Tours

[Don Barnes]

I have read a lot of blogs about the tours offered on the Diamond Princess for the 14th Nov Singapore to Sydney cruise. Am also doing this cruise and decided to take what Princess has to offer. The prices are always high when booking one of the tours offered by the shipping line, however there are some good points as well. We booked our tours through the Travel Agent after studying the tours on the Princess Website. We have till 24 hours prior to the tour to cancel. The cost is put on ones cruise card account. Also there is no hassell if for some reason the Port is cancelled. ( This can happen due to the weather or the ship breaking down. Also if for some reason the tour is late getting back to the ship, the ship has to wait for you. so one can see it does take a lot of the hassell out of it.

 

Don Barnes

[satxdiver]

And that is why I sometimes book my tour through the ship. I only use local tour providers when I feel confident that there will be no problem getting back to the ship and they are reputable. I always look on CC to see what others have said about any local tour agency.

[caribill]

I have read a lot of blogs about the tours offered on the Diamond Princess for the 14th Nov Singapore to Sydney cruise. Am also doing this cruise and decided to take what Princess has to offer. The prices are always high when booking one of the tours offered by the shipping line, however there are some good points as well. We booked our tours through the Travel Agent after studying the tours on the Princess Website. We have till 24 hours prior to the tour to cancel. The cost is put on ones cruise card account. Also there is no hassell if for some reason the Port is cancelled. ( This can happen due to the weather or the ship breaking down. Also if for some reason the tour is late getting back to the ship, the ship has to wait for you. so one can see it does take a lot of the hassell out of it.

 

 

Certainly all good reasons to use Princess for your excursions.

 

When we did that cruise several years ago, we went on three Princess excursions, 2 that other roll call members arranged and 1 that I set up for roll call members.

 

a) Arrangements for the non-Princess tours were made with vendors recommended on the Cruise Critic ports of call section. In some cases, these were the same vendors proving the tours for Princess.

 

b) For the independent tours, only went with vendors who did not require any money down. Thus, if a port would be missed, there is no deposit to be returned.

 

c) All the non-Princess tours returned to the ship in plenty of time before sailing. The venders know how much future business would be lost if they do not do this.

 

d) Payment for each of the non-Princess tours was made on the day of the tour, so the only difference in payment compared to Princess tours is the few days until the cruise ended.

 

e) True, the non-Princess tours did not have the cancel until 24 hours before option, but 100% of the people who signed up for the tours did go on them. In fact, except for illness on the day of a non-Princess tour, I cannot remember any person who signed up for one of such tours on any cruise I have been on not actually taking it.

 

f) We take Princess tours when they tour where we want to and there is no known reputable outside vendor that provides the equivalent tour.