Organizers of Tours Reprimanded at Meet n' Mingle?

[mjldvlks]

I know we have frequently done private tours. Usually with good friends. We have also had a hand in organizing ship board activities for roll call groups. I also know money has changed hands, probably in public. Never even thought about a problem -- not prfiteering or anything like that, just getting the appropriate reimbursements. I will obviously think about it carefully in the future.

[wwcruisers]

I organized a tour on our last cruise from the roll call. I mentioned which tour I had decided to take and invited anyone else who wanted to could join us. 51 people did. Each person was responsible for paying the tour operator. I agree--I would not collect money and hold it.

 

It seems to me that CC encourages this practice on the roll calls. It makes it clear that you can not solicit pax to join a tour on the regular boards--but, allows this on roll calls.

 

Agreed -- whenever possible, it avoids many headaches to make each person responsible for paying their own share of the tour. :cool:

And, as far as CC goes, I think it falls under the adage of "there's a time and place for everything." We can research (and review) independent tour operators on the Ports of Call Board, just like we can organize independent tours on our r/c threads. :)

[garycarla]

I spend way too much time on these boards and never saw this come up. But, if somebody was ACTIVELY working tours at a M&G, I could see a staff member or Captain getting upset. As to being tossed from ship - more of a warning than anything. It gets people's attention.

 

Just some common sense here and nothing I would worry about.

[akcruz]

Thanks for posting this, never knew about it.

 

We have been on both ends of group tours, organizing and participating, but have always made it each persons responsibility to pay their own to the vendor.

 

Will keep this in mind in the future.

[mjldvlks]

. . . have always made it each persons responsibility to pay their own to the vendor. . . .

 

We have too, but I wouldn't have thought twice about one person gathering up the payments from everyone in order to give it to the vendor. I will now.

[C 2 C]

A similar policy exists on these boards when a poster cannot identify competing travel agencies..

 

Dollars make the world go round and competition is frowned upon.

 

There are now a number of new posters, tour operators pretending to be fellow passengers trying to drum up business on various roll calls.

 

When someone sets up bus loads of posters, I can imagine cruise lines seeing potential profits draining away.

[Tucker in Texas]

Here is a something I would like to ask your suggestions on how to deal with as both a participant and organizer.

 

I have set up a private tour for eight. I have three other couples who I don't know personally sign up (roll call). The tour is priced for the car load not individually. No matter if we have two or eight, same price. It is around 70 euros per person for eight. The vendor is to be paid at the conclusion of the tour and I have not been asked for a deposit.

 

While the others appear to be really great people, I worry, not knowing them personally, that one couple may decide they are tired, weather is bad, not feeling well, found something cheaper, whatever, and not show up. That would stick the other six of us paying for the missing couple. That is assuming that the other couples would be willing to pay for the no-shows. If not, then we are on the hook.

 

So, how would you handle this? Ask for a check to cover their portion be mailed to me cash it and pay their portion to the vendor following the tour or returning the cash to them if they want to use a credit card? Ask for cash to cover the cost be given to me on the ship prior to the day we are touring? Take my chances we won't be stiffed?

 

I've set up tours before and had good luck. However, I was on one we had one person not show. While the organizer was going to eat it, it only amounted to each of us contributing a dollar or two more to cover it which we were happy to do. Another time, a couple decided they didn't want to go but paid their portion. However, that couple was a personal friend of the organizer which may (or may not) have made the difference.

 

I'm open for suggestions.

 

Tucker in Texas

[bouhunter]

.

 

So, how would you handle this? Ask for a check to cover their portion be mailed to me but not cashed and returned to them when they come on the tour? Ask for cash to cover the cost be given to me on the ship prior to the day we are touring? Take my chances we won't be stiffed?

 

 

Tucker in Texas

 

There are great people on the roll calls and on the ships, but this is something I wouldn't get myself into. As you said, these are people you've never met and one or more might not show up for all kinds of reasons. It seems like MANY excursions we've been on, both private and ship sponsored, there are people who don't show up. Then there is the tired routine of everyone else waiting around for an extra 10-20 minutes for people who never show up :(

 

 

That said, I guess if it was me I'd ask them to send me a money order now and cash it. At least then you know they're serious and you're covered.

[deedeetoo]

That said, I guess if it was me I'd ask them to send me a money order now and cash it. At least then you know they're serious and you're covered.

 

So that's how you know that you can trust them. But how do they know they can trust you? I would never send a money order to someone I didn't know who was asking for it on a message board. I have no way of checking if this person is even on the ship. I would never send money ahead of time.

[travelbug11]

A similar policy exists on these boards when a poster cannot identify competing travel agencies..

 

Dollars make the world go round and competition is frowned upon.

 

There are now a number of new posters, tour operators pretending to be fellow passengers trying to drum up business on various roll calls.

 

When someone sets up bus loads of posters, I can imagine cruise lines seeing potential profits draining away.

 

I would doubt that very much. It's also very easy to go into the profile of the person setting up the cruise and see that they are seasond cruisers.

[drarill]

This happened on the Mariner of the seas repo cruise to China, read about it on a members review http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1858254

 

Thanks for the link. Really interesting.

[rt1092]

It looks like I'm going to charter a 6 hr bottom fishing trip in Cozumel during our Nov 9 Oasis trip. It will cost me the same for just me as it will for up to 4 people. I posted it in our roll call if someone wants to join they will just pay me.

I doubt if Royal would have anything against this.

[ARCruisinNana]

I think the problem comes when you take an activity organized and space provided by the cruise line and use that opportunity to make contact with others to do a private tour. Meeting in the open at another time and place wouldn't be a problem. IMHO.

[wwcruisers]

A similar policy exists on these boards when a poster cannot identify competing travel agencies..

 

Dollars make the world go round and competition is frowned upon.

 

There are now a number of new posters, tour operators pretending to be fellow passengers trying to drum up business on various roll calls.

 

When someone sets up bus loads of posters, I can imagine cruise lines seeing potential profits draining away.

 

I would doubt that very much. It's also very easy to go into the profile of the person setting up the cruise and see that they are seasond cruisers.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/announcement.php?f=279&a=330

 

Actually, it's enough of a problem that CC's very own Laura S addressed it in the announcement (link) above.

[bouhunter]

So that's how you know that you can trust them. But how do they know they can trust you? I would never send a money order to someone I didn't know who was asking for it on a message board. I have no way of checking if this person is even on the ship. I would never send money ahead of time.

 

I wouldn't either. The question was how could the poster handle this as the "organizer". I wouldn't personally get involved in this from either end:rolleyes: When on vacation we love to meet and spend time with new people, but we have no interest in scheduling our time or activities around complete "internet strangers" whom we've never actually met. Let alone making any kind of financial arrangements with them.

[Desert Cruizers]

We have attended a couple group tours and all transactions were done prior to boarding, never after boarding and not done with the coordinator but the tour company. We were given all the information needed to book that tour. I am organizing a small tour during our Hawaii sailing next year and have provided those going, the information on how to book with the tour company. I would not want to be responsible for taking someones money for a tour. It should all be done thru the company handling that tour for our group. I have also found it best to work personally with those going via Email so they receive all necessary information rather then posting it on our roll Call to be missed.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

That's ridiculous!!!!

[Lady Chew]

I guess we've just been lucky ... I've organized a few excursions myself, and joined excursions that others have organized ... sometimes each couple pays the tour operator directly, either with credit card beforehand or with cash the day of ... sometimes we have paid the whole thing in advance and been reimbursed by those joining us on the tour after we board the ship (by prearrangement, never at a M&M) ... sometimes we have paid the person organizing the tour in advance ...

We've never had a problem. (knocking on wood!)

But - I have always limited the tours I have arranged to no more than 10 people. Any more just gets to be too much of a hassle, except for the cost you may as well be on a :eek: ship excursion :eek:

[Desert Cruizers]

I oraganized a tour while we were in Barcelona for our TA for the Walking Tour, with the company that does them and there everyone paid the guide directly and it was mainly Tips. We had #18.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I have organized a few private tours and have been a participant on a few private tours where someone else organized them. In all cases, well before the cruise started, it was made clear that each individual was responsible for paying the tour guide/tour operator.

 

In one case, when the tour operator wanted a credit card to reserve the tour, with payment in cash at the end of the tour (which is very reasonable to me), I made sure the other participants emailed their own credit card # to the tour operator. The tour operators may not like it, but no way would I consider guaranteeing that a total stranger is going to fulfill his/her obligation to participate on the tour by collecting money and being responsible for holding on to it.

 

We would meet in a lounge on the first day to say hello and go over some logistics, but never exchanged money on the ship.

That is exactly the way I do it. I have accepted money from close friends and relatives who I cruise with in order to secure a place on a tour for them ONLY when required by the tour operator, but I would never do it for a stranger on the Roll Call. I never accept money on the ship. By that time if it is not paid the operator will accept payment at the beginning or end of the tour.

 

We have a couple of tours booked that do require pre-payment or a credit card hold for our cruise in May. For both of those operators my group of riends and new "Roll Call" friends have secured their own reservations with the tour companies. I have simply expressed my own interest in a particular tour and made the information available to our travel companions. Most of the tour operators we will be dealing with accept payment from individual tour participants at the end of the tour. No exchange of money is involved among us.:)

 

I have also arranged tours and then had the individual Roll Call members who are interested contact the tour operator individually and tell the operator they are with me. That way we are sure to be in the same group. In those cases I have already told the tour operator that would be happening and they have agreed to it. Again, that is for strangers on the Roll Call. I have and continue to arrange tours for our own groups of friends with whom we are traveling, but that is all done prior to the cruise.

[Desert Cruizers]

I have also found, if you are organizing a tour, and it involves a table seating such as a Luau, and several couples wish to be seated with you, to give them your booking # privately rather then posting on the CC Boards so when they call in, they can request that they be linked to your Reserv much like we link with others on our cruise. During our 08 Hawaii cruise I had 30 in my group & two wished to be seated at our table, so I gave the names to the Luau company. The remaining people in our group all linked to ours so we were all seated at tables next to each other.

[squadron]

I think the problem comes when you take an activity organized and space provided by the cruise line and use that opportunity to make contact with others to do a private tour. Meeting in the open at another time and place wouldn't be a problem. IMHO.

Agreed. It is at the very least "tacky" to use M and M to conduct business like that. What about the others attending who would be ignored or feel like "outsiders" of the tour clique.

[Desert Cruizers]

squadron, in the case of the two I have organized, I publicly announce to our Roll call the tour and if anyone is interested to let me know, then keep a list of all those going. I provide Links so the members may read it and decide if they wish to attend. I found if I post pertinent information on the tour to those going, that it might be missed, if they are not on the boards every day and is a fast moving Roll Call. Such was the case of our LOS TA in 2011. I request everyone email me so I have their address and can send them any information they will need.

[FLACRUISER99]

That's ridiculous!!!!

Whats ridiculous???:confused:

[Onessa]

If the line is cracking down on people who are using the Meet and Mingle to organize their own private tours, I say bravo RCCI! RCCI has been very generous in the MnM gatherings we've attended (providing food and drink, some little chochkey, sometimes games, etc.) and then someone wants to hijack the party to undermine the ship's excursions? We tend not to take too many of the ship's excursions -- doing mainly DIY and the occassional private excursion -- but I do not rub the line's nose in it.

 

When we've done tours with other pax we've met through the rolls and may first meet face-to-face at the MnM, we will acknowledge each other and may come up with a time outside the MnM to meet to iron out any details, but that would be the limit.