Independent or Cruiseline shore excursions?

[charity709]

Hi everyone, 

 

We are at the point of planning which ports to do shore excursions for on our upcoming cruise.  We've joined our Roll Call and notice fellow cruisers sharing independent tours, which we are interested in joining since they seem to be much more cost effective than that tours offered on the ship. I've be cautioned by friends that excursions offered by the cruiseline is the safest/best way to go since you are guaranteed not to miss your ship if you are late getting back to port. 

 

Can anyone share any general rules of thumb they use when deciding whether to book independently or with the cruise line? 

 

Thanks so much! 

[LHT28]

plan  to be back about 1 hr from sail away  & you will not miss the ship

Take the Port Agent's info with you just incase  there is  a situation  where you will not make it back on time

accident on the road  etc...

Most  reputable local guides  will have you back in plenty of time 

if not  bad reviews  travel fast

JMO

[CruiserBruce]

Please don't fall for the "you will miss the ship" worriers. If you use a reputable vendor, it is highly unlikely you will even come close missing the ship. The success of the vendor's business and their reputation depend upon you NOT missing the ship. We have done private tours in many ports...never close to missing the ship.

 

Virtually any port is a possibility for private tours, or the other option, touring on your own, or DIY. It just takes some research. Taxi, public transportation or even walking works for many ports. We do this freqas well.

 

By the way, booking through the ship doesn't guarantee you won't be late back to the ship. Have seen ship's tours come back late. And while the ship will likely wait...there are occasionally reasons the ship can't wait.

[wheezedr]

If booking privately look for reputable companies that have multiple reviews or recommendations on places like cruise critic , Trip adviser etc..  If going truly independent then arrange things so you go to the most distant point first and then work your way back toward the ship.  That way if something, traffic, road issues, etc. messes with your plans you are already heading back and not at the most distant point if and when problems arise.  In 20 + cruises we rarely use a ships tour, often use local vendors and venture off on our own, rental car, train, transit frequently and we have never missed the ship yet.  Does it happen, yes.  Is it frequent, NO.

[George C]

We used to do ship tours for our over 60 cruises, but now really perfer independent tours with help of roll call, ships tours were way better in old days , now they tend to be overpriced and overcrowded. Agree need to research and use reputable tour companies. 

[akcruz]

Some of the things we look at are

 

How far away from the ship will the tour be going, the further away the more likely to use ship tours.  An example here is Cozumel going to see the ruins on the mainland.  These are notorious for being late.

 

Can I get the tour on my own or must I use the ship.  Sometimes the cruise lines book up all available spaces with certain vendors.  If it's really an excursion you want there are not a lot of options.

 

Reputation of vendors.  Can I find a local vendor with good reviews, usecruise critic and trip advisor.  Most places you can find reputable vendors.

 

Of course cost.

 

We do a combination of ship tours, private tours and DIY.  They all have their own pros and cons but with a little research you can find what works best for you.

 

Oh and to add, the cruise line guarantees they will get you back to the ship, but not necessarily that same day.  There have been a few times when a ship needed to leave port, rare yes but has happened.  In this case they will get you to the next port.

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Please don't fall for the "you will miss the ship" worriers. If you use a reputable vendor, it is highly unlikely you will even come close missing the ship. The success of the vendor's business and their reputation depend upon you NOT missing the ship. We have done private tours in many ports...never close to missing the ship.

 

Virtually any port is a possibility for private tours, or the other option, touring on your own, or DIY. It just takes some research. Taxi, public transportation or even walking works for many ports. We do this freqas well.

 

By the way, booking through the ship doesn't guarantee you won't be late back to the ship. Have seen ship's tours come back late. And while the ship will likely wait...there are occasionally reasons the ship can't wait.

Couldn't have said it better myself! I always book with independent vendors and have a much better experience than (reports from) mates who have used the cruise tours.

Edited March 9, 2019 by dogs4fun

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, charity709 said:

Hi everyone, 

 

We are at the point of planning which ports to do shore excursions for on our upcoming cruise.  We've joined our Roll Call and notice fellow cruisers sharing independent tours, which we are interested in joining since they seem to be much more cost effective than that tours offered on the ship. I've be cautioned by friends that excursions offered by the cruiseline is the safest/best way to go since you are guaranteed not to miss your ship if you are late getting back to port. 

 

Can anyone share any general rules of thumb they use when deciding whether to book independently or with the cruise line? 

 

Thanks so much! 

We are well aware of the pros/cons of ship tours v's independent or private tours and keep an open mind normally considering both options. We determine points of interest in each port, then look for tours that meet our needs. We select a tour based on content and the inherent risks. Ports such as Kuala Lumpur, Semarang, etc due to traffic, and other ports with security issues (Luxor, Algiers), we only use ship's tours. In the unlikely event we went to the Caribbean, we probably wouldn't even consider a ship's tour.

 

Ship's tours generally take less research, as the vendor is selected by the cruise line. When using a ship's tour, if the ship has a delayed arrival, the ship makes the arrangement for alternate timing/itinerary and if the tour returns late, the ship will normally wait for the return of all tours. However, in the unlikely event the Captain cannot delay departure, the cruise line is responsible for all costs and making arrangements for getting pax to the next port. In 40 years of working & cruising on pax vessels, I have never seen the vessel depart without the return of all ship's tours. I am aware it has happened, but I have never experienced it.

 

Some cruise lines, in some ports also give preference to ship's tour passengers when opening the gangways for disembarkation. In tender ports, on our previous cruise line preference was given to ship's tour passengers. In many tender ports, few if any tender tickets were provided to non-Elite passengers that were not on a ship's tour.

 

The down side of ship's tours is cost and that many of them involve transportation on full size buses, with the inevitable delays getting on/off the bus and waiting for the passengers not adhering to requested return to bus times. Quality of guides is hit and miss. We have experienced everywhere from exceptional guides to others that could barely speak English.

 

With private tours, the greatest benefit in our experience is they are generally smaller groups with a 12 - 20 person mini-bus. Less delays getting on/off the bus, plus we find less delays from people returning late to the bus. Private tours may also have a degree of customisation available.

 

However, private tours take more research, finding a highly recommended company and/or guide. Similar to ship's tours, we have experience both good & poor guides, although with research, we find on average we get better guides on private tours. Private tours are normally cheaper than shp's tours.

 

The biggest downside of private tours happens when the ship misses a port, or the arrival is delayed. This also depends on the tour operator's terms & conditions. Some operators, such as Alla in St Petersburg do not charge a deposit and monitor the arrival time and if port is cancelled, you have no financial obligation. However, many private tour operators do charge a deposit or even require payment in full in advance, so check the terms & conditions and be aware of financial obligations in the event a port is cancelled or arrival delayed.

 

If a private tour is delayed and returns after sailing time, the ship will not wait, unless some of the ship tours are also delayed. However, I believe the number of passengers on private tours that miss the ship is very, very small. Only ever met 2 couples that missed the ship on a private tour and that was when visiting our son in Victoria. The 2 other couples were waiting to board with us and mentioned their tour was late and they missed the ship in Alaska.

 

How many passengers miss the ship - as a percentage of total pax it is a very low number, but in my days working cruise ships and feedback from friends still employed on them, we probably had an instance about every couple of weeks, so it isn't that uncommon. 

 

Hopefully this helps you make an informed decision on ship tours v's private tours.

[CruiserBruce]

29 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

How many passengers miss the ship - as a percentage of total pax it is a very low number, but in my days working cruise ships and feedback from friends still employed on them, we probably had an instance about every couple of weeks, so it isn't that uncommon. 

 

But how many miss due to private tour vendor error, as opposed to the passenger's error or negligence?  Perhaps due to alcohol or not setting watch correctly?  I suspect, in the small number that miss the ship, the number a private vendor caused the "miss" is a very tiny number.

[Heidi13]

2 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

 

But how many miss due to private tour vendor error, as opposed to the passenger's error or negligence?  Perhaps due to alcohol or not setting watch correctly?  I suspect, in the small number that miss the ship, the number a private vendor caused the "miss" is a very tiny number.

Did mention that it is very, very small and that in my experience I have only met 2 couples from a private excursion that missed the ship.

[simplyrubies]

I prefer going through the cruise company to book my excursions if I want to do one. Having the cruise ship guarantee gives me extra peace of mind. Furthermore, if the boat arrives late/the tour arrives back late, the cruise company will do all the legwork to ensure the tour leaves later, hold the boat as long as they can, or in the worst case scenario, pay for my travel to the next port to meet up with the cruise. 

 

I understand that there are private vendors who will be able to get you back the boat on time that may offer a better quality tour for cheaper, but they don't offer the same cruise line guarantee. Especially since I'm not familiar with the best vendors for each and every port I plan to visit, it's just not worth the risk for me. 

 

If I plan to venture into the port by myself, I always make sure I am not travelling too far away from the port and that I plan ahead of time my itinerary for the day. I'm sure that there are many reputable vendors out there who will offer you a fantastic experience. Do your research about the company and see if there are good reviews on here or on other sites. I personally would not book a tour that goes too far away from the port - for example, Cozumel to Chichen Itza which involves a total of 6 hours of travel time! Book ahead of time and don't just pick any average joe who is offering their services on the port side. If you have booked through a travel agency, they will be able to provide you information about reputable tour vendors at each port. 

 

In terms of meeting up with other members through the forum, I would independently verify the tour company that a fellow member has chosen and ensure that the agreed upon price/itinerary will be respected if you are booking a private guide. Of course, the vast majority of members are not looking to scam, just for fellow members to travel with but there is always a chance of miscommunication. 

It's true that booking through the cruise is the safest way to go but booking through reputable vendors can also be safe. Just know that if something goes wrong and you are stranded, the impetus will be on you to pay your way to the next port, so ask yourself if you are willing to take the risk.

[SimplyMarvie]

We rarely use cruise line excursions. They're often extremely expensive for what you get, especially if you're cruising with a family. For the 5 of us on our upcoming 11 night cruise, booking the mid-priced ships excursion in each of our 6 ports would cost more than the total fare did to go on the cruise in the first place. Plus, like people said above, they're often large bus tours. As much as I love my fellow man and cruise passengers I'd rather poke myself in the eye with a fork than be on a large bus tour for anything, anywhere. There's a huge amount of sitting, a huge amount of downtime, the buses are often uncomfortable, and my kids have a hard time behaving. And for $500-700 per port, we can do WAY better with a mini-bus or rental car, public transportation, cellular data GPS, and a sense of adventure.

 

What that means, really, is that I have to do a huge amount of legwork before the cruise to decide what we're going to do and see and how we're going to manage it. What cities do we want to drive in, and where is that too risky? Is there public transportation? Are cabs reliable? etc. It probably means that we see less stuff than we would on cruise line excursions, because I'm fanatical in making sure that we get back to the ship on time, so we don't venture too far away unless we're on a tour. It also means that cruising for us is less of an all-inclusive concierge experience and more like one of our 'normal' land-based family vacations. At the moment, I'm okay with that... but this is definitely something where your mileage may vary and there is no One True Way for people to do things. 

[Aquahound]

On 3/9/2019 at 9:43 AM, charity709 said:

Hi everyone, 

 

We are at the point of planning which ports to do shore excursions for on our upcoming cruise.  We've joined our Roll Call and notice fellow cruisers sharing independent tours, which we are interested in joining since they seem to be much more cost effective than that tours offered on the ship. I've be cautioned by friends that excursions offered by the cruiseline is the safest/best way to go since you are guaranteed not to miss your ship if you are late getting back to port. 

 

Can anyone share any general rules of thumb they use when deciding whether to book independently or with the cruise line? 

 

Thanks so much! 

 

I stopped booking cruise ship excursions a long time ago.  The chance of missing the ship is so extremely slim and as the others said, reputable companies, even local taxi drivers, know to have you back in time. Private tours are so much better than ship tours, and are more personalized.  Ship's tours are too expensive, cram in too many people, and there is no wiggle room for the itinerary.  

 

By the way, you are not "guaranteed" to not miss your ship on a ship's excursion.  

[feathersandnananose]

OK, I've always booked with the ship, but certainly not for every stop.  Other stops, we've walked on our own, used public transportation, or rented a car.  My next trip will have an independently booked trip, because there was no other option (nothing at the port, and we'd been to everywhere else in the area....) 

But I do read the descriptions REALLY  carefully.   Don't want to be stuck on a bus forever...   That said, we've had ship excursions cancelled for weather, and the $$ was instantly back in our account...... and one of our BEST EVER excursions was with a ship:  helicopter to glacier walk in Alaska.  We were the only two going (though it could ONLY have been four total - it was a helicopter).  Because of weight management issues, I got to sit in the "co-pilot" seat in the helicopter. OMG.  And then it was just the two of us with a guide on the glacier......  Whatever it cost, it was worth it!  Read and research carefully, know both your limits AND how much of a challenge you want.  And what you really want (not what other folks say is wonderful)......

Again.  Read and research and know yourself.

[feathersandnananose]

OH, and yeah, I'm looking to expand my Mariner points on Holland America......

 

[OCruisers]

The "on our own" we book are with a taxi to take us to close by beaches we want to go.

For things a long way from the ship we book a ship's excursion.  

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

I prefer independent excursion companies. I would only stick with cruise line excursions if it was a daylong outing, perhaps if there was much travel involved.

 

I have learnt to be cautious about excursion promoted by individuals on the "roll calls". Not saying don't, just be cautious. Don't send someone money in advance. Do your own research. Look and ask on the "port of call" threads of this site, there is a lot of informative material there. Read reviews online about the company being considered, such as TripAdvisor. Be comfortable that you would be willing to use whatever company even if you weren't going too be going with others from your roll call. You can go excursions by yourself. Many of these companies have been in business for many years and are very reputable. 

 

have a great cruise

[angie7911922]

Independent. First of all - they are almost always cheaper than the ship. And they usually have better excursions. Don't worry about missing your ship - all reputable independent operators will have you back to the ship in plenty of time. Their jobs depend on it - if they get bad reviews because you missed your ship, well, you know. 

 

Do the research on your independent operator, and make sure you find a dependable one.

[charity709]

Thank you to everyone who responded! Your tips and experiences have definitely increased my comfort level in booking an independent excursion. I'll spend lots of time on the 'port of call' threads and Trip Advisor for reviews before booking. 

 

🙂

[paul929207]

We have taken about 150 private tours. Never missed the ship or even came close 

[lenquixote66]

On March 9, 2019 at 10:43 AM, charity709 said:

Hi everyone, 

 

We are at the point of planning which ports to do shore excursions for on our upcoming cruise.  We've joined our Roll Call and notice fellow cruisers sharing independent tours, which we are interested in joining since they seem to be much more cost effective than that tours offered on the ship. I've be cautioned by friends that excursions offered by the cruiseline is the safest/best way to go since you are guaranteed not to miss your ship if you are late getting back to port. 

 

Can anyone share any general rules of thumb they use when deciding whether to book independently or with the cruise line? 

 

Thanks so much! 

We only book through the cruiseline . People will tell you that the ship will always wait for you,that is not so.On our very first cruise we went off by ourselves .We took a bus and returning to the port the bus broke down.We hitched a ride and barely made it back .

The ship was in the process of leaving. They were not going to wait for us.

In 2013 our daughte and family was on a cruise.They booked a shore excursion thru the cruiseline.Their bus broke down and the captain waited 45 minutes till they were able to get back.

[cruisemom42]

I see from your previous post on the Italy forum that you're going to be in the Med. There are quite a few private tour outfits that are very professional with great reputations and many happy customer reviews. It's not quite the same as Joe Shmoe with a not-too-reliable jeep in Belize.... The tourist infrastructure is pretty reliably good.

 

That said, you should do what works best for you. If being nervous about missing the ship would impact your enjoyment of the day, then by all means book a ship tour. In the Med, some ports are quite a distance from the cities/sites you want to see (e.g., Florence is about 90 minutes from Livorno). 

 

I am an independent sort and do not like putting up with the forced shopping stops and waiting around for 50 of my new best friends to use the toilets, so I avoid ship tours. I feel like I have a much better experience either alone or on a private tour. But for some, the ship excursions are a good solution.

Edited March 12, 2019 by cruisemom42

[CruiserBruce]

41 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We only book through the cruiseline . People will tell you that the ship will always wait for you,that is not so.On our very first cruise we went off by ourselves .We took a bus and returning to the port the bus broke down.We hitched a ride and barely made it back .

The ship was in the process of leaving. They were not going to wait for us.

In 2013 our daughte and family was on a cruise.They booked a shore excursion thru the cruiseline.Their bus broke down and the captain waited 45 minutes till they were able to get back.

 

Have you read the thread? No one is saying the cruise line will always wait for you on a private tour. The ship will wait for you MOST OF THE TIME on a ship's excursion. But the remember  the rules on "always" and "never".

[MicCanberra]

We do a mix of both and also do things on our own depending on the port. For private tours, always use a reputable tour company (TripAdvisor will help) but do ensure you arrange for the tour to be flexible and get you to pick up (wait for you, as Cruise ships sometimes can be a bit slow getting clearance) and drop off with decent time normally an hour or so before departure time, and always be alert for schedule changes and such.

[Hlitner]

To the OP we would offer that there is no "general rule" but rather its all a matter of your personal preference and risk tolerance.  We do a lot of cruising (all over the world) and probably average 1 cruise line excursion for about every 100 ports :).  In far more then 1000 cruise days we have never missed our ship (and we do not know anyone else who has missed their ship) and most of our shore travel is either on our own (using rental cars, trains, local buses, our feet, etc) or via private excursions often arranged via the CC Roll Call boards.

 

Not only do private excursions generally cost less (for what is delivered) compared to cruise line excursions, but private tours are generally small groups whereas cruise line excursions are generally very large bus groups.  For some of us, following a tour guide (with their little sign held aloft) is akin to being cattle in a herd.  Others prefer the large groups of fellow cruisers.  

 

Hank