Advice on shore tours and prices for Bremar cruise

I'm a newbie here and would like advice please on recommended shore tours and prices for the Best of the Caribbean cruise 5th January 2017. I've read that the tour bookings will be available 6 to 8 weeks before sailing but I like to budget and plan ahead.

Can the team help please? Many thanks.

If you have already booked, you can go onto the Fred Olsen web site, go into Manage My Cruises, you need to register, and you can view shore tours from there. This early, they may only provide approximate prices, but they are usually fairly close.

If your tours are on manage my cruises as explained, you can follow the link as though you wish to book a tour and will be given the price you will pay for the trip. You can just delete it later - it will not be booked unless you pay for it.

If tours are not on Manage my cruises, you can search for each port under the "places we visit" tab at the top of Fred's web page. As long as you make sure you do not follow a link for cruises featuring that port, you can search for details of the specific port and shore tours normally run from that port. As previously said that will not show exact prices, nor will it necessarily mean those tours will be available for your cruise, bit the tours are usually much the same.

If you are new to cruising, rather than just to Fred, you may not realise that you will have options other than cruise company tours. Look for the ports on the "ports of call section" of this site, where you will find a wealth of information. Or just search the net.

Thank you both for your replies.

I'll just have to wait until 6 to 8 weeks before our cruise before finding out about the tours that can be booked and how to find out their cost.

I'm hoping that my wife and I can avoid being limited to the Braemar tours offered and find some independent different tours such as the Half Tour of Historic Bridgetown shown here: http://www.skinnycarsontoursbb.com/ratesservices.htm

The tours can be on 'manage my cruises' before the 8 week time frame (the ones for our November cruise were available online way before the 8 weeks) - just keep checking 'manage my cruises', and as I said above you can get a very good idea of what will be on offer by looking at Fred's website.

You will not get much change at all from the trips that have been offered previously. You can do whatever you want to when in port, just be aware that if you do not get back to the ship before the latest re-embarkation time, the ship could leave and you would be responsible for any cost or inconvenience that will cause to catch up with to the ship elsewhere. So best not to cut things too fine or take risks if intending to travel a large distance from the port. Many ports do not need formal tours and can be done on foot or by using public transport or taxis.

The main ports have pages on CC giving basic information - this is the link for Barbados to help you get started:-

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/ports/newport.cfm?ID=5

You can click on 'read more' just below the picture to get the full basic info and you can click on the titles across the page a bit further down (things to do, port reviews etc.) for the full editorial.

The 'ports of call' section of these forums is where you will find postings giving advice on ports. It does take quite a bit of time to research each port, then you can ask asking specific questions on that section about things you cannot find answers for and they will be responded to there. You do need to do the basics first though.

I see you are new to this site - welcome to the site. You will soon learn how things work if you search around a bit.

Cheers and happy cruising,

Barbara

Thank you Tring.

Thank you.

There are so many good local operators in the Caribbean I cannot understand why anyone would want to book an overpriced ship excursion.

Read the port's of call for your destinations and you will find plenty of information.

Tours sometimes get a bad press on here, but as an example we have just come off the Balmoral 12th sept sailing.

We only booked one tour, the do it yourself into Porto.

Two options..........

Three hour stay at £15 Or Six hours stay at £20.

Now where is the difference in price? Both had a coach in and coach back with no courier or escort.

Usually I am pro tour if it means bypassing public transport as I never trust it.

But i just can't understand the pricing of the Porto tour.

No matter as Fred has run its course with us after this cruise so let's see how other lines stand up.

There are so many good local operators in the Caribbean I cannot understand why anyone would want to book an overpriced ship excursion.

 

Read the port's of call for your destinations and you will find plenty of information.

Agree 100% when visiting the Caribbean. Step off the ship at any port and there are many many tour options from locals.

We visit the Caribbean most winters and find the locals reliable, safe and well priced.

Fred has run its course with us after this cruise so let's see how other lines stand up.

The same here for a number of reasons. I think Fred have completely lost the plot. I feel sorry for the staff on board though as they are being let down big time.

We will be on Braemar in November and I have just rang to find Fred are STILL not giving out flight times. The comment was that for the return flight, tickets will be given out onboard!! At that stage I erupted, there is absolutely no concern that people have to make arrangements this end. We also need details of the baggage allowance - they will give out figures for that, but I know it changed after they gave the flight details last year.

We did do 4 tours on the St Lawrence cruise last year and all had problems because of very bad planning. Things like standing at a jetty for a full hour for a boat to arrive, a tour being completely curtailed half way through because it rained - people were warned to wear waterproofs and there were plastic ponchos given on the ship for people going off independently - but not to us!! Another tour in no way fitted the description given. I do not so much mind the prices if the tours are good, but to waste our limited time in port is not acceptable.

Definitely time to look elsewhere and we have already booked the next two with another company.

Sorry to hear that as like us I think you have been on quite a few Fred Cruises.

We find that the English Country House style over the last few cruises has lost its way.

I find that we are forever making excuses for Fred on here and other forums.

The staff are the outstanding memory we take with us and maybe in years to come we will return.