Need advice on organizing private tours

[jack's mimi]

I've booked two private tours...one in Halifax and the other in Charlottetown and posted the details on our roll calls. (we are doing a b2b...Boston to Quebec and back...June 14-28). My problem is the roll calls are very inactive and only one couple is interested in joining the Halifax tour. Should I wait till the cruise and try to find people to join us? Or will most people have already booked ship excursions? This is our 7th cruise and I've never had trouble filling excursions. It's discouraging . I've learned a lot from this forum....looking for some suggestions. Thanks

[LocoLoco1]

Jack's mimi, Hi. I seem to end up with a little of both (CruiseCritic and Met Aboard Ship) to venture out with us. Truthfully, we have lotsa fun with 1 Taxi-full of persons..which means 4 Max. If one goes beyond that...it's fraught with so many variables that it's not worth it, or so it seems. If you 'strike up a friendship' aboard...simply invite them to tag along in a 2nd Mini-van or Taxi?? I usually pass on herding a Convoy of people. Locomotiveman

[sherilyn70]

I on the week before you and the one person looking for more people isn't getting much response either. My husband and I ate going completely private on PEI since I have mobility issues and don't want to burden others with me slowing them down. The rest all have ship excursions planned or aren't doing any tours. We're playing it by ear in Halifax since nothing really caught our attention.

 

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[kazu]

I do a lot of private tours. usually some people come on at the end but in all honesty mine are filled long before final payment (same as you experienced).

 

OK, now let's get serious - you are coming to our country.

 

You could possibly get other people to join you onboard, but you are not in a foreign country. how far are you going? why not just the 4 of you share a cab? (another alternative).

 

We are pretty warm and welcoming here and will be happy to help.

 

Without the logistics and pricing of your private tour though it's tough to give good advice -so I can only offer options.

[tooalto]

I agree with Jacqui (kazu). I also organize many private tours. The ones set up for Europe are filled to overflowing but I've found ones to the Caribbean very difficult to fill. We haven't cruised to Canada yet but I suspect I'd find the same. Since there is no language barrier folks probably feel perfectly safe taking a taxi tour.

 

Friends of mine who took the Veendam's last sail to Bermuda had booked a taxi tour prior to sailing and found two ladies at their table who happily joined them.

[496and706]

LOL at "not a foreign country" and "No language barrier"!!

 

:D

[BJane]

Must do excursions for my trips to Halifax always included Peggy's Cove and the cemetery where the Titanic victims are buried. Also there is a nice

museum quite near where our ships were docked.

[mamaofami]

Don't miss tasting the delicious mussels on PEI. And lobster. I had lobster in almost every port on that cruise. We did most of it without tours.

[markarmel]

Hello. Don't give up, we are on Nieuw Amsterdam in June and have organised 5 private tours. It took a while before we started to get responses but I'm glad to say all the tours are full and people have saved a hell of a lot of money compared to cruise company prices.

[jack's mimi]

Thanks for the feedback . Here are the specifics ...the tours are small ... a 6 passenger van... and the rates reasonable $50-60 per hour. If 6 people share the cost of a 5 hr tour, it is only $50 per person. Much less expensive than the ship tours.

 

From Halifax, the tour would take us to Peggys Cove , Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.

 

The Charlottetown tour would take us thru the North Shore, PEI National Park and North Rustico.

 

You may have a point...perhaps most people plan on exploring the cities on foot. Since we are on a b2b we can do both....explore the cities and see some of the countryside.

 

I have never been to Eastern Canada but much of the advice says to get out of the cities and into the beautiful countryside. If the private tour doesn't work out, our only other option is to rent a car. We usually avoid this as my husband worries about getting lost or breaking down. Does anyone have experience with driving in PEI or Cape Breton middle of June?

[eandj]

Having booked private tours on other lines, I have found HAL to be the hardest to arrange. The roll calls just don't draw the attention that Princess and Celebrity cruises have for us. (of course itinerary is a consideration too)

I would personally never book a tour and then hope to fill it on the ship. I wait until I have a group to start or join up with on the roll call. If I can't find a group interested, we plan a ship ex. or do it on our own with local tranportation. Not an expensive private company.

[kazu]

Having booked private tours on other lines, I have found HAL to be the hardest to arrange. The roll calls just don't draw the attention that Princess and Celebrity cruises have for us. (of course itinerary is a consideration too)

I would personally never book a tour and then hope to fill it on the ship. I wait until I have a group to start or join up with on the roll call. If I can't find a group interested, we plan a ship ex. or do it on our own with local tranportation. Not an expensive private company.

 

I am confused by your last paragraph. While you are waiting for your tour to fill up, the date could be gone. I usually ask that the date be reserved for us. As long as there is no deposit required, there is no risk. The only time I have actually had to cancel a tour was when HAL changed the itinerary ;)

[eandj]

I am confused by your last paragraph. While you are waiting for your tour to fill up, the date could be gone. I usually ask that the date be reserved for us. As long as there is no deposit required, there is no risk. The only time I have actually had to cancel a tour was when HAL changed the itinerary ;)

 

I don't like to reserve a tour for a group without having the minimum people because I don't feel it is fair to the company to hold up a tour and then cancel at the last minute. I can see asking to hold one..up to a certain point. But I don't want to be unfair to the tour operator who could have other opportunities to book the tour for a "readymade" traveling group. Just my way of thinking.

And like I said I don't want to spend my busy enough days on ship and at ports recruiting people to fill a tour.

 

Especially when cruising HAL's smaller ships, when passenger numbers are much smaller making the roll call even less popular, I am very careful in prebooking.

[kazu]

I don't like to reserve a tour for a group without having the minimum people because I don't feel it is fair to the company to hold up a tour and then cancel at the last minute. I can see asking to hold one..up to a certain point. But I don't want to be unfair to the tour operator who could have other opportunities to book the tour for a "readymade" traveling group. Just my way of thinking.

And like I said I don't want to spend my busy enough days on ship and at ports recruiting people to fill a tour.

 

Especially when cruising HAL's smaller ships, when passenger numbers are much smaller making the roll call even less popular, I am very careful in prebooking.

 

I've never tied up an operator. I usually start over a year out at least and would never cancel at the last minute. I am very careful at pre-booking but I learned the hard way that the good operators go quickly. They are congnizant I am forming a group and will suggest I go on my roll call on cruise critic (LOL). I am totally upfront and none of them have an issue with it.

 

I guess our experiences on roll calls differs as my tours have always filled or interest shown very quickly. It doesn't take long to sense the roll call or feel out interests so you are on somewhat sure ground as you do your researching. and give the details on the tour.

 

and yes, we sail on the small ships. The Prinsendam is my next one for the third cruise. The roll call is quite small but in reality, a roll call doesn't have to be large if the cruisers on it are interested in smaller, private tours :D

 

I have a LOT of private tours on this one and every one of the tours is full and wait listing.

 

I totally agree with you about recruiting on the ship.;) I don't do it either nor do I agree with it. My tours are all organized, emails sent to the participants, etc. long before we get on the ship:D

[donaldsc]

Two quick things -

 

1) In addition to the mussels, PEI has the best french fries in the universe.

 

2) It is not considered nice to try to book people for your tours while you are on the ship, especially as some people do on the meet and greets. Booking people before you leave is OK; on the ship is a no-no.

 

DON

[Naomi2]

I would just like to add that in Halifax we took an inexpensive cab (holds 5 passengers) to the Titanic cemetery and up to the Citadel. Then we toured the Citadel and walked through the beautiful public garden back down to the port. The seafront is beautiful in Halifax with a lot going on in the summer. There is also a wonderful Immigration museum close to where the ship is docked.

You really don't need an arranged tour unless you are set on going to Peggy's cove. Yours, Naomi2

[donaldsc]

There is also a wonderful Immigration museum close to where the ship is docked.

 

Totally agree on this one. You can spend hours there - we did.

 

DON

[eandj]

and yes, we sail on the small ships. The Prinsendam is my next one for the third cruise. The roll call is quite small but in reality, a roll call doesn't have to be large if the cruisers on it are interested in smaller, private tours :D

 

I think there are 4 posts in total, including mine, for our August cruise to Spain. Not a whole lot of action on my roll call.:D

Edited April 22, 2014 by eandj

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think a lot of people from Boston take that cruise often, Holland has very few ships that sale from Boston We are doing the same thing on June 21 .