Ship Tour or remain onboard.

[Ought To Be Cruising]

I have been hearing RCI  may require you to book their  shore excursions or stay onboard. I would like to know your opinions. I am considering rebooking after two cancelled cruises but don't really know if I can handle missing walking arounds the beautiful Alaskan ports..  

Do you think this may be temporary?

[Ourusualbeach]

I have Alaska booked for this summer and since it’s our first time there we booked all our excursions through the ship.  I will miss being able to walk around the port either before or after the excursion though.  

[bonsai3s]

We hope it's temporary.  We have always been the DIY type.  We love to explore each port on our own and do our own thing using local transportation. 

 

We'll decide if the ship's shore excursion is of good value.  If it is, we'll go.  If not, we'll stay on board.

 

And of course there are ports you just have to simply get off and visit.  We can't imagine someone, sailing for the first time, to Civitavecchia...and not visiting Rome......so many other examples...

 

...imagine cruising out of Sydney....wow! truly no need for a ship excursion...everything's walking distance from the OPT, Overseas Passenger Terminal.

...imagine cruising out of Venice...only a people's mover away from the canals and sights...walking is the only way...well, there's the vaporetto.

...imagine cruising into Bora-Bora...who needs a ship's excursion?

 

 

We have only been to one port where we purchased the ship's excursions...our two day stay in St. Petersburg, Russia.

[Ought To Be Cruising]

18 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I have Alaska booked for this summer and since it’s our first time there we booked all our excursions through the ship.  I will miss being able to walk around the port either before or after the excursion though.  

We will probably be booking our 5th cruise to Alaska . You will love Alaska.. So special.. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, New Mexico 8 said:

We will probably be booking our 5th cruise to Alaska . You will love Alaska.. So special.. 

it was originally booked for last year....  doing all the bucket list excursions...helicopter to glacier, seaplane in Vancouver etc...really hoping she sails this year but if it ends up being next year then we will wait another year. 

[firefly333]

56 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

...helicopter to glacier

Is that in the national park? Lol I did the one mile each way hike to and from where you come out at the falls .... in the pouring rain, but glad I did it.

 

I really should plan on going back. You all make me want to go back. 

[grandgeezer]

There should be a third option, stay at home. Half the fun of cruising is exploring the port on your own. If you want to take a tour there are much better tours given by reputable people for a lot less money than doing a ship sponsored one.

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Is that in the national park? Lol I did the one mile each way hike to and from where you come out at the falls .... in the pouring rain, but glad I did it.

 

I really should plan on going back. You all make me want to go back. 

Juneau

 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, grandgeezer said:

There should be a third option, stay at home. Half the fun of cruising is exploring the port on your own. If you want to take a tour there are much better tours given by reputable people for a lot less money than doing a ship sponsored one.

Actually, I’ve found that by watching the sales they are very comparable...at least the ones that I have booked. 

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Juneau

 

Wow, 5 hours of climbing. I dont think I could do that anymore. Awesome.

[firefly333]

19 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

There should be a third option, stay at home. Half the fun of cruising is exploring the port on your own. If you want to take a tour there are much better tours given by reputable people for a lot less money than doing a ship sponsored one.

Solo I've found often it's cheaper to book with the cruiseline as more private tours want at least 2 people to take. And it's more fun with a group than just me with a private excursion. 

 

Gives me hope there might be some last minute deals when people find out about protocols and cancel last minute .

Edited January 1, 2021 by firefly333

[time4u2go]

2 hours ago, New Mexico 8 said:

Do you think this may be temporary?

Yes.  I highly doubt it will be permanent.

[Mikew0805]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I have Alaska booked for this summer and since it’s our first time there we booked all our excursions through the ship.  I will miss being able to walk around the port either before or after the excursion though.  

Good for you that you are still going to go. I am not confident that my June Ovation will sail, and even if it does, if we cannot explore before/after excursions, there is no way I am going. 😞

 

First time to Alaska as well. 

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

Good for you that you are still going to go. I am not confident that my June Ovation will sail, and even if it does, if we cannot explore before/after excursions, there is no way I am going. 😞

 

First time to Alaska as well. 

I’m not that confident that it will sail either but continue to hope and plan until it’s certain it won’t sail. 

[RFerrington]

This would also be our first trip to Alaska.  Keeping the faith but if it gets cancelled....we’ll just go another time.  .  

[reallyitsmema]

6 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

Good for you that you are still going to go. I am not confident that my June Ovation will sail, and even if it does, if we cannot explore before/after excursions, there is no way I am going. 😞

 

First time to Alaska as well. 

 

We are supposed to sail Quantum in May and we will not sail if we can't go on our own in port.  I have already booked a private excursion for Icy Strait Point as we like to whale watch with Glacier Wind.  There are only six people on their boats plus the captain.  We loved it when we did it a couple years ago.  I don't think the ships will be sailing in May anyway, so likely a non issue.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

I have already booked a private excursion for Icy Strait Point as we like to whale watch with Glacier Wind.  I don't think the ships will be sailing in May anyway, so likely a non issue.

Why would you book an excursion on a sailing you don't think will sail?

[reallyitsmema]

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Why would you book an excursion on a sailing you don't think will sail?

 

We booked the excursion the same day we booked the cruise.  We had no way of knowing at that time that we would still be in the middle of this pandemic let alone that sailings might only allow ship sponsored excursion once they started.  This vendor has limited slots and sells out pretty much anytime there is a ship in port and we didn't want to miss out.  

 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

We booked the excursion the same day we booked the cruise.  We had no way of knowing at that time that we would still be in the middle of this pandemic let alone that sailings might only allow ship sponsored excursion once they started.  This vendor has limited slots and sells out pretty much anytime there is a ship in port and we didn't want to miss out.  

 

 

I’ve also booked many for future cruises but have only booked excursions that I dint have to pay until 48 hours prior or on the day of the tour and have no cancellation fees. 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I have Alaska booked for this summer and since it’s our first time there we booked all our excursions through the ship.  I will miss being able to walk around the port either before or after the excursion though.  

 

Actually there are a lot of very popular excursions (even before the Covid mess) that can only be booked through the ship.  One of our favorites:  Taku Glacier Lodge glacier flight and feast out of Juneau.  

[reallyitsmema]

6 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’ve also booked many for future cruises but have only booked excursions that I dint have to pay until 48 hours prior or on the day of the tour and have no cancellation fees. 

 

Ours is fully refundable if the ship doesn't sail or we lose $20 pp if we cancel.  We can live with that.  

[island lady]

12 hours ago, New Mexico 8 said:

We will probably be booking our 5th cruise to Alaska . You will love Alaska.. So special.. 

 

Our 5th cruise to Alaska was cancelled for 2020 last August.  (B2B Radiance).  We had planned two weeks tour on our own, then board the ship for two weeks.  So much for the cruise. 😞 

 

However, we did not cancel the flights.  Still did two week tour, then replaced the cruise with very remote cabin in Homer for two weeks.  Worked for us!  Our favorite place to hang out at the cabin (Rented from the Kilchers BTW...the ones that do the "Alaska the Last Frontier" show).  😉  And Bucky yacking with Otto, when he stopped by many times (wine shared).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[George C]

Would not to cruise Alaska or Europe if they do not allow private excursions, really dislike rccl and other lines ship excursions they are overpriced and overcrowded. Caribbean cruises would be ok since I do not mind staying on board there after over 50 Caribbean cruises.

[davekathy]

12 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

There should be a third option, stay at home. Half the fun of cruising is exploring the port on your own. If you want to take a tour there are much better tours given by reputable people for a lot less money than doing a ship sponsored one.

Nothing new. That has always been an option. 

[Iamcruzin]

Some have mentioned that the ship excursions are overcrowded and I agree with that during normal times. However, I wonder if they will have to follow the 50% capacity rule and social distancing for the tours the same way they will be enforcing it on board. In that case the ship excursions may not be that bad.