A reminder to stick with ship tours in remote places

[Kay S]

Why are some so judgemental about another person's choices?  If I choose to go on 100% cruise line tours, how does that affect anyone else?  As it turns out, I have done all manner of tours, but I see no benefit to me in criticizing other people's choices.  People have differing needs.  What is wrong with that?

[TRLD]

In my opinion the main lesson from all of this is not so much the ship vs private tour debate. Pick what ever you want to. Just take responsibility and be prepared in case something does happen and you need to go plan B to catch up with the ship. As you are researching the private tours also do a quick check on travel options and timing from one port to the next.

[Charles4515]

7 minutes ago, Kay S said:

Why are some so judgemental about another person's choices?  If I choose to go on 100% cruise line tours, how does that affect anyone else?  As it turns out, I have done all manner of tours, but I see no benefit to me in criticizing other people's choices.  People have differing needs.  What is wrong with that?

Aren’t you being judgmental? There are people who would never take anything but a cruise line tour. I can have an opinion about that. I take all kinds too. About 55% independent, 10% cruise line, and 35% walk off the ship and walk or take a taxi.  When I started cruising it was 75% cruise line and 25% walk off the ship. I quickly learned I could do better both quality wise and value wise booking independently. Four of us with a private guide at the Hermitage as opposed to 45 on a cruise ship excursion there wearing wireless earpieces trying to keep up with the guide who was rolling through every area. Why bother to go to St Petersburg for that? The cruise line intimidated the passengers to go on their lousy tours. But certainly if an attraction is far away I will book the cruise line tour. In Africa at a tender port like the people who missed their ship were visiting I would have booked the cruise line tour. 

[Kay S]

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

Aren’t you being judgmental? 

I guess I am being judgemental about people being judgemental.  Lots of that on this O board, I have found.

[osandomir]

There’s no definite answer to what way is better - ship's tour vs private. Not just for different people but also for me personally. We used to participate in a lot of private tours, and while many of them were throughly enjoyable on several occasions our experience was so bad that we regretted joining that tours completely. And I’m not talking about the guides or program inclusions, it’s the fellow travellers who made it unbearable. For some different reasons we started to book more ship's tours lately and we found some of them to be better than others with many that were very good choices as well. And at least we never felt being so badly affected by the other people on the tour simply because of no need to be in so close contact with all of them.

 

So I don’t think I would recommend anyone to do ship’s tour or private because it all based on personal needs and expectations.

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

But certainly if an attraction is far away I will book the cruise line tour.

I'll actually support your initial preference for private tours on occassion where the attraction is distant.

 

EG: Petra. Been 3 times; the 2nd & 3rd time on private tours.

I headed straight out on my own to walk a different trail as soon as we arrived at the site on the 2nd/3rd visit.

I was confident the tour company could arrange alternative transport if the bus broke down on the way back.  

Sail away was not till 10pm.

 

EG: Luxor. Private tour with an overnight .

Once again I had confidence in alternative transport arrangements.

The smartest decision we made was to do this tour with just the 2 of us.

It was 40 degrees, no need to worry about anyone else's stamina.

Of course we had cash and multiple credit cards with us for contingencies.

We were back onboard about 5 hours before sailaway.

 

Edited April 6 by Tranquility Base

[ORV]

2 hours ago, osandomir said:

There’s no definite answer to what way is better - ship's tour vs private. Not just for different people but also for me personally. We used to participate in a lot of private tours, and while many of them were throughly enjoyable on several occasions our experience was so bad that we regretted joining that tours completely. And I’m not talking about the guides or program inclusions, it’s the fellow travellers who made it unbearable. For some different reasons we started to book more ship's tours lately and we found some of them to be better than others with many that were very good choices as well. And at least we never felt being so badly affected by the other people on the tour simply because of no need to be in so close contact with all of them.

 

So I don’t think I would recommend anyone to do ship’s tour or private because it all based on personal needs and expectations.

So did you get stuck on that tour with the couple that were end time preppers that spent most of the tour telling you about their Subaru Outback that is the best car ever made? I thought I was the only one subjected to them. 

[ORV]

Just a thought, would you rather be on a tour with 12 people in a 12 person van, or 38 people in a 50 passenger bus? Nobody ever wants to get in the back in those vans. 

[EJL2023]

6 minutes ago, ORV said:

Just a thought, would you rather be on a tour with 12 people in a 12 person van, or 38 people in a 50 passenger bus? Nobody ever wants to get in the back in those vans. 

For me, as I noted above, give me the bus. 

[osandomir]

44 minutes ago, ORV said:

So did you get stuck on that tour with the couple that were end time preppers that spent most of the tour telling you about their Subaru Outback that is the best car ever made? I thought I was the only one subjected to them. 

I’d rather be engaged in the conversation about Subaru😀. Don’t want to complain with the details, but believe me it was much worse.

[PhD-iva]

8 hours ago, sunlover12 said:

Going on a ship's tour doesn't mean you're averse to risk or lack creativity. I've been on many ship tours and most of them are quite good. There is a misconception that you'll always be in a big packed bus with 40 people. Not true at all.  I've been on some private tours that were a waste of time and money.  I don't have an obsessive fear of missing the ship. I've lived in a Third World country in West Africa and I've also lived in a foreign country in South America that was (and still is) on very unfriendly relations with the US.  So I know all about risk in foreign places. 

 

I go on ship's tours because I don't always want to spend time doing research on private tours.  Sometimes we will but in many ports we will take the ship's tours and we're glad we did. 

Off topic but couldn’t resist bc I’ve also lived in West Africa (Liberia) and South America (Colombia).

I assume you were in Venezuela (?) - how about West Africa….?

[sunlover12]

41 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Off topic but couldn’t resist bc I’ve also lived in West Africa (Liberia) and South America (Colombia).

I assume you were in Venezuela (?) - how about West Africa….?

Venezuela when Hugo Chavez was President.  Nigeria in the 90’s when it was a military dictatorship. 2 countries that tourists don’t go to.  Both were career moves. Challenging years with some positives as well but it did help me to develop a thick skin. 

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, ORV said:

Just a thought, would you rather be on a tour with 12 people in a 12 person van, or 38 people in a 50 passenger bus? Nobody ever wants to get in the back in those vans. 

Neither.  DW and I would prefer to be by ourselves, in a rental car, local bus, etc.  While we agree with what you say regarding large vans, to us, being on a large coach/bus is not our idea of fun.  And large tour buses only move as fast as the slowest shopper, bathroom visitor, etc.

 

Hank

[CptBoatface]

On 4/6/2024 at 4:07 PM, ORV said:

So did you get stuck on that tour with the couple that were end time preppers that spent most of the tour telling you about their Subaru Outback that is the best car ever made? I thought I was the only one subjected to them. 

I would totally harangue them about the need for a fully mechanical diesel vehicle rather than reliance on gasoline supply chain.  Sort of a prepper trump card. 

I don't have one by the way, but guarantee they'll start thinking more about the hole in their plan and be quieter. 😄

[ORV]

29 minutes ago, CptBoatface said:

I would totally harangue them about the need for a fully mechanical diesel vehicle rather than reliance on gasoline supply chain.  Sort of a prepper trump card. 

I don't have one by the way, but guarantee they'll start thinking more about the hole in their plan and be quieter. 😄

I did my best to not engage them on the subjects they were so enamored with and talked about. I think she mentioned she wrote a Prepper book. I tried to talk to the guide about things we were looking at.