Shore Excursions on turnover day when you are on back to back cruises

Carolyn, what a marvelous reply to lenaldi and mrsgibs179 WC excursion concerns, thanks for posting your thoughtful reply.

Originally posted by lenaldi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We booked 2019 World Cruise, which is a single itinerary. Still, Regent is not offering any tours on segment start/end days. These ports are quite interesting and we are trying to get information what will our options be. This is so wrong. They should disclose such information at the time of advertising. Shame on Regent.

 

 

 

As I posted on another thread...We were on the 2018 world cruise. The tours for the turn around days were not posted until nearly sailing time, if they were posted ahead of time at all.

 

Most tours for the turnaround Days were not offered until we boarded in LA. One tour was posted early for Auckland (end of first segment)..it was a overview type by bus. There were a couple offered for Perth and Singapore (end of next two segments) ahead of time. Cape Town and Rio were overnights and the turn around day had nothing offered until we were on board, but there were tours offered ahead of time for the other day in each port.

 

When we boarded there was a packet of tour information in our rooms with tours offered on the turnaround days along with up dates on other tours...any changes in itinerary, time, or difficultly level plus some more interesting tour offering in some ports.

 

These tours are offered and run by a third party provider...one of several companies that offer tours to cruise ships in ports around the world. Regent does not have a lot of control over this and things do change and can go wrong. Especially when dealing with very long cruise and when the tours can be booked so far ahead of the actual tour date.

 

Don't worry you will have a good choice of tours to choose from for those exciting ports, but will probably have to wait until you board for the full list for those days. Good thing is the WCers are a small group so there will be plenty of space.

 

We were on the wait list for 8 or 9 tours over the course of the 137 days since we booked so late, but cleared all the wait lists before we boarded. Then we actually changed a couple of the tours after more information was available once on board to ones that sounded even better. The tour desk was very helpful in getting the best tour for us to see what we really wanted to, if I wasn't sure about a tour.

 

Enjoy the cruise it is a wonderful experience!!

Carolyn, I appreciate your reply very much. It does sound promising. But my concern is: I prefer to know before boarding the ship what I am doing in a port. If what is offered - if anything - is not to my liking, I would make private arrangements. For that one needs time, stable and secure internet (for payments by credit card), phone... It has to be done from home. We visited all the ports in question more then once. That is why ANY tour will no do it for us. I am still would insist on Regent to at least show what will be offered before boarding. Is it really my problem how many people will be taking tours on those days? Once again - WE BOOKED SINGLE ITINERARY WITH UNLIMITED TOURS IN EVERY PORT.

Originally posted by lenaldi

 

Carolyn, I appreciate your reply very much. It does sound promising. But my concern is: I prefer to know before boarding the ship what I am doing in a port. If what is offered - if anything - is not to my liking, I would make private arrangements. For that one needs time, stable and secure internet (for payments by credit card), phone... It has to be done from home. We visited all the ports in question more then once. That is why ANY tour will no do it for us. I am still would insist on Regent to at least show what will be offered before boarding. Is it really my problem how many people will be taking tours on those days? Once again - WE BOOKED SINGLE ITINERARY WITH UNLIMITED TOURS IN EVERY PORT.

 

 

 

We also "booked a single itinerary with unlimited tours in every port". That is what we got as there were few if any ports that had closed excursions by the time we were close to the port though they maybe have been wait listed early on. I know because I changed several the night before the tour.

 

What Regent doesn't guarantee is that you can book everything you want 6 months out, but maybe you should read Regents terms and conditions....it is sort of like there is no guarantee that you will stop at ports listed on the itinerary.....we missed four completely for various reasons and only had a few hours in a fifth because we were so late arriving, about 7%. We did get one extra port day and they did offer excursions for the port as soon as it was confirmed. That is cruising.

 

I understand about having visited ports before and wanting to know what you will be doing in each port before you leave. I am an obsessive planner. We have cruised for over 30 years and had been to all most all the ports on our WC as it was our third time around the world. Plus I have some mobility issues so not all tours are good for me.

 

Just a word of caution even if you have booked the perfect tour, just know several tours were canceled and other changed after we boarded due to provider problems or other issues. So it is good to have something in mind as a back up in the ports that are really important to you. The turn around cities you mention are easy to on something on your own on the fly or the destination's desk is more than willing to work with you to arrange something in a port. And as I said some really good tours were added after we boarded.

 

Oh and one more thing it is easy to book a private tour while on board. The internet is mostly very good all the time and you can sent c card infor in small bites in several emails. We have done this numerous times all over the world.

 

I posted a daily blog with pictures and only had a few problems with the ship's internet and they didn't last long. Did have problems finding enough time to do the blog we were having such a good time though.

 

Plus you will have free phone time which we found really handy. Oh and there will be a tourist board person on board (or in the terminal). They were most helpful also...calling to see about rental cars, taxis, opening times etc.

 

However all that said and assuming Regent does what it has done for some time now, you will not know what is offered in the turnaround ports until you board and in reality they are doing what they said...there are tours, free and otherwise in the ports that have tours services to offer...there are a very few places that really do not have that service.

 

Sorry if this doesn't help you, but maybe it will help someone else on a WC or a Grand tour.

 

Again I hope you have a great time.

Hello, Carolyn.Thank you very much for taking time and giving me all the explanation. It is good to know that Regent will offer tours everywhere. I am not complaining that I cannot book, I wish they at least show the tours they may be offering in ports in question. This way we would know what to expect. And the whole thing started after the following Regent agent's answer to my inquiry: WE DO NOT OFFER TOURS IN THOSE PORTS. But, thanks to you, I now know that it is not true. This will be our second WC, first with Regent. I do plan everything. May be too much planning is not very good, but I cannot help it. I have been following your blog, very interesting, informative with lots of pictures. You and Dick did a great job! Have couple of questions. 1. Do they ship luggage both ways: home-ship, ship-home? 2. Does free medical service on board include free medication, if needed? Thanks a lot again and Happy Travels! Alexandra

Lenaldi, if you can find some cruises where your turnover ports are in the middle of the itinerary then the possible excursions at those ports should be available in the cruise planning area at rssc.com.

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Not Carolyn, but, yes luggage shipping is both ways, and medication is included.

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Hello, Carolyn.Thank you very much for taking time and giving me all the explanation. It is good to know that Regent will offer tours everywhere. I am not complaining that I cannot book, I wish they at least show the tours they may be offering in ports in question. This way we would know what to expect.

 

There is a site on the Regent website that does show the tours that have been offered in the past at most all the ports Regent visits...but no guarantee that they will have them on your cruise. I did find it very helpful and most tours showed up either before we left or on the ship. Maybe some one can send you the actual link. I am not to computer literate!

 

 

And the whole thing started after the following Regent agent's answer to my inquiry: WE DO NOT OFFER TOURS IN THOSE PORTS. But, thanks to you, I now know that it is not true.

 

I had similar problems when I called...the phone staff could be better trained and some do give incorrect answers instead of saying they are not sure! But I got lots of help from our TA and several past world cruisers.

 

 

This will be our second WC, first with Regent. I do plan everything. May be too much planning is not very good, but I cannot help it.

 

I plan way too much also. But for me, that is half the fun and if something does go sideways, I have back up info. My husband just laughs at me, says we start with a plan A, but do a plan B mostly on the fly because things change over the course of the trip!

 

 

I have been following your blog, very interesting, informative with lots of pictures. You and Dick did a great job! Have couple of questions. 1. Do they ship luggage both ways: home-ship, ship-home? 2. Does free medical service on board include free medication, if needed?

 

Thanks! Yes, I sent three bags to LA and sent 4 home. We were allowed 2 - 50 pound bags each both ways. Yes medicine, blood work, x-rays and other tests are included even included IV's. I got very ill in Christchurch and the free medical was great....it would have cost a fortune otherwise or here at home.

 

 

Thanks a lot again and Happy Travels! Alexandra

Carolyn, it has been my great pleasure meeting you online. Thanks a lot for all the info and advises. Hope to meet you some day in person. May be, who knows.

Best, Alexandra

On the last cruise we took Regent did offer a tour on that day for those that were b2b. It wasn't offered until on the cruise.

Excursions will be offered after the cruise begins per Celebrity TA.

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Excursions will be offered after the cruise begins per Celebrity TA.

 

 

 

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Hi - not sure if you meant to post on the Regent board. This may have been meant for the Celebrity board.