Are Free Excursions Just a Gimmick?

[Cruisermann]

A key element for me in considering a Regent Cruise is its all inclusive nature, including excursions? However, I've read on several occasions the difficulty in booking a free (and desirable) shore excursion. Are free excursions actually available or is this in reality a marketing tool to upsell for excursions that require additional payment? Any thoughts?

[poss]

Remembering that these excursions aren't "free," but rather "included," you should know that, yes, absolutely, these excursions are much more available than not. It's true that some Society Members (long-time cruisers) may choose their excursions earlier, and that can make a difference, but usually there are openings, if a person gets right on the process of choosing as soon as one is able. If there's unavailability, I'm certain (as certain as one can be) that this is in no way a marketing tool to try to up-sell for choice (paid) excursions. As demonstration of this, I believe that there's a recent post that speaks of desired excursions not being available either on the included or up-sell kind. I'd be very disappointed if excursions I wanted weren't available if I checked in as soon as I could. Even if that happens, though, my strong sense is that excursions almost always open up sooner or later, even if it's not until one is on board. Of course it's uncomfortable-making to board without knowing for sure that your excursions are set, and of course it's a help when others are responsible about canceling excursions as soon as they realize they desire something else.

We love Regent, and I hope you will also.

Edited June 10, 2016 by poss

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I think they have value, but obviously they are also a way of upselling. And yes, they are generally available, although it depends on when you can book them.

 

You need to think about what you'd do if they weren't included. Many of the "free" ones are very good, but typical groups of 30 or sometimes more.

 

Then there are the "Choice" excursions, which cost extra. There is the claim that they are discounted from what you would otherwise pay. These tend to be smaller groups, and are sometimes better, but not always.

 

We are not big experts, have only been on two Regent cruises with included excursions. For our upcoming cruise in January, we picked a mix of free ones and a few Choice ones, just because they seemed appealing. We booked when we were able to, which was remarkably early for a January cruise, but I guess that's because we're Gold on Regent (it's certainly not because of our suite.)

 

One thing that is tough is that roll-calls tend to be quiet--because of the included excursions you won't find a lot of opportunities to share private excursions on Regent, unlike Oceania where that practice is fairly de rigueur.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Wendy The Wanderer

[flossie009]

We have never had major problems obtaining the included (don't like the word 'free') excursions that we wanted, even when we have booked relatively late.

 

Sometimes we have been 'waitlisted' up until boarding, and sometimes we have had to ring the Regent office to get onto the waitlist, due to the vagaries of the Regent website

 

Definitely not just a marketing ploy; the included excursions are plentiful and often of good quality

 

Obviously to get the best chance of booking your chosen excursions, and not having to waitlist, it is best to go on-line and book as early as possible

[Travelcat2]

Definitely not a gimmick but also not a luxury experience. We have been able to take at least 90% of the "included" excursions - even when we were originally waitlisted.

 

IMO, there are many inherent problems when you have 700 passengers that may want a minimum of one excursion at each port. The ports themselves have limitations (for instance, not enough buses or tour guides in some of the smaller ports). We have seen 8-10 busloads of passengers going on the same excursion -- trying not to arrive at the same places at the same time (which is usually impossible to achieve).

 

It seems that more and more passengers are now able to book further in advance. This leaves less availability for passengers either new to Regent staying in lower category suites or passengers that have yet to reach Seven Seas Society Silver level (21 nights). It is my long held opinion that excursion bookings should be first come - first served (or give the early booking benefit solely to those passengers that have achieved "Gold" status on Regent). This still would not alleviate the problem of people that book late finding many of the excursions full but it would, IMO, be a more level playing field.

 

You will find when you are onboard, that there are usually quite a few cancellations. Once people learn how tiring the longer excursions are, they usually cancel at least one or two future excursions in order to have a day of rest on the ship or walking around town. Unfortunately, some passengers do not have the courtesy to return tickets that they won't be using and simply do not show up. For this reason it is recommended that you go to the theater at least 1/2 hour before the time passengers are suppose to check in for their excursion and get on the waitlist. After all passengers have checked in, people on the waitlist will be called in the order they arrived.

 

There is usually an online waitlist for excursions (or you can call Regent and get on the waitlist for an excursion). Many times you clear the waitlist before even getting onto the ship as people change their minds and cancel prior to the cruise.

 

I do not believe that there is an intention to get passengers into Regent Choice Excursions as they also sell out. It seems that Regent tries to accommodate as many passengers as possible by adding extra buses, etc. The only limitations are generally set by the tour operators in port rather than by Regent. Hope this isn't more information than you were looking for.

[WesW]

Concur with Poss, Wendy, flossie009, and TC. We especially enjoy Regent included excursions for our exotic itineraries (e.g. Mumbai to Bali, Auckland to Hong Kong). We were able to book 20 included excursions this January for Auckland to Hong Kong. We booked choice excursions for unique ports (e.g., Cairns and the great barrier reef @ $199pp)

 

Close friends who are sailing on Silversea on a very similar 40+ nite voyage also this January, paid just about the same amount for their veranda suite as we did. However, they now have to pay extra for any excursion (SS or private) they book.

[Ka Honu]

As noted in another thread and confirmed by our experience and our TA's inquiries, when you book early (as soon as the website says you can) and see a "sold out" excursion it's often not yet finalized/open for booking. For some reason, Regent shows it as sold out instead of "not yet available."

 

You or your TA can generally book an alternative and waitlist for the one you really want. When the excursion actually opens you should get a "waitlist cleared" message at which point you can cancel your alternative choice.

 

Please note that I used the terms "often," "generally," and "should," not "always." YMMV.

 

[rallydave]

Not sure I would call it a gimmick but, as others have stated, included rather than free means that costs to cover excursions in every port are included in your cruise fare whether or not you take cruises in every port.

 

Yes there are available excursions at the beginning as excursions open however there are ports where every passenger, should they choose the same excursion can not be accommodated so to use the term unlimited can be considered a bit disingenuous.

 

Sometimes it is advantageous to pay for excursions ala carte rather than to pay for all of them up front whether you take them or not and sometimes the included excursions are really good and a good value. Really depends on the passengers wishes and would they choose to do small self developed excursions on their own or do the excursions they have paid for up front in the cruise fare.

 

No right answer and each person has to decide on their own if they want included excursions or plan their own. While wait lists often clear, there are cases where they don't and you might be at a port you really want to visit and too late and too difficult on board to plan a excursion on your own. Again, the OP needs to weigh what he or she wants and act accordingly.

[newlondon]

TC, I have posted a suggestion on the excursions sold out on day 1 thread. I hope you will follow up.

[Emperor Norton]

A key element for me in considering a Regent Cruise is its all inclusive nature, including excursions? However, I've read on several occasions the difficulty in booking a free (and desirable) shore excursion. Are free excursions actually available or is this in reality a marketing tool to upsell for excursions that require additional payment? Any thoughts?

 

IMO Gimmick. I don't suffer from not being able to book - but thats a # of days cruised thing.

 

The reason I say gimmick is that the excursions are still promoted as FREE, which of course they're not, you're paying for them. Most of them are of the "scenic views from a bus" variety. If you want to try a pay tour, you don't get any credit for the "free" tour you've already paid for and IMO their pay tours are therefore more expensive than other lines to greatly more expensive than other lines. Further even on the pay tours they've cut back in the quality of lodging (eg: overnight for the Taj Mahal isn't what it used to be). Further they don't seem to actually follow guest feedback. After the majority of guests came back from a tour of dinner in a chateau (not quite - we were in a barn adjacent to the chateau, our dining companion a green and yellow john deere tractor) demanding their money back Regent kept the tour on the following year.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[tourguide97]

I have never booked excursions until I boarded the ship. If not available at first, they seem to free up later.

 

tourguide

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... Most of them are of the "scenic views from a bus" variety...

 

Again, individual experience may vary. But I think that's a somewhat unfair characterization.

 

Our included excursions coming on our South American cruise in January include two sailing/snorkel trips, a semi-submersible sub trip, a visit to some historical places and museums, and some rainforest and archaeological sites. None of them are just "scenic views from the bus".

[Emperor Norton]

Again, individual experience may vary. But I think that's a somewhat unfair characterization.

 

Our included excursions coming on our South American cruise in January include two sailing/snorkel trips, a semi-submersible sub trip, a visit to some historical places and museums, and some rainforest and archaeological sites. None of them are just "scenic views from the bus".

 

Then perhaps in South America you get a better deal. In the Med it seems most tours offered have a large bus component.

[Travelcat2]

Agree that this was an unfair characterization. While some excursions are as you described, some (particularly in the Middle East, India, South Africa, and the Baltics) are good to very good (sometimes excellent). There are some areas of the world where taking Regent excursions make you feel a bit safer than doing it on your own. We found excursions in South America to be fair to good (others may have different experiences). Alaska is a mixed bag -- we enjoyed doing river rafting (no additional cost) but there are many excursions easily done on your own.

 

Emperor Norton, we have not done the pre-cruise to the Taj Mahal in over 3 years so what you say may be true, however, we did a 3-night pre-cruise safari in South Africa last November/December (no charge) and it was beyond excellent.

 

P.S. Wes - if the Australian Zoo is an option on your cruise, I would definitely book it. We have not seen anything like it in our lives. The only negative on our Bali to Sydney cruise was the extreme heat. It was so hot that the kangaroos were lying on their backs with their feet in the air. Some people can tolerate heat better than I can - hope you are one of them.

[hbe]

I booked my first Regent cruise and was wondering how far out can we start booking our excursions.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I booked my first Regent cruise and was wondering how far out can we start booking our excursions.

 

When is it?

Edited June 11, 2016 by Wendy The Wanderer

[English Tim]

We know the Mediterranean quite well, so know where we want to visit and by what means. If visiting other parts of the world we'd be less knowledgeable, so we'd be more likely to look at excursions.

 

We have had no issues with booking included excursions and even managed to change one within 48 hours.

 

If taking a port-intensive cruise (a different port every day, with little or no sea days), you may feel that an excursion every day is too tiring, therefore being more selective with your choices.

 

We took a very enjoyable cycling / wine-tasting tour (no cycling after tasting!).

 

Our conclusion on such a port intensive cruise, was to cruise with a non-inclusive line and do more diy excursions, as on several consecutive days the trips all left around breakfast time, reducing our relaxation time and often by tender, which meant lots of waiting around bleary eyed.

[hbe]

When is it?

 

Long time out. Voyager sailing HKG April 8, 2018.

[Techno123]

I think another area where the included excursions are useful are for when you want to 'do your own thing' but the city you wish to visit is some way from the port for example Florence and Rome.

You can use the transport, visit at your leisure then meet the coach for the journey back. Public transport whilst generally excellent can be beset by strikes, breakdowns etc and I agree, for areas which are very new or where the culture is very different they are good for testing the water in readiness for your next visit (for us that was St Petersburg)

[flossie009]

I booked my first Regent cruise and was wondering how far out can we start booking our excursions.

 

Shore excursions may be reserved online beginning 180 days before the date of your cruise, at Midnight Eastern US Time; or 240 days out for those in a Concierge Suite, or above, and for Silver Seven Seas Society Members. If you have trouble booking your chosen excursions on-line then speak to your TA and/or the Regent office

 

 

Regent use the phrase 'FUSE' (Free Unlimited Shore Excursions)

As discussed on this Board the term 'Free' means 'included in your cruise fare'. Also it is worth noting that 'Unlimited' means that you can book as many excursions as you feel you can pack into your cruise (as long as there is not a time clash); it does not mean that there are an unlimited number of spaces on each excursion

 

As it is your first Regent cruise, suggest you leave enough time to enjoy the ship facilities, especially if your cruise is port intensive; wall-to-wall excursions may seem like good value but can be very tiring. Also read the excursion descriptions carefully and check the tour duration, travel time etc so that you are not disappointed by your choices

 

Enjoy planning your excursions and hope you enjoy your first Regent experience

[hbe]

Shore excursions may be reserved online beginning 180 days before the date of your cruise, at Midnight Eastern US Time; or 240 days out for those in a Concierge Suite, or above, and for Silver Seven Seas Society Members. If you have trouble booking your chosen excursions on-line then speak to your TA and/or the Regent office

 

 

Regent use the phrase 'FUSE' (Free Unlimited Shore Excursions)

As discussed on this Board the term 'Free' means 'included in your cruise fare'. Also it is worth noting that 'Unlimited' means that you can book as many excursions as you feel you can pack into your cruise (as long as there is not a time clash); it does not mean that there are an unlimited number of spaces on each excursion

 

As it is your first Regent cruise, suggest you leave enough time to enjoy the ship facilities, especially if your cruise is port intensive; wall-to-wall excursions may seem like good value but can be very tiring. Also read the excursion descriptions carefully and check the tour duration, travel time etc so that you are not disappointed by your choices

 

Enjoy planning your excursions and hope you enjoy your first Regent experience

 

Thank you very much.

[GrJ Berkshire]

We have never had any issues with getting what we requested and wanted, despite a couple of our trips being booked well within the period that were bookable by concierge passengers. The included excursions are one area of advantage for Regent over other lines. We have not had the issues with the trips with a wide range not just bus drive by type. Nearly always only half full buses, with plenty of space, often mini bus trips. The fullest trip we had was a Regent choice trip.

[Island Cruiser]

It is clear included excursions are quite popular. We are among those who would prefer a lower cruise price and no included excursions. The reason: on many itineraries we'd prefer to book local tours independently. On numerous occasions we have done so with one or two other couples and paid about the same per person as a ship tour. The advantage: a comfortable van with a personable guide where we call the shots. Hint: no shopping stops, no long lunches and no stragglers who rudely hold everyone else back. Those were the days!!!!!

[Suite Travels]

It is clear included excursions are quite popular. We are among those who would prefer a lower cruise price and no included excursions. The reason: on many itineraries we'd prefer to book local tours independently. On numerous occasions we have done so with one or two other couples and paid about the same per person as a ship tour. The advantage: a comfortable van with a personable guide where we call the shots. Hint: no shopping stops, no long lunches and no stragglers who rudely hold everyone else back. Those were the days!!!!!

 

I cannot agree with you more. We have our TA customize our independent tours. For all the reasons you mentioned we avoid the ship tours included or not. When we cruise with close friends most of the times they will join us because we are on the same page and enjoy being with them.

 

When we started cruising many years ago we did the bus thing and found the ship tours to so so and very overpriced. We wanted to call the shots and stay away from hoards of tourists during peak times and depart the ship at our chosen time as well as return. Once you do private excursions you are spoiled.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Suite Travels

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It is clear included excursions are quite popular. We are among those who would prefer a lower cruise price and no included excursions. The reason: on many itineraries we'd prefer to book local tours independently. On numerous occasions we have done so with one or two other couples and paid about the same per person as a ship tour. The advantage: a comfortable van with a personable guide where we call the shots. Hint: no shopping stops, no long lunches and no stragglers who rudely hold everyone else back. Those were the days!!!!!

 

I also agree absolutely. It works very well on Oceania, and it used to work on Regent. But it is what it is and I doubt Regent will back down any time soon. I must say it's convenient and stress-free to just login and pick a bunch of excursions rather than go through the planning and coordination of doing private.