Beware of non-sponcered ship excursions

[elsje]

Yup, I have to wonder what these people who only take ship sponsored excursions do when they take land vacations somewhere and there is no cruiseline (overcrowded and overpriced) excursions available. For me, this site is great for private and do-it-yourself excursions and I don't need to pay double for a crowded bus to the beach. :eek: For land vacations, I go with Trip Advisor.

 

I use Trip Advisor for land vacations as well. Great info just like we have here on CC. I actually use Trip Advisor also for my independent shore excursions. You never can reference enough IMHO.

[elsje]

Yup, I have to wonder what these people who only take ship sponsored excursions do when they take land vacations somewhere and there is no cruiseline (overcrowded and overpriced) excursions available. For me, this site is great for private and do-it-yourself excursions and I don't need to pay double for a crowded bus to the beach. :eek: For land vacations, I go with Trip Advisor.

 

I use Trip Advisor for land vacations as well. Great info just like we have here on CC. I actually use Trip Advisor also for my independent shore excursions. You never can reference enough IMHO.

[dfields1814]

If you are on a land based vacation, the big difference is that you don't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time or else being left behind. I agree the ship excursions are way over priced and are too crowded. However if we want to see something a couple of hours out of port we generally go on ship excursions so we don't have to worry about the time element or getting lost or missing a train. If we are close to port we are on our own. With the exception of crowds and over pricing we generally had good luck on Princess excursions. The huge, very huge, exception was a Princess excursion to the Normandy Beaches which was a major rip off. We had only 30 minutes at the American Cemetry, did not see the American Visitor Center at all, and had only 5 minutes at Omaha Beach. The guide was a nice lady but had no clue about the history of the place. The ship arrived an hour late and the tour company had no idea how to compensate for the time problem.

[pmc7704]

[quote name='where2next;20533957

[Yes' date=' it does matter whether you are a tourist or a traveller...a traveller would never do anything you have suggested. A traveller has taken the time to do extensive research about the little nuances they may experience. [/color']

 

 

 

 

 

One thing you didn't touch on that someone will experience whether you are on a shorex or independent is knowing the customs of where you are visiting...

 

Even if you think you are safe on a shorex ignoring local customs will create hositility towards yourself and possibly endanger you.

 

So, ask yourself..

 

 

 

 

 

Do you eat pizza or french fries with your fingers while abroad?

 

 

 

all of this behavior will single you out to the local population even if you are on a shorex...

 

some locals will roll their eyes and others could do more than just that.

 

If everyone took the time to do their research anytime they travel...it would be a much more rewarding experience in so many ways.

 

Is this a no-no ??? :confused: I knew about all the rest, but not this one. I ate pizza with my fingers in Naples and didn't think anything about it. Was this a faux-pas ?

[caribill]

The huge, very huge, exception was a Princess excursion to the Normandy Beaches which was a major rip off. We had only 30 minutes at the American Cemetry, did not see the American Visitor Center at all, and had only 5 minutes at Omaha Beach. The guide was a nice lady but had no clue about the history of the place. The ship arrived an hour late and the tour company had no idea how to compensate for the time problem.

 

I assume that the reason for the rush was the late arrival and that the ship did refund part of the shore excursion cost because the tour was unable to deliver what was promised.

 

On our May excursion to Normandy we had about 30 minutes at Omaha Beach and a little over an hour at the American Cemetary including the Visitor Center (times are accurate based on times attached to digital pictures taken there).

[A&Emom]

when I started this thread I wanted people to think about what they are doing I think I have accomplished that. now one has it in their mind to be careful.It does not matter if you are a tourist or traveler.you are still going someplace that you may not be familiar with.from now on you would hopefully think before you jump in a cab or go to walking alone somewhere to save money.when you cruise if you don't have the money to do it right you maybe should alter your plains.someone once told me' if have to ask how much you something is you can't afford it"

 

LMAO!!! If I have to ask how much something is, it's because the price is highly negotiable. If you don't believe me go to a high-end jewelry store or fur shop and see.

[shepp]

If we accept this proposition, we would be like some of my relatives who are afraid to travel at all.

 

It really all has to do with tolerance of risk. Though I love cruising, I come from a Lonely-Planet type background, and have spent probably a few of years of my life traveling independently, taking local buses and eating where the locals eat, in places including India, Nepal, Syria, Burma, and Egypt, and in September, I'll be spending a month traveling independently through Peru. I have never been to a Diamonds International or a Senor Frog's, but the worst travel-related crimes I've experienced have been having my camera stolen in Quito, and having my wallet lifted...in a New Jersey amusement park.

 

I'm not exactly foolhardy, but the one and only day I was in Jamaica, I took a tour with a (great) local operator, then, with some time to kill, went for a walk through Ocho Rios all by myself. It was, well, great. I did feel a bit like I was a rich white American "slumming" in a poor country, but that's part of many a cruise, eh? In any case, that stroll was really the very best part of that whole cruise. I went past a school where the kids were playing cricket, saw a little local graveyard, went past parks and markets and some guy smoking ganja, and, well, got away from the hand-sanitized, prepackaged world of HAL for a while. Somebody offered to sell me weed, I said, "No thanks" with no attitude, and that was that.

 

The most hassle I got was when I was back at the gate to the pier, where a hooker made a really aggressive move. Now, if I'd been home in San Francisco, I would have laughed and said, "Hey, wrong guy. I'm gay!" But - and here's the rub - Jamaica is notorious for being one of the most homophobic countries on Earth, with Jamaicans themselves almost always the victims, and the government is part of the problem. I don't think anyone there would clock me as gay unless I made a point of it, but I've decided not to go back anytime soon, not to a country that has official tolerance of (and sometimes police collusion in) gay-bashings. My mother booked that cruise for us, but I've decided henceforth that I'll spend my dollars elsewhere.

 

But that has to do with conscience and politics, not risk. I suppose that I'm still a little torn about joining the ranks of "No risks, please, we're cruisers" culture (as exemplified by the rather breathless alarmism of the OP). But as long as Princess keeps serving the Love Boat Dream, I'll just have to live with my own contradictions. Because life doesn't come with guarantees, much less travel insurance, and I'm glad I've had the experience of a frustrating, moonlit night in a schmutzy train station waiting for an hours-late train from Mumbai. OK, at the time it didn't maybe seem like fun, but to me, it's at least as much a meaningful part of my life experience as the champagne waterfall.

[Devil Dog]

I am glad to hear you enjoy the bug bites and stinky toilets, wow what a great experience in travelling the world. I will stay with my pristine cruisers lifestyle.

[Shogun]

Hi All,

 

As we are cruising the coast of the US including New York,

 

is it safe for us to get off the ship or should I stay on board, after all the

 

things you have said about going to far away places .

 

yours Shogun

[kooljamming]

OK, at the time it didn't maybe seem like fun, but to me, it's at least as much a meaningful part of my life experience as the champagne waterfall.

 

I agree with your post, well said!

 

I appreciate the ship more after getting off and sharing with others who have less. Most recently we visited a orphanage in Mexico. Being able to vacation makes me feel fortunate but seeing different aspects of the places I visit makes me feel truly blessed. Being able to call the US home is about sheer luck for me. I don't take the fortunate, blessing or luck for granted and traveling, especailly cruising, constantly reminds me of them.

[TracieABD]

Hi All,

 

As we are cruising the coast of the US including New York,

 

is it safe for us to get off the ship or should I stay on board, after all the

 

things you have said about going to far away places .

 

yours Shogun

Be afraid... very, very afraid....:cool:

[ggprincess2004]

Hi All,

 

As we are cruising the coast of the US including New York,

 

is it safe for us to get off the ship or should I stay on board, after all the

 

things you have said about going to far away places .

 

yours Shogun

 

 

While you don't have to be concerned about being mobbed by street vendors relentlessly hawking goods, you do need to be concerned about those who would sneak up on you and rob you of your possessions. Keep a tight grip on your wallet, and don't wear flashy jewelry. Try to avoid high crime areas, and best not to be out and about at night unless with a large group.

Just as with anywhere else you may be traveling, use common sense and remain aware of your surroundings, especially in highly concentrated urban areas. :eek:

:D:):D

[laughing husky]

well, I have to jump into the fracas.....I am not Jamaican....but I am Caymanian....and have lots of relatives who live in Jamaica. This violence is new to Jamaica since they became independent. Cayman has continued to thrive, grow and expand. Tourism is safe although violence used to be unheard of 20 years ago, Cayman has experienced immigration and that has changed the whole flavor of the Island. It is sad that to see what Jamaica has become. It is a beautiful island, has wonderful peple....many of them.....and wonderful food....Sometimes things are just not worth your life.

[Shogun]

Hi All,

 

Be warned anyone wearing a Kilt in Miami if its the one you stole from me,

 

I will set my pet Haggis on you.

 

One trip to Miami one theft, dangerous place this USA.

 

yours Shogun

From a safe and happy Scotland

[Roses2]

It is truly amazing how different we see life and the adventures that await those of us who live life.

 

As for us, we have spent a significant portion of our lives representing the United States in various nooks and crannies of what euphemistically has been called the undeveloped or third world.

 

In retirement we cruise to places we missed during our working life. On cruises we mix ship cruises with private tours and have, thus far only had one really unsatisfactory experience and that was on a Princess Tour.

 

If you enjoy the womb-like experience of large bus loads of tourists then by all means stay far away from private tours.

 

However, if you revel in seeing a new place more interestingly as a couple or with just a few friends, then do your homework and study the experiences of others, then choose wisely what and where you want to go and with whom.

 

Certainly one should avoid unnecessary risks. But life is an adventure to be lived. Dangers lurk in every big city in the world. There are muggers and pick-pockets waiting in the US, Europe, and every where else.

 

We prefer to go, see, and do rather than sit and fret.

 

As an American President once said, "Trust, but verify"

 

P&J

[critterchick]

when I started this thread I wanted people to think about what they are doing I think I have accomplished that. now one has it in their mind to be careful.It does not matter if you are a tourist or traveler.you are still going someplace that you may not be familiar with.from now on you would hopefully think before you jump in a cab or go to walking alone somewhere to save money.when you cruise if you don't have the money to do it right you maybe should alter your plains.someone once told me' if have to ask how much you something is you can't afford it"

 

I think you have accomplished nothing.:rolleyes: The people who have responded to your thread already exercise the caution you advise.

 

And just because something is expensive doesn't mean that it's "right". I have a distinct aversion to paying more for a service (or an object) than it's worth. We had the trip of a lifetime in Italy - we went on 5 private excursions with our Roll Call mates, at a cost of 60 to 100 Euros per person. The same excursion (the "exclusive" version in a small van) would have been $300+ per person. Doing it for the same price would have meant being one of 40-50 on a bus with no say over what we did for the day.

 

Other days we wandered - Capri, Ravenna, Dubrovnik, Olbia. All are very navigable cities and a map or guidebook, sturdy walking shoes and water are all you need to have a fabulous day. No need to pay somebody to point out the sights.

[caribill]

Hi All,

 

As we are cruising the coast of the US including New York,

 

is it safe for us to get off the ship or should I stay on board, after all the

 

things you have said about going to far away places .

 

yours Shogun

 

 

No need to stay on the ship.

 

Just book the most expensive Princess excursion you can find.

 

Then, to be perfectly safe, do not get off the bus.

[shepp]

I am glad to hear you enjoy the bug bites and stinky toilets, wow what a great experience in travelling the world. I will stay with my pristine cruisers lifestyle.

 

Well, you know, I didn't say I enjoyed that.

 

Some things I did enjoy: being the only Westerners on a hilltop in western India filled with dozens of amazing temples.

 

Being the only Westerners in a near-deserted Crusaders' castle in Syria.

 

Seeing the ruins at Tulum first thing in the morning, before it was swamped with package tourists.

 

Taking a local bus to Saqqara, walking through verdant fields, and approaching the step pyramid, nearly free of other tourists.

 

Being the only Westerners eating at a restaurant in Gujarat that featured an amazingly delicious all-you-can-eat thali for less than a buck.

 

And yes, I'll be spending five days in a lodge deep in the Amazon, dodging bug bites and observing some of the most amazing biodiversity on Earth.

 

You get the idea.

 

As in: being ferried around with forty other cruisers straining to hear the guide, never interacting with locals who aren't being paid to serve you, being part of the masses being run through the well-worn ruts on the tourist route, and insulating yourself from deeper contact with a culture. What a great experience in traveling the world.

[kooljamming]

 

Seeing the ruins at Tulum first thing in the morning, before it was swamped with package tourists.

 

 

We drove to Chichen Itza and Tulum last summer. This past June we all climbed Coba.

Tulum is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and it was even better without the crowd.

 

[jlayton]

Just got back from Alaska. Walked off the ship and got a wonderful trip to Misty Fjord with Taquan Air in Ketchikan for significantly less than the price the ship was quoting. Great company, great trip. Booked it about 5 steps after leaving the dock.

 

In Juneau all helicopter flights were cancelled the day we were in port. Had booked on my own with Northstar Trekking. Nice gal called and apologized that they had to cancel but for safety reasons all helicopters were cancelled due to fog. Immediately called Dolphin Cruises and booked a whale watch from the Lido deck of the ship. Again significantly cheaper than ship. Great trip. 25 people on our boat. saw many whales. High value trip in my opinion. Felt safe and cared for.

 

In Skagway rented a car from Avis and drove into the Yukon. went 50 miles furthur than the train goes. Again, I felt like it was a great value, saw a lot, never felt unsafe.

 

I think it is up to your comfort level. For me, I say do your homeowrk on these boards and book it yourself with a reputable company to save some money. Turn your savings into a balcony! If saving some money isnt an issue then good for you and do it the way you feel is best for you. :)

[mek]

quote=Devil Dog I am glad to hear you enjoy the bug bites and stinky toilets, wow what a great experience in travelling the world. I will stay with my pristine cruisers lifestyle.

 

And most likely you will miss most of the fascinating places in the world. But if antiseptic is what you want, then to each his own.

[elsje]

It really all has to do with tolerance of risk. Though I love cruising, I come from a Lonely-Planet type background, and have spent probably a few of years of my life traveling independently, taking local buses and eating where the locals eat, in places including India, Nepal, Syria, Burma, and Egypt, and in September, I'll be spending a month traveling independently through Peru. I have never been to a Diamonds International or a Senor Frog's, but the worst travel-related crimes I've experienced have been having my camera stolen in Quito, and having my wallet lifted...in a New Jersey amusement park.

 

I'm not exactly foolhardy, but the one and only day I was in Jamaica, I took a tour with a (great) local operator, then, with some time to kill, went for a walk through Ocho Rios all by myself. It was, well, great. I did feel a bit like I was a rich white American "slumming" in a poor country, but that's part of many a cruise, eh? In any case, that stroll was really the very best part of that whole cruise. I went past a school where the kids were playing cricket, saw a little local graveyard, went past parks and markets and some guy smoking ganja, and, well, got away from the hand-sanitized, prepackaged world of HAL for a while. Somebody offered to sell me weed, I said, "No thanks" with no attitude, and that was that.

 

The most hassle I got was when I was back at the gate to the pier, where a hooker made a really aggressive move. Now, if I'd been home in San Francisco, I would have laughed and said, "Hey, wrong guy. I'm gay!" But - and here's the rub - Jamaica is notorious for being one of the most homophobic countries on Earth, with Jamaicans themselves almost always the victims, and the government is part of the problem. I don't think anyone there would clock me as gay unless I made a point of it, but I've decided not to go back anytime soon, not to a country that has official tolerance of (and sometimes police collusion in) gay-bashings. My mother booked that cruise for us, but I've decided henceforth that I'll spend my dollars elsewhere.

 

But that has to do with conscience and politics, not risk. I suppose that I'm still a little torn about joining the ranks of "No risks, please, we're cruisers" culture (as exemplified by the rather breathless alarmism of the OP). But as long as Princess keeps serving the Love Boat Dream, I'll just have to live with my own contradictions. Because life doesn't come with guarantees, much less travel insurance, and I'm glad I've had the experience of a frustrating, moonlit night in a schmutzy train station waiting for an hours-late train from Mumbai. OK, at the time it didn't maybe seem like fun, but to me, it's at least as much a meaningful part of my life experience as the champagne waterfall.

 

I truly enjoyed reading your post. When I was 23 (many moons ago) I flew to the USA to start my job as a nanny and I had never met the family before. A year later I met my husband and we moved to Brazil. I traveled every 3 months out of the country by myself (had too 90-day visa would expire because I did not have a work permit whereas my husband did) on trains and buses to places like Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. No cell phones in the late 70's, and/or computer but I did have a great travel book and knew exactly where I was going. Those were my and DH best times.

 

May be because I started out at a young age traveling and may be being from Europe (we seem to be wanderers) with various countries and languages made it easier for me to just grab a backpack and go and explore. I do not know why, but "fear" never entered my mind when I was planning a trip, but then again I did plan by reading up.

 

My DH and I have traveled a lot and there has yet to be an island and/or country we have visited we did not like. We immerse ourselves into the different cultures, we like to eat the locals food and their local beers LOLOL.

 

I believe that poverty (if one has not seen it) "scares" people and think the people are dangerous but that is not necessarily the case. When we visit a poor country eg. Dominica we read up and ask any of the local guides we have booked an excursion with what we can bring from the States that could help a school etc. On our last visit to Dominica we brought a ton of school supplies and dropped it off at the school. It was the highlight of our trip.

 

We all are different, some of us are more adventerous and some are not and that is OK! BTW I was in Northern Thailand a few years back and yes I did have to use " the hole toilet" Now that was an experience :eek: and since I have been back to the US I have utmost respect for that piece of porcelain in my bathroom :D

[Devil Dog]

Don't pigeon hole me shepp, I never said what I do other than enjoy the luxury cruisers lifestyle. I only commented on you telling me I don't see anything of interest because I go with the tourists and you wait for a train that is 4-6 hrs late in some remote train station in the middle of nowhere India. Did you ever wonder why you are the only westerner, like you pointed out so many times. I think you ought to consider that and leave it alone after that.

[Captain Canuck]

I am old..when I was young I took a backpack and did europe...cheap hotels rather than hostels as the latter had curfews....walked miles and miles...experienced what I could of other cultures...

 

I am now mature..better word than old...I know what I like..I don't have to experience a Thai village with dad out moving heroin and mom hiding his silver plated 45 under the baby (I have actually seen this)

 

I know what I like. I appreciate comfort..toilets with paper..running water...trains with padded seats...fellow travellers without strange diseases...that is why cruising is great..see a bit of the world but in comfort and safety

 

too soon I will be too old for that and will be watching our home movies and travel tv

 

so for the people who believe you have to travel like the locals to appreciate a culture..maybe so..but why is that the goal....I am sure you want to show tolerance towards other cultures...how about showing some to the cruising culture

[Devil Dog]

Welll said Capt. After serving 20 very long years in the US Marines I too would like to travel in comfort and was relaying that point to my friend who likes the bug bites and was telling me I don't get to see the local flavor and experience the culture. well I thought this is a website for cruising the luxury ships of the world and enjoying what the cruise lines offers for an experience they reccomend and POW I don't know how to travel. I have stories myself but this isn't the VFW al the Marine Mustang website so we don't need lectures on travelling with the locals is the only way. I am long winded but I think Capt. Canuck is spot on.