Shuttle bus sticker shock

RD64 · April 29, 2014

I think it may be an individual port thing - in 2012 in Livorno, we purchased the trasfers on the pier from the representatives of the bus company. In Dubrovnik, they were purchased on the ship and charged to our Sail and Sign cards. I don't recall the prices exactly, but I think Livorno was 5 Euros for an all day pass, while Dubrovnik was about $10 US roundtrip.

rochelle_s · April 29, 2014

I wonder how we would know for sure if any port 'wanted to offer' a shuttle but cruise line refused them? Did 'someone' say so? I don't think it's quite that simple.

I did some research for my upcoming cruise on whatsinport.com. We have 10 ports of call and of those, 3 had questionable practices by some cruise lines. I cannot copy and paste from that site but you can check out Bilbao, Spain; Cherbourg, France and Zeebrugge, Belgium. These are not necessarily HAL practices but they do occur when it comes to shuttle service in ports. As an example in Cherbourg the port provides a shuttle service but MSC charges 7 euro for a service they are not even providing themselves.

We have all heard of independent cruisers in Russia being told that they cannot disembark until all the cruise excursions have left first. When this ploy was being practiced it was not because of the Russian authorities but because of the cruise lines themselves.

Some people don't think the cruise lines should make money for high cabin rates. Others say they shouldn't make money for high price of wine. There are those who don't think the cruise lines should charge so much for excursions,,,,,photos,,,,, shuttles/transfers.

Where is it okay for cruise lines to make their money?

As I stated earlier I completely understand that cruise lines are businesses and their goal is to make money. I don't think it is a fair comparison to use high cabin prices, wine and photos etc. as points of reference. These are all optional to the individual cruiser.

In my opinion arriving at a port is not optional. I have chosen my cruise based on itinerary. When I pay the cruise line my fare it includes a port charge for visiting each and every port on that itinerary. At this point I should not be lied to, misled or gouged financially just to get off the ship and out of the port. You will be hard pressed to find people going on European cruises who just want to stay on the ship. If the cruise lines themselves provide a shuttle then yes they can charge a reasonable fee for doing so, it does not have to be an inflated amount, certainly never more than the price of cab fare as reported by the OP.

What would people have to say in the Caribbean if it was a tender port? Should the cruise lines be charging an inflated fee to board the tenders? Any fee?

I understand the cruise lines need to keep the base fare down. There are ample opportunities for them to make money on the ship. I am an independent traveller in the ports. On my last cruise, without booking any excursions, I still managed to earn 10 cruise credits for my onboard spending and that says nothing for my donations in the casino. ;) So they can and do make money. Misleading passengers or charging inflated prices to get out of the port will likely be as popular as when people thought they had to pay for the water they were getting in the dining room.:eek:

I don't mean this as an 'attack' on you but as an addition to the conversation.

Cruise lines will never get any of us to agree where we think it's okay for them to make money. :D

I never took it as an attack. Conversation and differing opinions are always interesting.

Rochelle

rochelle_s · April 29, 2014

I think it may be an individual port thing - in 2012 in Livorno, we purchased the trasfers on the pier from the representatives of the bus company. In Dubrovnik, they were purchased on the ship and charged to our Sail and Sign cards. I don't recall the prices exactly, but I think Livorno was 5 Euros for an all day pass, while Dubrovnik was about $10 US roundtrip.

In Livorno that is a for fee shuttle that is put on by the port itself. They provide it, charge for it and keep the proceeds. All while still keeping the fee low.

I have not heard anyone say that charging a fee was wrong it was the inflated fees and the providing of inaccurate or misleading information that bothers people.

Rochelle

kazu · April 29, 2014

I am a tad confused by this thread as we have sailed in Europe a number of time and happily have another one coming.

When we diverted to Barcelona, the Prinsendam gave us a free shuttle a few years ago - but that was an exception.

It was my understanding that the shuttles were provided by the ports - at least the bulk that I have been in.

Now, all that being said while we do check out the price of the shuttles, other than a very few we don't use them a lot as it has made more sense for us to either do our own transfer or a tour.

BUT - one must remember that gas is not cheap in Europe and neither are cars and these vehicles.

I think one shuttle we took last year was 4 euros per person. In our case, it made sense - but that 8 euros is easily 12 - 14 Cdn dollars per person.

To be honest, I didn't notice a big price difference from the previous cruise and I did notice that the shuttle prices varied on the ports.

Long story short - things are pricey in Europe - even a diy - it's not a cheap area overall to cruise in but it's well worth the investment IMO:D

sail7seas · April 29, 2014

I'm confused about the reports of so much alleged lying.

I am thankful that I have never been aware of experiencing such situations.

I have been given incorrect information both while aboard and from HAL reps but I cannot say I considered it deliberate lying.

The only exception that comes to mind are the reports we've had re: Neptune Lounge on Westerdam. I cannot make nor tails out of what that is all about.

serendipity1499 · April 29, 2014

Per Rochelle Quote

I did some research for my upcoming cruise on whatsinport.com. We have 10 ports of call and of those, 3 had questionable practices by some cruise lines. I cannot copy and paste from that site but you can check out Bilbao, Spain; Cherbourg, France and Zeebrugge, Belgium. These are not necessarily HAL practices but they do occur when it comes to shuttle service in ports. As an example in Cherbourg the port provides a shuttle service but MSC charges 7 euro for a service they are not even providing themselves. Unquote

My post: Assume that you are saying that MSC charges 7 Euro's which is equal to $8.82..Is that one way or round trip & is it per person? Now the OP claims HAL is price gouging by charging $15.00 for TWO People, which is $7.50 per person.. I haven't figured out if her two ports are one way or round trip.

Now Sail says: Quote Some people don't think the cruise lines should make money for high cabin rates. Others say they shouldn't make money for high price of wine. There are those who don't think the cruise lines should charge so much for excursions,,,,,photos,,,,, shuttles/transfers. Where is it okay for cruise lines to make their money?

My post: And I too would like to know that answer..

Again Rochelle states: Quote I stated earlier I completely understand that cruise lines are businesses and their goal is to make money. I don't think it is a fair comparison to use high cabin prices, wine and photos etc. as points of reference. These are all optional to the individual cruiser. Unquote

My post: IMO cabin prices are not optional.. We always book outside cabins & for our same cabin we paid more than twice, yes twice) the cost per night for our Antarctica cruise as we pay on a Caribbean or even a European cruise in the same exact cabin, on other HAL ships..The only optional thing about that is if we wanted to take the cruise or not.. Now for me Shuttles are not optional but for others they may be optional..

Rochelle's Quote In my opinion arriving at a port is not optional. I have chosen my cruise based on itinerary. When I pay the cruise line my fare it includes a port charge for visiting each and every port on that itinerary. At this point I should not be lied to, misled or gouged financially just to get off the ship and out of the port. You will be hard pressed to find people going on European cruises who just want to stay on the ship. If the cruise lines themselves provide a shuttle then yes they can charge a reasonable fee for doing so, it does not have to be an inflated amount, certainly never more than the price of cab fare as reported by the OP. Unquote

My post: But the OP automatically assumes that HAL is making lots of money by charging $15.00 for two people, when a cab costs $13 & change. That is only $7.50 per person.. Is it reasonable, I can't say because we don't know what the other cruise lines charge & if the Port Authority sets the prices..And if I need to use a shuttle then I should pay a reasonable amount for it.. The problem is what does everyone believe to be reasonable.. ;)

IMO the days of free or those priced at 2 or 3 Euro's is over.. Maybe someone would volunteer to make up a chart of different destinations & charges for the Shuttles by all cruise lines to see if HAL's prices are indeed usurious..

P.S. I could not quote Rochelles & Sails posts as they were inn a blue box so please forgive me for having to break up the post as I did above....

Edited April 29, 2014 by serendipity1499

doublebzz · April 29, 2014

I'm confused about the reports of so much alleged lying.
I am thankful that I have never been aware of experiencing such situations.

In one of the ports we visited, the cruise director in his announcement that the ship was cleared for guests to go ashore also indicated there would be no public transportation available intimating the shuttle bus was the only practicable alternative. Wrong; public buses were running a normal schedule. Lets give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was just misinformed.

Here is the point of my thread: Service A is a shuttle bus where you line up to buy tickets, wait about 20 minutes to load 60 odd guests and then be delivered to a designated point in town where you may have to walk or take additional transport to where you want to go. Service B is a taxi that you enter and depart immediately and go to a desired location in city center. If Service A costs the same or more than Service B, then that's my definition of overcharging. Of course cruise lines are entitled to make a profit but they shouldn't do it by making the customer feel he was "overcharged."

Wakepatrol · April 29, 2014

Just like everything else. Prices increase to keep pace with inflation.

Except the cruise fare, which is the same it was 12 years ago

serendipity1499 · April 29, 2014

Typhoon says: Quote Just like everything else. Prices increase to keep pace with inflation.

QUOTE=Wakepatrol;42600612]Except the cruise fare, which is the same it was 12 years ago

Wakepatrol..You are absolutely correct! I've been keeping track of our cruise prices since 1998 & our outside cabin in Oct of 1998 on the Ryndam cost us $267 per night. to the Carib.. In Nov of 2012 the same outside cabin on the Noordam cost us $231 per night to the Carib..

Apparently some do not wish to acknowledge that fact & take that into consideration..

They still complain that they must pay $15.00 for shuttles in port.. As sail said in another post, people should budget for their port transportation..

Now IMO "be careful what you wish for" Perhaps Cruise lines should increase their cabin prices to keep up with inflation & have free shuttles if people keep insisting that they are charging inflated prices..

HAL is in business to make a profit & as a stockholder, I'm happy with that! How & where they make that profit is no concern of mine.. If I do or don't want to purchase those extras, that is my prerogative..

Betty

doublebzz · April 29, 2014

Typhoon says: Quote Just like everything else. Prices increase to keep pace with inflation.

QUOTE=Wakepatrol;42600612]Except the cruise fare, which is the same it was 12 years ago

Wakepatrol..You are absolutely correct! I've been keeping track of our cruise prices since 1998 & our outside cabin in Oct of 1998 on the Ryndam cost us $267 per night. to the Carib.. In Nov of 2012 the same outside cabin on the Noordam cost us $231 per night to the Carib..

Apparently some do not wish to acknowledge that fact & take that into consideration..

They still complain that they must pay $15.00 for shuttles in port.. As sail said in another post, people should budget for their port transportation..

Now IMO "be careful what you wish for" Perhaps Cruise lines should increase their cabin prices to keep up with inflation & have free shuttles if people keep insisting that they are charging inflated prices..

HAL is in business to make a profit & as a stockholder, I'm happy with that! How & where they make that profit is no concern of mine.. If I do or don't want to purchase those extras, that is my prerogative..

Betty

Interesting that on my shuttle bus, everyone I encountered negatively commented about the cost, but, with a couple of exceptions, everyone commenting on this thread is OK with the price. So maybe folks take one view when dealing in the abstract and another when faced with a real situation.

The only point of agreement I have with your post is that cruise prices have stayed flat for the last decade or more. I hope nobody believe the HAL cruise of 2000 is the same as the HAL cruise of 2014. All refinement and elegance of 2000 has been transformed into a floating infomercial hawking everything from rummage sales on the Lido Deck to after-dinner coffees.

I am not complaining that I had to pay $15; I would gladly pay $30 if that were the going rate. I just don't like being taken. Then again, I'm sure there are some folks who walk into Macy's and say they don't mind paying $30 for a pair of socks; after all, Macy's has to make a profit.

cruisemom42 · April 29, 2014

I guess the moral of the story is that one should always do the research. Don't count on staff to give you an honest answer.

(Is that what the cruiselines want us to take away: that we can't trust them to be honest? Not exactly a ringing endorsement....)

I am more than happy to round up a couple extra folks going into town for a shared taxi ride that's both faster and cheaper than taking the shuttle. If other people feel fleeced afterwards when they hear what I paid, I guess that's not my issue and HAL (and other cruise lines, to be fair) seem happy to prey on the uninformed.

iancal · April 29, 2014

Clearly, no one minds paying the going rate.

But it is not just price, information plays a part in it as well.

A few years ago a cruise line agent actually recommended one their hotels in Rome. She claimed it was central. As it turned out it was the Sheraton Polo.

We had stayed there a few years prior on business. Apart from the grossly inflated price, it was anything but central to Rome attractions. It was in the outskirts, beside a golf course. Yet this so called cruise expert was touting it as a good, central place to stay. I can still hear her telling me that it was a Sheraton so it must be a good place. Had we foolishly booked, we would have been very disappointed in the location.

kazu · April 29, 2014

I guess the moral of the story is that one should always do the research. Don't count on staff to give you an honest answer.

(Is that what the cruiselines want us to take away: that we can't trust them to be honest? Not exactly a ringing endorsement....)

I am more than happy to round up a couple extra folks going into town for a shared taxi ride that's both faster and cheaper than taking the shuttle. If other people feel fleeced afterwards when they hear what I paid, I guess that's not my issue and HAL (and other cruise lines, to be fair) seem happy to prey on the uninformed.

Exactly. If you are willing to research you are an informed traveller. Of course then you are most likely doing private/independent tours for the quality as well as possibly, the cost .

Convenience has a cost - it's really that simple. Pre or post cruise hotels and transfers are usually more expensive with most cruise lines that doing it on your own - but it is easier. It just depends upon what people want:D

for me, I prefer the private transfers - faster, easier and no wait. I prefer to find my own hotels - whether it be a hidden gem, a smarter location, whatever.

We all have choices - those that choose convenience should be prepared to pay a price for it:D

pris993 · April 29, 2014

I agree, we were on the same HAL cruise.

Shuttles above $10 pp is excessive in my mind. HAL really has passengers at a disadvantage.

Wine prices are also way too high.

We bought less wine, the money we save we used to tip over and above the auto tip because we did have excellent service in the MDR and our cabin.

We purchased the ship video of the cruise, the ship did not preview the video on the TV fully on board - if they had we may not have purchased the full package. The video was the most expensive we have paid $60 and the final product was not very good.

The entertainment quality on board was not that great. Probably will be a while before we cruise HAL again. We did a similar cruise on the Cunard Queen Victoria a few years ago, entertainment was the best we have seen on any line. A TA on the Ruby Princess was far superior.

Love the design of HAL ships, but find some these areas really missing.

doublebzz · April 29, 2014

I agree, we were on the same HAL cruise.

Shuttles above $10 pp is excessive in my mind. HAL really has passengers at a disadvantage.

Wine prices are also way too high.

We bought less wine, the money we save we used to tip over and above the auto tip because we did have excellent service in the MDR and our cabin.

We purchased the ship video of the cruise, the ship did not preview the video on the TV fully on board - if they had we may not have purchased the full package. The video was the most expensive we have paid $60 and the final product was not very good.

The entertainment quality on board was not that great. Probably will be a while before we cruise HAL again. We did a similar cruise on the Cunard Queen Victoria a few years ago, entertainment was the best we have seen on any line. A TA on the Ruby Princess was far superior.

Love the design of HAL ships, but find some these areas really missing.

You bear out my supposition - folks that were actually on the cruise thought the shuttle fares excessive while it appears fine to those just commenting on the thread.

Shuttle bus aside, I thought it was a great cruise and the smoothest crossing I've ever experienced. I concur with your opinion of the entertainment but thought the excellent service, quality of the food and congeniality of our fellow guests more than made up for it.

serendipity1499 · April 29, 2014

[interesting that on my shuttle bus, everyone I encountered negatively commented about the cost, but, with a couple of exceptions, everyone commenting on this thread is OK with the price. So maybe folks take one view when dealing in the abstract and another when faced with a real situation.

The only point of agreement I have with your post is that cruise prices have stayed flat for the last decade or more. I hope nobody believe the HAL cruise of 2000 is the same as the HAL cruise of 2014. All refinement and elegance of 2000 has been transformed into a floating infomercial hawking everything from rummage sales on the Lido Deck to after-dinner coffees.

Come on! Didn't you expect this! I don't know anyone who would expect the same service in 2014 as they had in 2000 with cabin prices being kept so low, except on the Prinsendam &/or on Oceania.. This just proves my point.. If you want the same service you have to be willing to pay more for it.. As mentioned in my previous post Cruise Lines must increase their cabin prices in order to give the same service which we had 10-15 years ago...But there are more people, including the complainers who were on the shuttle busses with you, who still want the lower cabin prices & are not willing to pay increased prices for anything extra & then complain that they are not getting the same service as they had 10 years ago..

I am not complaining that I had to pay $15; I would gladly pay $30 if that were the going rate. I just don't like being taken.

SNIP .

Then why didn't you acknowledge my post where I showed you that the GOING Rate in Palma according to the Ports of call board was $12.00 You conveniently ignore that, but continue to complain about HAL charging more for those tickets! Suggest you do more homework & look at the ports of call boards & prove to us that you are being taken, before you make such inflammatory statements! What about the other ports..What were those shuttle prices? I'm sure you did not go to only two ports on your cruise..

If you want free shuttles then book on the Prinsendam or Oceania..You get what you pay for!

Edited April 29, 2014 by serendipity1499

baytraller · April 30, 2014

HAL will charge what ever passengers are prepared to pay

Whether this is 10% or 500% over the actual price

The cost of wine or shuttle bus fees is small, when compared to what HAL overcharges Australians on some cruises

One post from 'HAL Overcharging Australians'

I totally agree with Baytraller's comments about price inequality.

We are booked on a 28 day cruise on Prinsendam, starting 10 August.

Current price in U.S.A. is US$5112 for the cabin category we have booked.

That equates to A$5478 on current exchange rates.

HAL Australia's price ... A$6438 ... A$960 per person more than U.S. price!

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

rochelle_s · April 30, 2014

[interesting that on my shuttle bus, everyone I encountered negatively commented about the cost, but, with a couple of exceptions, everyone commenting on this thread is OK with the price. So maybe folks take one view when dealing in the abstract and another when faced with a real situation.

The only point of agreement I have with your post is that cruise prices have stayed flat for the last decade or more. I hope nobody believe the HAL cruise of 2000 is the same as the HAL cruise of 2014. All refinement and elegance of 2000 has been transformed into a floating infomercial hawking everything from rummage sales on the Lido Deck to after-dinner coffees.

Come on! Didn't you expect this! I don't know anyone who would expect the same service in 2014 as they had in 2000 with cabin prices being kept so low, except on the Prinsendam &/or on Oceania.. This just proves my point.. If you want the same service you have to be willing to pay more for it.. As mentioned in my previous post Cruise Lines must increase their cabin prices in order to give the same service which we had 10-15 years ago...But there are more people, including the complainers who were on the shuttle busses with you, who still want the lower cabin prices & are not willing to pay increased prices for anything extra & then complain that they are not getting the same service as they had 10 years ago..

I am not complaining that I had to pay $15; I would gladly pay $30 if that were the going rate. I just don't like being taken.

SNIP .

Then why didn't you acknowledge my post where I showed you that the GOING Rate in Palma according to the Ports of call board was $12.00 You conveniently ignore that, but continue to complain about HAL charging more for those tickets! Suggest you do more homework & look at the ports of call boards & prove to us that you are being taken, before you make such inflammatory statements! What about the other ports..What were those shuttle prices? I'm sure you did not go to only two ports on your cruise..

If you want free shuttles then book on the Prinsendam or Oceania..You get what you pay for!

Betty,

Let me preface with saying I do not want to have an argument nor do I want to offend you but in my opinion the only person on this thread making inflammatory statements is you.

There has not been a single person on this thread that said that it was wrong for there to be fees for shuttle busses. The OP stated it was 'sticker shock' at the high cost of the shuttle in the two ports mentioned. Others; 1ANGELCAT,

johmil1 and pris933 were all on the same cruise and have poted and in effect have supported his statement.

Others; iancal, cruisemom42 and myself agreed with the OP and have stated that we have also experienced overcharging, misleading and/or outright incorrect information on our European cruise experiences which by all accounts appears to be based on the cruise lines desire to make more money. These references were not necessarily in regards to HAL but to other cruise companies as well.

You have twice confronted the OP about his lack of response to your 'research'. When in fact your research only goes to prove his point.

You stated that the information you found for Motril; (post #12) "Can't find anything on Motril except free shuttles to town, but many were going from Motril to Grenada which was 40 something miles away.." So clearly from your research source, free shuttles have been the norm, and for those actually on the cruise being suddenly faced with a charge of $15, which was more than the cost of a private taxi, it did indeed feel excessive to them. You even questioned where it was that the OP was going in port. I am certain the OP knew where he was going on his port day and proceeded to clear up the matter in post #16.

I can completely understand why the OP has not acknowledged your 'findings' in regards to Palma. In the OP's original post he stated he was charged $14 for a port shuttle. Your research uncovered that someone on the NCL Epic was able to obtain a HoHo bus into Palma for $12. Again you have proven the OP's point. A port shuttle and a HoHo bus are two completely different things. Why should a simple port shuttle into town cost more than A HoHo bus which provides not only transportation to and from town but unlimited touring throughout the day to the various points of interest with commentary?

The idea that cruisers should do their research and be in the know has been brought up. Also mentioned is that they should budget for these expenses. For those on the cruise in question and those who have just commented about similar experiences it is obvious they have already done their fair share of research. We all seem to be quite aware of what is available in the ports and have a good idea of what things should cost. Hence I think with this knowledge we have acquired a strong basis for knowing when we are being overcharged, misled or lied to.

Again not one person has posted that they think there should never be a charge for shuttles in the ports. We just don't want to be over charged!

As to your post #31 where you quoted both myself and sail7seas. I was asked quite politely about where I got my information from. I provided the source and noted three of the ten ports on my upcoming cruise that had questionable port shuttle practices mentioned. I gave a specific example in regards to Cherbourg and MSC. In the big picture $7 for a shuttle could very well be considered reasonable. When a port provides a free shuttle and then the cruise line jumps in and charges $7 per person for that complimentary shuttle...that's where the problem lies. You don't see anything wrong with this, many would disagree. As an analogy, HAL provides complimentary coffee and tea with your meals. If the waiter refused to serve the coffee/tea unless you gave him $5, would you see something wrong with that picture???

I was asked when I thought it was okay for the cruise lines to make the money necessary to be successful. Drinks, excursions, the spa, photos, gambling, specialty restaurants etc. are all revenue generating avenues on most mainstream cruise lines. No one is forced to participate or purchase any of these items. I might not like the charges but I still have the option to partake or not.

High cabin prices are indeed optional. If the base price for the cruise is not in my price range then I don't choose that cruise. If you don't like the price... don't book. What I thought sail7seas was referring to was higher end cabins. These too are also optional. There is certainly nothing that says that a cruise line should have to provide a high level suite for the cost of an inside cabin. Each individual pays for the cabin of their choice at a price point they are comfortable with.

My point though was that regardless of cabin selected the total fare paid includes cabin category selected, inclusions on the ship (basic meals & entertainment), taxes and port fees. When I select my itinerary and pay my port fees it would be reasonable to assume that I intend to visit that port. If it is necessary in a particular port to need a shuttle to exit the port area so be it. If it is not complementary then only a reasonable fee should apply. The reasonableness of the fee was exactly what the OP was pointing out when he started this thread. I gave the analogy of tenders. Should there be a fee for these? Should it be any amount the cruise lines decides? Does it not make sense that if a fee is necessary it should be one that is reasonable? If they cannot be then they should be included in the base fare so that the customer knows that the basics are taken care of. Anything else is optional and possibly additional.

My first cruise was in 1989 and yes the prices have not increased very much with the passage of time. This steady hold on the base price of a cruise has been accomplished by increases in optional costs onboard and some decreases in services and inclusions. If customers constantly feel they are being gouged, ripped off, nickled and dimed to death or whatever you would like to call it they will not be happy. Unhappy customers are not returning customers. If you water down your product so weak you will lose your place amongst your competition. Cruise companies are businesses and work on the principle of making a profit. It just does not have to be at every single corner and it certainly should never be achieved by misleading and/or lying to your customer base.

My apologies for such a long post and if it feels argumentative, that was not my intention. It did feel like you were attacking though. Many of us were just expressing our opinions and experiences. I do have a solid basis for mine. In the last few years I have close to 100 days in European ports on various cruise lines. I always go independently in those ports, having done my due diligence with a great deal of research prior. And just for the record my next cruise is on the Prinsendam and if necessary and reasonable port fees are charged I will pay them and you will not hear a peep out of me.

Rochelle

kazu · April 30, 2014

You bear out my supposition - folks that were actually on the cruise thought the shuttle fares excessive while it appears fine to those just commenting on the thread.

Shuttle bus aside, I thought it was a great cruise and the smoothest crossing I've ever experienced. I concur with your opinion of the entertainment but thought the excellent service, quality of the food and congeniality of our fellow guests more than made up for it.

Some of us commenting may not have been on your cruise but we have certainly been on European cruises and recently and we know what the shuttle prices were.

I think most that have been commenting on this thread have been recent European cruisers and relatively experienced.

I'm not saying the prices for shuttles are right or wrong. I'm saying we all have choices. And if convenience is what you prefer then that's the price one pays. We've used the shuttles when they were to our advantage. And we have not used them when they could have been.

In all honesty, we have actually taken a cab when they were free as it was faster and much more convenient.

It's all what suits each passenger. Once you decide what suits YOU then IMO you have made your choice. Shuttle fees are standard in Europe unless you are on certain ships that carry higher cabin costs and even then, they are not always free. that's life in Europe ;) Transport to key sites and/or port centres is not free - there is a cost - everyone chooses which way they want to pay that cost (ie. shuttle, taxi, private transfer, bus, whatever).

serendipity1499 · April 30, 2014

Betty,

Let me preface with saying I do not want to have an argument nor do I want to offend you but in my opinion the only person on this thread making inflammatory statements is you.

Rochelle..Read the OP's original Post:

Qupte--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those who have cruised HAL for more than 5 years can recall that shuttle buses from the dock into town in European ports used to be provided free as a courtesy. More recently, these buses charged a nominal fee of 1 or 2 euros. Having just returned from a Nieuw Amsterdam TA, guests were surprised to learn that shuttle buses in Motril and Palma charged $15 and $14 respectively for a round trip. The method of payment was through your shipboard sail card with a bus rep recording each guest's cabin number as they boarded the bus.

For a couple opting to take a taxi for the short ride into town, the cost was essentially the same. If 2 couples shared a taxi, the cost was half HAL's costs. It seemed pretty clear that HAL had a piece, if not a majority, of the action regarding revenue collected. Here, again, we have a situation where a former courtesy service has been turned into a profit center for HAL. No reasonable person would deny HAL a profit, but shuttle buses? Give me a break! Unquote

Now if you truly believe that accusing HAL of turning a former courtesy service into a profit center is inflammatory, then I don't know what is inflamatory..

"3"]My first posts on this thread asked for proof & then I mentioned that the Port of calls show the bus service in Palma (one of the two ports) for all cruise lines as $12.00, however the OP will not acknowledge this..In addition others asked if it was possible that the fare in Motril was set by the Port authority & again the OP ignored that..I'm not a HAL cheerleader but I also believe it's unfair to make an accusation which can't be backed up..

So will you please tell me what part of my posts were inflammatory? It seems no one wants to address what I found in writing! If that's inflammatory I suggest you report my post to the Hosts by using the little red triangle in the upper eight corner & perhaps they will delete my INFLAMATORY posts..[/color]