Rip off shore excursions: Flam railway

[david,Mississauga]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Hey! I think the Hudson Valley is very pretty. 

 

The land-based tour you saw would be an unfortunate surprise. We can check to see what other ships may be in port, but I don't know how to find out if there's a large land tour at the same time. 

 

Indeed, the Hudson Valley is attractive. I well-remember my first ever visit to New York, enjoying breakfast in the New York Central dining car whilst going down the Hudson valley on an overnight train from Toronto. 

 

The comments that inspired me to comment referred to commuting and I doubt the views from a commuter train would impress as much as what we enjoyed on the Flam to Myrdal trip. 

[mnocket]

19 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Of course you are entitled to your opinion, with which I may be inclined to agree, on balance. It is something I certainly wouldn’t bother to do twice. However, it seems a little unkind to sound so disparaging of those who have enjoyed it or wish to.

Honestly, I don't think he said anything disparaging about anyone.  I guess people just see things differently.

[exlondoner]

2 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Honestly, I don't think he said anything disparaging about anyone.  I guess people just see things differently.

I would find being described as a novelty seeker a little disparaging. I would feel it suggested I were shallow and trivial.

[mnocket]

30 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I would find being described as a novelty seeker a little disparaging. I would feel it suggested I were shallow and trivial.

As I said, I guess people see things differently.  What he actually said was...

 

It's one of those over-priced trips pitched at people arriving on the ships for its novelty value, and at railway enthusiasts wanting to tick it off their bucket list.

 

He was saying he felt it was being pitched for its novelty value (hard to argue it isn't novel) and to railway enthusiasts.  I guess people who are attracted to things because they are novel are novelty seekers, but why do you see that as disparaging?  People do things all of the time because they are novel - nothing wrong with that in my eyes.  I don't think people who take the "polar plunge" on antarctica cruises do it because it feels good.  They do it because it's novel. They do it to be able to say they did it. I certainly don't see people who do things because they are novel (i.e. novelty seekers) as "shallow and trivial", but to each their own. 

[buchanan101]

It’s not so overpriced if you buy the tickets yourself at about 40% of the Cunard price; not sure I’d do it for their price

 

But that’s about where I started this thread!!

[NE John]

3 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

It’s not so overpriced if you buy the tickets yourself at about 40% of the Cunard price; not sure I’d do it for their price

 

But that’s about where I started this thread!!

Makes sense around here - Norway fiords to the Hudson Valley (even though I commute from Connecticut) to kiddos! Lots of interesting tangents on the boards. 

[rmsEtruria]

13 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

Indeed, the Hudson Valley is attractive. I well-remember my first ever visit to New York, enjoying breakfast in the New York Central dining car whilst going down the Hudson valley on an overnight train from Toronto. 

 

The comments that inspired me to comment referred to commuting and I doubt the views from a commuter train would impress as much as what we enjoyed on the Flam to Myrdal trip. 

New York Central . . . now, those were the days!

[ovccruiser]

There are also far cheaper ways to get to Flam much cheaper than cruise ships, but no one raises that point, just the price of excursions😂

 

My experience over the many cruises we have done is, it depends on where the excursion is going. For example, Rome, cruise excursion only, no waiting in queues at the various sites, Borobudur temple cruise excursion only, you get a police escort there and back and all traffic is stopped for the coaches. There are others. Madeira get off the ship and hire a taxi for either half or full day, Many of the  Caribbean Islands I would only use local taxis. 

[buchanan101]

@ovccruiser It's as much about the travelling as arriving on a cruise ship...

[Solent Richard]

1 hour ago, ovccruiser said:

There are also far cheaper ways to get to Flam much cheaper than cruise ships, but no one raises that point, just the price of excursions😂

 

My experience over the many cruises we have done is, it depends on where the excursion is going. For example, Rome, cruise excursion only, no waiting in queues at the various sites, Borobudur temple cruise excursion only, you get a police escort there and back and all traffic is stopped for the coaches. There are others. Madeira get off the ship and hire a taxi for either half or full day, Many of the  Caribbean Islands I would only use local taxis. 

 

I'd wager that not many of us have done Borobudur from Semarang and certainly not with a Cunard excursion.....

 

Ours was a whole new adventure onboard Star Clipper and what a fabulous excursion the Borobudur one was...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/11/04/star-clipper-java-sea-limited-edition-cruise/

 

 

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I was fortunately in the coach front seat and made a short video of the excitement of at the police escort....