Shore Excursions

I've read the shared tour instructions but I'm still confused. Let's say I put my cc up to create an 8 person group. Only 4 sign up. Does or power person rate then Jump up to the 4 person rate or is my credit card charged for the extra 4 people I couldnt find to join. Also, what about no shows? Is mt cc on the hook for these people as well? Im interested in starting a group but their policy is confusing to me.

 

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Your best bet is to contact the tour company itself with these exact questions as only they can really answer it as to what their policy is.

We had a poor experience with smartcruisetours. We were told the driver was very familiar with the area in addition to meeting us in the wrong spot and being late. Thumbs down Tour Provider disappoints

Booked with the tour company smartcruisetours for a trip to Cinque Terre, Italy. We ended up having a very good time, despite the tour company. They basically ended up being a glorified taxi cab. The driver was a very nice young man, so I blame the problem on the tour company. The driver was supposed to have knowledge of the area and give us a general orientation of what to see and do on our way to the drop off point. Our driver told us he had been there once a long time ago and basically knew how to get to the ferry and that was it. There was very little conversation on the way there unless we tried to ask a question, most of the timew he didn't know the answer. I have kept their e-mail correspondence and very little of what they said they would do was done. I will never use this company again. Lesson learned.

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Rich

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Thanks a lot for all your responses! WE are in the Western Mediterranean itinerary: Livorno, Monte Carlo, Toulon, Valencia, Barcelona, Palermo, Naples, ,etc.

What cruise are you on? We are a group of 6 on the Norwegian Jade leaving 11/1.

David

We'll be on the Jade next year on March 7th.

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I would definitely stay clear of companies like Viator and cruisingexcursions. They are third party agencies. All they do is book with a local operator which you can do yourself. There are loads of bad reviews about both companies.

We hardly ever book any ship excursions as they are so overpriced. We don't do private tours either as they are also too expensive. We tend to take taxis, HOHO buses, public transport, car hire or local tour company. It can all be done, but takes research and planning. As usual, HLitner is offering good advice.

We have used Cruising Excursions on our last 2 cruises and been more than happy with them. Small intermate groups and knowledgeable guides. Plus we were always back in plenty of time. Have also used HOHO buses which I agree are great if you are not wanting to travel to far a field

I've used shore excursions group and been very pleased

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While Viator is a third party vendor and doesn't actually operate the tour themselves, I've used them throughout Europe, the US and always check their website to see what they have available.

I don't always book with them, but do find their tours are pretty standard and offer what other vendors do. I liked them for Europe as the trip was paid for well before we actually went on the trip (IN US $$) so didn't have to worry about EURO exchange rates.

You print your voucher immediately upon purchase (and the tour company name is usually on that voucher). Never had a problem with the tour being cancelled or not showing up. In Venice (we were actually late for the meeting point, went to the visitor office and they knew the vendor, called their cell and arranged for us to meet the tour at an ice cream bar to continue the tour).

I have no hesitation in booking with Viator. But everyone has their own comfort level.

And just a word of warning for the DIYs, have a Plan "A", and a Plan "B" for when Plan A falls apart, and then still be prepared to go with the flow when everything falls apart. I've been to Europe 7 times. Globus tours, DIY, Private Tour Guide in Hungary, cruiseline tours, and taxis. And no amount of planning can insure that you get where you want to get and see what you want to see.

Fortunately there are many various ways to travel so we can all choose what works best for us. Have a great trip!

Excursions were the highlight for our cruise years ago!

Do your research its worth it, identify your needs and you need to decide how much you compromise between $ and your personal wants.

Private is the way to go if you can afford, tour sharing is the next. In some ports DIY makes sense and as a very last option the cruise ship tours.

I did tour share and it worked out well and saved us a few bucks, but it isn't for everyone. For two people a private tour is expensive but at my stage of life I'd not blink at doing that for the best experience, YMMV.

We used http://www.romeinlimo.com for 2 tours. 1000 Euros for 12 people in two eight passenger vans for an all day tour from the Port of Naples to the Amalfi Coast. Tour included 2 hour stops at Positano, Ravello and the town of Amalfi.

The second was an airport transfer from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino Airport for 4 passengers with luggage. Cost was 170 Euros. http://www.romeinlimo discounted the Amalfi Coast tour by 200 Euros because we booked a second tour with them.

We tend to avoid most cruise line excursions because we simply prefer to do our own thing and not be part of a large crowd. Some of the cruise lines have taken excursion pricing to a new extreme so one should look at all options. For example, a few weeks ago we were in Sydney, Australia on the OOsterdam and noticed that HAL was charging $595 per person for a tour which was primarily a climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We have previously done this climb and it is lots of fun. But the current cost of doing a daylight climb is about $250 per person Australian Dollars which makes it about $225 US dollars. One can book that climb online (well in advance) and simply use public transit, your feet or a taxi to get to the climb office. A couple taking the HAL tour would spend over $700 more then necessary. Once you are at the climb office (where all climbs start) everyone gets the same treatment, guides, etc. And this is just one simple example. Another example would be the cost of taking a train from Civitavecchia to Rome (less then $15 round trip) vs the cruise line transfers which are often over $100 (and can take longer then the train).

Hank

P.S When we mentioned the cost of the HAL Sydney Harbor Bridge tour to an official in the Sydney Tourist Office she just started to roar with laughter (as did a few of her colleagues).