hughdm Posted August 2, 2011 #1 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Going to do Oceania for the first time next year. We favor ship excursions for the convenience and security. That being said, can anyone offer opinions about Oceania excursions as compared to Princess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted August 2, 2011 #2 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I can't make a comparison to Princess. And my bias is for private tours. But with those reservations, in general the ship's tours we've taken on O have been quite good. It's not 100%, I don't think it ever can be. But they do tend to pick good vendors for the tours. My objections haven't been the quality of the tours so much as that I prefer smaller groups. (I've had lemons on occasion with private tours we have booked as well.) The one complaint that seems universal is the COST of the ship's tours. But I suspect that is true of all cruise lines,not just Oceania. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted August 2, 2011 #3 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Oceania's are similar in quality but higher in price. In most ports there are only so many tour operators that can handle cruise ships; thus many cruise ships (but not all) use the same vendors for tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digby Posted August 2, 2011 #4 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We have generally been satisfied with Oceania's excursions except for one thing -- the time always allotted for 'shopping.' We have no interest in shopping and wish they offered excursions for shoppers and some for non-shoppers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillianrose Posted August 2, 2011 #5 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We have generally been satisfied with Oceania's excursions except for one thing -- the time always allotted for 'shopping.' We have no interest in shopping and wish they offered excursions for shoppers and some for non-shoppers. I completely agree with you. No shopping at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted August 2, 2011 #6 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Two more non-shoppers :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted August 2, 2011 #7 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We like to shop but generally not at the expense of touring. We would do it before or after the tours, or in lieu of a tour. If all they have is trinkets and souvenirs we'll pass. What I hate is the obligatory stop at the tour operator's cohorts store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 2, 2011 #8 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We have done several O tours without a problem except one in Cartegena where the 3.5 hr tour turned into a 5 hr tour due to extra shopping stops that the guide took upon themselves to add we usually do private tours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aohkay Posted August 2, 2011 #9 Share Posted August 2, 2011 We did 3 wine tours with Oceania last year and they were all very good. Even though we were on busses, it did not seem like the cattle call that everyone speaks about. After the wine tasting, the ride back to the ship was a hoot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughdm Posted August 3, 2011 Author #10 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks all. I'll be curious to see what's offeed when it gets sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted August 3, 2011 #11 Share Posted August 3, 2011 On Barbados, one of the tours is identical to a tour offered by Princess. With unlimited rum tasting at 10 am, everyone ws happy for the rest of that tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brlight Posted August 5, 2011 #12 Share Posted August 5, 2011 O's tours are higher in price than most other lines, including some 6 stars. They disclose that they add a surcharge to the tours, so they are making a profit. Especially expensive are the transfers to/from the airports. But the tours are usually good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brlight Posted August 5, 2011 #13 Share Posted August 5, 2011 Ditto on the no-shopping. We've traveled all over the world and with the exception of a few trinkets, we never buy stuff. I hate when the tour guide "traps" you for an hour in their uncle's boring shop. Wonder what the kick-back is to those guides? Another reason to book your own tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughdm Posted August 6, 2011 Author #14 Share Posted August 6, 2011 We're still neophytes compared to a lot of you. We like a mix of touring/shopping, although too much of anything can be a bad thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddmel Posted August 6, 2011 #15 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I'd like to share a very positive experience with O transfers .... although we have never had a negative one. We used the O transfer from the Hong Kong dock which happened to be not the cruise terminal but the Kennedy Wharf which was more distant from the airport. The transfer company guide made sure all on the bus made their way to the appropriate check-in counters at the airport. We were to stay for a few hours at the hotel at the airport before checking in early evening. She guided us to the hotel and helped us check-in. Couldn't have asked for more. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted August 6, 2011 #16 Share Posted August 6, 2011 I like looking over markets and shopping areas for about half an hour, don't buy trinkets or shop for family/friends, but sometimes it is fun in an exotic place. Also a good opportunity to walk if you have been on the bus or van for awhile. Anything longer than that gets boring for me. I haven't found much difference in price between O and Princess tours comparing the same cities. We have found that shopping time is not confined to O tours, but can happen on private tours as well even though it is not in the schedule. Sometimes people override other people. We hardly ever go on private tours with a small group any more, too many issues. Costs such as excursions and drinks, etc., are in the budget along with everything else so price doesn't matter once the choices are made. Enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted August 6, 2011 #17 Share Posted August 6, 2011 There's nothing wrong with shopping per se. It's shopping with forty other people, three or four of whom ALWAYS forget the time and keep the others waiting that is the problem. imo shopping should be an individual pursuit like sky diving and bungee jumping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillPizzaiolo Posted August 7, 2011 #18 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I can't make a comparison to Princess. And my bias is for private tours. But with those reservations, in general the ship's tours we've taken on O have been quite good. It's not 100%, I don't think it ever can be. But they do tend to pick good vendors for the tours. My objections haven't been the quality of the tours so much as that I prefer smaller groups. (I've had lemons on occasion with private tours we have booked as well.) The one complaint that seems universal is the COST of the ship's tours. But I suspect that is true of all cruise lines,not just Oceania. Mura We agree with most of this and sometimes use the ship's tour but don't like the shopping for anything we can't eat, drink, or wear home. The junk made in China made to look like trinkets made by locals just doesn't do it. Also - Waiting for people on the bus that forget or get lost coming back to the bus thus keeping the other 40 or so people from getting to the next location is a drag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyndenfa Posted August 7, 2011 #19 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We enjoy a bit of shopping to bring souveniers back for the kids/grandkids, sister and nephew (who house/cat sit when we are away). What is intolerable to us however, is to be in shops that do not include a generous selection of locally made or at least USA made merchandise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 7, 2011 #20 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Also - Waiting for people on the bus that forget or get lost coming back to the bus thus keeping the other 40 or so people from getting to the next location is a drag. Maybe they should set a time to be back onboard the bus & if people are not there then they are left behind ...just like missing the ship They WILL smarten up :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 7, 2011 #21 Share Posted August 7, 2011 shops that do not include a generous selection of locally made or at least USA made merchandise. Yes I wish there were some stops at the local Artisan shops I bought a puzzle box in Costa Rica for the the neighbours kids thinking they were made locally Stopped in Mexico they had the same darn boxes :eek: I do not buy stuff anymore unless I REALLY want or need it or I see them being made Having said that I did get some lovely bowls in Belize made by a local there Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted August 7, 2011 #22 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We enjoy a bit of shopping to bring souveniers back for the kids/grandkids, sister and nephew (who house/cat sit when we are away). What is intolerable to us however, is to be in shops that do not include a generous selection of locally made or at least USA made merchandise. Made in USA? In a foreign country? I guess I've missed those. I always see either crap from China(the things that look exactly the same, it's just the name of the country on it is changed) or local made stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trina2 Posted August 7, 2011 #23 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Made in USA? In a foreign country? I guess I've missed those. I always see either crap from China(the things that look exactly the same, it's just the name of the country on it is changed) or local made stuff. Stranger things do happen. We were in Longyearbyen, Norway [78'13' North] - "world's most northerly town" with around 2000 inhabitants - doing some window shopping, when we spied some rather cool looking T-shirts with polar bears that glow in the dark (they did look better than the description). In fact, they looked so good that they had won the Australasian printing award. We thought this quite amazing until we saw that the T-shirts were actually made in Australia. This was truly amazing since it is almost impossible to buy T-shirts back home which are made in Australia (mostly made in China, Taiwan etc) This shop also sold hats made in Australia (felt hats like Akubras with crocodile skin hatbands), as well as the full bison skin, polar bear skins etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughdm Posted August 8, 2011 Author #24 Share Posted August 8, 2011 This has pretty much wandered into an opinion poll on port shopping. Do any of you recent posters have any info/opinions about the quality of Oceania sponsored excursions? That's what I was really hoping to glean out of all this. Thanks to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted August 8, 2011 #25 Share Posted August 8, 2011 This has pretty much wandered into an opinion poll on port shopping. Do any of you recent posters have any info/opinions about the quality of Oceania sponsored excursions? That's what I was really hoping to glean out of all this. Thanks to all. Some are very good some are not so good & some are OK It depends on the guide & how they interact with the passengers One guide we had nearly put us to sleep ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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