booking tours through Hal

[Gamelan1971]

Research does not have to take much time or energy. Just reading the Cruise Critic port boards you will find much of the research has already been done by the Cruise Critic community! And even if one is doing only cruise line excursions, you need to research those. You can't trust those to be good just because they are organized by the cruise line.

 

You are right, but I am still relatively new to cruising and cruise critic- only two HAL cruises under my belt so far. So as I learn more, I'm sure I'll be more confident about booking them on my own and with the assistance of the resources on this great website. It is all a learning process :o

[calbar]

i had a terrible experience in costa rica and made me realize ships tours are the safest bet ,we got trapped behind stuck bus on narrow road we were stuck for hours before we had to walk in dark,pouring rain to another bus but thankfully we were on RC sponsor trip and one of their crew were with us.so to sum it up be careful and have fun.

[cruisemom42]

There is no one answer that works for everyone. I enjoy doing most ports on my own when possible (and I mean really on my own, not with a private tour), but not all ports lend themselves to that. I have no problem taking public transportation in Europe, even to cities not close to where the ship docks (e.g., Rome, Florence). What is more difficult is stops where there is little infrastructure. I will look for private tours in those cases -- but as I am solo and often have very specific things I want to see and do, I sometimes cannot find anyone to share. In those cases (as a final resort!) I'll book a tour through the ship.

 

I am very detail oriented. Like Kirk, I enjoy doing all the research and feel that I learn much more that way than I could ever absorb just by listening to a guide for a couple of hours on one day. I always try to plan for every contingency -- and have yet to come close to missing the ship. However, were even that to happen, I feel I'm generally prepared to handle it.

 

I completely understand that this approach isn't for everyone. But it is possible in a great many ports. I do it not so much for the money (although it is certainly a plus to pay less), but because I hate the forced shopping stops and the "time wasters" on big bus tours who cannot seem to be anywhere on time, thus wasting mine. And also because, as I mentioned, I have distinct things in mind that I want to see -- not just a general "highlights" tour.