Easter Island and the great Princess Cruises let down.

With over 100 days still to go before arriving at Easter Island I have just found out that the only shore excursion that visits any of the shore line statues

is booked out and wait listed for both the morning and afternoon three hour excursion.

Having asked the staggering amount of A$315 each for my wife and myself, for just a three hour tour, we now find that there are only two tours of 35 people. 70 people out of the thousands on board.

Could someone help by giving any information about booking a local tour please? Is this advisable?

With over 100 days still to go before arriving at Easter Island I have just found out that the only shore excursion that visits any of the shore line statues

is booked out and wait listed for both the morning and afternoon three hour excursion.

Having asked the staggering amount of A$315 each for my wife and myself, for just a three hour tour, we now find that there are only two tours of 35 people. 70 people out of the thousands on board.

Could someone help by giving any information about booking a local tour please? Is this advisable?

Contact Marcus at Easter Island Travel (easterisland.travel). We were there a year ago and his company is excellent. He has great reviews on Trip Advisor. I think we paid upward of $300 each for a two day tour but it was worth every dime. Completely magical!! Book early though. He is popular

With over 100 days still to go before arriving at Easter Island I have just found out that the only shore excursion that visits any of the shore line statues

 

is booked out and wait listed for both the morning and afternoon three hour excursion.

 

Having asked the staggering amount of A$315 each for my wife and myself, for just a three hour tour, we now find that there are only two tours of 35 people. 70 people out of the thousands on board.

 

Could someone help by giving any information about booking a local tour please? Is this advisable?

If you go to the thread under the roll call you will find there is a group doing an informal tour with contact details. Perhaps that would be a good option.

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Search for my comments on EI. Please be aware that your tendering has a chance of not happening due to rough seas and know your refund policy for private tours. It's not only transferring off the ship to the tender, but also the primitive harbour. We did not make it onto shore and lost a good portion of our prepaid tour fees for our two day port visit.

Contact James at Spirit Island Tours.

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Thank you everyone and Floridatravelersforlife that is good advice.

Please see these comments from Easter Island Travel received overnight.

Payment

We charge the full tour cost online using PayPal, so you may pay securely and comfortably from your home. VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discovery cards are accepted.

Can I pay with cash in port?

No. We charge the full amount online to avoid handling cash on the tour day, making things go smoother and quicker for everyone.

Are there any additional fees?

In addition to the shore excursion cost, a national park entry fee of 60 USD per person in cash is charged by the administration present in port. Only bills in good condition are accepted.

What happens if weather prevents us from landing by tender?

In case of bad weather, we will be on stand-by to see if weather changes. The alternative cruise ship port at a different side of the island (beach Anakena) will also be considered. In the unlikely case of tenders being unable to enter Easter Island at all (happens around 1 out of 20 ships), we will refund a generous 50% of your shore excursion payment. The rest will cover part of guide salaries, vehicle rentals etc, which we still have to pay.

Now I have got problems. No tours by Princess or risk not landing and the greatest potential rip off ever experienced on a cruise liner. :mad:

Another option you might consider is getting a rental car right off the tender.

EI is very easy to self-drive (impossible to get lost) and that will allow you visit all the sites you wish, staying at some longer than others. Insular Rent a Car should have vehicles - call or email them to reserve.

It is a magical place. I've been there twice and done it both times without a tour.

Totally agree with OzCanuck, just rent a car. You seriously can't get lost, there's only one town on the island and all roads lead to it.

This is great advice. Thank you both. :)

Hire a car from the local hire company. Only about $60 US for the day.

Very cheap considering where it is.

How about insurances and bond? What is the situation?

Last time I rented, neither applied - it was about $60-70/day for a Suzuki jeep. No options for additional insurance as I recall. So if you have a prang, you're all in. But honestly you rarely go faster than 20-30 km/h anywhere on the island and traffic is very sparse outside Hanga Roa. Worst thing that might happen is you drive into the gutter while parking, or hit something while parking.

Disclaimer: I'm an insurance guy and am overly cautious on these things.