were going to, I started my research by Googling "things to do in XXXcity with teens," and looking at the ship excursions to see what was popular in each area. I would also look on YouTube and watch videos by searching like "One day in XXXcity." Once we decided what we wanted to do, we did a ship excursion if the convenience made it worth the price, and otherwise we did private tours. We built in a few days with no tours because I know my kids personally are not going to want to do a tour every single day (nor does my budget), and made sure to have a good mix of churches/ruins/museums and things that are NOT churches/ruins/museums.

 

We probably don't have the same ports because we're leaving out of Rome, but I'm happy to share what we decided on if we are going to any of the same places!

hanks!  Yes, I don't want to bore them or have the budget for all the museums and churches. Please share your decisions!  We are to Cannes, Genoa, La Spezia, Civitaveccia, Palma de Mallorca  ani

[MANDMTRAVEL]

On 5/6/2023 at 1:29 PM, cruisemom42 said:

Good suggestions above. I'll just add that with a built-in group of four, you'll probably find that taking a private excursion (e.g., local vendor but set up in advance), you'll pay about the same as for a ship tour -- sometimes less -- yet you'll have considerably more latitude to customize your tour.

 

In Europe when you book a private car, you really do have control of the itinerary and can ask them to add or subtract stops based on your interest. (But do follow their recommendations on timing -- most are extremely conscientious and want you to get back to the ship in plenty of time before sailing.)

 

Agencies frequently recommended here are very reliable.

 

thanks, any companies you recommend?

[MANDMTRAVEL]

This is my itinerary :

 

Sunday - Cannes

Monday-Genoa

Tuesday - La Spezia

Wed - Civitavecchia  ( this is my 20 yrs wedding anniversary)

Friday - Palma de Mallorca

Saturday - Barcelona (what time should I buy train tickets from Barcelona to Madrid for?

[ATXBecky]

We also do walking tours by locals. You can find free ones where all you pay is tips. Check google to see what is offered in each of your ports.  

[cruisemom42]

19 hours ago, MANDMTRAVEL said:

thanks, any companies you recommend?

 

I have been cruising and traveling the Med for many years so I tend to not book any tours. I prefer to do things on my own. But if you read a few pages of this forum you will likely find several tour providers for Italy recommended by others. For your ports in Spain and France, I would suggest doing the same on those forums.

[fishiecrackers]

On 5/8/2023 at 10:37 AM, MANDMTRAVEL said:

This is my itinerary :

 

Sunday - Cannes

Monday-Genoa

Tuesday - La Spezia

Wed - Civitavecchia  ( this is my 20 yrs wedding anniversary)

Friday - Palma de Mallorca

Saturday - Barcelona (what time should I buy train tickets from Barcelona to Madrid for?

Ah, bummer, we have different ports. We are leaving from Rome, but have several days there prior to boarding.

[ollienbertsmum]

On 5/8/2023 at 8:37 PM, MANDMTRAVEL said:

This is my itinerary :

 

Sunday - Cannes

Monday-Genoa

Tuesday - La Spezia

Wed - Civitavecchia  ( this is my 20 yrs wedding anniversary)

Friday - Palma de Mallorca

Saturday - Barcelona (what time should I buy train tickets from Barcelona to Madrid for?

 

Really interesting itinerary.  I have been to all except Genoa.  

 

You do have to think about what you want to see.  The kids would probably have some input.  If you want to maximise what you want to see, as Cruisemom says it is about working with the tour provider beforehand.  Not sure when you are going, in the middle of summer it can get very hot.  

 

Cannes is a tender port.  I am happy to just walk around and enjoy the high-end Frenchness,  but on one cruise I actually spent my 30th Wedding anniversary doing a boat ride over to Sainte Marguerite Island.  It was a walk in the countryside and we enjoyed it.  

 

If it is the middle of summer there are private and public beaches you can use.  There is one convenient one beside the film festival building, you can also look for the hand prints of some big stars which the kids might like.  

 

You can also walk  from the port to the train station in about 20 minutes.  By train you can reach some popular tourist spots - Nice, Monaco and Antibes are often mentioned.    What you can do depends on how long you have in port and how early you can get the tender ticket.  

 

Or you do an internet search for a private tour that you can tailor to your own needs.   Just make sure that you get a refundable tour in the case that you cannot get ashore.  We were on a  RCI ship that braved high winds.  The NCL beside us cancelled the port.  

 

La Spezia

 

We went to Cinque Terre and loved it.  It remains my favourite tour ever.  We did it as a ship tour because I knew that there was several modes of transport involved.   You get a chance to bathe.  I think that the kids would enjoy it.  

 

Civitavecchia

 

In the middle of July I was on a ship tour in Rome on our first cruise.  My 14 and 15 yr old 

hated it.  They are used to hot summers but being dragged from site to site was horrible for them.  You could get a ship shuttle to Rome.  Lots of cruisers use the local train, but if you are there in the middle of summer it can be like playing sardines.  As it is your wedding anniversary I would suggest that you get a private tour.  You have an air-conditioned car to cool off in.  The only thing is, you cannot see everything.  

 

I am not quite sure how important St Peter’s is to you.  I am Catholic and was really excited to get in the first time.  We did not get into the Vatican until our second visit.  However on reflection we could have saved queuing time by just having a good look around St Peter’s Square (using Rick Steves Audio tour) and going to the Pantheon and a couple of the other big Basilicas.    We go in by train and I always like to call in to Santa Maria Maggiore.  I enjoyed St John Lateran which is fancy.   You can research a church that has some famous art work without having to go round museums.  One year we went to the Capuchin Crypt which is full of bones and skulls.  We did not have the girls with us that year.  I know that they would have engaged with it.  

 

You will enjoy the Coliseum, I think the kids would want to go inside.  The Arches  of Titus and Constantine are nearby and well worth a few minutes.     You can see the Roman ruins from the road if you walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali, and with kids I think this is enough.  

 

Trevi fountain is a must.  I enjoyed eating in Piazza Navona (we did not need to book) but some prefer to get pizza from a takeaway to spend more time walkiing around.     Look at the obelisks, the statues and the fountains all around you.  I never quite saw anything special about the Spanish Steps.  

 

Palma de Mallorca

 

I recall that our first visit we took the shuttle to the centre, bought underwear and then went back thinking that Palma was a rubbish port.   I have so changed my mind.  You can get a shuttle or the public bus outside the port.  We have always walked back - it is a long way but our average cruise port day is about 10 km.    

 

The cathedral is a sight to behold,   I also loved the Royal Palace.   
There was good shopping there in the centre.  Alternatively you could enjoy the beach.  

 

Barcelona

 

There is so much to see in Barcelona, one of my favourite cities.  All that Gaudi architecture.  Will you have visited before your cruise??  If you have not visited Barcelona you need to put your luggage in a left-luggage and spend a good few hours there.     I would be buying train tickets at about 7 pm !  If not, I have been on cruises that arrive at 6 am and we have been at the train station by 7.30 am.  I would not book a ticket before 8.30 though.    

 

If I have made any mistakes in my advice, I hope that someone will point it out.  Please do your research ahead of time.  Lots of You Tubes can give you the historical contexts and save you having to keep opening your guide book and reading up at every stop.  

 

The other consideration is that you might want to split up some times.    Eldest and DH did some things apart from me and youngest - like the Vatican museum on our second trip.   We had been to the Hermitage a couple of years before and eldest was like “please no more art”  but youngest and I really wanted to see the Sistine Chapel ceiling.   No idea what the other two got up to, but we all stayed friends during that day.  

[MANDMTRAVEL]

@ollienbertsmum OMG, you are amazing, thank you very much for your response. Love all your ideas! Thanks!!!!!

[mapleleaves]

 

Borrow or buy Rick Steves book " Med cruise ports'.   It provides info on history, sights, activities, tours, restaurants, and DIY options at each port.  Encourage the kids to read the book so they can participate in discussions about what to see and do.

Watch the various cruiseline sites for trip reports; NCL, RCI, and Celebrity visit many of the same ports as MSC.  The reports will provide a wealth of information.  Also, in the blue banner at the top of the page you'll see LIVE CRUISE REPORTS.  These sometimes get bogged down with too much detail, ( like photos of every appetizer and drink for every meal !  ) but if you skip over the minutia, you'll find some great info. 

 

[LuckyStar]

On 5/5/2023 at 11:46 AM, MANDMTRAVEL said:

Hi, I have cruised many times before with different lines. This August I will be doing my first Mediterranean MSC cruise from Barcelona. this will also be our first time in Europe and would like to see as much as possible.  

However I am not sure on how to buy tours? By your own or with the cruise line?  We are a family of 4 our kids are 14 and 16.

 

Thanks!

 

I was advised to look at www.shoreexcursions.com for tours, too. Viator.com is a good place as well.  

[CruiserBruce]

45 minutes ago, LuckyStar said:

I was advised to look at www.shoreexcursions.com for tours, too. Viator.com is a good place as well.  

Both these are brokers, not providers. They take your money and seek a low bid provider. Yes, this can create some attractive prices. It also causes difficulties contacting anyone where is a problem. 

 

The common recommendation here is seek out the recommended local providers and deal with them directly. 

[LuckyStar]

8 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Both these are brokers, not providers. They take your money and seek a low bid provider. Yes, this can create some attractive prices. It also causes difficulties contacting anyone where is a problem. 

 

The common recommendation here is seek out the recommended local providers and deal with them directly. 

Toured all through Europe using Viator.  Not one problem.

[CruiserBruce]

18 minutes ago, LuckyStar said:

Toured all through Europe using Viator.  Not one problem.

Booked 3 events with them in Australia. 2 of 3 were screwed up.

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, LuckyStar said:

Toured all through Europe using Viator.  Not one problem.

 

I've had issues with Viator twice in Rome and once in Spain. That was enough for me; stopped using them.