Cruise Virgin

[STA5FF]

Hi :)

 

DW and i will be on our first cruise ever!! On the new Crown Princess Aug. 7, 2006. Was wondering if anyone has booked excursions thru the ship and or thru an independent company. If so what were the pro's or cons about it.:confused: was it a money,quality,time, etc, issue.

[chrysalis]

we have done both....booked thru Princess and independently. There are pros and cons of doing both....but one of the things to consider is that if your "cruise-booked" excursion is late getting back to to the pier, the ship will wait for you......they will not do that if you are late for because your independent cruise is held up....keep that in mind.

 

Also, if your ship has to miss a port for some reason, the cruise line will reimburse you for the excursion missed...that may not be the case with an independent (one reason being that you are unable to contact them easily and able to cancel your booking in advance)

[AliceJ]

We have done both ship-sponsored and independent excursions as well. We have gotten the info for the independent excursions from reviews and recommendations on the ports-of-call boards. The independent companies we have used have not required us to put down a deposit.

 

We have also read reviews of ship-sponsored tours on the ports of call boards as well.

 

Enjoy!!

[Spikesgirl]

we like the peace of mind we have on them. There is the benefit of the ship not sailing without you, but you also don't have to worry about the tour leaving without you. When we were in Tahiti, we met the wife of one of the crewmen. She had been 'hired' by Princess to go along on excursions as a passenger and find out how its people were being treated. Princess checks out its tour companies and makes sure that they are on the up and up. Yea, you pay for that, but it's a good feeling to not have to worry about such things on vacation.

 

Charlie

[chasetf]

Hi :) DW and i will be on our first cruise ever!! On the new Crown Princess Aug. 7, 2006. Was wondering if anyone has booked excursions thru the ship and or thru an independent company. If so what were the pro's or cons about it.:confused: was it a money,quality,time, etc, issue.

The third choice is a pickup tour on the dock. If you are not venturing far out that is a good choice. You can usually get a van with much less people, for about half the price of the ship (and at least as good a price as an independent)

 

I say "as long as you do not venture far", so that if the driver has a car problem for instance, you still have a chance to get back to the ship in time. We always leave plenty of leeway to have that option.

[prarie cruiser]

Welcome to the world of cruising! You may never want to go back to another vacation type again!

 

I would suggest reading these boards. There are several different areas to explore, some related to particular ports. Those will usually contain info on the pros and cons of tours. There are also threads all over about how to get the most from your cruise. Those are frequently great tips. You may even find a "roll call" that will be other cruisers scheduled for your same cruise. I have met some great cruise friends that way.

 

Per your question of cruise line vs. independent tour booking, I would suggest that for the major things you want to do, since it is your first cruise use the tours from the ship. This will allow you to be less worried about the port and enjoy it more, to get a better feel for cruising, and if you book the tour through the ship you can always cancel up to 24 hours before the tour, if you like. Once you are more comfortable with cruising, you may begin booking some independent tours and feel secure.

 

One big tip I can give you about cruising----get back to the ship on time!!! The ship really will pull away from the pier and leave late passengers behind. I have seen it happen.......Also, do not use the pay phones at the pier to call home, they are very, very expensive!!!!

[STA5FF]

:D Thank you all for your responce to my question. it has made my choices a lot easier to make;)

[Aquarian]

I also think you should go with the ship's excursions so that you can relax and not worry about details. There will be plenty of time to venture out on your own after you get a couple cruises under your belt and there will be more . . . .LOL We all started with our first cruise and now we are platinum and elite cruisers with Princess. Congratulations on your wedding and your choice of cruise companies. You will love Princess and cruising. I'm happy for you!