NOT planning on pre - booking tours

[travelmama06]

We are travelling with a group of 8 and we do not plan on booking tours ahead of cruise but instead grab a tour when we get to port - Is this a good plan ? 
we don’t want to have a tight schedule 🤷‍♀️
thoughts ??

[MoCruiseFan]

What d

[MoCruiseFan]

What difference does it make?  Booking ahead of time or on thr ship is not going to change the schedule one bit.

 

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, travelmama06 said:

We are travelling with a group of 8 and we do not plan on booking tours ahead of cruise but instead grab a tour when we get to port - Is this a good plan ? 
we don’t want to have a tight schedule 🤷‍♀️
thoughts ??

It really depends where you are cruising. In some places there will be lots of options for tours you can just pick up on the day. In others your there will be little or no options.

 

I suspect that being a group of 8 will reduce your options. If the choices are just taxis, for example, then you are going to have to split up.

 

Not all tours have tight schedules.

[dexddd]

What ports?

[TSUmom]

It would really depend on the ports for me.  With a group of 8 on a Med cruise we booked private tours and split the cost.  So much to see and do and many things are not near the port itself.  If it is a Caribbean cruise once again it depends on the ports.  A taxi to a beach would work.  As another poster stated you would probably need two taxi's unless you happen to find a taxi van.  Research each port and see what other cruisers have done.   

[ddlb]

Shoreexcursionsgroup gives good info on what is available for any cruise

[Peachypooh]

As others have said it depends on the port. If you are doing an Alaska cruise for example there are lots of options in Juneau (walk to the Lumberjack show for example). If it is Cartagena on a Panama Canal cruise when we went unless you are very familiar with the city a planned excursion is the way to go. We know people who decided to just "wing it" and had problems. For example since they didn't speak the language they didn't know the lunch they ordered in a cafe was cash only. One had to sit at their table while the other had to go find an ATM.  Just a few small examples.

[Turtles06]

@travelmama06since your question is a general one and not related to NCL, a good place to post it would be the general "Ask a Cruise Question" forum, where you'll also have more eyes than just those of NCL-followers.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/69-ask-a-cruise-question/

 

 

Edited October 31, 2022 by Turtles06

[Paula_MacFan]

Depends on what ports you're going to.  Are you taking this cruise to actually visit the ports or is the cruise ship the attraction?  I personally would never leave tours to chance if I was actually taking the cruise to visit specific ports.  Typically port time is limited so why waste time wandering around looking for something to do, when a small amount of basic research in advance could result in a memorable day.  As others have stated, trying to find a tour at the last minute for 8 people could be a challenge, and you'll be left with less choices for vendors vs those who booked in advance. 

 

If you're just going to some tropical islands and you want to sit on a beach, you can probably find something last minute.  Even then I'd do some basic research in advance.  But hey, it's your vacation and your money.  Do whatever makes you happy.  

[PATRLR]

9 hours ago, travelmama06 said:

We are travelling with a group of 8 and we do not plan on booking tours ahead of cruise but instead grab a tour when we get to port - Is this a good plan ? 
we don’t want to have a tight schedule 🤷‍♀️
thoughts ??

It's a good plan so long as you are very fleixible and don't have your hearts set on any specific excursion.

 

If you really, really want some specific excursion or tour, best to book it now.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Are you expecting the entire group of eight to agree on every single tour?  We generally travel as a group of three and often have different preferences for tours.  Might be best for folks to just choose and do their own things for at least some of the ports.

[JGmf]

I look at it this way, from years of experience of being the group organizer:

 

herding a group of 8 is WAY easier in the weeks and months ahead of a cruise than when on the ship and everyone scatters and gets less committed, tired, and/or distracted to make decisions. 

 

Lock it down BEFORE you embark.

[beccafries]

7 hours ago, ddlb said:

Shoreexcursionsgroup gives good info on what is available for any cruise

Hi, is this a website or page somewhere?  please help?

[poohbare19]

 

https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com