Privately Arranged Tours v. Oceania Unlimited Passport Collection Tours

[jbuch02]

I am new to Oceania but not to cruising. Our next will be our 25th since 2003, 19/24 with Celebrity. We've been very pleased with Celebrity but the recent offer by Oceania was enticing ....... I cancelled a 17d, Celebrity Millennium Cruise from Hawaii to Sydney via French Polynesia 11/2/13 to take the 12d, Riviera cruise Istanbul to Barcelona 11/6.

 

I would call myself a compulsive/meticulous beyond need planner. In the past I've spent hours and hours researching tour guides and tours in the various ports we've visited. It's paid off but, in the end, in terms of time spent and dollars spent, its expensive. However, as my cruising experience has deepened, I've let go a little and tried to allow the cruises come to me. Much more relaxing it seems.

 

I've looked around pretty thoroughly here to find comments about the subject line and there's not much meat. This will be my third visit to this part of the world and there are only three ports on the 11/6, Riviera itinerary that I've not been to. If you calculate the per person, per port cost of the Oceania Passport Collection and take a ship's arranged tour in each of the 10 ports on the itinerary, it comes out to about $130pp per tour. I've also heard, the Oceania tours are not the best considering the cost. I'm not sure which way to go ..... get to work and start arranging private tours or just let the tours come to me and have someone else do all the work. Here's my question:

 

Given the circumstances I described above and knowing that there are cruisers here who have a lot of experience with Oceania, how would you play this? What do you recommend. Do the work and go all private or sit back, let Oceania worry about all the details, walk off the ship and follow the sign held high.

 

A couple of caveats. I'm not a fan of big groups. I prefer 2-6, but, for a good, well organized tour I can deal with larger numbers. I'm not going to go to the "must see" sights in Istanbul, Ephesus, Rome, Naples and Barcelona - done that, been there. I'm looking for a little solitude and maybe something unique; I could handle a country side bus ride looking out the window these days as the scenery goes by. Some of the time now, I just get in a cab and go. Its worked out in some locals but I've found that's not the best option in Europe.

 

Chime in .... love to hear a good heated debate on this topic.

[LHT28]

Join the roll call for your cruise maybe someone has already done the leg work & arranged tours ;)

 

If you like small groups unless you book the Executive collection tours $$$ you will be on a bus with 30-40 of your closest friends

 

We have done a few shorex with Oceania they were fine but prefer much smaller groups with places we want to see

 

Look at the excursions offered & decide what ones work for you in a larger group situation

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/exploreashore/default.aspx

 

Since you say you are not looking to hit all the major tourist sites I would explore private tours or just wander on your own in the city/town

 

JMO

 

Do what works best for you

 

Lyn

[canuck.qc]

I am new to Oceania but not to cruising. Our next will be our 25th since 2003, 19/24 with Celebrity. We've been very pleased with Celebrity but the recent offer by Oceania was enticing ....... I cancelled a 17d, Celebrity Millennium Cruise from Hawaii to Sydney via French Polynesia 11/2/13 to take the 12d, Riviera cruise Istanbul to Barcelona 11/6.

 

. In the past I've spent hours and hours researching tour guides and tours in the various ports we've visited. It's paid off but, in the end, in terms of time spent and dollars spent, its expensive. However, as my cruising experience has deepened, I've let go a little and tried to allow the cruises come to me. Much more relaxing it seems.

 

I've looked around pretty thoroughly here to find comments about the subject line and there's not much meat. This will be my third visit to this part of the world and there are only three ports on the 11/6, Riviera itinerary that I've not been to. If you calculate the per person, per port cost of the Oceania Passport Collection and take a ship's arranged tour in each of the 10 ports on the itinerary, it comes out to about $130pp per tour. I've also heard, the Oceania tours are not the best considering the cost. I'm not sure which way to go ..... get to work and start arranging private tours or just let the tours come to me and have someone else do all the work. Here's my question:

 

Given the circumstances I described above and knowing that there are cruisers here who have a lot of experience with Oceania, how would you play this? What do you recommend. Do the work and go all private or sit back, let Oceania worry about all the details, walk off the ship and follow the sign held high.

 

A couple of caveats. I'm not a fan of big groups. I prefer 2-6, but, for a good, well organized tour I can deal with larger numbers. I'm not going to go to the "must see" sights in Istanbul, Ephesus, Rome, Naples and Barcelona - done that, been there. I'm looking for a little solitude and maybe something unique; I could handle a country side bus ride looking out the window these days as the scenery goes by. Some of the time now, I just get in a cab and go. Its worked out in some locals but I've found that's not the best option in Europe.

 

Chime in .... love to hear a good heated debate on this topic.

I too would call myself a compulsive/meticulous beyond need planner and that is the reason I prefer not take a cruise-tour (exceptions: unsafe areas, unreliable, limited sources for tours) I don't think you'll get any heated debate regarding private being a better experience & value as opposed to cruise-tours. From what I've read, CCmembers are surprisingly unanimous on this point. I have only cruised with Oceania and have taken 3 ship excursions and that was in the early years when I was new to cruising & knew nothing about quality/cost & CC. In each case the tours didn't come close to any of the private tours. There is such a wealth of info on these boards and other sites. There are good references & reviews from past cruises on CC. If you don't want the work involved with organizing, join a small group on your RollCall. Those tours are usually a 6-8per van and are basically less than or around your calculated $130. On your particular itinerary there are many 'been there done that' travelers, like yourself, looking for something different. We have met fabulous people on our privately organized tours, making the experience far more interesting, memorable and 'custom made'. People like us rarely leave things to chance.....I even do my homework regarding where & when to plan that impromptu cab ride. When I walk off the ship, no sign held high for me, unless it's got my name on it!!

[Benita]

I doubt you will get a heated debate. If you like small groups, you will arrange or join private tours. The value is better and you get to see more. If you are worried about missing the ship or don't feel like taking the time to arrange tours or look on roll calls for tours others have arranged that you can join, you will take a tour the ship has arranged.

[hypercafe]

I usually take the ship tours because I feel safer all around and it is easier, I do not mind the bus. However Oceania charges such a crazy price I feel like a fool paying it. It is the one thing that keeps my from using them often.

[Condocat]

Besides the obvious cost savings and intimacy of having smaller groups by doing your own tours, you need to remember most importantly that you are in control of exploring areas that many times go untouched.

 

I have been amazed that even the obvious haven't been explored by the ship tours. Case in point: We recently returned last month from SE Asia. While we were in Singapore we visited Gardens by the Bay on our own which is spectacular and a huge attraction near the marina that opened last year. Oceania didn't have one tour going there.

 

It pays to research the ports you will be visiting, decide what's important to see, check the tours the ship is offering, then decide whether to plan independently or not.

[alexandra cruiser]

on EACH port and what is available privately and with ship tour,then make an informed decison.So never ALL one or other.Some ports are very small and couldnt find good private tour,or want to do on own,so end up with ships tour.Do research,look at websites,get guidebooks,etc.then pick what s right for YOU in each port. Sorry, not based on price of tour,but rather experience I m after.Figure I ve paid SO MUCH for this cruise, want the BEST in each port.Why worry about $50 or more,seems foolish after what you ve paid to GET THERE.;)

[jbuch02]

Thank you all who posted.

 

I'm now back to planning. I think the primary reason for that is the comparative price and quality (b/c I'm designing them) of privately arranged tours.

 

Lessons learned:

 

(1) there is majority agreement among experenced cruisers that doing your own thing is going to produce a better shoreX experience.

 

(2) like Celebrity excursions, Oceania excursions don't produce the best value all things considered.

 

(3) there is plenty of information available to persistent planners to create your own shoreX package that will beat in quality and price anything the cruise companies are offering.**

 

** I think the cruise industry has tried to keep up with respect to shore excursions industry .... itself, pretty competitive. Celebrity was not even close when I undertook self planned tours about three years into my cruising experience. They are better now but as long as they continue to try to make their shore excursions huge profit centers corporately, they are going to lose out to the one group of travelers they should be targeting ..... Folks like us.

[wristband]

I agree with your excellent summary & I am a big fan of private small group tours for all of the points noted above.

 

However, an exception you should consider: if complicated logistics are involved (meaning, bus/train/plane transfers or far distances), you might consider the O tour. I have taken several Oceania multi-day tours that involved a good deal of transfers and long distances - overnights in Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Alhambra in Spain. All these "special" excursions were more expensive than a private tour visit. However, everything was provided exactly as promoted and we were returned to the ship on time after having had a great experience.

 

Again, I favor small group tours (no more than 8) but there are certain situations where you should consider O's option, especially if your time is limited and there is so much to see so far away from port.