Ship v DIY shore excursions

We would usually diy in ports but thought the cost of P&O trips seemed reasonable. I enquired locally in Dubrovnik for a 4hr trip to Cavtat and a scenic drive etc which was quoted at €200 per couple. P&O equivalent is £90 per couple! As we have no prior experience of P&O trips do cruisers generally find their excursions good value when compared to local operators?

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Can't answer the general question, but in 2016, I joined a party totalling 6 people, organised on the roll call, for the tour your describe, with a brilliant guide, including Cavtat, scenic drive and walking tour of Dubrovnik for 59 Euros each. http://www.dubrovnikshoretours.net/best-of-dubrovnik-tour/

Stuart

Can't answer the general question, but in 2016, I joined a party totalling 6 people, organised on the roll call, for the tour your describe, with a brilliant guide, including Cavtat, scenic drive and walking tour of Dubrovnik for 59 Euros each. http://www.dubrovnikshoretours.net/best-of-dubrovnik-tour/

 

Stuart

I guess the €200 is for the bus so if we were 4 or 6 more economical - same company btw - I’ll probably book the shops tour as no roll call for our cruise and don’t want to be the organiser myself [emoji5]

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I guess the €200 is for the bus so if we were 4 or 6 more economical - same company btw - I’ll probably book the shops tour as no roll call for our cruise and don’t want to be the organiser myself [emoji5]

 

 

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I think you may be confusing group tours with private tours.

P&O tours will be group tours with up to 50 on a bus. If you compare independent bus tours with P&O tours then typically the independent companies will be cheaper.

Plenty of local taxi's.

I have felt up to now that the excursions provided by P&O to be good value, the ones we have been on have had excellent local guides, which really make the trips memorable.

That's okay if you are able,but not necessarily okay for certain conditions.

Peoples needs and capabilities are not one size fits all.

I think you may be confusing group tours with private tours.

 

P&O tours will be group tours with up to 50 on a bus. If you compare independent bus tours with P&O tours then typically the independent companies will be cheaper.

Yes, think I was. Anyway booked the ships tour now @£37pp - happy with that for 4 hrs trip

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One that springs to mind is Rome on your own - £65 on PO&O. We used a local company. It was 19 Euros. Dropped in Rome and if you wanted to pay another 10 Euro, you got a guide to three of the places. It was excellent.

One that springs to mind is Rome on your own - £65 on PO&O. We used a local company. It was 19 Euros. Dropped in Rome and if you wanted to pay another 10 Euro, you got a guide to three of the places. It was excellent.

Mmmm I guess I could have waited till we arrived in port and negotiated at the dock for a much better price than £74 but sometimes you just want to book it and forget about it knowing that on the day you’re all organised [emoji5]

I’ll be a bit more adventurous in the other ports to make up for it!

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I booked it online before we went. Just a little research.

Hi...I would think in most cases local/independent companies will be cheaper and probably better value but having said that we always use the ship's tours....for us the extra cost is worth it in case of some unexpected problem that arises.....heavy traffic/breakdown/road accidents and you are late back to the ship. The ship does not wait for independent late comers but it will if you are booked on the ship's tours. My nerves wouldn't stand it...especially on the trip to Rome which is considerable distance from where the ship docks.

We were back 2 hours before. The tour promises to get you back. It's only an hour and a half

Hi...I would think in most cases local/independent companies will be cheaper and probably better value but having said that we always use the ship's tours....for us the extra cost is worth it in case of some unexpected problem that arises.....heavy traffic/breakdown/road accidents and you are late back to the ship. The ship does not wait for independent late comers but it will if you are booked on the ship's tours. My nerves wouldn't stand it...especially on the trip to Rome which is considerable distance from where the ship docks.

If any independent tour company got their customers back late, their reputation would get destroyed. Not least in Rome, these are BIG outfits, with the ability to get a back-up vehicle able to "rescue" passengers in a broken-down mini-bus. If the issue is traffic, then the cruise-line's vehicles will be affected just the same.

Finally, all the companies allow a significant margin in their timings to get back to the ship. The "we don't wait for independents" is used by the cruise-lines to make massive profits at little cost, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Stuart

If any independent tour company got their customers back late, their reputation would get destroyed. Not least in Rome, these are BIG outfits, with the ability to get a back-up vehicle able to "rescue" passengers in a broken-down mini-bus. If the issue is traffic, then the cruise-line's vehicles will be affected just the same.

 

Finally, all the companies allow a significant margin in their timings to get back to the ship. The "we don't wait for independents" is used by the cruise-lines to make massive profits at little cost, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

 

Stuart

That may well be the case but for myself I would rather be sure...it is what we are most " comfortable" with....

The "we don't wait for independents" is used by the cruise-lines to make massive profits at little cost, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

On a P&O cruise I was on a couple of years ago two passengers passengers missed the departure coming back from Rome.

For the next few days the captain made numerous announcements that seemed to delite in their misfortune and used it as an opportunity to sell the 'guaranteed' official tours.

Yes I can believe that. We are in Livorno in April and the train to Pisa is about 5 Euros. It takes less than 20 minutes and very easy to do. The ship is in port until late in the evening, so we won't be late. Last time we were there, we also did Lucca on the train. I can really recommend that. Again, because Florence is so far, the ship is always there into the evening, so if you get a train around 9.30 am and back at 4-5 ish, you still have 4 hours or more in port.

If any independent tour company got their customers back late, their reputation would get destroyed. Not least in Rome, these are BIG outfits, with the ability to get a back-up vehicle able to "rescue" passengers in a broken-down mini-bus. If the issue is traffic, then the cruise-line's vehicles will be affected just the same.

 

Finally, all the companies allow a significant margin in their timings to get back to the ship. The "we don't wait for independents" is used by the cruise-lines to make massive profits at little cost, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

 

Stuart

At the end of the day it's what you feel comfortable with:cool::cool:

On a P&O cruise I was on a couple of years ago two passengers passengers missed the departure coming back from Rome.

 

For the next few days the captain made numerous announcements that seemed to delite in their misfortune and used it as an opportunity to sell the 'guaranteed' official tours.

But were they using a private tour-operator? Just catching a bus into Rome and missing the one back isn't the same! A firm like RomeInLimo would have provided overnight accommodation and taken you to the next port.

Captains love to report on late passengers, but still to hear of a missed embarkation due to the failure of a tour company.

Stuart

Let's face it you either like being on a coach with 50 people, or you like doing it yourself. We like the latter, so I spend quite some time sorting it out and we have saved hundreds of pounds and probably had a better time. We have done the odd excursion, but always favour doing it ourselves.

P&O excursions are generally good value but of late I've booked several private tours - minibus of around 8 people. Not necessarily cheaper but most times you see more.

Let's face it you either like being on a coach with 50 people, or you like doing it yourself. We like the latter, so I spend quite some time sorting it out and we have saved hundreds of pounds and probably had a better time. We have done the odd excursion, but always favour doing it ourselves.

This ^^. I can derive no pleasure from being herded around on a coach, being told what I want I should want to see and having to wait at every stop for that inconsiderate passenger who arrives back to the coach 10 minutes after everyone else. We always enjoy researching the ports and making our arrangements with recommended independent tour operators and generally we get an individually tailored expedition for around the same cost, often less than P&O. We also arrive at any significant attractions before the main bulk of the coaches and get to view what we want in relative tranquility.