Booking shore excursions

Is it possible to book excursions once you get to the ports? Rather than per-book

If the tours aren't filled, sure. But you're better off booking on board. (Not everyone prebooks on the internet.)

Also, on occasion if a tour is undersold it will be cancelled. That has happened to us. (We tend to do DIY tours but we've been known to take ship's tours as well.)

I wouldn't advise waiting until the morning the tour leaves, however. It CAN happen -- we booked a very last minute in Wellington, NZ, when we missed connecting with our local contact. (A friend, not a guide!) But if the tour has an early departure and Destinations doesn't have anyone working -- well, I wouldn't depend on that.

Mura

What about excursions not through the cruise ship. Are these available?

Is it possible to book excursions once you get to the ports? Rather than per-book

It is possible to book excursions while you are on the ship, but in doing it that way, you'd have to live with the limited availability of whatever remains unsold by Sailing Day. In most cases there will also be a deadline or booking cut-off before arrival in the actual Port where that excursion will take place.

There are logistics involved, in that Oceania must make arrangements for the correct sized vehicle for transportation and the proper number of qualified guides, and all of that takes time to organize. :)

What about excursions not through the cruise ship. Are these available?

Hello and Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Private Excursions will often be organized through the Roll Call for your Cruise.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=420

Simply select the board for the ship which you are sailing on and then scroll down the page (or do a search) for your particular sailing date.

On each Roll Call, passengers sailing together on a given Cruise are encouraged to network and get to know one another in advance of the voyage.

Good luck and Happy planning! :D

TahitiSun,

Listen to Jim&Stan! That's exactly what I would have said.

But -- YOU have to do the work (or someone on your roll call will have to do the work) if you do your own. That's why many people prefer to utilize the ship's tours, whatever the cost. And you need to be aware of the need to be back on board IN TIME. The ship will wait for ship's tours that are delayed (assuming they can, but usually they can) ... it won't wait for a private tour that is late.

It doesn't take that much effort to research a port for a tour ... you will spend less and have a smaller group. Is that important to you?

Also, it can depend on how large a roll call you have. Our last few cruises had a huge number of posters on the roll call. It was easy to get enough people for a private tour.

Our upcoming April 2015 cruise doesn't have nearly as many. That can impact your ability to get people to share your tour.

Mura

You can also research the ports & see what is available then check for private tours you may want to share or just DIY

Check the Ports of Call forum here for information as well

The options are endless

There are some ports that it may be better to book with the cruise line

You just have to do some research to see what works best for you

Lyn

What about excursions not through the cruise ship. Are these available?

I believe OP is asking, what if I walk off the ship with nothing booked? Will I be able to take some kind of organized sightseeing tour.

The answer, imo, is almost always yes. Many taxi drivers will offer you a tour. Just listen to what they are offering and be sure you agree on the rate and the time to be spent.

There may also be a person behind a desk to put you into a tour situation.

Have a blast,wherever your travels take you.

We sail on Marina in just over two weeks. The Cinque Terre excursion is sold out but O has put us on the wait list. I could not get an answer as to how many people are ahead of us on that list. The agent at O seemed optimistic . Has this happened to anyone? I am wondering if we should book a back up tour just in case it doesn't come through. I would hate to be in Livorno scrambling to put something together last minute.

We sail on Marina in just over two weeks. The Cinque Terre excursion is sold out but O has put us on the wait list. I could not get an answer as to how many people are ahead of us on that list. The agent at O seemed optimistic . Has this happened to anyone? I am wondering if we should book a back up tour just in case it doesn't come through. I would hate to be in Livorno scrambling to put something together last minute.

I would.

To clear the wait list either someone has to cancel or O has to get more space.

Neither scenario is a given.

We always take Oceania tours and book them before sailing and take advantage of the 25% savings when booking the minimum amount.

Many people on cruise critic really like to research and do the tours for themselves or for a small group. It often works VERY well but sometimes it does not -- there is that risk. Sometimes the best guides and the best equipment is available to the cruise line because they come more regularly and pay less but more often for the tour guide or tour operator -- sometimes the same with sights. Our 2nd cruise ever back in the 1980's we got ready to go to the "best site" on the small island and it was closed from 8-4 because of the cruise ship tours -- walking around was the other choice. Guess I still remember that ! With larger and larger ships -- could be a problem.

Think for yourself: 1. Do I like it just taken care of and I have no worries? 2. Can I take a little risk? 3. Do I want to spend more time and effort for my experiences or am I willing to pay more to have the details taken care of? 4. How much risk am I willing to take that the unknown tour operator has good equipment, speaks English and will show up -- especially if I have a deposit? other ending is --especially if I don't have a deposit? 5. Will I put up with the large group experience -- there will always be someone late -- but the large group often gets in before the general public and probably more likely that ship will wait a few more seconds for large cruise line tour than for a small local tour. These questions will have different answers at different times and different circumstances. Each person has a bit of a different thought process and selection process. This is all good. All cruise tours are not bad --or good! All private tours are not better value or automatically better experience -- can have great problems. People on the big bus are not anything but normal in wealth, intelligence and experience AS are the people on DIY.

You need to do a little research. Think a little about what you want from that experience. And then pick for yourself what you think works best for you and the experience you want. Sometimes on these boards it gets close to being mean to those who dare to defend cruise line excursions. Sometimes they work real well. For myself, I usually do ship's tours if I want a tour. I often just want to "walk around" especially if I know what to do in the port. I always do private tours and cars for the week pre and post cruise in the departure/arrival city and that keeps me busy and plan happy. If I am traveling with a large group (3-10) of family and friends then I will have a private tour because of the price factor. Good luck in your decision making.

We sail on Marina in just over two weeks. The Cinque Terre excursion is sold out but O has put us on the wait list. I could not get an answer as to how many people are ahead of us on that list. The agent at O seemed optimistic . Has this happened to anyone? I am wondering if we should book a back up tour just in case it doesn't come through. I would hate to be in Livorno scrambling to put something together last minute.

Hi, I just went to try to reserve Cinque Terre and when I went to check out, it had added a $69 (MED - Mediterranean Summer) fee to each of our reservations. Does anyone know what that's about? I canceled my transaction because I can't find an explanation for it.

Thanks!

Nancy

Hi, I just went to try to reserve Cinque Terre and when I went to check out, it had added a $69 (MED - Mediterranean Summer) fee to each of our reservations. Does anyone know what that's about? I canceled my transaction because I can't find an explanation for it.

Thanks!

Nancy

Is it the dreaded Spanish flu (aka VAT)? Are you sailing out of Barcelona?

Just guessing here.

Is it the dreaded Spanish flu (aka VAT)? Are you sailing out of Barcelona?

Just guessing here.

After departing Spain on Sunday, Monday's and Tuesday's stops are in France. Then Weds. is in Livorno, for Cinque Terre.

So (and AmoreBellaItalia, please pardon me for jumping into your query, here), if we're three days out of Spain, how the heck could the Spanish gov't. lay claim to our euros?

I've heard that our bar bills on the ship the first day will have the Sp. VAT, but beyond that seems fairly outrageous.

Or perhaps I should call it a very good racket.

Thx for your help, Paul.

In another thread someone mentioned the Italians have jumped on the VAT wagon so maybe that is it ?

i would call Oceania for clarification

In another thread someone mentioned the Italians have jumped on the VAT wagon so maybe that is it ?

 

i would call Oceania for clarification

There's a toll bridge near us that costs something like $1 or $1.50 to cross. When we drive up north and use the tunnels and bridges in Maryland and NY/NJ, Mr. B. always comments that Florida should learn this lesson!

If Italy and Spain have figured it out, can Greece be far behind?

There's a toll bridge near us that costs something like $1 or $1.50 to cross. When we drive up north and use the tunnels and bridges in Maryland and NY/NJ, Mr. B. always comments that Florida should learn this lesson!

 

If Italy and Spain have figured it out, can Greece be far behind?

Maybe the USA will start taxing cruise ships more for sailing in US waters or maybe they do that already?

I understand the toll road deal but not sailing in the ocean :confused:

Maybe the USA will start taxing cruise ships more for sailing in US waters or maybe they do that already?

 

I understand the toll road deal but not sailing in the ocean :confused:

I understand the toll road deal but not sailing in the ocean

It is a Laissez-faire cornerstone of Maritime Commerce, that all of the provisions on a ship come from the embarkation Port (Trust me, you learned this in Business Law, back in the day :o )

Taxes are therefore due in that Country until and unless the Cruise Line is willing to prove otherwise in writing, and that would entail a massive amount of bookkeeping prior to the start of every cruise. :eek: It's just that the amounts involved were so small in the past, that no one ever bothered to collect them before. Now, with VAT, everything has changed.

It is a pretty good loophole that the Europeans have discovered , because even if the Cruise Lines did hire clerical staff to sort out what came from where - and when-, it would just mean that some of the tax would go to other Countries.

Outside EU waters, of course, those taxes may remain uncollected, as are the taxes on many Internet purchases ;)

It all depends on the Municipality.

Is it the dreaded Spanish flu (aka VAT)? Are you sailing out of Barcelona?

Just guessing here.

In this particular case, it was something else altogether. There was a cooking class in her shopping cart!

In this particular case, it was something else altogether. There was a cooking class in her shopping cart!

AHHH now that makes sense :D