Anyone use Barcelona Day Tours?

Essentially, this is what happened: I inquired about a tour of Barcelona through BDT and was told there were several options. They offered an 8-hour tour of Barcelona and Montserrat for €199 per person as a private tour or €99 per person if 4-6 people joined. They said that we'd get a free one-person tour if I agreed to be the group leader and 4 or more people booked. At the last minute, the other couple who had agreed to come along decided to change to a private tour (due to a change in their return flight schedule) so our tour was essentially cancelled at the last minute. They said they'd keep us on the schedule in case another couple decided to join but that seemed highly unlikely. They then offered us a 1/2 day tour for €199 total. I thought that was unfair (though apparently okay given the terms and conditions we'd agreed to), and I expressed my disappointment both to them and online at CC. In the end, they called and emailed me and apologized profusely and at length about how they'd handled the situation and offered us a 4-hour tour for free. We ended up doing that and having a great time. I was infuriated by some of the replies to my post to the effect that the last-minute cancellation was always a possibility and that essentially it was my tough luck and I should have been grateful that BDT offered me anything at all. Though I agree they were right in that this was a possibility, it wasn't one I had planned for (i.e. a last-minute cancellation/change of plans/increase in price) and therefore I won't make the same mistake twice. I will either do business with a different company altogether or I'll make sure the tour company is obligated to comply with the original terms no matter who cancels at the eleventh hour. I have been an international traveler since 1984 and have been overseas about 30 times. I'm no newbie and I don't like surprises like this. But I feel BDT did the right thing in the end. I even offered to pay them for our original agreement but they insisted on doing it for free. That is why I think they are a good company and people rate them so highly.

 

 

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yeah, sorry to hear that. Unfortunately as I said before, this is not an uncommon practice with the travel industry, I often times travel solo and I've been cancelled on before and these companies have always done well in booking me with another tour, or recommending other arrangements etc. But at least they did apologize and hopefully made things right with you in the end.

Another thing you can do in the future, and I do this all the time with all my cruises. Is organize a private tour with members of your roll call. I do it all the time and have never had any issues traveling with other members. ;)

yeah, sorry to hear that. Unfortunately as I said before, this is not an uncommon practice with the travel industry, I often times travel solo and I've been cancelled on before and these companies have always done well in booking me with another tour, or recommending other arrangements etc. But at least they did apologize and hopefully made things right with you in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

Another thing you can do in the future, and I do this all the time with all my cruises. Is organize a private tour with members of your roll call. I do it all the time and have never had any issues traveling with other members. ;)

I did, and no one responded. I set up the Roll Call last October and never got a single reply. My wife and I are traveling by ourselves and don't know anyone on the ship, otherwise we surely would have tried what you suggested. I'm quite familiar with the Roll Calls, but what can I do when nobody replies?

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I did, and no one responded. I set up the Roll Call last October and never got a single reply. My wife and I are traveling by ourselves and don't know anyone on the ship, otherwise we surely would have tried what you suggested. I'm quite familiar with the Roll Calls, but what can I do when nobody replies?

 

 

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Oh ok. I understand that. It happens too. :eek:

Essentially, this is what happened: I inquired about a tour of Barcelona through BDT and was told there were several options. They offered an 8-hour tour of Barcelona and Montserrat for €199 per person as a private tour or €99 per person if 4-6 people joined. They said that we'd get a free one-person tour if I agreed to be the group leader and 4 or more people booked. At the last minute, the other couple who had agreed to come along decided to change to a private tour (due to a change in their return flight schedule) so our tour was essentially cancelled at the last minute. They said they'd keep us on the schedule in case another couple decided to join but that seemed highly unlikely. They then offered us a 1/2 day tour for €199 total. I thought that was unfair (though apparently okay given the terms and conditions we'd agreed to), and I expressed my disappointment both to them and online at CC. In the end, they called and emailed me and apologized profusely and at length about how they'd handled the situation and offered us a 4-hour tour for free. We ended up doing that and having a great time. I was infuriated by some of the replies to my post to the effect that the last-minute cancellation was always a possibility and that essentially it was my tough luck and I should have been grateful that BDT offered me anything at all. Though I agree they were right in that this was a possibility, it wasn't one I had planned for (i.e. a last-minute cancellation/change of plans/increase in price) and therefore I won't make the same mistake twice. I will either do business with a different company altogether or I'll make sure the tour company is obligated to comply with the original terms no matter who cancels at the eleventh hour. I have been an international traveler since 1984 and have been overseas about 30 times. I'm no newbie and I don't like surprises like this. But I feel BDT did the right thing in the end. I even offered to pay them for our original agreement but they insisted on doing it for free. That is why I think they are a good company and people rate them so highly.

 

 

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I recall the original post, glad to hear you stuck with them and allowed them an opportunity to attempt to make it right. Sorry to see anyone get uptight while they're supposed to be enjoying themselves while on holiday. Enjoy. :)

That is not true. You can post opinions and reviews in response to someone else's question (as in this thread). You cannot start a thread out of the blue to post any sort of review of a tour company (positive or negative). The rule is at the top of every page here and explained more fully in the rules on the front page of the sub-forum.

Hope we don't have a problem returning in time for the back to back cruise to Venice😅😅

We are on the NCL Jade arriving in Barcelona from Houston on a Transatlantic cruise, and then continuing on the same ship for a Mediterranean cruise. On May 2nd in Barcelona, we are taking a 1/2 day tour to Montserrat and are looking for others wishing to join us. It is a semi-private tour and has great reviews on TripAdvisor. They have been wonderful in responding to my emails also. They will pick us up at the cruise port around 9:30 AM, and it is a five hour tour. You can choose where you would like to be dropped off at the end of the tour, and the cost is 69 Euros per person. We are going to be dropped off in La Rambla before heading back to the ship. Here is the link for their tours: https://barcelonadaytours.com/. Just look for the shore excursion "Montserrat/Cava excursion" and contact them from the website. Please book with them and not through me. Thanks.

We are on the NCL Jade arriving in Barcelona from Houston on a Transatlantic cruise, and then continuing on the same ship for a Mediterranean cruise. On May 2nd in Barcelona, we are taking a 1/2 day tour to Montserrat and are looking for others wishing to join us. It is a semi-private tour and has great reviews on TripAdvisor. They have been wonderful in responding to my emails also. They will pick us up at the cruise port around 9:30 AM, and it is a five hour tour. You can choose where you would like to be dropped off at the end of the tour, and the cost is 69 Euros per person. We are going to be dropped off in La Rambla before heading back to the ship. Here is the link for their tours: https://barcelonadaytours.com/. Just look for the shore excursion "Montserrat/Cava excursion" and contact them from the website. Please book with them and not through me. Thanks.

I think this would be best posted on your roll call

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2152931

I think this would be best posted on your roll call

They already posted it there yesterday.

Would you mind sharing the cost for the day and how many hours? I am trying to get an idea of a private, day long tour.

Thanks

We had two days in Barcelona before our cruise departed on March 6, 2015. We signed up for a small group tour to Montserrat and Cava Winery with Barcelona Day Tours. As it grew closer to the time for our excursion, we were asked if we would be willing to take a private tour if there were no others interested in joining us. We agreed to do so and it was a great decision. The morning of our tour, Christian picked us up at our hotel in a private car and took us on the scenic drive to Montserrat. We stopped to take pictures along the way, and Christian answered all our questions and gave us lots of interesting information about the area and the country. After my husband and I explored Montserrat, Christian took us to lunch at a local restaurant. He helped us order as nothing was in English. Everything was delicious. After lunch we went to Cava Winery and had a private tour of the vineyards and winery. The tour ended with glasses of each of three wines which we drank with our winery tour guide as the head wine maker and then the owner stopped by to greet us and chat. The entire day greatly exceeded our expectations and it was largely due to Christian. He was knowledgeable and professional and pleasant to spend the day with. We have booked a cruise next year that also leaves from Barcelona and will be inquiring what other tour we can take with him!

we have a private half day tour with them upon arrival as well as a Montserrat the morning prior to boarding ship in the afternoon. Obviously, we'll have our luggage in tow. Can you tell me if the driver remains with the vehicle while touring sites with the guide:confused: TIA:)

just got home yesterday from a Transatlantic cruise that ended in Barcelona. Used BDT for a post-cruise tour and Flamenco show. All I can say is WOW....great tour. Will post a review thread. My head is still on Barcelona time (I'm in Florida) :eek::eek::eek:

We were going to do the tour the morning of our cruise but they said we wouldn't be at the ship til 3:00.

Besides Barcelona Day Tours another option, less known, is Royal Road Barcelona.

http://www.royalroadbarcelona.com/en/

We booked a private tour with them for May 2 of five sites we wanted to see, including the interior of La Sagrada Familia. What an outstanding experience! We were picked up at the port, had photo ops of sites we'd chosen, were given tickets for touring the interior of the cathedral, spending 90 minutes inside.

The driver who was also our guide pointed out many buildings and structures not on our list but of historical or cultural significance. It was obvious that he loved Barcelona and had good knowledge of it.

At the end of our tour we were taken to our hotel and escorted to the door.

It was one of the best tours we've ever had.

Besides Barcelona Day Tours another option, less known, is Royal Road Barcelona.

http://www.royalroadbarcelona.com/en/

 

We booked a private tour with them for May 2 of five sites we wanted to see, including the interior of La Sagrada Familia. What an outstanding experience! We were picked up at the port, had photo ops of sites we'd chosen, were given tickets for touring the interior of the cathedral, spending 90 minutes inside.

The driver who was also our guide pointed out many buildings and structures not on our list but of historical or cultural significance. It was obvious that he loved Barcelona and had good knowledge of it.

At the end of our tour we were taken to our hotel and escorted to the door.

thanks for the info

We're taking a tour with them on May 25. So far they've been great to deal with. I'll let you know how it was afterwards.

Thank you for the info.

Sue

We paid 189 euros each and the trip lasted eight hours.

we have a private half day tour with them upon arrival as well as a Montserrat the morning prior to boarding ship in the afternoon. Obviously, we'll have our luggage in tow. Can you tell me if the driver remains with the vehicle while touring sites with the guide:confused: TIA:)

To answer your question - yes the driver stayed with the vehicle at all times while the tour guide toured with us.

On April 30th Lisa met us as we disembarked the Vision of the Seas, with all our luggage and 3 other couples. Lisa is an awesome tour guide (originally from Ireland but knows all the history of what she is showing you). Danny was our driver who stayed with the vehicle at all times.

We had the most amazing day in Montserrat, thanks to Barcelona Day Tours, we will definitely use them again. As a side note: Lisa said that Barcelona is a safe city - we had been there 3 times before - and I must say this time I felt totally safe for the 4 days that we were there. And we did a huge amount of walking through markets, Bari Gothic and all the narrow streets, Port Vell and also up and down Las Ramblas. We LOVE Barcelona!!!

We used several tours of Spain Day Tours. We did a transAtlantic cruise from FLL to Barcelona and booked Spain Day Tours at each port in Spain and was more than Satisfied. We booked them separately from the cruise ship and got a much better price.

All our guides we very good at English and no matter what question we threw at them they knew the answer. Very good guides.

The largest Fear Cruise ship try to tell you is if you book outside the cruise ship they could leave without you. BUT DON"T WORRY. They had us back in port in plenty of time. And I feel confident should there be mechanic breakdown they had a plan in place. But did not fear as all vehicles were new. In Fact on tour used brand new Mercedes Benz 12 passenger van. It was so nice. We Did have one Mercedes Benz Van and the seats were a little tight and not that comfortable but just OK. All others were great. If you want to save some money with excellent guides and newer vehicles go with Spain Day and save some money.

Bottom line use Spain Day Tours. They are great and less than Cruise ship prices. We feel we are self insured as we have booked many tour using non cruise ship tours. Therefore if we need to go to the next city on our own we are money ahed.

As I tell mY wife, WHAT IS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? Say we miss the boat and I doubt it very much we just catch a train or plane to the next port. No big deal. Lots worse has happened. Don't short change yourself. JUST DO IT.

Here is the link to my pictorial review thread where I'll be posting about my experience with Barcelona Day Tours

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2351601

Here is the link to my pictorial review thread where I'll be posting about my experience with Barcelona Day Tours

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2351601

Thanks, Erik. Looking forward to more photos from Barcelona. For those looking for just BCN/Barcelona pics, start at post 143.

I highly recommend this company for our cruise port tours. We booked tours for Lisbon, Seville, Granada and Barcelona and all were exceptional. They picked us up on time and the tours were informative and memorable for the short time we were in port. The vans and buses were new and comfortable. Drivers were very good. I loved when we disembarked in Barcelona that they picked us up at the port, took our luggage, did the tour then deliver us and our luggage to our hotels.

I highly recommend this company for our cruise port tours. We booked tours for Lisbon, Seville, Granada and Barcelona and all were exceptional. They picked us up on time and the tours were informative and memorable for the short time we were in port. The vans and buses were new and comfortable. Drivers were very good. I loved when we disembarked in Barcelona that they picked us up at the port, took our luggage, did the tour then deliver us and our luggage to our hotels.

May I ask who was your guide ? We had Giuseppe. he was awesome

So sorry I do not remember all the names. I do remember Anna for the half day city tour of Barcelona (good but talked too fast) and Kathryn for the full day Monserrat and Cava Winery who was superb!

We just completed a TA on the Celebrity Reflection and visited Barcelona where we had the opportunity to take the combined Barcelona and Montserrat tour through Spain Day Tours/Barcelona Day Tours. Our day started off when immediately upon disembarking the ship we were met by our guide Marta who was absolutely wonderful. This was our 17th cruise where we take excursions at every port and our guide Marta was one of the most friendly, professional and knowledgeable guides we have ever encountered. She introduced us to our driver Fran and off we went for an enjoyable 8 hour tour in a new modern small bus. We had 12 persons from Cruisecritic on the tour and the bus was clean and comfortable. Marta spoke perfect English and took us to places which were absolutely breathtaking. During the 8 hour tour she took us to all of the highlights of Barcelona and beautiful Montserrat. Not only did Marta show us beautiful Barcelona and Montserrat but she shared her vast historical knowledge of the locations and thrilled us with her great stories. I couldn't believe how beautiful the La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, the National Palace, Montjuic and the Montserrat national park with the Royal Monastery and Basilica were. I especially enjoyed the Olympic Ring and the location of the 1992 Olympics. Marta and Fran provided us with a wonderful day that we will never forget. I highly recommend this tour. Thank you Marta for a wonderful day.