Do we still get port maps? Shore excursion booklet?

[Wayfairers]

It has been a while since we cruised and I know a lot has changed.  There used to be a shore excursion booklet laying on the bed when we got on board - is that still done?  Also, we used to get a port map - I’m thinking that was gone on our last cruise in 2019 but I’m not sure.  Do we get a port map?

[Gypsy025]

Neither

[Wayfairers]

14 minutes ago, Gypsy025 said:

Neither

Thank you!  Sadly, that isn’t surprising.

[QuattroRomeo]

What we did get was a port shopping "guide" basically showing where the various ship-sponsored stores are, but it does have a little town map in them with the main streets outlined ( and shops highlighted...)!

[Mary229]

There will be port maps available if the port provided maps. I was able to get them on at least half of my ports.  They are no longer included anywhere except at the EXC desk or at or port talks

[Wayfairers]

57 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

There will be port maps available if the port provided maps. I was able to get them on at least half of my ports.  They are no longer included anywhere except at the EXC desk or at or port talks

Thanks!  I haven’t seen port maps distributed at port talks, just the ones the speaker puts on the screen…..but it has been a few years since I cruised.  Are you saying if I go to the EXC desk or the port talk the port map (like the one they used to give us) will be available or is it another type of port map?

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Wayfairers said:

Thanks!  I haven’t seen port maps distributed at port talks, just the ones the speaker puts on the screen…..but it has been a few years since I cruised.  Are you saying if I go to the EXC desk or the port talk the port map (like the one they used to give us) will be available or is it another type of port map?

They will sometimes have the “chamber of commerce” version.   There are none created by HAL though.  

[shipshapegirl]

We went to Guest Services the night before the port and they printed us off a walking map of the port we were visiting.

[MAVIP]

1 hour ago, shipshapegirl said:

We went to Guest Services the night before the port and they printed us off a walking map of the port we were visiting.

Good to remember for our August cruise!  We did not know it in May. Thanks!

[rkacruiser]

How is a guest supposed to get shore excursion information if no shore excursion booklet is provided in the stateroom?  

[Mary229]

18 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

How is a guest supposed to get shore excursion information if no shore excursion booklet is provided in the stateroom?  

The exploration cafe has interactive maps and now they expect us to use the app. I found the most disappointing thing was they do not play Shorex talks on the TV.  As a matter of fact on my cruise all talks were NOT replayed on the TV.  If you missed the in person presentation then you missed it.   

[rkacruiser]

6 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

As a matter of fact on my cruise all talks were NOT replayed on the TV.  If you missed the in person presentation then you missed it.  

 

That has been true pre-Covid.  If the talks were replayed, there was no definitive way of knowing when or on what channel those talks would be.  (If they were, after all of the HAL cruises I have sailed, I never learned that.)

 

Let's say I board the ship and decide after I am aboard I want to book a tour in Juneau.  How can I learn what tours are available for that port?  

[Mary229]

24 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Let's say I board the ship and decide after I am aboard I want to book a tour in Juneau.  How can I learn what tours are available for that port?  

You will open the app to shore excursions and it will give the same description you would find on the website and allows you to purchase , charged to your stateroom.   OR once you see what you want you can call Shorex and book that way.  I will warn you I had a Shorex manager who was a bit of a control freak.  A pax could not be sure if the excursion was sold out until you called. If it says available, there would be no problem.  If you don’t want to use the app you can always call or visit the Shorex desk 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

 If you don’t want to use the app you can always call or visit the Shorex desk 

 

Isn't that so guest friendly!  I may get to stand in line with how many other guests!  

[cruisetravlr]

You can also book excursions from your room TV.  I found that easier to see and compare than using the app on a smaller device.

[Florida_gal_50]

You can also book shorex while still at home on your computer if you don’t want to use the app.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, CHPURSER said:

HAL will sometimes hand out a printed map that is essentially useless.

 

A true story to show how useless the maps sometimes are.  

 

Funchal:  I was looking for the local market and was using the HAL provided map.  The market was not where it was marked.  I started to wonder around in that area thinking, "it's got to be here somewhere".  Well, I wondered into any area where I began becoming uncomfortable because of the inhabitants I was starting to see.  I made a 180 degree turn and retreated.  

[MAVIP]

13 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

How is a guest supposed to get shore excursion information if no shore excursion booklet is provided in the stateroom?  

I always download them after booking or as soon as they are available and print the pages that interest us (and am very sorry, but I still love to read from paper).

[syesmar]

14 hours ago, Mary229 said:

…As a matter of fact on my cruise all talks were NOT replayed on the TV.  If you missed the in person presentation then you missed it.   

That’s unfortunate. These talks often conflict with other activities and it was always nice to catch up at our convenience. I wonder if this is due to a staffing issue?

I recall the last time I sailed, in 2019, the first night’s EXC talk was not put on TV (a good number of passengers were still at dinner, too). There were a lot of passengers who complained and every EXC talk, port talk, etc., was aired thereafter.

[WaterSky]

On a recent Med cruise on the Oosterdam, There was one summary shore excursion presentation that provided little information.  A big issue for us was that there was virtually no information on how to walk to some ports or use a shuttle.  The exe people seems to know nothing.   There was a website called Toms Port Guides.   That might help for planning purposes.

[Wayfairers]

12 minutes ago, WaterSky said:

On a recent Med cruise on the Oosterdam, There was one summary shore excursion presentation that provided little information.  A big issue for us was that there was virtually no information on how to walk to some ports or use a shuttle.  The exe people seems to know nothing.   There was a website called Toms Port Guides.   That might help for planning purposes.

That’s sad that the shore exc people aren’t knowledgeable anymore.  I do tons of research before leaving home to determine what we will do but still enjoy hearing the port talks and have gotten good information that sometimes alters our plans. 

[QuattroRomeo]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

A true story to show how useless the maps sometimes are.  

 

Funchal:  I was looking for the local market and was using the HAL provided map.  The market was not where it was marked.  I started to wonder around in that area thinking, "it's got to be here somewhere".  Well, I wondered into any area where I began becoming uncomfortable because of the inhabitants I was starting to see.  I made a 180 degree turn and retreated.  

Yikes, sounds a little nerve-wracking!

[baltic17]

Best advice on maps is to print out something before you leave home. 

Check the Chamber of Commerce or Visitor Center webpages.  Also Frommers and/or Fodors will usually have pretty good maps that you can download.

 

As far as the Shore Excursion folks go, the ones on the Zuiderdam on the two cruises I did in May 2022 could book for you and would tell you which excursions were still available but didn't have much on-the-ground info and were lacking in some customer service skills.

[ontheweb]

A map story from an Eastern Mediterranean cruise we did on HAL many years ago. When in Santorini, we got LOST. We stumbled upon a museum in a cave. We decided to go in. There was a tour and the guide gave it in English for us and in Greek for the other couple doing the tour.

 

After we were done, we showed the guide our map, and asked where we were on the map. He looked and laughed and said we were off the map. He asked if we had a car, and when we said no he unsuccessfully tried to get us a cab. He did then show us a shortcut back to where the map showed.

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Yikes, sounds a little nerve-wracking!

 

Just one more travel experience.  The more one travels, the more of these unintentional experiences happen.  

 

13 hours ago, MAVIP said:

I always download them after booking or as soon as they are available and print the pages that interest us (and am very sorry, but I still love to read from paper).

 

I have done that as well and will continue to do so.  But, the failure to provide such information in a booklet form and placed in the guests' stateroom during embarkation may be missing possible sales of tours for those who do not do what we do.