private excursions when itinerary changes??

[idiebabe]

Agreed. ... When you do private tours you need to ask the right questions. Thet is not as easy as a HAL tour but very worthwhile if you have the time & persistence and follow through:)

 

 

 

So how do people get into vans then? If you have a ten seat van, how would you get to the very back? If you have to get by a group of seats that is crawling in, in my mind, although others may not call it that.

 

If a Van is designated for 10 ppl or more, it is not a Van but a Minibus with an aisle and seats on both sides. At least that's been our experience!

 

We always do privates as there is more flexibility and a private can see and go places that the large buses can't. Many times, too, the private Tour Ops plan the day to "beat the buses" at some of the attractions so you can see them without the huge crowds!

 

Depending on the Region or Company some do require a Deposit or payment in full but I only book with a Company that clearly states "full refund if Ship does not dock". We missed Ports and never had a problem with getting a refund from Private Tour Ops!

 

I also collect a deposit ahead of time from others on the tour as "once bitten, twice shy"! This ensures not having a no show on the day of the tour where the others on the tour has to eat the no show's cost.

Edited June 30, 2014 by idiebabe

[kazu]

 

If a Van is designated for 10 ppl or more, it is not a Van but a Minibus with an aisle and seats on both sides. At least that's been our experience!

 

We always do privates as there is more flexibility and a private can see and go places that the large buses can't. Many times, too, the private Tour Ops plan the day to "beat the buses" at some of the attractions so you can see them without the huge crowds!

 

Depending on the Region or Company some do require a Deposit or payment in full but I only book with a Company that clearly states "full refund if Ship does not dock". We missed Ports and never had a problem with getting a refund from Private Tour Ops!

 

I also collect a deposit ahead of time from others on the tour as "once bitten, twice shy"! This ensures not having a no show on the day of the tour where the others on the tour has to eat the no show's cost.

 

You are right -.some are mini buses indeed - theonescthat hold 8 or less are usually vansq

[TiogaCruiser]

On my last cruise I learned from the more experienced travelers to ask the tour operator for a picture of the proposed vehicle and to keep one seat vacant for our "things".

[cruisemom42]

I have had some quite negative experiences on ship-sponsored tours, so my opinion -- not necessarily shared by all -- is that I'd rather take a private tour than a ship tour even if it is more or less the same itinerary. Two wretched experiences in particular I've posted about before:

 

• On a Princess tour of Istanbul, so much time was wasted during the tour on a lengthy lunch stop, and then a separate lengthy visit to a carpet store, that we were left with only minutes at the end of the tour (when it was already growing dark) to visit one of the TOP highlights of Istanbul: Haghia Sophia. I could have cried from frustration, and it was that tour (in 2006) that decided me not to take ship tours if there was a viable substitute.
  

• On a HAL tour in Antakya Turkey (where, despite my resolution above I couldn't locate a reasonable private tour), we were saddled with a guide who not only told us that she wouldn't tell us any history about what we were seeing "because you'll just forget it anyway", but she then proceeded to talk on her cell phone, shill for her preferred stores, and -- the worst part, to me -- she made jokes in very bad taste about an ethnic minority in Turkey. Not once, but several times.
  

Of course, one could go to the cruise tour desk and complain about the tour and perhaps get some partial credit. But for me that's not the point. When will I ever get back to Antakya again? (It's in the extreme southeast of Turkey, near Syria -- ships are not stopping there now for obvious reasons).

 

 

Be that as it may...

 

For me, it's rarely the case that I'm duplicating a ship tour. My interests are pretty esoteric -- I'm usually trying to get somewhere or see something in depth that few others are interested in. So it's not a question of a van or minibus but usually whether I can even find even one or two other people to reduce the cost of a private car.

 

Honestly, I'm hard pressed to think of one single advantage of a ship tour over a private tour other than the fact that (in most cases) the ship won't sail without you if you are late returning. I certainly don't find most large tour buses very comfortable and it can often be difficult to see much out of the windows.

[kazu]

I have had some quite negative experiences on ship-sponsored tours, so my opinion -- not necessarily shared by all -- is that I'd rather take a private tour than a ship tour even if it is more or less the same itinerary. Two wretched experiences in particular I've posted about before:

 

• On a Princess tour of Istanbul, so much time was wasted during the tour on a lengthy lunch stop, and then a separate lengthy visit to a carpet store, that we were left with only minutes at the end of the tour (when it was already growing dark) to visit one of the TOP highlights of Istanbul: Haghia Sophia. I could have cried from frustration, and it was that tour (in 2006) that decided me not to take ship tours if there was a viable substitute.
  

• On a HAL tour in Antakya Turkey (where, despite my resolution above I couldn't locate a reasonable private tour), we were saddled with a guide who not only told us that she wouldn't tell us any history about what we were seeing "because you'll just forget it anyway", but she then proceeded to talk on her cell phone, shill for her preferred stores, and -- the worst part, to me -- she made jokes in very bad taste about an ethnic minority in Turkey. Not once, but several times.
  

Of course, one could go to the cruise tour desk and complain about the tour and perhaps get some partial credit. But for me that's not the point. When will I ever get back to Antakya again? (It's in the extreme southeast of Turkey, near Syria -- ships are not stopping there now for obvious reasons).

 

 

Be that as it may...

 

For me, it's rarely the case that I'm duplicating a ship tour. My interests are pretty esoteric -- I'm usually trying to get somewhere or see something in depth that few others are interested in. So it's not a question of a van or minibus but usually whether I can even find even one or two other people to reduce the cost of a private car.

 

Honestly, I'm hard pressed to think of one single advantage of a ship tour over a private tour other than the fact that (in most cases) the ship won't sail without you if you are late returning. I certainly don't find most large tour buses very comfortable and it can often be difficult to see much out of the windows.

 

 

Where is that like button:D

[Illyria]

With some exceptions, there are much better deals to be found through private tour companies than through the ship's excursion desk.

 

I'm trying to remember, several years ago in a European port (totally blanking on which one - Barcelona, maybe?) - anyway, I was traveling with my parents, and we decided to take the hop-on hop-off bus, get a city "overview" that way, and then still have time for a few major landmarks. It worked out great. At dinner, we were talking with our tablemates that signed up for a ship's "city overview" tour. They were bitterly disappointed as the tour spent barely 45 minutes actually showing them around the city, and then dropped them off for the next 2 hours to do "lunch and shopping". And that was the extent of their "tour", that cost them hundreds of dollars for a family of 4.

 

Not to say that all ship tours are bad - we had a great guide on a Tulum tour in Cozumel, and that was a trip we booked on the ship. But usually I research in advance, read Trip Advisor and book tours locally. It's been mentioned in this thread and several others - in the modern day and age of instant information proliferation, reputable tour companies will not risk bad reviews. Most of them don't ask for advance payment (at least not full payment), and they will work with you if your ship is late coming in or has to miss the port entirely.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Illyria

[Cinder Again]

I do both private tours and Hal tours, depending on time frames the ship is in port, and the level of safety I feel exists in a port. Without question, the private tours are more intimate, and generally more enjoyable, at least to me, but you aren't guaranteed assistance for mobility issues. You need to cover your wants and needs on the front end, so there won't be disappointments or an inability to keep up with the group. HAL tours seem to be, understandably, designed to accommodate a multitude of personal disabilities, so the smaller groups tend to move faster, and the smaller vehicles can maneuver better in heavy traffic.

A few suggestions. If you are taking private tours and can pay by credit card vs. PayPal, I would do that. Then you have the force of the CC company behind you. Be sure to get in writing what is offered, and planned, since misunderstandings can happen. You need to be a flexible traveler,who can go with the flow if an issue arises. Try to figure out if the others you plan to share with are at least like minded about the important parts of the trip. If I want to go swimming and snorkeling, I don't want to share a tour with someone who wants to shop all day,be respectful, but ask questions.I like the idea of asking what transport you are getting, and be sure to set a meeting time and place, since its unlikely the private vendors can get near the ship for pickup.

Since the ship is unlikely to wait for a private vendor, I always take a copy of the port info with me. There's always a telephone # for the port authority. If you have an accident or flat getting back to the ship, that should be your first call! (And when you are using private vendors, don't cut your timing back to the ship too close!)