Independent tours

[Adventures ahead]

What has been your experience regarding your deposit when pre-booking an independent tour if the ship couldn't dock due to wind?

[ashtyn]

I booked an independant tour in Cozumel and was able to apply the deposit to another tour in St Maarten. I booked with a tour company that covers many different islands.

[Toto2Kansas]

The only way I will book independent tours from a ship are in two cases. One, if they do not require a deposit for the tour. And Two, if the deposit is fully refundable should the ship not be able to make it into port or would happen to arrive late for whatever reason into port.

 

Any independent tours that require a non-refundable deposit I won't even take into consideration.

[Floflegs]

I'm like Toto. We wouldn't book anything and pay before we got there. So far we have never paid upfront and everything has worked out fine.

[Pia1913]

I'm like Toto. We wouldn't book anything and pay before we got there. So far we have never paid upfront and everything has worked out fine.

 

Absolutely positively agree. This just happened (or could have happened) to us. We were on the Crown; ship couldn't get into Iceland. We had a private tour booked, but no deposit was paid in advance. Easy peasy cancellation; no aggravation, no $$$ lost.

 

Pia

[Charliesmom]

We booked tours in Turkey for which we paid in advance (by credit card). The tour company assured us we would get our money back if the ship couldn't or didn't land when it was supposed to. Naturally, I got that assurance by email as that is how I made the arrangements.

 

If they agree in writing to refund your money and do not, all you have to do is

produce the evidence to the credit card company that they agreed to give you your money back and they will put a stop on the charge.

 

That's the value of using your credit card for travel arrangements.

 

Roberta

[alanmal]

We (group of 10 people) missed 4 ports in Asia last November. The 2 Vietnam ports no deposit required, no problem. Taiwan had a deposit and it was credited back to card almost immediatly. Okinawa (10%) was from a Japanese mainland company, who gave us a hard time. I complained to Capital One, who immediately credited my account with more money then we paid. The funny thing was that he had to pay back Capital One more than we paid, because the Yen had gone down.

 

Also I take out insurance and it covers non cruise line tours that are cancelled because of cancelled ports.

[Adventures ahead]

Thanks, everyone.

 

Has anyone booked an independent tour and the tour operator wasn't there to meet you? If so, did you manage an alternative or miss out on what you wanted to do?

[spongerob]

This has happened only once, and we have booked independent tours on many occasions. Unfortunately it happened the first time we ever went on our own with a private operator. The operator came with good recommendations from these boards, was overbooked, and sent a replacement tour guide who decided to make up his own itinerary. As a result we missed one of the stops entirely, were late for our planned lunch and almost missed that, and ended up being very disappointed with the tour.

 

On the other hand, I recently had a fellow at great personal expense cover for a guide he had arranged for us in one of our ports. The guide we were supposed to have had a family emergency, so the organizer flew down, rented a vehicle, and took care of everything himself.

 

Almost all the operators we have dealt with have been very good. They are very aware of the power of the internet to get good and bad recommendations communicated to large numbers of people. In some cases we have booked with people who required deposits, and we always get their cancellation policies up front before making a booking. I don't mind paying a deposit with operators who have a reputable history and a clearly stated cancellation policy.

[mytime53]

Thanks, everyone.

 

Has anyone booked an independent tour and the tour operator wasn't there to meet you? If so, did you manage an alternative or miss out on what you wanted to do?

 

Yes, but another guide saw us looking for our tour, and when no one showed up, took us on the same tour for 1/2 the price. We hadn't paid a deposit, so it was no big deal.

[vickie_bernie]

This did happen to us in Barbados... we had booked with a highly recommened tour company, we did have to make a 50% deposit. They kept trying to change our tour time prior to arrival. We said if the time changes we would have to cancel, they kept saying no problem we will leave it at original time of 9.

 

Guess what we are all waiting at 9 and no tour driver. There was 8 of us, all booked separately and all had confirmation of 9. The company rep that was there getting the other tours going said tour wasn't until 11. After much debate and speaking to the owner we finally got a driver and out on the road at 10:15.

 

That being said, that is the only time we have had a problem out of the 20 or so independent tours we have ever booked.

 

We always use cc to ensure refund if necessary.

[Pia1913]

Thanks, everyone.

 

Has anyone booked an independent tour and the tour operator wasn't there to meet you? If so, did you manage an alternative or miss out on what you wanted to do?

 

Yes, in Tahiti. Don't remember which island, but when our operator didn't show, we went off with another one. There were six of us and the price was less too. That's why I don't like to pay in advance. Sure you can get your $$ back by charging to a credit card, but when you're on an island in Tahiti you want/need your tour!

 

Pia

[yorky]

Don't rule out a good tour guide just becuse they ask for a deposit in advance, we have never had a problem when paying up front. You have to look at it their way, many people book tours and fail to show up which costs them valuable time and money, If all cruise passengers always did the right thing there would not be a need to ask for a deposit, saldy we know that not everyone does the right thing. I'm self employed and have been let down by customers on more occasions than I would like to remember.

[Woodmnky]

I also will only book independant tours that either do not require payment until you arrive or have a written guarantee that the deposit will be refunded should the ship not arrive or arrive too late at the destination to participate in the tour.

[earljr]

I also will only book independant tours that either do not require payment until you arrive or have a written guarantee that the deposit will be refunded should the ship not arrive or arrive too late at the destination to participate in the tour.

 

Agree, I feel that the written guarantee is the only fair way for both the tour operator and the tourist. We have been "stood up" only 2 or 3 times and we have missed tours only 2 times due to ship arrivals, etc.