Are some shore excursion costs just a bit cheeky?

[Eglesbrech]

I have just been looking at shore excursions for a cruise in May and as we have visited most of the ports before and know where things are some of the offerings struck me as just a bit cheeky.

 

As an example the main part of one tour is a visit to the Oil museum (in Stavanger). The trip does include a bus ride out of town but the main highlight is this museum which is actually only a 5 minute walk from where the ship berths. The entry fee is minimal if you go DIY compared to the £45 charge so in my opinion the cost of the shorexis really excessive.

 

Now I know that it is up to the individual to do their research but some people will just go with ship tours as they are really scared to get left behind (this applies most cruise companies not just Celebrity).

 

Do you think that Celebrity would actually sell more excursions if the cost was more in line with the actual cost for DIY, with a suitable but not excessive profit margin?

[jacketwatch]

I doubt it. As long as they as we'll as the other lines are turning the profit they project or budget for there is no need to change. If profits drop short then I would expect changes.

 

Ships tours are normally very high compared to private operators but enough people do ships tours to keep the $$ rolling in.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I have just been looking at shore excursions for a cruise in May and as we have visited most of the ports before and know where things are some of the offerings struck me as just a bit cheeky.

 

As an example the main part of one tour is a visit to the Oil museum (in Stavanger). The trip does include a bus ride out of town but the main highlight is this museum which is actually only a 5 minute walk from where the ship berths. The entry fee is minimal if you go DIY compared to the £45 charge so in my opinion the cost of the shorexis really excessive.

 

Now I know that it is up to the individual to do their research but some people will just go with ship tours as they are really scared to get left behind (this applies most cruise companies not just Celebrity).

 

Do you think that Celebrity would actually sell more excursions if the cost was more in line with the actual cost for DIY, with a suitable but not excessive profit margin?

 

I agree, the costs are a bit cheeky. :D I try not to use them unless there is really no other alternative. I also don't like touring in great big groups, so even if the cost were lower, I'd rather set up private shore excursions or just do the ports on my own.

 

Are you on the May 24 cruise? If so, come and join us on the roll call.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1596484

[Ardie12]

You might want to specify which itinerary you are doing. We did the Summit last November. I found all our excursions through cruisecritic, then cross referenced them on tripadvisor. I prefer booking myself through local venders as the cruise lines take 40%, and I prefer that more of my money go to the local economy.

We took the Calabeza snorkel tour in Barbados and it was without a doubt the best course excursion I ever did. Great people, great food, nice stops, and a small group. We saw a couple of the tours through the ship and they had 20-40 people on them. I think we had 8. We paid more than a similar ship snorkel tour, but it was definitely worth the money.

At Antigua we hopped in a cab and went to Jolly Harbor. the beach looked like something form Tahiti, just beautiful. Few people, a nice little bar that served food, jet ski rentals for my teenaged sons, and not too many people selling "herbal medications". We felt very safe, and had a wonderful time. I think the cab ride was maybe $15 or $20 each way; much better than $35 a person through the ship to go to a beach with 500 other people.

A load of people I met on cruise critic and I sold out an island tour on St. Lucie. We booked through Cosol tours, and it was a blast. Maybe a tad too boozy for me, but I'm not fond of drinking a lot, particularly during the day.

[Project_gal]

It is not true that Celebrity sponsored tours are always more expensive than DIY. The Aquarius submarine tour in Barbados are actually cheaper through the ship and the ship's tour includes transport which is not included in the Aquarius price.

 

We noticed that the Celebrity tours were full whereas they had not been able to completely sell those either side.

 

I would suggest that any tour where Celebrity can almost guarantee a better take-up rate than the operator can would have a chance of being cheaper through Celebrity. You need to do your research.

 

Sue

[cruise kitty]

Personally, I love the fact that X charges quite a bit for their excursions, there appear to be plenty of takers, & that keeps the cruise cost down for me :D

 

Cruise ship sponsored tours do have their uses, time & place, & they must work for a ton of people, because they are usually full. My mom would love a ship's tour, she would completely enjoy meeting, & talking with everyone on the bus, not having to worry about logistics of buses, trains, & taxis, & the shopping "opportunities"

 

We prefer on our own, or as a last resort, a private tour, but that does not work for everyone, we're lucky, in that we're very mobile, very willing to spend hours researching, & not afraid of having to take a train to the next port in a worst case scenario.

[NSWP]

I have just been looking at shore excursions for a cruise in May and as we have visited most of the ports before and know where things are some of the offerings struck me as just a bit cheeky.

 

As an example the main part of one tour is a visit to the Oil museum (in Stavanger). The trip does include a bus ride out of town but the main highlight is this museum which is actually only a 5 minute walk from where the ship berths. The entry fee is minimal if you go DIY compared to the £45 charge so in my opinion the cost of the shorexis really excessive.

 

Now I know that it is up to the individual to do their research but some people will just go with ship tours as they are really scared to get left behind (this applies most cruise companies not just Celebrity).

 

Do you think that Celebrity would actually sell more excursions if the cost was more in line with the actual cost for DIY, with a suitable but not excessive profit margin?

We all know the cruise lines want to make a profit on their shorex, but a lot of the cost for shorex lies in the cost of Coach Transport to and from the ship. So the Ship makes money, the contracted tour operator make money and it costs us heaps. I note you are from Scotland, we did a British Isles tour on Crown Princess in 2008, even the cost of shorex at the Scottish ports, i.e. Queensferry, Greenock and Invergordon were expensive. I have a name for it. 'User Pay.'

 

I do agree that if shorex had lower prices more pax would do them instead of private ones.

[vermonter16]

I just happen to like doing more private excursions, however - when time is short at a port, or a destination is really far - I'll take the cruise sponsered excursion. For example, in Costa Maya, my husband and I wanted to do one of the Mayan Ruins that was a solid 2 hour one way trip (first excursion to leave the ship and last one to get back). We opted to go with the cruise line so as to feel more comfortable and just enjoy the excursion, rather than worry about the time. Sure enough, we were a handful of the last folks back on the ship.

 

I know others that will only do the cruise sponsored excursions and that is ok too. I'm glad the ship offers them, and I'm happy to take one when the time is right.

[tamsno]

The oil rig museum was excellent and indeed only a nice few minutes walk away but even in June it was a really chilly day and raining heavily which is quite typical of the area. They have a very good restaurant overlooking the water and our coffee break turned into a long lunch. The old town area is also very close to the ship and though very hilly can easily done on your own. It's a nice town and much can be seen from sail away. In fact the whole Norway trip was great. Enjoy.

[CathyCruises]

Personally, I love the fact that X charges quite a bit for their excursions, there appear to be plenty of takers, & that keeps the cruise cost down for me :D

 

Cruise ship sponsored tours do have their uses, time & place, & they must work for a ton of people, because they are usually full. My mom would love a ship's tour, she would completely enjoy meeting, & talking with everyone on the bus, not having to worry about logistics of buses, trains, & taxis, & the shopping "opportunities"

 

We prefer on our own, or as a last resort, a private tour, but that does not work for everyone, we're lucky, in that we're very mobile, very willing to spend hours researching, & not afraid of having to take a train to the next port in a worst case scenario.

 

Agree 100%. I am always amazed at the number of people I run into sporting their little badges and followng the lady carrying the big stick. They often show up in places we have gone to on our own, and I am always so thankful not to be part of a huge crowd. Plus there is satisfaction in figuring it out on your own--I love that part!

[huskerc]

Cruise ship excursions often include things private tours don't--transportation and food, often--but the most important thing for most people is the small bit of insurance that the cruise line has an obligation to make sure you are back, since you purchased the excursion from them.

 

As another poster said, if you are comfortable with the worst-case scenario being that you move your own behind to the next port, you can usually do much better both in terms of cost and what you get to do/see on your own.

 

Still, sometimes we book through the ship. An afternoon of diving is often no more expensive through the ship than it is through private arrangements.

[Gig103]

In Alaska, I did the math and Celebrity was taking about a 10% to 15% markup and sometimes that included transportation that the private tour may not have had (i.e. to the offices). And while they do almost nothing for that money, it does add some peace of mind to many people (we did independent tours anyway).

 

But I've seen some prices for South America, and it's crazy expensive compared to some of the competition! I'm guessing it has to do with the language barrier intimidating passengers, or lack of competition, I dunno for sure because I haven't done a lot of research yet.

 

I remember Carnival wanted double the price for parasailing that I got from a reputable independent place in Cabo. That's too steep a markup.

[jacketwatch]

Cruise ship excursions often include things private tours don't--transportation and food, often--but the most important thing for most people is the small bit of insurance that the cruise line has an obligation to make sure you are back, since you purchased the excursion from them.

 

As another poster said, if you are comfortable with the worst-case scenario being that you move your own behind to the next port, you can usually do much better both in terms of cost and what you get to do/see on your own.

 

Still, sometimes we book through the ship. An afternoon of diving is often no more expensive through the ship than it is through private arrangements.

What private excursions are yolu referring to which don't have transportation included? All that we have taken w/o esxceptio have included transport.

[phoenix_dream]

I think ship's excursions, in general, are higher priced and if I am visiting a place I am comfortable with I will book on my own.

 

That said, they are a godsend for some folks. For example, we often cruised with our relatives until they were well into their mid-to-late 80's. They had some disabilities, including needing a cane to walk, and struggling with macular degeneration. On the occasions where they were doing something different than we were, you can best believe we put them on a ship's tour so that we knew that there were going to be well taken care of. In fact, sometimes even when we went with them it was just much easier to use the ship's tours as they were generally closer to the port and easier to get to (some of the private tours involved walking a couple blocks or so to catch a cab/bus, which can be difficult for them).

 

Another time I tend to book with the ship is if I am in a place where I am not quite comfortable. For example, we cruised the west coast of Mexico just before it got shut down to most cruiselines. No way was I going to book my own tour of Acapulco as it was already starting to be in the headlines for issues. Same for when we went to Caracas, Venezuela before that dropped off the radar as well. I know cruise tours are not a 100% guarantee of safety, but in a questionable area I will choose the ship's tour over the unknown.

[Chirpbird]

I saw one, next year, for about $2k. It was a private car tour. We'll pass on that one, unless the car is then shipped to our house.

 

Sincerely, Sambelina's Galaxy.

[huskerc]

What private excursions are yolu referring to which don't have transportation included? All that we have taken w/o esxceptio have included transport.

 

If it's tailored for cruise passengers it likely does, but when you are booking private tours they often do not cater to just cruise passengers. In both land and cruise vacations we have booked tours where there is a central meeting point, or possibly pick up at a few hotels and cruise passengers have made their own way to these locations.

[Vidia]

I'd like to add that I generally will do the research and/or leg work to book something privatley but on this cruise the "spectacular" heli ride included transport so it actually ended up being a little bit less than DIY. I was quoted $100 ea way to/from the pier and airport...YIKES! Also, we're guaranteed an earlier flight and transport back in time to do a snokel...for once it was worth it to book on the ship! On our Greek Isle cruise, we saved a bundle DIY! On several others too...it's whatever is more convenient for you at the time i suppose.

[Ardie12]

If the ship is going to be in port from 8:00 to 5:00, and I find a private excursion that runs 10:00 to 1:00 or maybe 2:00 for a better price than through the ship, I'll probably go private. Of course, I do my research. If people getting back late and missing the ship, you are going to hear about it on tripadvisor or on here.

 

I did a private snorkeling trip in St. Maarten on my last cruise. Transportation to the pick up point wan't provided, but very explicit instructions for catching a cab were. The cab driver gave me his card, and arranged for when we wished to be picked up. I didn't end up having to call, he was waiting for us. It was the week of the presidential election. You would be amazed at how much cab drivers in Antigua and St. Maarten know about American politics. I felt a I got a lot more exposure to the culture than I would have gotten on a bus with 50 people.

 

I've already found a sailing trip for our next cruise. It takes a maximum of 6 people, gets amazing reviews, and if you want to help actually sail the boat, you can. It gets amazing reviews. You aren't going to find something like that through the ship.

[jackdiamond]

I have just been looking at shore excursions for a cruise in May and as we have visited most of the ports before and know where things are some of the offerings struck me as just a bit cheeky.

 

As an example the main part of one tour is a visit to the Oil museum (in Stavanger). The trip does include a bus ride out of town but the main highlight is this museum which is actually only a 5 minute walk from where the ship berths. The entry fee is minimal if you go DIY compared to the £45 charge so in my opinion the cost of the shorexis really excessive.

 

Now I know that it is up to the individual to do their research but some people will just go with ship tours as they are really scared to get left behind (this applies most cruise companies not just Celebrity).

 

Do you think that Celebrity would actually sell more excursions if the cost was more in line with the actual cost for DIY, with a suitable but not excessive profit margin?

Do you mean impudent or disrespectful?

[bplazo]

If the ship is going to be in port from 8:00 to 5:00, and I find a private excursion that runs 10:00 to 1:00 or maybe 2:00 for a better price than through the ship, I'll probably go private. Of course, I do my research. If people getting back late and missing the ship, you are going to hear about it on tripadvisor or on here.

 

I did a private snorkeling trip in St. Maarten on my last cruise. Transportation to the pick up point wan't provided, but very explicit instructions for catching a cab were. The cab driver gave me his card, and arranged for when we wished to be picked up. I didn't end up having to call, he was waiting for us. It was the week of the presidential election. You would be amazed at how much cab drivers in Antigua and St. Maarten know about American politics. I felt a I got a lot more exposure to the culture than I would have gotten on a bus with 50 people.

 

I've already found a sailing trip for our next cruise. It takes a maximum of 6 people, gets amazing reviews, and if you want to help actually sail the boat, you can. It gets amazing reviews. You aren't going to find something like that through the ship.

 

What port and tour operator is you sailing?

[tserface]

I think it's fair if they add a commission. They are taking some risk, going to the trouble of setting it up, printing tickets, having people available to book/change/cancel, having tech available to track it, etc. They should be compensated for their part in setting up the tour. We find it to be much more convenient to choose tours from the ship when possible and we like the feeling that they will wait for us should something go wrong that delays the excursion. We have also had occasions where the excursion didn't work out so well (weather, someone got sick, etc.) and Celebrity has always been good about refunding giving credit or something to make up for it whereas we'd be on our own to try to collect if we were booking without the ship's help.

 

There are also nice people pointing us in the right direction, helping set up lines, holding up signs, marking us off on lists, etc.

 

Seems like they deserve something for all that extra effort.

 

Tom

 

I have just been looking at shore excursions for a cruise in May and as we have visited most of the ports before and know where things are some of the offerings struck me as just a bit cheeky.

 

As an example the main part of one tour is a visit to the Oil museum (in Stavanger). The trip does include a bus ride out of town but the main highlight is this museum which is actually only a 5 minute walk from where the ship berths. The entry fee is minimal if you go DIY compared to the £45 charge so in my opinion the cost of the shorexis really excessive.

 

Now I know that it is up to the individual to do their research but some people will just go with ship tours as they are really scared to get left behind (this applies most cruise companies not just Celebrity).

 

Do you think that Celebrity would actually sell more excursions if the cost was more in line with the actual cost for DIY, with a suitable but not excessive profit margin?

[CathyCruises]

We never take ship excursions. Ever. There is the cost factor--I can save lots of money by DIY or joining with roll callers for small group tours.

 

But what I REALLY don't like about them is the 'herd' feeling, and having no control over what, where, and when.

 

On our very last ship tour, we went to Florence. Took a huge bus. Stayed 30-45 minutes longer at the Accademia than we needed to; walked, stopped, listened, walked, for four hours before we had a break. That was ridiculous in itself. Then they took us to lunch in a lovely historic-looking restaurant where we were served roast beef and mashed potatoes--must have thought we'd have a craving for a taste of home! It was awful.

 

That aside, the large tours can only move at the pace of the slowest member, which is way too slow for us. Spending our precious port time waiting for people who don't have the respect and courtesy to return to the bus on time is not my idea of a fun day. Plus, when you ride in a large bus with your compadres, you are missing an opportunity to really get the feel of a place as you would riding the train with locals, stopping into a little cafe for a mid-morning coffee (and potty) break, wandering in and out of shops, etc.

 

Ever since that awful tour, we have just done the research ahead of time, decided what we wanted to see in any given port, and figured out how to get there on our own. I personally feel that the cruise lines (who make the bulk of their profits on extras like tours, casino, bars, spas, etc) bamboozle passengers into taking their excursions with the threat of missing the ship if they go off on their own. If you are time-aware and can do the most basic planning, your risk is very small. We have never even gotten close to missing the ship, always back on board a minimum of an hour ahead of time.

 

I know this doesn't work for everyone, and if you have mobility issues or other situations a cruise tour may well be the best option. I am just giving our personal viewpoint and experiences.

 

The one that always gets me is "Rome on your own" where they charge 'autostrada robbery' prices to drop you in Rome from a bus--I have heard it's $80-90--when you can take the train round trip for 12 euros and have use of all the buses and metro while in Rome. Really have issues with that one!!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

The only ship tour we have taken was in Tunisia it was Ok

On our first cruise

I not sure if many ships stop there anymore

[hansolosmom]

I think it's fair if they add a commission. They are taking some risk, going to the trouble of setting it up, printing tickets, having people available to book/change/cancel, having tech available to track it, etc. They should be compensated for their part in setting up the tour. We find it to be much more convenient to choose tours from the ship when possible and we like the feeling that they will wait for us should something go wrong that delays the excursion. We have also had occasions where the excursion didn't work out so well (weather, someone got sick, etc.) and Celebrity has always been good about refunding giving credit or something to make up for it whereas we'd be on our own to try to collect if we were booking without the ship's help.

 

There are also nice people pointing us in the right direction, helping set up lines, holding up signs, marking us off on lists, etc.

 

Seems like they deserve something for all that extra effort.

 

Tom

 

I think this is the thing we all forget about when it comes to excursions. The cruise lines are finding operators, arranging the transportation etc. they have someone who does this & gets paid to do it. This is factored into the price.

 

I think you need to look at the time spent to research & book the excursion and add that in to get a fair comparison.

[ghstudio]

I think it's fair if they add a commission. They are taking some risk,

Tom

 

No...if anything goes wrong, they disclaim any responsibility and you are left to deal with their "port agent".

 

The only reason for 2 or more to take a ship excursion, IMHO, is if the excursion is long and the stay in port isn't.....eg. visiting the Mayan temples in Belize....we actually took the ship's tour and two of the three busses arrived back at the ship over an hour late...it was just too tight a tour for that site.

 

If you are travelling alone, then I'd suggest joining private tours in your roll call....or taking the ship excursions because they are cost effective for a single.

 

I would also never take the ship's transportation to/from the ship from the airport....travelling with 2 or more. Again, it may be economical for solo travelers.