Help! Pre-Cruise Tours with RCI Questions

[Lovincruisin1321]

Has anyone gone on the pre-cruise tour to Paris and London? We are signed up with RCI and would love to get some tips.

 

Anything from what the bus tours are like, what we should and shouldn't do. Packing. Recommendations on what to do on our own. Restaurants.

 

What were the hotel accomodations like?

 

Thanks in advance.

[JodiBB]

We went with RCI as well in 2005 and used their packages, but did not use any of their tours. We id everything on our own. We flew into London 3 days early and stayed in the City Inn Westminster. We purchased a City Card for London + the Tube/Bus pass for the 3 days. It was ever so easy and the transfer to Harwich was on time and very simple.

 

You could purchase the Paris and London Cards and do everything on your own. The Metro/Tube systems in these cities are very clear and doable. And then you won't have to worry about more buses tours.

 

We did the entire cruise on our own as well, getting City Cards for Oslo and Stockholm and Red October for St. Petersburg. It was a great trip and not getting shoveled onto a large tour bus for 3 weeks was an added bonus.

[JodiBB]

Oops! Duplicate post....sorry....

[GACRUISER456]

What transfer did you use to Harwich? Did you take that train or were you able to use RCI's even though you didn't purchase their pre-cruise package? I was hoping to stay in a hotel of our choice and just purchase the transfer tickets to and from the port, but I'm not sure if they allow that. I would have to get to their pickup hotel I'm sure if they even allow this. I can get much better prices on hotels on my own than going through RCI. Thanks!

[JodiBB]

GACruiser...we did use RCI's pre-cruise package in that it was their contracted flight and hotel (we just didn't use their tours), so the transfers were included, but I have heard you can purchase the transfers separately, even if you don't use their pre-cruise package. I remember others pricing them out in 2005 when we were there.

[mpbmark]

You can purchase transfers thru RCCL without going on any tours. Ask your TA to add them to your fare. Should be $85 per person each way.

 

By the way, we purchased the pre-cruise cruisetour for Paris and London. It runs about $2000 per person but I don't have to worry about hotels, transfers, sightseeing, breakfast and the Chunnel. For us it was worth it but obviously, it is a personal decision.