Private Tours

On private group tours for our 2015 cruise, we have been asked to submit our credit card number in Spain and Florence. In the past, we have always just signed up and showed up that day and paid in cash. I can understand the "pros" to the tour companies, but I really would like to know what the "cons" are to me.

Thank you for your help.

I have booked tours in Europe thru Viator and always charged with cc at time of booking. Never a problem.

Of course, possible problems are fraud or private tour company going out of business.

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This is normal business practice. I'm always surprised at the tour guides who say "pay me when you get here". Risks are like any other time you give or even use your credit card.

This is normal business practice. I'm always surprised at the tour guides who say "pay me when you get here". Risks are like any other time you give or even use your credit card.

I agree. Even if you are not charged at time of booking you have to secure your booking with a cc (similar to hotel or rental car bookings).

And I agree on the bookings with Viator. Very easy, never had any issues. Had to cancel a booking and got a full refund.

For a few tours we have paid a small deposit up front but the majority of private tours we have done in Europe & elsewhere we have paid on the day of the tour.

Paying up front to a large tour company is IMHO less risky than paying an independent tour guide upfront with a credit card.

Just to be a little safer, we always use a credit card that is not linked to our banking, etc.

Happy Sails to You

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

Thank you all very much for the good advice. We really appreciate it.

Just to be a little safer, we always use a credit card that is not linked to our banking, etc.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

Agreed.

If you feel uneasy, then that is your "spidey senses" telling you maybe you should be.

Use a dedicated credit card (seperate from your usual one with a low limit)

Or, look at getting a fixed amount pre-loaded credit card... So there is no danger of anyone running up a huge bill with false charges

All the convenience of a credit card, and security too

Cheers!

We use a separate credit card just for these types of transactions.

On all of our Italy tours even though we pay on cash the day of the tour we do have to provide a credit card number that would be used in the event we do not show up. That is common practice.

Keith

This is normal business practice. I'm always surprised at the tour guides who say "pay me when you get here". Risks are like any other time you give or even use your credit card.

I find the idea of turning up for a tour with cash rather odd in the 21st century especially if the private tour is very expensive. We have booked Viator for the last 9 years for various land and sea holidays around the world, this year was a trip to Japan for everything from transfers to individual tours. I find being able to plan and pay for (and sometimes cancel) tours on a credit card in advance the preferred and safest way to travel. This is done in my own currency (UK Sterling), no surprise additional costs and is one less thing to worry about. In fact for our 2015 Baltic cruise, the tendency of local providers such as Alla, SPB et al, to want to payment on arrival is rather off putting and think it is unlikely that I will use any of them for that reason.

We used SPB and paid by credit card during the tour. Private tour, 3 couples - No problem. Plus, our tour guides were wonderful, especially the one in St Petersburg.

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We used Anastasia tours for St Petersburg this July. Paid at the very end of the tour. They took cr cards, euros, USD, pounds. Great tour.

I have a paypal account that I pay guides through. Useful for some other transactions too like buying something on-line.

I usually find guides on my own and they are usually cheaper than those same guides booked through a booking agent such as "Tours by Locals" and Viatour. Many guides work for companies and for themselves booking by their own website or on FaceBook or Linked In or other social media. Recommendations from Cruise Critic is a major source of guides for me. I negotiate by email and define what is to be included, what the time is and pick up and drop off points, and the name of the person who will be in the car with me and the type of car. I also check a person out for license if one is required for that country. I ask the person that I am contracting with how deposit and fees are to be paid. I then pay through paypal or if a travel agency by credit card (limited account). Has worked well for me. I try to "help" a good guide's business by responding on Cruise Critic or Trip Advisor when asked. We travel as party of 3 so this method has saved much money and we have had many successful trips.

I see you often arrange for your own tour guides.

I like to arrange for our own guides as well, because we take a lot of photos and don't want to inconvenience others on a large bus if we want to stay longer...or leave earlier!!

Besides we aren't shoppers, and it seems every tour that others arrange involve a lot of hours window shopping, or time spent in bars or restaurants. That's just not our bag.

We are heading for the Mediterranean on HAL's Maasdam, 50 day, return FLL trip, Oct 30-mid Dec 2015.

We've been lucky enough to catch a couple of good deals and have thus sailed around South America on 49 day cruises, twice and I've arranged independent tours a couple of dozen times; about 3/4 of them before leaving home, and another 1/4 once we were in port.

But Europe is a whole new ball game for me. Have you sailed there? Have you any recommendations for tour guides in any of the following places:

Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Canary Islands, Spain

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, Spain

Tangier, Morocco

Almeria, Spain

Valencia, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Naples (Pompeii), Italy

Messina, Italy 08:00 AM

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Katakolon (Olympia), Greece

Kerkira, Nisos Kerkira (Corfu), Greece

Valletta, Malta

Mgarr (Victoria), Gozo, Malta TR

Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Cartagena, Spain

Gibraltar, British Territory

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

Casablanca, Morocco

Funchal (Madeira), Portugal

I thought I'd try to get on this as soon as I could, as I have no idea how complicated it will be as time goes by/in port.

Thanks.

len

I see you often arrange for your own tour guides.

 

I like to arrange for our own guides as well, because we take a lot of photos and don't want to inconvenience others on a large bus if we want to stay longer...or leave earlier!!

 

Besides we aren't shoppers, and it seems every tour that others arrange involve a lot of hours window shopping, or time spent in bars or restaurants. That's just not our bag.

 

We are heading for the Mediterranean on HAL's Maasdam, 50 day, return FLL trip, Oct 30-mid Dec 2015.

 

We've been lucky enough to catch a couple of good deals and have thus sailed around South America on 49 day cruises, twice and I've arranged independent tours a couple of dozen times; about 3/4 of them before leaving home, and another 1/4 once we were in port.

 

But Europe is a whole new ball game for me. Have you sailed there? Have you any recommendations for tour guides in any of the following places:

Santa Cruz (Tenerife), Canary Islands, Spain

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, Spain

Tangier, Morocco

Almeria, Spain

Valencia, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Naples (Pompeii), Italy

Messina, Italy 08:00 AM

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Katakolon (Olympia), Greece

Kerkira, Nisos Kerkira (Corfu), Greece

Valletta, Malta

Mgarr (Victoria), Gozo, Malta TR

Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Cartagena, Spain

Gibraltar, British Territory

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

Casablanca, Morocco

Funchal (Madeira), Portugal

 

I thought I'd try to get on this as soon as I could, as I have no idea how complicated it will be as time goes by/in port.

Thanks.

len

I would suggest you post your request for information on the various Port boards here on CC. I am planning a Med. Cruise in July 2015 and have found an absolute goldmine of information on tour providers and DIY tours for most ports on those boards.

Have a great trip!