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What line for included excursions?


happy cruzer
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Hello, We are starting to look at lines that have included excursions and airfare. Cabin size does not matter to us. Food and wine (carry on with corkage is fine, or moderate included selections) do.

 

Can not find much info about the included excursions except the negative comments about big buses. Anyone want to share their opinion of lines that have included excursions and their value?

 

Thank you in advance.

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The only luxury cruise line that includes most excursions is Regent.* Some people like the excursions while others (including myself) do not. It depends upon what you are used to. Regent doesn't usually fill their buses to capacity but many luxury passengers do not like being on big bus tours. I do find that excursions in some parts of the world (Asia, Africa for instance) are better than in other parts of the world.

 

Included excursions are a big draw for Regent and many newbies think that it's great. There have been people that have left Regent due to included excursions and would return if they did away with them. While we did try a couple of other cruise lines, we still prefer Regent - despite their darn included excursions.

 

Keep in mind that you will be paying a lot of money to sail on Regent. If suite size doesn't matter to you and it doesn't matter if alcohol is inclusive, you likely could afford to do small group tours privately and still be ahead money wise.

 

*When I talk about luxury cruise lines, I'm looking at the main ones for U.S. based passengers ....... Crystal, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea.

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Hello, We are starting to look at lines that have included excursions and airfare. Cabin size does not matter to us. Food and wine (carry on with corkage is fine, or moderate included selections) do.

 

Can not find much info about the included excursions except the negative comments about big buses. Anyone want to share their opinion of lines that have included excursions and their value?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

You do understand that "included" excursions does not mean free excursions. You are paying for them upfront whether you use them or not. Once you consider that fact it opens the doors to other lines where you pay less upfront and then choose and select your excursions be they ships' or private.

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Thanks to all. Yes I used the words included because I know how that works. One of my mottos is "Nothing is free".

 

However, I tend to only want to plan a private excursion in one or two ports. Then take it easy for the others which typically means lots of walking or paying full rate for the ship's excursion. Exploring the inclusive option.

 

Specifically, how big do the tours tend to be? How good are the guides? How long are the included tours? Do they all have a shopping stop, food? Are the provided descriptions accurate? I know it varies but would like to hear other's experiences.

 

Thank you.

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Have you thought about doing private small excursions in ports? If you have 6 people or can join a group already booked, it ends up much less expensive than booking a private excursion for only yourselves.

 

Your best bet is to go on the Regent website, rssc.com, and select a cruise to look at. Once selected you can view the excursions to see how long they are and what they entail. Some include shopping, some include lunch, snacks or wine tasting, some are active and some are less so. The descriptions are accurate but not detailed (i.e., they don't tell you how long you will be at each stop).

 

We have been in buses half full, two thirds full and almost completely full. It isn't as much about the buses as it is about how many buses are doing the same excursion. For instance, on a popular excursion, there could be 5-8 busloads of passengers. They try schedule the stops so that all of the buses are not there at the same time. It does not always work. We have been at a restroom stop (with only two stalls) with 4 or 5 other buses.

 

Some excursions are in a van - some in a boat. Some excursions have limited availability and need to be booked in advance. Tonight I am booking excursions the minute they open for our March, 2018 cruise. We want to insure that we get the excursions that we want.

 

Tour guides are like people -- some better than others. In countries less visited by tourists, language can be an issue. In other places, transportation is an issue and the bus may not have air conditioning. Our favorite excursions were in the Middle East and our least favorite were in South America (although we are going there again - to a different area to see what it is like).

 

People on the Regent board do ask about specific excursions to get feedback from people that have taken them.

 

Next month we are doing a quick cruise from Vancouver - through Alaska - ending in San Francisco. One excursion we are taking is 4 hours and is called "Cruise George Inlet and Crab Feast". We will board a 36 foot fully-enclosed pontoon boat for a 90 minute cruise along the Inside Passage and will end up at a restaurant where we will have a crab lunch. On the way they will be pulling up crab pots to examine them and we'll see 2,000 foot waterfalls, etc. This is included (note: Regent does have premium excursions with a price tag.

 

In November we're going to the Amazon. A port stop on the way is St. George's Grenada where will take a 4 hour Adventure Jeep Tour (included). In St. John's, Antigua, many people are doing the included Champagne and Lobster Catamaran Cruise (6 1/2 hours). We opted for a premium excursion in another port that is similar. In Barbados we'll be taking the Luxury Catamaran and Champagne sail for 5 hours at a cost of $149/person. We decided to take this over the included one because it is shorter and we an snorkel from the boat rather than from the beach (also, the included one has too much time at the beach for us). Hopefully the premium excursion will not be as crowded as the included one!

 

Hope this gives you an idea of what there is. Whether the tours or guides are good ........ guess we'll find out when we get there.

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Thanks to all. Yes I used the words included because I know how that works. One of my mottos is "Nothing is free".

 

However, I tend to only want to plan a private excursion in one or two ports. Then take it easy for the others which typically means lots of walking or paying full rate for the ship's excursion. Exploring the inclusive option.

 

Specifically, how big do the tours tend to be? How good are the guides? How long are the included tours? Do they all have a shopping stop, food? Are the provided descriptions accurate? I know it varies but would like to hear other's experiences.

 

Thank you.

 

In the case of Hebridean Island Cruises, there are never more than 49 people sailing and, in my experience, most people opt to join the excursions. It's not a requirement, though, and if there is something you'd rather do, the purser can help you arrange it. Sometimes, they also offer a choice. For example, the last cruise I did with them was a whisky themed cruise and mostly involved visiting whisky distilleries. However, there were some times when there was an alternate attraction. Like, one time a lot of us went to the Glengoyne Distillery, while those who weren't into scotch visited a museum or took a walk around town.

 

Hebridean cruises always include a guide who sails for the whole week. I have so far done three cruises with them-- the first of which was two back to back cruises. The guides and pursers changed with the cruise. In most cases, we were on a bus and each excursion included a coffee break, which was provided by Hebridean. Usually, they would arrange the break with a restaurant and we'd have coffee, tea, and a pastry of some sort. Some days, there are two excursions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. There's usually an opportunity to shop, although some of the places Hebridean Princess goes are very remote and there's no shopping in those cases (however, they will bring the fixings for a coffee break).

 

When we did our back to back cruise, on the turnaround day, the ship sent me, my husband, and another lady doing two cruises on an excursion to an art museum in Glasgow. They hired a taxi for us paid for lunch, and even did some laundry with no extra charge.

 

That being said, Hebridean cruises are very expensive and the ship only sails in areas around the UK, parts of Norway, and France. The ship is a refurbished car ferry, so it doesn't have a lot of the modern amenities some people expect. There's no spa, hot tub, or pool. However, almost everything is included in the fare and if you really need a massage, the purser is likely to help you arrange it. :D

 

They also offer river cruises, but their river vessel is leased and has a different crew. My mom did back to back weeks on the Royal Crown and really enjoyed herself. She went from Basel, Switzerland to Budapest, Hungary over two weeks.

 

Hope this helps.

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Viking Ocean includes excursions, one in each port.

 

Crystal Yacht includes excursions. We are cruising to the BVI on the Esprit in February.

 

Scenic Eclipse, new next year, includes a wide range of excursions. We are booked to Spain and Portugal on the Eclipse in 2019.

 

If you are not limited to ocean cruises, we very much enjoy river cruises and there are several luxury lines that include a wide choice of excursions, with some that include all.

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Actually, based on your requirements, Viking Ocean may be a good choice. While not a luxury cruise line, it is definitely premium plus!

 

 

 

Someone already mentioned this but I will just reiterate that on Viking Ocean you only get the "choice" of one included excursion and it is usually a typical city bus highlights tour or a walking tour if the ship is docked in a historical area. Regent gives several included excursions at each port to choose from.

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Someone already mentioned this but I will just reiterate that on Viking Ocean you only get the "choice" of one included excursion and it is usually a typical city bus highlights tour or a walking tour if the ship is docked in a historical area. Regent gives several included excursions at each port to choose from.

 

I understand but the TS (thread starter) isn't interested in what most cruise lines offer (large suites, etc.). They likely would save a lot of money by booking a small cabin on Viking Ocean -- enough money to do more excursions.

 

In general, I would not recommend any of the lines listed above except for Regent (not because I'm a fan of included excursions because I'm not). If you want to be on a true luxury cruise line and not have to pay for most excursions, Regent is your best choice.

 

Although I am trying to hold my tongue, after checking out Hebridean Island Cruises, I've been sharing pictures of the ship with my cruising friends. It does brighten our day by making us laugh. Really sorry but that ship looks very funny but apparently the people that sail on her like her. To be honest, I really cannot compare Hebridean with any luxury cruise line on the planet.:D:evilsmile:

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I understand but the TS (thread starter) isn't interested in what most cruise lines offer (large suites, etc.). They likely would save a lot of money by booking a small cabin on Viking Ocean -- enough money to do more excursions.

 

In general, I would not recommend any of the lines listed above except for Regent (not because I'm a fan of included excursions because I'm not). If you want to be on a true luxury cruise line and not have to pay for most excursions, Regent is your best choice.

 

Although I am trying to hold my tongue, after checking out Hebridean Island Cruises, I've been sharing pictures of the ship with my cruising friends. It does brighten our day by making us laugh. Really sorry but that ship looks very funny but apparently the people that sail on her like her. To be honest, I really cannot compare Hebridean with any luxury cruise line on the planet.:D:evilsmile:

 

As you have said " Nothing is free."

 

A Regent passenger has paid 'up front' for the excursions.

 

 

As for your comments on Hebridean Island Cruises, I am reminded of the song:

 

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I understand but the TS (thread starter) isn't interested in what most cruise lines offer (large suites, etc.). They likely would save a lot of money by booking a small cabin on Viking Ocean -- enough money to do more excursions.

 

In general, I would not recommend any of the lines listed above except for Regent (not because I'm a fan of included excursions because I'm not). If you want to be on a true luxury cruise line and not have to pay for most excursions, Regent is your best choice.

 

Although I am trying to hold my tongue, after checking out Hebridean Island Cruises, I've been sharing pictures of the ship with my cruising friends. It does brighten our day by making us laugh. Really sorry but that ship looks very funny but apparently the people that sail on her like her. To be honest, I really cannot compare Hebridean with any luxury cruise line on the planet.:D:evilsmile:

 

Your comments re the Hebridean Princess are rather distasteful. In reality this is a little ship with charm,

Being a small vessel, it is able to sail to the small ports that are not accessible for other ships.

When in port she is admired by many who appreciate the quality of the cruise and product delivered.

I don't think the emphasis here on this ship is to compare to it to others, why would it? It's a unique experience. Jean.

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Your comments re the Hebridean Princess are rather distasteful. In reality this is a little ship with charm,

Being a small vessel, it is able to sail to the small ports that are not accessible for other ships.

When in port she is admired by many who appreciate the quality of the cruise and product delivered.

I don't think the emphasis here on this ship is to compare to it to others, why would it? It's a unique experience. Jean.

 

As a reminder of knotheadusc's post above:

 

 

Hebridean Princess has:

 

 

No Pool

No Spa

No Hottub

Doesn't have a lot of amenities that people expect

 

 

This is a luxury cruise ship? My giggles have been about what she looks like. Certainly, if she were magnificent on the inside, it would be a different story (but, IMO, she is not).

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As a reminder of knotheadusc's post above:

 

 

Hebridean Princess has:

 

 

No Pool

No Spa

No Hottub

Doesn't have a lot of amenities that people expect

 

 

This is a luxury cruise ship? My giggles have been about what she looks like. Certainly, if she were magnificent on the inside, it would be a different story (but, IMO, she is not).

 

Absolutely we are all entitled to our own opinions. However we all have our own idea of luxury. As you are always ready to post you can't judge the ships interior from a picture? Yes?

If I am honest what I felt was inappropriate was you and your friends "giggling" at a ship that delivers a cruise product that many people are delighted with. Jean.

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As a reminder of knotheadusc's post above:

 

 

Hebridean Princess has:

 

 

No Pool

No Spa

No Hottub

Doesn't have a lot of amenities that people expect

 

 

This is a luxury cruise ship? My giggles have been about what she looks like. Certainly, if she were magnificent on the inside, it would be a different story (but, IMO, she is not).

 

As has been stated, the theme of the ship's interior is Scottish Country House, as is shown in the following video ( unfortunately with a computer generated voice over mispronouncing various names including that of the ship).

 

Starting at about 12.10 are examples of the cuisine on board.

 

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Absolutely we are all entitled to our own opinions. However we all have our own idea of luxury. As you are always ready to post you can't judge the ships interior from a picture? Yes?

If I am honest what I felt was inappropriate was you and your friends "giggling" at a ship that delivers a cruise product that many people are delighted with. Jean.

 

I completely agree with you.

 

Personally, I love Hebridean Princess because, to me, *true luxury* is outstanding, personalized service from crew members. I can get a spa, hot tub, or pool on any Carnival ship. Frankly, if Travelcat2 isn't interested in Hebridean Princess, I hope she'll stay away so that those of us who enjoy small, "funny looking" luxury ships can sail in peace. It sounds like her elitist attitude would spoil the very special ambiance on that ship.

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Someone already mentioned this but I will just reiterate that on Viking Ocean you only get the "choice" of one included excursion and it is usually a typical city bus highlights tour or a walking tour if the ship is docked in a historical area. Regent gives several included excursions at each port to choose from.

Regent doesn't "give" anything. They are charging you for each and every excursion. Unless of course, you want a really good one and then they charge extra!

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Regent doesn't "give" anything. They are charging you for each and every excursion. Unless of course, you want a really good one and then they charge extra!

 

You are correct. However, for whatever reason, it remains a major draw for Regent. Some people don't mind the higher prices - as long as everything is included. That is not the reason that we like Regent...... rather, it is because of the crew, ships, food, service, dress code, non-smoking policy and other passengers. I sign up for some included excursions and usually end up cancelling. Their premium (Regent Choice) excursions, however, are excellent and, for the most part are much less expensive than on other luxury cruise lines.

 

One comparison is Oceania (not a luxury cruise line but owned by the same company). We took an identical excursion on Oceania and Regent. We loved the excursion - a small group learns to cook Greek food while sipping Ouzo and wine and tasting along the way. After a couple of hours, you are served all of the dishes (prepared professionally from the kitchen) with more Ouzo and wine. This excursion was approx. $500/person on Oceania and was $89/person on Regent. So, there are some discounts on great excursions - even if they are not included.

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