Best and worst Princess tours you have done?

We truly enjoyed Butchart Gardens. It may have been less expensive to do it on our own but we were with our son who is in a wheelchair. The bus had a wheelchair lift and they had reserved the seats next to the handicapped seat for us so it was great. They also didn't have enough people for two buses so we ended up on a bus that was pretty much "ours". The driver was very informative and it was quite nice not to be hurried or hassled. We had plenty of time at the gardens and it was just a very nice experience all around.

My wife and I really enjoyed Las Caletas when we ported at PV. Rather than spend time in the town we boarded a catamaran for a trip over to Las Caletas and had an absolutely wonderful day. The best part for me was seeing my wife so happy. :)

We did the winery tour in Ensenada and had a good day. Nothing really special or exciting and, as we had both worked in a very large winery in our past lives, nothing very new for us but it was something different to do in Ensenada and we each got a free bottle of wine which was nice. The tour was quite inexpensive and, had we not done it, we may well have stayed onboard in Ensenada.

We enjoyed the White Wolf train in Alaska. Again, nothing fabulous but interesting and a good day and it was one we could do with our son who was along on that trip. A lot of excursions aren't readily accessible for folks in a wheelchair.

We enjoyed the USS Arizona in Hawaii but didn't book it through Princess. They wanted $84 each. We rented a car for the three of us for $84 and had it all day long. Since the Arizona is actually free to visit this made a lot more sense to us.

I'll be watching this thread as we are doing a full transit of the Panama Canal in September and have been wondering about excursions for that trip. I'm hoping to get some good ideas here. :)

The best Princess tour I've been on was the long trip to the Embara village in Panama. This was a real adventure. We were in these long dugout canoes we sped across a lake and then it started raining. Typical tropical rain. we entered jungle stream in the rain lightening and thunder was crashing all around....

We got to the village and claimed a steep mud hill to get to the large meeting hut, where we were able to dry out.

In the hut they did a welcome dance, we looked around at their jewelry for sale, had a snack and had a good time. We learned a lot about the village and the people who live there.

When we left it was raining again, but this time I had a poncho, so I was not quite as wet. Overall a really great day.

When I went to Panama, I wanted to "see" real tropical rain-jike in all those old jungle movies. I had no idea that I would end up in a real tropical rainstorm...It was great!

BEST:

Hard to choose! Caernarfon Castle in Wales, Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland or the Costa Maya Dune Buggy Beach Break.

WORST:

On a partial Panama Canal cruise: completing the rest of the canal on a small boat. Horrible, long day. Took over 12 hrs. due to a massive cargo carrier that moved slower than a snail to each lock with us.

The boat ran out of food, drinks, playing cards and more. Bus drivers played "chicken" with each other on very winding roads IN the dark and almost hit a pedestrian. Tour was supposed to last 8 hrs. Four hours over is unacceptable especially when you have kids. We call this "the tour from hell" to this day.

The best Princess tours we have done were

1) Beach Motu picnic in Huahine. About 25 people in a catamaran with a wonderful wacky tour guide. Went snorkeling and then to her family's motu where we had an afternoon as guests of her family. They cooked, played music and sang, and taught us Hulas while we dined at tables placed in the water. Truly magical day.

2) Whale watching zodiac in Cabo St Lucas.

Worst princess tours

1) Maui beach escape. Just plain boring.

2) Riatiea - sunset cruise. Had beer, champagne, and mango juice to drink. I had brought a diet coke for me. Hubs drank the mango juice and said it tasted bad. Must have been bad because he turned into Mount Karakatoa at about 3AM and was quarantined for Valentines Day.

We have only one Princess cruise under our belt which was over Christmas/New Year.

The Best: Sanctuary of Truth - Pattaya

Fantastic guide with wonderful information and amazing workmanship from the locals of many cultures and backgrounds!

The Worst: James Bond Island - Phang Nga

The 1.5hr bus ride my 6ft 2in husband was crouched down on the back seat with his knees raised.

The skipper of the boat wouldn't turn the boat around so the people on the other side could get pictures.

We all thought we were getting off at James Bond Island, but we didn't/

Lunch was a warm ham and salad subway roll with a small packet of crisps.

The shopping stop was at a very expensive mall that did not have anything that I could afford.

My worst excursion, sponsered by Princess, was in Ocho Rios Jamaica. We were taken by bus on a very short ride to a beach. It was totally fenced with barbed wire. The only shade available was under an awning. The water was FILTHY, full of plastic forks and spoons, paper plates, and alot of plant growth. No way was anyone swimming in it. A lunch was provided, and it was not bad, chicken and rice, and some other things. Then they brought out a table, with T shirts, rum cakes, and other things to buy. They claimed to have no means to give change, so anything you purchased, if you did not have exact price, you did not get change. I think we all wished we had stayed on the ship.

After maybe 300 princess tours which most of them were mostly above average or better,we went on a half day tour of darwin,australia

which was really a waste.

We were taken to a museum which was free to the public and a quick tour of the city which could have walked around for free.

long cruiser

Just took 2 Princess excursions. We went whale watching in Cabo that was fantastic and we also had an 8 hour excursion/tour in Puerto Vallarta with horse back riding, zodiak, kayaking, private lunch on secluded beach. It was one of the best days we've ever had on a cruise.

Agree with your comments.

 

We took the Pirate Ship Tour and regretted it.

 

Had a Mother, with her two teen age DDs, get so drunk that they had to be carried back to the Ship.

 

Never again.

We took the Pirate Ship Tour in Puerto Villarta. It was more that just the ship. Beach time, snorkeling, show and food. It was also longer that most trips.

The best Princess tours we have done were

 

1) Beach Motu picnic in Huahine. About 25 people in a catamaran with a wonderful wacky tour guide. Went snorkeling and then to her family's motu where we had an afternoon as guests of her family. They cooked, played music and sang, and taught us Hulas while we dined at tables placed in the water. Truly magical day.

 

2) Whale watching zodiac in Cabo St Lucas.

 

Worst princess tours

 

1) Maui beach escape. Just plain boring.

 

2) Riatiea - sunset cruise. Had beer, champagne, and mango juice to drink. I had brought a diet coke for me. Hubs drank the mango juice and said it tasted bad. Must have been bad because he turned into Mount Karakatoa at about 3AM and was quarantined for Valentines Day.

I agree with your Whale watching Zodiac in Cabo. Up close and personal. WOW.

We have been on many cruses and many have been mentioned here. Some were good and some not so good. But as the thread asked, what was your best and your worst.

Best Tours - Puerto Villarta The Mountaineering Course. Climbed, Zip-lined, Repelled, Forded Streams, Used Rope bridges, Rode Donkeys, etc. 6.6 hours and very grueling for an old man. Did it for my 62 Birthday. Not sure I could do it now.

Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica. Took a boat there. That made it a better trip. Could be dangerous, but fun.

Whale Watching Zodiac at Cabo. Thrilling.

Worst Tours. City Tour of Mazatlan. The guide tried to pass of some dirty old shops as the Golden Zone. In actuality we were still about a mile away. However, the cliff divers were fun.

Worst yet. --Tour to Hell, Grand Cayman. Although the Turtle Farm was great. The tour guide only stopped at six mile beach and would not let anyone out. Drove to Hell, which was good for five minutes. We stayed there an hour while he flirted with the woman in the gift shop. We stopped at the Rum Cake factory which was just a few blocks from the ship. We walked back to the ship. Princess gave us our money back on this one.

Best tours...seeing my dogs on the Herbert Glacier with Sebastian Schnuelle....Coastal Helicopters in Juneau....not. Princess tour...but a private one..that you can book ahead of time or if they are not filled up, at the dock...Taku Lodge in Juneau...absolutely worth every penny for me....although I originally kicked and screamed about spending all that money for a salmon dinner when I have 200# sitting in my freezer....and snorkeling in Kethikan...reefs are far better than in the Carribean....after all, the wha

Es come to Alaska to eat....:). Worst tours? A city tour in Nasseau many years ago...and a raft ride in Costa Rica that was just boring...and not a very friendly guide..husky homestead is a very good tour...been ther lots...Jeff is a friend...oh, and some wonderful tours in Vietnam Nam with Princess in Hoi An...I think I could go on forever....truly, I rarely,have had a "bad" tour...some were just not as good as others....

Fortunately we have had some great tours through Princess and the only one that I can remember as being a bit...sour, was when we took the lighthouse tour in Bar Harbor and a lady sitting close to my dw got sick and that made her sick also. I was out on the deck and enjoyed the tour ( thankfully ). Twice I have tried to take a helicopter flight over Kilauea, as my bucket list includes flying over an active volcano, and both times it was rained out. A real bummer. One of my favorites was in Alaska, with my daughter, when we flew over several types of glaciers, landed on one and then got to mush a dog team. Too many other wonderful excursions to mention but, how can you go wrong on a cruise anyway? Oh, on another cruise line, making a relocation from Hawaii to L.A., we ended up with an almost exclusive American crew and it was BAD. Very lazy !!! Sooo, after trying several other cruise lines, we are most satisfied with Princess and are looking forward to another Hawaiian voyage next year. Thanks for the post, enjoy hearing the adventures, good or bad, from others. bob

Best:

B.O.S.S. Underwater Scooter-St. Thomas (Unique experience, great crew)

Dolphin Swim-Puerto Vallarta (Everybody needs to be kissed by a dolphin, wonderful facility)

Helicopter over Volcanoes Nat'l. Park-Hilo (Helicopter...Volcanoes..how could it not make the list?)

Zipline-Kauai (Perfect if you want to zipline, but don't want to hike, climb ladders built into trees or jiggle across suspension bridges.)

Whale Watch-Juneau (Just lucky...to this day you can't convince me the whales weren't on the payroll! The crew were as giddy as schoolgirls. They said it was the best they had ever experienced.)

Worst:

Alaska Nature and Wildlife Expedition-Skagway (Call me crazy, but I don't consider seagulls wildlife. Return 45 min.boat trip from Haines in pouring rain on a vessel with enough interior [sheltered] space for less than 1/4 of the passengers)

Iffy:

Tubing the Hanamaulu Ditch System-Kauai (A good tour operated by a great company [they do the Kauai Zipline as well]. But, as is the nature of tubing, the tube constantly rotates. I ended up dizzy with a killer headache. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if there were a way to keep the tube straight!)

Best Tours!

1. Yukon & White Pass RR in Skagway, 2007. Scenery that took my breath away!

2. Wings over Kauai, private booking, 2013. Absolutely Fantastic! Going to do it again in Oct!

3. Pearl Harbor Memorial & USS Missouri! Simply the most moving thing I have ever seen!

Worst Tours!

1. Can't think of a "worst". Some not as good but all have been quite enjoyable!

Much Anticipated!

1. Patrick's, Bora Bora

2. Wings over Kauai! (second time around)

3. All Future excursions yet to be!

Best:

1. Raft trip down the Talkeetna River at the McKinley stop in Alaska on our cruise tour.

2. Boat trip in Moorea to a motu for swim with rays, lunch and generally a great day.

3. Tour to Ephesus from the port of Kusadasi,Turkey.

Worst?

Never had a bad one yet but we don't use Princess tours very often.

Best Tours!

1. Yukon & White Pass RR in Skagway, 2007. Scenery that took my breath away!

2. Wings over Kauai, private booking, 2013. Absolutely Fantastic! Going to do it again in Oct!

3. Pearl Harbor Memorial & USS Missouri! Simply the most moving thing I have ever seen!

 

Worst Tours!

1. Can't think of a "worst". Some not as good but all have been quite enjoyable!

 

Much Anticipated!

1. Patrick's, Bora Bora

2. Wings over Kauai! (second time around)

3. All Future excursions yet to be!

I agree on you "Best" tours! We have done those and loved them!!

And, we did Patrick's Bora Bora....you are going to LOVE it!!

We were on the Golden B2B from Buenos Aires to LA. The best tours were:

Patrick Watts on the Falkland Islands,

Flightseeing the Nazca Lines on Pisco

Culinary tour in Lima.

The worst:

Ushuiah- Had to hike down the long pier with nobody from the ship to help. We got the ship to send a bus to get us back.

Punta Arenas, Chile-nobody from the ship directing us from the tender pier to the buses. We were told to be there by 11:30 AM, but when we finally got to the bus we were informed the bus would not leave until 12:45 PM. At 12:30 a ship’s representative got on the bus to inform us of a further delay and did not have enough sense to use the mike. People at the back of the bus could not even hear about the delay. The bus had been rescheduled to leave at 1:45, which meant we would not have gotten back to the ship until 7:30 PM. At this point a number of us said this was totally unacceptable and turned in our tour tickets for a refund

Puerto Montt, Chile Unfortunately, all the tour buses from the ship had arrived and discharged their passengers, and we almost had to fight our way back to the parking lot. The line was 4 persons wide and extended from the falls back to the parking area!

Since the approach to the falls viewing area was so narrow, it delayed all the people by at least 2 hours!

Because of this delay, the ship was hours late departing as it had to wait for the tours to return.

Our best tour on Princess was the wine tasting tour in Ensenada, probably because we were not expecting very much at all from it. In fact, our initial plan was to stay onboard the ship in Ensenada but after reading reviews of this tour we decided to try it. The tour took us out through the beautiful valley east of Ensenada and we visited two wineries, one a small family owned winery and the other was a large, commercialized winery. Both were excellent and the scenery was lovely. It was a wonderful day and we were so glad that we had joined the tour. In fact, we are considering doing it again when we are in Ensenada on Princess this November.

The worst tour was without a doubt the Avalon Ballroom Tour on

Catalina Island. We met the tour group on shore and stood around for about twenty minutes waiting for the shuttle to take us to the ballroom (which was visible from where we stood). After it became clear that the shuttle was not coming the tour guide decided that we would walk the short distance to the ballroom. By the time we got there the tour was half over. They offered to let us join the group but we declined and walked back to the shops and ended up drinking margaritas until it was time to board the ship. In all fairness, Princess did refund our money for the tour.

JNU-700 (photo-oriented whale watch and glacier view hike) has been so good that we did it twice, and would most certainly do it again.

 

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Thanks Peety! We have that one booked and friends going too had me second guessing it because it's relatively expensive but I have held firm :)

Why spend thousands on a cruise to balk over a $200 excursion.....

Just did the Aqua Duck tour in Ketchikan. Glad we booked it early as it was sold out before cruise started. WELL WORTH IT!!! Capt Mike and Anthony were very informative even with the corny jokes.

Best Excursion has been the B.O.S.S. out of St Thomas. Great snorkling and underwater scooter ride ever. Next would be the private tour we took in Cartegena that went to many places with good information by the tour guide. Haven't really had a bad one.

What was the name of the tour guide in Cartagena?

What was the name of the tour guide in Cartagena?

Ours in Oct was with Lee Miles.

My best ever; Lamanaie in Belize... I felt like Indiana Jones...😉

What a great idea for a thread!

1. St Marks after dark in Venice

2. Emperor penguins on Volunteer Beach on the Falkland Is.

3. On a Australian tour we visited the night time nature house in an animal preserve in Alice Spings. A western brown snake was out in the walkways with the people. And it was dark! Memorable to say the least.

We don't really have a worst, like many others.