Excursions or Not?

[ShaZoGus]

Booked on Oceania Nautica “Highlights of the East” departing Tokyo on April 22/23. Spending several days in Japan before cruise & our Japanese friend who lives in Kyoto will be showing us around. First time visiting Okinawa, Hiroshima, Taipei, & Vietnam (Hanoi, DaNang, NhaTrang, Saigon)…any thoughts on whether it’s best to pre-book excursions or wing-it once we arrive at those destinations?

[Maine Cruisers]

13 minutes ago, ShaZoGus said:

Booked on Oceania Nautica “Highlights of the East” departing Tokyo on April 22/23. Spending several days in Japan before cruise & our Japanese friend who lives in Kyoto will be showing us around. First time visiting Okinawa, Hiroshima, Taipei, & Vietnam (Hanoi, DaNang, NhaTrang, Saigon)…any thoughts on whether it’s best to pre-book excursions or wing-it once we arrive at those destinations?

We cruised there just before the pandemic. Visited all those ports and took Oceania excursions. They were all very good.  We get back on board Oceania this summer. Have booked cruises number 13, 14, 15 and 16. Can’t wait.

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, ShaZoGus said:

 First time visiting Okinawa, Hiroshima, Taipei, & Vietnam (Hanoi, DaNang, NhaTrang, Saigon)…any thoughts on whether it’s best to pre-book excursions or wing-it once we arrive at those destinations?

Regarding your stops in Vietnam.

Your time in the ports are not lengthy.....especially when you take into account ship's clearance procedure and all aboard times.

Therefore, if it were me, apart from 1 exception (arrival day in Saigon) I would organise tours before hand. Whether they be ship's tours or private.

Two additional points.

1. Da Nang. Check that you are actually docking at Da Nang and not Chan May which is to the North.

If Da Nang you are closer to Hoi An (a great tour destination).

If Chan May you are closer to Hue.

 

2. Saigon. I would do a ship's tour on the last day due to the early all aboard time.

Hopefully you MAY be docked 'downtown'. Nah Rong is the closest to town.

If so, it's a great opportunity to explore on foot on day one, without time pressures if you are out late. 

 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, ShaZoGus said:

Booked on Oceania Nautica “Highlights of the East” departing Tokyo on April 22/23. Spending several days in Japan before cruise & our Japanese friend who lives in Kyoto will be showing us around. First time visiting Okinawa, Hiroshima, Taipei, & Vietnam (Hanoi, DaNang, NhaTrang, Saigon)…any thoughts on whether it’s best to pre-book excursions or wing-it once we arrive at those destinations?

If you're thinking of doing the ship excursions, book ahead, as there may be no availability once you are on board.  If you're thinking of DIY excursions, you might want to join the CC Roll call for your ship and sailing.  Others may be discussing options there.  There is also a port section on CC you might want to look at for ideas.

[ShaZoGus]

Thank you!

[GregoryPaul]

I have no experience in that part of the world, can’t wait to go and am jealous.

 

My two cents is to think hard about the $ you save by booking your own tour vs the peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong on an Oceania tour (at a markup ) the ship WILL wait for you. This just happened to us on Riviera.

 

Can look at the price differential as the cost of insurance.

[Acrusa]

15 minutes ago, GregoryPaul said:

I have no experience in that part of the world, can’t wait to go and am jealous.

 

My two cents is to think hard about the $ you save by booking your own tour vs the peace of mind knowing that if anything goes wrong on an Oceania tour (at a markup ) the ship WILL wait for you. This just happened to us on Riviera.

 

Can look at the price differential as the cost of insurance.

Happened on our cruise many years ago in Shanghai. Train carrying a ships tour broke down. Ship waited 5 hours for there return theres an old saying " pay the $2.00 " have peace of mind. 

 

[CurlerRob]

26 minutes ago, GregoryPaul said:

the ship WILL wait for you. This just happened to us on Riviera.

 

Not always. While most cruise lines will do the best they can to delay sailing, there are circumstances that force them to leave - tidal windows, expiry times for the dock, or weather, to mention a few.

 

What they will do is get you back to the ship, but that may take some time and the travel and living conditions are occasionally less than stellar.

 

Good to read your positive experience, however. 🍺🥌

[cruisemom42]

It's unclear from your post whether you're cruising this April or next but....

 

I'm on a Holland America cruise departing March 27 for 28 days circumnavigating four of Japan's main islands and following the cherry blossoms. Be advised that our roll call participants had a difficult time booking private tours, and the ship did not offer many excursions either. Responses from private agencies has been that they just do not have enough English-speaking guides available.

 

Since Japan only recently reopened to tourists following COVID, I imagine many guides had to find other employment. The tourism sector needs to rebuild. 

 

If this concerns you, better to book ship excursions to be sure of something. On the other hand, many of Japan's cities have excellent opportunities to do things on your own -- public transportation systems are top-notch and almost certifiably on time. This is the country, remember, where the Chairman of a transportation company had to publicly apologize for one train leaving 20 seconds EARLY!  Port shuttles are also common.

 

Also, many port facilities include helpful TI kiosks with maps, suggestions, and help (such as writing down destination names in Japanese for a taxi driver....)

 

[Acrusa]

10 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Not always. While most cruise lines will do the best they can to delay sailing, there are circumstances that force them to leave - tidal windows, expiry times for the dock, or weather, to mention a few.

 

What they will do is get you back to the ship, but that may take some time and the travel and living conditions are occasionally less than stellar.

 

Good to read your positive experience, however. 🍺🥌

I thought the cruise line did that only if you booked there air to arrive the same day of sailing and airline was delayed getting you there.

[DrHemlock]

43 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

I thought the cruise line did that only if you booked there air to arrive the same day of sailing and airline was delayed getting you there.

Not even then.  Go to O's website; scroll down to the bottom & click "Legal"; then click "Terms & Conditions" on the left; then scroll down to "Air Transportation."  The cruise line accepts no responsibility for airline performance and none if you miss sailing due to late arrival.  They will do their best as a matter of practice to help you reach the next destination where you can board, but that's not necessarily the next destination on your itinerary because some countries won't allow new pax to board within their jurisdiction.  

This has been discussed many times in other threads, including a current one:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2922509-what-does-oceania-consider-premium-economy/page/2/#comment-65016924  Start at post #29.

Edited March 19, 2023 by DrHemlock

[LHT28]

39 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

I thought the cruise line did that only if you booked there air to arrive the same day of sailing and airline was delayed getting you there.

the cruise line has no control over the airlines

They will try their best to get you to the ship  but if there are no seats on flights to the port  you are SOL

 The only time I have heard of them holding the ship  is for charter flights   or ships tours that may run into a traffic issue

 Why people think the she will wait for them is beyond  me

JMO

[Acrusa]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

the cruise line has no control over the airlines

They will try their best to get you to the ship  but if there are no seats on flights to the port  you are SOL

 The only time I have heard of them holding the ship  is for charter flights   or ships tours that may run into a traffic issue

 Why people think the she will wait for them is beyond  me

JMO

We are not talking about individual's but rather ship tours that are delayed getting back to the ship .

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

We are not talking about individual's but rather ship tours that are delayed getting back to the ship .

I was responding to your post #10   where you mentioned  O air

2 hours ago, Acrusa said:

if you booked there air to arrive the same day of sailing

 

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Acrusa said:

We are not talking about individual's but rather ship tours that are delayed getting back to the ship.

 

I was indeed referring to ship tours when I posted the following - which is valid in my experience.

 

"Not always. While most cruise lines will do the best they can to delay sailing, there are circumstances that force them to leave - tidal windows, expiry times for the dock, or weather, to mention a few.

 

What they will do is get you back to the ship, but that may take some time and the travel and living conditions are occasionally less than stellar." 

 

An example - a South Pacific trip on HAL years ago featured a stayover ship excursion in "over the ocean rooms" at Moorea. Pax left the ship in Papeete on day 1, were ferried to Moorea for the stay and were to be picked up at the regular ship call to Moorea on day 2.

 

Weather made it impossible to collect the pax on day 2 - the ship could not wait and after a "drive by" at Moorea, had to head out for Rangiroa. Pax from Moorea had to wait a day until transport to Papeete was safe, stay over a night there, then were flown to catch up with the ship. They lost a couple of days and the best available transport and lodging was not the best - a tough go after the ultra-luxury overnighter in Moorea!

 

But, HAL helped them rejoin the ship in time for the journey back to San Diego. 🍺🥌

[Acrusa]

As I said in my post # 7 on the Royal VICKING before the turn of the century mid. 90s waited 5 hours.  The one u describe is unfortunate 

[LHT28]

I think there are two different issues here

1) if you are flying to embark on the cruise    they will not wait for you  usually  even using air booked by the cruise line

best to fly in a day or so early especially in the winter months  if coming from a winter climate

 

 2) doing a tour  with the cruise line  day or overnight  then they do their best to wait   as posted above  not always possible  in some areas  due to tides/dock space etc

JMO

 FWIW  what happened even 1 yr ago may not be relevant today

[GregoryPaul]

Sorry I even brought it up.

[Acrusa]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I think there are two different issues here

1) if you are flying to embark on the cruise    they will not wait for you  usually  even using air booked by the cruise line

best to fly in a day or so early especially in the winter months  if coming from a winter climate

 

 2) doing a tour  with the cruise line  day or overnight  then they do their best to wait   as posted above  not always possible  in some areas  due to tides/dock space etc

JMO

 FWIW  what happened even 1 yr ago may not be relevant today

(1 agree 100% Never fly in same day

[Tranquility Base]

On 3/19/2023 at 7:33 AM, ShaZoGus said:

any thoughts on whether it’s best to pre-book excursions or wing-it once we arrive at those destinations?

Back onto the question asked by the OP.

 

Although it's been about 5 years since I visited those ports in Vietnam, I wouldn't expect there to be many tour operators just waiting at wharf 'on spec'.

Taxis perhaps, IF you know want you want to do.

 

With the shortish time ashore at those ports (especially Nha Trang being a tender) being organised beforehand would be my recommendation.

Having said that, Nha Trang does have a nice beach and plenty of restaurants a few blocks back.

It's a short taxi ride (6km) into town if you are doing DIY there.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Tranquility Base

[ShaZoGus]

Thanks for your advice!