Shore Excursions - What sort of 'product' does SS offer? What about "on your own?"

Since there's a sort of side-discussion going on in one of the threads about shore excursions, I thought I'd just open up a new discussion -especially since I have intense curiosity on the topic v-v our upcoming debut SS experience.

In particular, I'm interested in what sort of Silversea shore experience (and the cost) we might expect in ports like Falmouth, Cork and Waterford, and what sorts of options veteran travelers have sought out on their own, including specific recommendations of sites, guides, etc.

And, more generally, it would also be interesting, of course, to hear of recommended day excursions (SS or self-) in other ports of call.

Tell on!

Well, as I had mentioned on the side thread, I'm not exactly overwhelmed with Silversea's shore excursion offerings, they tend to be somewhat generic although occassionally they do have more interesting offerings. From my own experience and others' recounts later on over dinner, they are pretty well orchestrated. The tour guides are generally well versed in the areas visited, the groups are small, water, towels, etc. are provided and there is always a Silversea representative along to oversee the entire operation.

I don't have any recommendations for the specific ports you mentioned, but you can view (and pre-book) the excursions offered for each port on Silversea's website. They also include a brief overview of each port which you could use to seek more detailed information on points of interest.

Bechi

If you search hard on the Silversea website you can get a pretty good run down of available day excursions by location. Its not easy to find, but its there!

Hi Itsally!

I haven't studied the tours available from SS, but being a Brit I'd say in Falmouth, Cork and probably Waterord I'd make my own arrangements.

Depending on the time of year, Cornwall (the county where Falmouth is) can be a pig to travel around for much of the year. It's largely narrow country lanes and from spring thru summer to "fall" full of slow caravans. If I had a day in Falmouth (and if you like "real" art) I'd arrange a private car to take me to St Ives for the day.

Falmouth is on the south coast and St Ives on the northern coast. Do a search on St Ives and that'll explain why. St Ives is a small town that has become a center for artists and even has a small "Tate Gallery". It even started a movement called the "St Ives School". Several of Britain's top artists lived and worked there including Henry Moore and Barbera Hepworth. (I was lucky to meet Barbera Hepworth when she was alive - but that's another story best kept for a pub!) So my suggestion for Falmouth is spend the day in St Ives!

http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/

http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/hepworth.htm

Cork is in a magical part of Ireland, and I think it seems a waste to go to Cork and spend it with a dozen other people. If you or you're husband enjoy the thought perhaps of fishing then how about a few hours of fly fishing tuition with a tutor followed by a great fish meal at say Greenes and for a bar it'd have to be Counihans - a bit of a tradition?

http://www.ireland-salmon-fishing.net/Tuition.htm

http://www.isaacs.ie/greenes/index.htm

http://www.counihans.com/

Waterford is not far from Cork and I guess that it's difficult to avoid the glass factory. If you were going to join a tour anywhere of the three you mentioned I guess it might be here - so long as you don't go to the factory unless you like that sort of thing of course.

Ask any specifics and good luck with your trip.

Jeff

The ones I've taken I thought the costs were very reasonable, cheaper than the mass market offerings. The buses are less than half full and one of the cruise staff is there to keep an eye on and pass out water, etc. But looking at the excursion prices for this year, prices seem higher. Pre and post tours used to be very reasonable. They seem less so now. Or am I just imagining things?

I think that SS does a very nice ship's tour especially if the ship is not full and some do tour's on their own.I think it is subjective as there are those that would never do a ship's tour and some that would never go out on their own.We have done the ship's tour in Cork and Waterford ( we did not go to the glass factory)a couple of years ago(half day),and enjoyed them both.We are on another SS cruise in Sept. and will more than likely do some again.I think they are reasonably priced as well.If you want to check what tours they are doing on your cruise bring up your cruise by date and number and then click on shore excursions,anbd the information will be there.Of course they are subject to change.Have a nice cruise.

Well, perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places, but so far I've not found anything but generic information about the excursions for our itinerary. I'll tackle the page again.

I'll admit it - I'm a glass heathen and the Waterford factory tour holds no interest for me. But as the ship is scheduled to be in Waterford until 11 p.m. (on a Wednesday), we sure would love to find a handy pub with some authentic Irish music. Ideas, anyone?

Thanks, Jeff, for the information on St. Ives - (which I can never say w/o having the nursery rhyme tickling at the edge of my brain). We love Ireland and I'm pleased that we'll have the two stops we will (though that could hardly ever be enough!), but I'm really looking forward to the Cornwall stop as it's a corner of England we've never gotten to.

This is the link to the shore excursions for the cruise I think you're taking.

http://www.silversea.com/Dest/popups/shore_ex_select2.asp?VoyageNumber=4533

A list of Waterford pubs doesn't fill you with optimisim:

http://www.discoverwaterford.com/asp/SearchResults.asp?id=38

Two out of the three SS tours take in the Waterford factory. What a waste of time. This part of Ireland is perhaps begging you to take off on your own and soak in the atmosphere and the smells - and the tranquility and peace. Also, I think you'll get much more from the Irish if you're just you and your husband exploring for the two days you'll have. They will all (to a man I predict) give a wry smile to a bus load! So Waterford may be a car hire day perhaps or a day with driver for a slow unplanned explore?

A few helpful pointers to learning a few words of Irish before your trip and a few handy tips ?! .............. :-)

http://www.slanguage.com/irish.html

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/AMisc/Blather.html

We spend some time in our home on the beach in the next county along from Cornwall - Devon. In fact I've been trying to convince people to welcome SS ships into Torbay - but they're very short-sighted.

The fact that they currently haven't planned any tours from Falmouth I think says something of the challenge they have. 90% of the raods in Cornwall will only take a coach going one way. So I'm wary about coach tours in Cornwall but a thought I had since posting is that you might want to combine the trip to St Ives idea with a trip to Padstow to visit Rick Stein's restaurant for lunch?

Rick Stein is a celebrity chef in the UK who has re-introduced the Brits to Fish. He is "much loved" and is on TV pretty much every day talking passionately about fish and "real food". He has a series called "Food Heroes" and features those that are passionate about the production and preperation of food. He lives and works from Padstow and the locals have rechristened Padstow - Padstein because of the restaurants, shops and hotels and cookery school under his ownership. If you decided to go to his main restaurant you would need to book straight away as it is seriously booked. Feedback from the restaurant is very positive.

http://www.rickstein.com/

http://www.rickstein.com/restaurants_theseafoodrestaurant.htm

Anyway post any more specifics and enjoy your visit to this part of the world - but I'd say approach it in a less frenetic way than you might approach say a Med port.

Jeff

ps. The nursery rhyme probably refers to St Ives in Cambridgeshire (use to be Huntingdonshire)

Thanks again, Jeff. You post a lot of helpful information, which we'll review closely. And for which I thank you.

If we wanted to do a private car hire, is that something we'd have to research on our own before departure? Or does SS offer a range of options, including local guides to book? Thanks again!

No probs - pleased to help.

Because this isn't the med - and you don't have either the language or culture challenges - I'd be more inclined to do your own research using google before you go and make some contact with some local companies and ask them to suggest some ideas incorporating any you've seen suggested that you like. It's such a shame arriving with no ideas and perhaps asking each of the tourist offices to recommend a local taxi company might be a start. In ireland - a further option might be a day in a horse drawn gypsy caravan for example - a sort of gipsy pub crawl?!

Researching before and booking direct will be cheaper and probably more personal and perhaps better than what SS might offer. I think it unlikely that you'd be let down.

eg

http://www.cornwall-info.co.uk/details.asp?listid=1416

http://www.cornwall-info.co.uk/details.asp?listid=2575

http://www.driver-guides.org.uk/tours-cornwall.html

http://www.discoverirelandtours.com/

http://www.discoverirelandtours.com/private_tours.html

http://www.deasycoaches.com/terms&conditions.htm

Post any ideas you want to bounce.

Good luck.

Jeff