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Booking excursions


smeeville
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I am a first time solo cruiser and was wondering what is the best way to book my excursions. Do I book before I sail or book on the ship. I was also looking at booking through another cruise excursions company we have used before a few times and they have always been reliable and cheaper. Will be on Cunard Queen Victoria in May doing the fjord's.:confused:

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In the Norwegian Fjords, we booked private tours or the hop on/hop off bus. We happened to be in Stavanger on Norway's Independence day, so we decided to just wander around and enjoy the festivities.

 

Suggest you research the ports of call and see all that is offered. That is how we found the private tours and best deals for the hoho bus.

 

Betty

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Unless Cunard has changed its policy, the excursions cost a few dollars more if you book onboard rather than booking before your cruise. As a solo cruiser I would not book an excursion from a private source unless I had others to go with me. I do enjoy the hop on hop off buses, take some excursions set up on the roll call and book some from the cruise line.

 

ETA- not booking private excursions by myself is because I would not feel comfortable. When I read that sentence over it looked like it could be misconstrued that I am telling you not to do so.

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If I am unfamiliar with a port, I am more comfortable in booking a shore excursion through the cruise line. If the port is one that I have previously visited, I also enjoy the hop on/off buses that might be available, if I did not want another formal tour. I have never booked a tour arranged through a Roll Call unless I know the individual making the arrangements. Even then, my satisfaction rate for such tours is only 50%.

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I haven't book ship's excursions in about 15 years. Personally, I've found independent excursions to be less crowded (usually), almost always less expensive, and higher quality. The only reason I would even look at ship's excursions would be to learn what's available in a port I'm unfamiliar with or if it's a very short time in port an what I want to do would take most of that time.

 

On most cruises, I'm active on the roll call and arrange tours for the group or join tours others arrange. Without exception they've been great!

 

Whether you book them before or after you board or through the cruise line or independent, is a totally personal decision. Some people like to book through the cruise line because they like or need the security that the ship will wait for them it the excursion is late or arrange transportation for them to the next port. I just make sure I have a cushion for time and I've never even come close to missing a ship. Some people feel more comfortable on ship's excursions--I have no idea why--and that's their personal choice. Do what feels right to you.

 

Have a great time!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tying this back to the Solo thread, had anyone had luck waiting to book excursions and meeting folks onboard who may also be interested? I've seen it discussed on roll calls for bigger things (i.e.: chartering a catamaran on Tortola) but sometimes I feel like it would be fun, while cruising solo, to take an excursion I'm interested with other solos who want to do it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Tying this back to the Solo thread, had anyone had luck waiting to book excursions and meeting folks onboard who may also be interested? I've seen it discussed on roll calls for bigger things (i.e.: chartering a catamaran on Tortola) but sometimes I feel like it would be fun, while cruising solo, to take an excursion I'm interested with other solos who want to do it

 

 

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I have had the opposite experience. I travel solo and book through the cruise line (usually before traveling) or a private company I trust. Twice I have met another single women on board who asked to join me. In both instances when contacted the private company had another space. Even as a solo I almost always find others from the same ship on the tours, even though we had not yet met on the ship.

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