Only ship in port

[Ozarkmills]

According to the cruisetimetables and cruisett websites, our ship will be the only ship in port. It may have to do with the season (September, Hurricanes). With that said, I am wondering if tour operators, taxi's, etc. are more willing to "negotiate" better rates for their tours. With less $$ to go around, I feel I can bargain better. I am not booking any tours through the cruise line or through the individual tour operators online. I've researched where I want to go and what to see. Has anyone been the only ship in port? Also, were the local shops willing to bargain as well?

[purduemom1]

I would think it depends on where you are going, the local customs and how anxious the locals are to make money. They all know the cruise ship calendar and plan accordingly.

[sail7seas]

You should expect to pay the normal/usual for what they always charge.

 

[DizzyDallasDi]

It never hurts to try to negotiate a better rate. Who knows, you might be able to strike a deal. The worst that can happen is they say no.

[OCruisers]

According to the cruisetimetables and cruisett websites, our ship will be the only ship in port. It may have to do with the season (September, Hurricanes). With that said, I am wondering if tour operators, taxi's, etc. are more willing to "negotiate" better rates for their tours. With less $$ to go around, I feel I can bargain better. I am not booking any tours through the cruise line or through the individual tour operators online. I've researched where I want to go and what to see. Has anyone been the only ship in port? Also, were the local shops willing to bargain as well?

 

Actually, you bring up an interesting question as far as independent tour operators go.

The price/demand could certainly be a factor.

 

LuLu

~~~

[cb at sea]

They are busy all year round....just because 1 day there is only 1 ship....not a huge factor to the vendors. This is their business and living...and they charge what they charge.

[LHT28]

We have been the only ship in port several times did not seem to change the prices of things

[navybankerteacher]

In a port which usually has half a dozen ships, it is likely that a number of the locals would take the day off if there were just one. If you like to bargain, why not try it regardless of how many ships there are?

[Scrapnana]

You can often bargain for jewelry in the Caribbean. Never tried to take a tour just walking off the ship but you could certainly try to negotiate a rate.

[Keith1010]

The answer is it depends on what port you are talking about.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many times we have been the only ship in a port.

It does depend on the port.

If it is a port that has cruise ships there all the time -- don't count on any bargains.

But if it is a port where that has cruise ships port only a few times a year -- yes you can bargain with the taxi drivers and sometimes with vendors.

[John Bull]

The answer is it depends on what port you are talking about.

 

Keith

 

Agreed.

 

And cruisers aren't the only vacationers. ;)

 

JB :)

[sail7seas]

You can often bargain for jewelry in the Caribbean. Never tried to take a tour just walking off the ship but you could certainly try to negotiate a rate.

 

 

In places like St. Barts and Barbados and certainly other ports, we have left the ship and spoken with taxi drivers/tour persons and chosen to hire them to take us the specific places we wanted to see. In advance of our cruises, I research to see places we might like to see that we haven't already visited or would like to see again and then decide the morning when we arrive what we feel like doing. We feel no pressure to dash around in a frenzy on our cruises. It works great for us to hire someone in person, when we can speak with them and evaluate our comfort zone and decide if we wish to get in a vehicle with them.

 

We have never felt there were any special bargains because we were the only ship in that day. As someone else said, cruisers are not the only tourists at the popular vacation spots/islands.

 

[johneeo]

Depends on the excursion. If the operator has one sailboat and books it every day, it does not matter whether there is one ship or a dozen in port.

 

Or, if it is a land based taxi tour, and there are hundreds of operators, then it might be an oversupply of operators to tourists.