shore excursions seem expensive on Oceania

Hi

I am planning a trip to the Baltics on the Oceania and the excursions seem expensive...for example...while in Amsterdam, a trip to Rijksmuseum will cost $135 per person. I checked online for the price of admission and is it about $18. Are they charging over $100 for what they describe as a "short drive"? Any advice would be appreciated. Can I get to the museum on my own? Will I have to wait on a long line if I go on my own? Willing to pay if it is really worth it.

You CAN get to the museum on your own. And if you do so, you will probably have more time to spend there.

You can also book a private tour for less money than O charges, but you need to have additional people to make it cost effective. That's where posting a question at the roll call comes into play.

We have been to Amsterdam a number of times and feel comfortable going around on our own. If you haven't been there before, you might not feel so comfortable. If you haven't traveled in Europe on your own, you probably would feel even MORE uncomfortable. But most people there speak English which is one problem dispensed with.

Also, if you are only in port for one day (and who knows that the times are), then it can be tricky to wander around on your own.

Another point about ship's tours to a museum: and this might not be true here, I don't know. But I've been in museums on my own when a ship's tour came through. Usually, the guide gave a detailed description of maybe 3 works of art. And then they were gone.

Or perhaps the guide talks about 3 works and then you have some time on your own.

But I always prefer to do a museum on my own (or our own) because we want to spend more time than a ship's tour permits.

You can leave the ship, find a cab (or a tram) and get to the museum and it will cost a lot less than the ship's tour.

JMO.

As an aside, my first time in Amsterdam was with my husband who was on a business trip. He went off to his appointments and I was on my own. So I went to one of the diamond places for a tour. I was on my own at the same time as a bus tour came through: if this is Tuesday it must be Amsterdam.

The clerk was unhappy when a member of the bus tour admired my mother-in-law's engagement ring which was on my finger. And the people I talked to were astonished that we would travel on our own. (This was many years ago.)

My comment then was that in a major city like Amsterdam there is rarely a language problem, even if you don't speak anything but English.

As I said up top, if you are in a city for several days you can risk making wrong turns and go around on your own. If you are on a cruise with only one day in port, you may well want a guide.

But you don't have to do a ship's tour. In fact, the last time we did a ship's tour in Amsterdam it was to get OUT of town! And that was a great tour, but it was with Renaissance. I don't know if Oceania offers this tour -- which was to Madurodam. I highly recommend it, but if this is your first time in Amsterdam, you will want to see Amsterdam!

Ship's tours on ALL cruise lines are generally a ripoff. They are geared to those who like the convenience of not having to do any work/planning for port visits or those who are uncomfortable going it alone or with a private guide. To each his own. The profit margin on excursions is astronomical. The cruise line makes a bundle.

At many ports, you can book the same company used by the cruise line for less than half the cost the cruise line charges. If you are fortunate to hook up with other cruisers, you can have a private guide with 6 - 8 people (not 40 - 50), be taken around in a Mercedes van (and not a huge bus) and go exactly where you want to go (not where their guide decides to take you). You can stop when you see something of interest, be spontaneous, shop or not shop at all, and generally have a more authentic experience. Interacting with a private guide is an education itself.

Regardless of the port or the activity, you will likely have a far better experience either doing it on your own or getting together with other cruisers and hiring a private guide. A museum is quite easy to do on one's own and the museum itself might offer its own tours or self tours once you arrive.

My friend is taking her first cruise in September (to the Mediterranean). She was going to book the ship's tours and I told her about Cruise Critic and the roll calls. She is now over the moon, having joined some private tours planned by other cruisers and making new friends pre cruise. She keeps telling me how much "better" the private tours are and how much money she is saving. Because she is a new cruiser, she was uncomfortable doing the research and finding the guides herself, so joining others was a good strategy. I bet next time she'll be planning the private tours herself.

Give yourself plenty of time to plan and you will save a bundle and enjoy the ports.

Hi

I am planning a trip to the Baltics on the Oceania and the excursions seem expensive...for example...while in Amsterdam, a trip to Rijksmuseum will cost $135 per person. I checked online for the price of admission and is it about $18. Are they charging over $100 for what they describe as a "short drive"? Any advice would be appreciated. Can I get to the museum on my own? Will I have to wait on a long line if I go on my own? Willing to pay if it is really worth it.

If you feel comfortable doing your own thing, especially since English is widely understood & spoken, then

Check out iamsterdam.com

or even easier...

Canal Bus

[day Canal bus pass = 20 euro / 24 hr Canal bus pass only= 22 euro / Combination 24hr canal bus pass with Rijksmuseum = 33.50 euro]

they claim that "[...] you don't have to stand in line."

Also available the All Amsterdam Transport Pass € 28.00 (24hr canal bus pass + unlimited travel through Amsterdam by bus, metro and tram) - good value and then you have more transport choice which is good if you are on a tight schedule.

If you order Rijksmuseum tickets online (you need a printer to print e-ticket), "You can print and pay for your ticket at home and walk straight through the fast lane avoiding large queues at the Rijksmuseum main entrance." from Rijksmuseum website

From what I read and have experienced, many shore excursions on many cruise lines are terribly overpriced. Oceania fits the pattern, unfortunately. But it depends on where you are and what you want. Recently, on a Regatta Amazon cruise, we took the ship's excursion to a folklore show in a small town. There was no other way to attend the show. It was expensive, but a lot of fun. On other shore trips on the Amazon we teamed up with several other passengers and hired our own guides. We had great experiences! Far better than what passengers who did the ship's excursions had. In some cases, we got to do exactly what we wanted. And we may have saved money. I'd advise people to check things out--use the internet and be imaginative. John.

Hi

I am planning a trip to the Baltics on the Oceania and the excursions seem expensive...for example...while in Amsterdam, a trip to Rijksmuseum will cost $135 per person. I checked online for the price of admission and is it about $18. Are they charging over $100 for what they describe as a "short drive"? Any advice would be appreciated. Can I get to the museum on my own? Will I have to wait on a long line if I go on my own? Willing to pay if it is really worth it.

You can just get the tram day pass for 7E you can buy one in the shop next to the ship terminal the tram is a short walk from the port about 3 min

http://www.gvb.nl/english/travellers/tickets-and-fares/Pages/GVB-24-48-72-96-hour-tickets.aspx

Whenever possible, do your own shore excursions on almost any cruiseline. 30 years ago in Cabo the ship wanted $25 person for the glass bottom boat tour. The boats left about 100 feet from where we got off the tender. A group of eight of us, rented the same boat for a total of $20 on our own and got a better tour!

I live in Amsterdam. If you need any information just contact me. maxapo@xs4all.nl

If you are not comfortable with doing your own thing in a port, then the luxury of a cruise line excursion is a handy thing to have. We tend to do our own thing and have been very happy with that so far. We will sometimes opt for a private excursion as well and will look at the ship roll call for others to join us. We occasionally will take a cruise line excursion if we cannot do the same thing on our own easily or comfortably. The cruise line excursions have additional costs in arranging the providers, having staff on hand to deal with the reservations and the cancellations and rebooking headaches that go with all of that and if people are willing to pay the price, so much the better for them. They are a business after all. The bottom line is you can decide what works best for you in each port and decide on what you want to do based on your comfort level. If you plan on private excursions or doing your own thing, always research plan b and even plan c options in case things don't go the way you intend them to.

Private tours are not always wonderful - we have been on a few good ones and a few awful ones. Sometimes you are asked to pay ahead of time and if you have to cancel, it is money lost with no refund. We were on one where everyone just wanted to shop which wasn't mentioned beforehand - I should have asked point blank but didn't. Point is, do the research and decide where you own comfort level is, on your own or ship tour. Most of all have a great time.

I don't think Oceania or any other cruise line makes any real "killing" on shore excursions...

They all contract with local companies for the tour packages...They will add a small premium for all of their other costs in administering the program...Sometimes it seems a bit much, sometimes not...

Remember, in Amsterdam, it's not just admission to the Rijksmuseum, its the bus, the driver, the tour guide and maybe some other parts to the tour...

Personally, I think the best thing to do in a foreign port that you are NOT FAMILIAR with is to get a tour of some sort...

It usually makes sense to arrange a private tour with a group of between 6 and 10...With fewer people, the cost will, generally, be greater than that of a shore excursion...so, if you cannot join or put together a group, go with the shore excursion...

For most, look to your roll call here on cruise critic...

When we visited Amsterdam last summer, we put together a group on our Roll Call and hired what I think is the single best guide I've ever hired in any of my travels (and I do this all the time)...

We had a group of 12 and our ship docked not in Amsterdam but in Rotterdam (an hour's drive away)...I foundf this guy from several recommendations here on Cruise Critic...Here is what I wrote in my review upon my return:

Rotterdam: Here I arranged for a private tour for 12 with “The Dutch Travel Advisor” (129€ or 139€ pp, depending on the variation, see below, including ALL museum fees and extra guides), Edwin Groeneweg. I think we hit the absolute jackpot on private guides. This guy was the most organized and efficient private guide we’ve ever had. He met us at the ship in Rotterdam at 9 am with a minibus and took us directly to the Canal Boat in Amsterdam, providing commentary throughout the bus ride and canal boat ride. After the boat ride, we went to the Van Gogh Museum, then to lunch at a sandwich café in Museum Square. At this point, he split up the group, bringing four to the Rijksmuseum while the rest of us finished lunch, then returning and bringing the other 8 to pre-arranged taxis to the Portuguese Synagogue and Jewish Museum (including the Great Synagogue). Note: There was simply not enough time in our port stop to see everything, so this is the one election we all made and our group could not agree, but Edwin deftly accommodated the split. At the Jewish Museum, Edwin handed us off to a specialized guide, Marika, who took the 8 of us through the Synagogues and Museum while Edwin returned to the Rijksmuseum to pick up with the other four. After our portion of the tour, Edwin brought the other four to meet us at the Jewish Museum along with yet another specialized guide, Andre—an expert on Canal Houses and Gardens, who, along with Edwin, led us all on a walking tour of Amsterdam’s older sections, including a visit to a private historic double canal house mansion and gardens—where we were treated to drinks and snacks along with a tour—and through the Red Light District and, finally to the Anne Frank House. At each stop, Edwin had pre-arranged tickets and reservations, so we waited on no lines, bypassing large lines and entering each attraction immediately upon arrival. After the Anne Frank House, our minibus was waiting and we arrived back at the ship at 10:00 pm, exhausted. But we saw more by far in Amsterdam than any shore excursion offered by the ship (their offerings were incredibly unsatisfying, bypassing any museums or major tourist sites, probably for fear of getting 40 people through the lines and not taking advantage of the midnight departure time).

Here's his contact info:

Edwin Groeneweg

Frankenstraat 58

The Hague, The Netherlands

Tel: 01131-653556292

Fax: 01131-842206562

Email: info@thedutchtraveladvisor.com

http://www.thedutchtraveladvisor.com

Good luck...

Private tours are not always wonderful - we have been on a few good ones and a few awful ones. Sometimes you are asked to pay ahead of time and if you have to cancel, it is money lost with no refund. We were on one where everyone just wanted to shop which wasn't mentioned beforehand - I should have asked point blank but didn't. Point is, do the research and decide where you own comfort level is, on your own or ship tour. Most of all have a great time.

From my experience, more ofthen than not, you do not have to pay in advance...It all depends on the country you are visiting...different countries have different laws regarding tour guides...If you are unsure, check with your guide ahead of time about payment and cancellation policies...And, by all means, discuss the proposed tour itinerary with your tour mates before you sign on.

I have done dozens of private tours in various ports...many of them I arranged, many arranged by others...Very few of them have turned out "disappointing" and I have never lost money. I had to back out of a Saint Petersburg tour last minute a couple of years back when my father-in-law passed away while we were on a Baltic Cruise...The tour company let the tour go on as a group of 8 rather than the original 10 and did not charge any of our tour mates one dollar extra! In Athens a few years back, Oceania re-arranged the ports, switching days for Athens and Santorini...Our Athens Guide was not available for the new date, but arranged, on our behalf, for a replacement guide at the same price and terms...

Most of the guides you will find recommended on Cruise Critic know their business...they value their reputations here and don't want to make enemies with us!!!

Great information - thanks!

Oceania excursions are higher priced than other lines. We took a single ship tour in Valencia, where we were unable to find a private tour guide. The excursion guide was pretty good but we wish we had more time at some attractions and less than at others. In many ports, it's sometimes just better to hire a taxi (or prearrange for a ride to and from port to the area of attraction, such as Bruges--shared taxis for 8 or 10 through Bruges Taxi Service were far less expensive than the $130 per person Oceania wanted for transportation only.) In Bilbao, the port offered a free shuttle, taking 50 people at a time. We were lined up for the first shuttle of the day and took a shared taxi back to the ship--total cost from town to ship about $ 25.

Most tours were arranged privately through the online roll call. Some were excellent and others were basically a driver who gave little in the way of guiding. I'd scour the online boards for recommendations of great tour guides--be aware some services are driver only, clarify this with the tour operator. If you can afford private tours without sharing, consider doing that. Through the online roll call, we found others to share tours: some of these folks were very compatible and we've kept in touch. Others were just a pain in the --- and never stopped complaining.

When looking to share tours, try to vet the responders a bit: Age; Any physical limitations like walking, health or hearing difficulties; Willingness to roll with the punches in case something goes amiss; If a meal is included, are they willing to eat the local cuisine or do they expect it to be "americanized?" Ability to speak some of the local language (we had people hanging off my husband's arm as a "translator.") A mismatch in personality or expectations can result in a miserable day on excursion.

I would rather go on a mediocre ship excursion than a horrible private tour with the wrong people along.

Amsterdam is a city that is quite easy to visit without a formal tour if you are able to walk all day. Depending on where the ship docks, there will be taxis and public transit around town. I'd book a canal boat cruise to get an overview from the water. Anne Frank House can be done without a guide. Rijksmuseum is also easily visited without a tour, but be aware that it's been under renovation for years, with only a small portion open to the public. Check the status of that at the museum website. The city is fun for wandering, many interesting shops and sights you will not see in the US. A previous poster had a good Amsterdam tour guide recommendation, if you want to go that route.

We have used Oceania excursions and have been happy with them. Even though they are more expensive than other cruise lines, we have felt that their guides were much more informed and professional than other lines. We mix things up, by using excursions, private guides and doing our own thing.

Research your ports and ask lots of question on this board to decide what you will feel comfortable doing. People can recommend reliable private tour companies and guides.

Use your roll call and the ports of call boards, as well as tripadvisor.com to help with your planning.

Enjoy your cruise!