Marina: Lands of Time: Shore Excursion Problems Again

[Bashful3]

The Sept 27th Barcelona-Istanbul cruise was flawless

except for one thing. I took only independent private

tours off shore, but my husband took two: Knossis

and Ephasis. He felt both were mediocre.

 

Oceania's motto is "commitment to excellence". I feel

they achieve that goal due to high standards, and follow through attention to detail, when it comes to food,

service, crew, officers, staff, ambience, on-board entertainment, cabins. Unfortunately, shore excursions are some sort of step child, for which no

standards are set, with little follow through when

shoddy guides take out bus loads of guests for expensive tours.

 

 

During our cruise the main gripe I heard concerned the

shore tours, including people who took the 'executive

tours". One Canadian passenger grumbled to me,

"never again!" when I asked her about her tour in Ephasis.

 

I can only urge Mr. Del Rio to bite the bullet, and take

whatever steps are necessary to remove this blemish

from Oceania's performance. Oceania's shore

tours achieve

mediocrity at best; how difficult can it be to rectify this?

[rallydave]

 

During our cruise the main gripe I heard concerned the

shore tours, including people who took the 'executive

tours". One Canadian passenger grumbled to me,

"never again!" when I asked her about her tour in Ephasis.

 

I can only urge Mr. Del Rio to bite the bullet, and take

whatever steps are necessary to remove this blemish

from Oceania's performance. Oceania's shore

tours achieve

mediocrity at best; how difficult can it be to rectify this?

 

Have to wonder which Mr. Del Rio you are asking to bite the bullet. Seems FDR Jr. has been in charge of excursions for both Regent and Oceania for several years now. He must be doing a wonderful job based on the fact that approx 6 months ago he was promoted to Vice President.

 

Sarcasm aside, excursions on both Regent and Oceania appear to be the worst part of the Regent/Oceania experience. Evidently PCH Management is happy with the job that is being done managing excursions since they represent a significant portion of profits for both cruise lines and improvements are few and far between.

[nana541]

Have to wonder which Mr. Del Rio you are asking to bite the bullet. Seems FDR Jr. has been in charge of excursions for both Regent and Oceania for several years now. He must be doing a wonderful job based on the fact that approx 6 months ago he was promoted to Vice President.

 

Sarcasm aside, excursions on both Regent and Oceania appear to be the worst part of the Regent/Oceania experience. Evidently PCH Management is happy with the job that is being done managing excursions since they represent a significant portion of profits for both cruise lines and improvements are few and far between.

 

Rallydave, Boy do I agree with you on this....

[rallydave]

Rallydave, Boy do I agree with you on this....

 

Nice to see you over her on Oceania nana541. Too bad many lot of the issues are common across both cruise lines. Really need a house cleaning of the Miami offices especially in the Destinations Department.

 

Would love to sail on Oceania but, with the home office issues common to both lines, am reluctant to take the plunge right now.

[nana541]

Nice to see you over her on Oceania nana541. Too bad many lot of the issues are common across both cruise lines. Really need a house cleaning of the Miami offices especially in the Destinations Department.

 

Would love to sail on Oceania but, with the home office issues common to both lines, am reluctant to take the plunge right now.

 

We are considering our options and will "watch" and see how things change between the two or strike out for new adventures :)

[wannaberetired]

I too was disappointed with the excursions this time and have decided to book my own tours on the next cruise in 2013. I put this in my review on the Riviera review page on cruise critic (Lisbon to Rome 9/14). Hopefully Oceania read it.

[doubledobles]

I just was speaking to someone who just returned from an Oceania trip and also complained about the tour guides and how no one could understand them.

 

One of the problems with Destination Services is their availability. Their hours are such that they are never there when you need to speak to them. I've written this complaint many times, but nothing has changed.

[Bashful3]

Of course a house cleaning is necessary to remedy this problem.

 

And, it is a problem: you either have a commitment to excellence or you don't.

It is obvious to me that Oceania has a commitment to excellence in every other

area of its operations: flawless food and service do not happen by accident.l

 

No one in Oceania's management could claim that their shore tours even approach

excellence. They are a bad joke, at loyal travelers' expense, and will continue to

go downhill until someone in senior management decides to find another job for the relative or whoever they are who perpetrate these flawed short tours.

 

Management is not deaf; they know, they have other priorities that lead them

not to make the necessary changes. And, those shore tours can't be that profitable;

more and more loyal Oceania travelers come to the same conclusions my Canadian

friend: "Never Again!"

 

You notice I do not complain about how expensive those shore tours are. That is another matter. The serious problem is that those tours are run in a slipshod manner.

The local tour operators know they can get away with it... Now there is an

interesting paradox.

[Floridiana]

These are very general negative comments on the tours. Are you refering to northern or southern Europe, Asia, Egypt ....?

 

We took several Oceania tours on our cruise to the Amazon, the three in Brazil were good to excellent.

 

The tours in the Caribbean were the same offered by other lines, even identical in Barbados. The one in the Dominican Republic was average, but better than the tour offered by Princess in a different town in the Dominican Republic.

 

However, there could actually be more interesting tours if the local tourism office cooperates with cruise lines. I always like it when the tour guide talks about the daily life, not just numbers and history.

[hondorner]

I feel like I have to say something about ship's tours.

 

First of all, Oceania does not create the tours, they have to use what's available. If tour companies supply guides who are hard to understand, that's probably because there are no fluent English speakers available, or native accents are so thick as to be difficult to overcome. I've had problems understanding guides on both private and ship tours, and often can't understand even the most educated. I often had difficulty deciphering Henry Kissinger!

 

Oceania goes to many destinations that are off the beaten path. Many of these simply don't have the resources to provide ultimate tours, or may get so few visitors per year that it's not worth it for local businesses to expend the resources for "excellence" (however you define that).

 

Oceania is in a unique niche. It sails with relatively small ships, with far fewer passengers than mass market cruise lines. Thus, in the more popular ports, tour companies may be more willing to put their best efforts towards a cruise line that supplies them with 3000 passengers per week, rather than one that supplies up to 1200 a couple of times per year. On the other hand, they have to supply larger tours than are required for ships with 100 to 200 passengers.

 

There are only a limited number of tour companies that have the ability to supply larger transport. It would be impossible for a cruise line to match the experience one gets in a 6 or 12 passenger minibus. If that's what you want, that's what you should book. For those who don't want to go to the trouble, Oceania has at least tried to provide executive vans or private cars (at a proportional price point, of course).

 

It's also nearly impossible for Oceania to scout every possible tour guide or bus in every possible tour at every possible port. That would take a small army of advance shore excursion personnel traveling constantly around the world, and then starting over each year as tour companies change or go out of business.

 

In many of the ports, it may be the first time they have ever sailed there, or the first time since the previous year. One can hardly expect shore excursion folks, who are arriving at that port the same time as the passengers, to be incredibly experienced about the port.

 

Some luxury cruise lines do provide unique shore excursions, but generally they have a much smaller passenger list and a much higher cost.

 

Considering all the factors, I am impressed with just how good a job Oceania does. In fact, I find it hard to imagine just how they do as good a job as they do. I wouldn't be able to begin to put together an operating plan for such a venture.

 

Once again, private tours are always more comprehensive and comfortable than ship excursions, simply because it's easier for a guide to provide a small van and communicate with 6 or 8 people. Many times, they are less expensive, also. Ship excursions will rarely be able to measure up, regardless of management or cost. If a private tour experience is what you want, then do the work, or join someone who has done the work, and put together your own tour. Just remember, sometimes they don't work out, either!

[Mura]

I agree, Don! We don't usually do ship's tours but the ones we have taken have almost always been excellent. Yes, our guide in Sardinia was difficult to understand because of her accent -- she knew English very well, she just didn't pronounce it all that well. Another tour we just didn't find all that interesting, but we had to take it to learn that fact.

 

While we prefer DIY tours, it does take work on your part, and yes, you can run into the same problems there in terms of quality of guides.

[Ms Understood]

A significant part of the problem in my view is the lack of concern or even interest demonstrated by anyone at Oceania when a shore excursion is just plain bad. No apologies, no refunds, just a virtual shrug of the shoulders. I can only assume that the people in charge share Hondorner's view that well this is probably as good as it gets in this port. We have not taken an O shore excursion since my husband, niece and nephew signed up to go mackeral fishing in Sweden on a boat without enough fishing rods to go around and with a crew that spent most of the day hauling in their lobster or crab pots and ignoring the paying passengers on board who thought they had signed up to do some fishing.Our complaint was met with a "send a letter to the office when you get home" from the ship and a home office letter stating in essence well no one else complained so we dont care.

They really need to DO something. At the very least there should be some acknowdgemnt of the customer's disappointment.and some minimal effort to make it right. Just my two cents.

---------------------

Helen

[tanny18]

We have always booked private tours for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the very high prices Oceania charges. We just came back from 3 weeks on the Marina and one of the ports was St. Petersburg. Needless to say, many passengers were "talked into" using the ship's tours thereby getting the visa for Russia. You can get off the ship with tours from reliable tour companies, but Oceania does not tell you that. Also, there is the underlying threat that if you do not use our tours, and you are late, we leave. ALL cruise lines use that ploy. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't!! We enjoy the private tours because we can control the number of people and where we want to go. and we have never been late getting back to the ship. You meet great people this way.

Oceania has to increase the facility by which their passengers are comfortable with the ship's tours, i.e., good English speaking tour guides, a little flexibility as to where the bus goes - sometimes there is no need to stop at the obligatory "store" to shop for souveniers, and a lower price. When you book your own tours, you know exactly the difference between yours and theirs. But that's why they make mint chocolate chip and rock road!!:rolleyes:

However, to Oceania's credit, when there is a port that requires tendering, you no longer have to wait until all of the ship's tour passengers get off. You can get tender tickets at any time and get off the ship. Arlene;)

[hypercafe]

We are takeing our first trip on O soon. Because I am lazy I booked the two shore trips I wanted with O. I have been reading the negative remarked so am hoping for the best. I have to say they are VERY costly as two half day trips in Mexico was 500$, based on that I would expect above average. We shall see. I think the thing I have read the most that is a disappoint is that no one on or off the ship gives a dam if you like it or not. Again we shall see.

[RetiredFL]

We have done several ship's excursions where there was an Oceania person on the bus to evaluate the tour. So Oceania does care.

However as others have stated Oceania and all cruise lines are at the mercy of the local tour operators. We have done private tours that have been poor and the tour person was hard to understand.

We have also been on tours where the description on the brochure was different than the tour guide had on his/her itinerary. In Punta del Este the highlight of the tour was a visit to a modern art gallery. Oceania pushed it hard in their brochure. The only problem is that the tour guide had not been informed by her office. We had an almost riot on the bus when she passed it by. The Oceania person on the bus immediately got on the phone and it was straightened out.

[Royalco]

I agree with those who opt to do private tours and not be subjected to the shot comings of the ship's excursions. The internet makes it easy to find the licensed private tour operators at all ports of call.

If you go to CC Roll Call you can generally hook up with other passengers to form a small private group. We just returned from the September 27th Barcelona-Istanbul cruise and my wife and I used only private tour guides for just the two of us. The cost is always about the same, or a little more, than the ships tours. In Israel we traveled 1,200 miles in the three and one half days and saw everything offered by the ship's tours plus many places where the buses do not go. In Turkey, we had a driver plus an English speaking licensed guide. For example, our 4.5 hour tour to Ephesus+The Temple Artemis+The House of Virgin Mary cost $220.00. A similiar ship tour cost $159.pp or $318. for 3.5 hours. I rest my case.

[ronrick1943]

Sorry Don but I disagree with you and Mura on this one. If "O" is selling the product and making a profit it's their responsibility since it becomes "O" tours once they take the money. It's up to "O" to make do it right. If they can't buy tours that meet the needs of "O", then they shouldn't sell tours.

Rick

[Floridiana]

Just don't buy their tours and leave them to those who want to purchase them. Don't make it look like ship's tours are never any good. We have booked ship's tours in the past, many of them excellent and in small groups.

[doubledobles]

We use Destination Services about 50% of the time, but one time we went on a tour and the tour guide left us behind! She had told us to wait at a specific spot while the ladies in the group used the ladies room. We waited and waited. When she didn't return we looked for her and she was gone. Fortunately, we found another tour group to join and returned to the ship with them.

 

I found out later she told the group we were with that we met another couple and toured with them, which was a lie!! When I vocalized my distress at this to Destination Services, they just shrugged their shoulders.

 

I don't know if Miami gets all this information or if it's just shunted aside.

[ronrick1943]

Floridiana is right on, when sells go down "O" will do something about. If people keep buying the tours it will be the same thing over and over ahead. But when sell's drop, they have to take a look at it-and do something about it. When you read this board more people say not so good things, more not good than good. So something must be wrong. I don't know because I like ptv tours so I can do it at my pace and see what I want, not as a group. But you should do what you like, and let "O" know how good it was or how bad it was in writing.

Rick

[Bashful3]

Woops. Are you saying, that Mr. Frank Del Rio, Sr is the person in

charge of Oceania, but that his son, Frank Del Rio Jr. has been in charge

of shore destinations all along?

 

If true, and I have no way of knowing, then the liklihood

of change in the quality of Oceania's taking passenger criticism

seriously is not realistic. But, it would also explain the shrug

of the shoulders when a passenger complains strenuously to

Destination Services about a dreadful shore tour experience.