Is HAL Overpricing Excursions

[CCRUZER]

Our rules of thumb are:

1. It the area we want to see it out of reach for grabbing a cab if we need to get back to the ship without getting left ... we book with the ship. (ie the Belize Rain Forest and Ruins) If the cruise line excursion is late getting back the ship WILL wait for you.

 

2. If cabs are going to be readily available we've started doing it ourselves.

 

3. Alaska - a 7 day land tour followed by a 7 day cruise. (I tried but couldn't book arrangements for the land part much cheaper than HAL charged)

 

The reason for "Rules 1 & 2" ? ..... In Belize we went on a rainforest boat trip followed by Mayan ruins - booked through the cruise line. There was a hang-up during the trip (a temporarily lost passenger I believe) The ship was scheduled to sail at 5pm. At 5pm our tour bus was stuck in Belize City "rush hour". It was so relieving to hear the guide say she was in direct contact with the Cruise line representative and the tender boat was awaiting our arrival at the pier. At that point every penny we might have paid extra became totally worth it!! :D

 

We've been to Belize twice. The first time I booked cave tubing through Major Tom. On the way back the air conditioner on the bus started smoking and we had to pull off the road and were sitting for a while (nervously). We did get back just in time for the last tender.This past trip, I booked the mayan ruins-rain forest boat trip through the cruise line. Even though we were running late, the guide assured us that she was in constant contact with the ship. The peace of mind was worth the price!

[cruz chic]

On our last cruise - 21 ports in 42 days, we actually did a third private tours (I organized 2), a third HAL shore excursions (actually the expensive ones, like $295 each to Marrakech from Casablanca), and a third on our own, if there was a HOHO bus in the port, or we were docked right in the historical area.

 

A lot had to do with the amount of walking involved. In 2013 we did a last-minute cruise, and did all the (Med) ports on our own, and I ended up with a stress fracture in one leg. All those cobblestones! When I researched what we were going to do on this one, I was careful to figure out how much walking would be involved, as I didn't want to aggravate my leg or re-injure it. The HAL tour descriptions give you an idea of how much walking is involved, although they're not always completely accurate.

 

Of course another factor to consider is safety, and getting back to the ship on time! If I have any doubts at all, we take a HAL shorex. I can't say that money has anything to do with our choices, although it would be nice if the HAL tours were less expensive We might take more of them then! I don't enjoy having too full a bus, especially when people hog two seats for one person, or the overly long "pit stops".

 

There was one person who gave a really helpful tip. They suggested that when hal offers a tour take a look on the princess site to see if they offer the same tour. Princess gives very detailed info like how much time is spent where, how many steps are involved etc. it was great info.

[Cruising-along]

There was one person who gave a really helpful tip. They suggested that when hal offers a tour take a look on the princess site to see if they offer the same tour. Princess gives very detailed info like how much time is spent where, how many steps are involved etc. it was great info.

 

Great to know, thanks!

[wander]

In response to several comments about adequate insurance of tour operators. I do understand that this is an issue per HAL. (Adequate is their requirement - whether others would agree to their minimum requirements or not is a good question.) Anyhow, two times I have been on cruises (one involved less traveled Africa and the other an island in the South Pacific) where no HAL tours were offered until the last minute onboard. The reason given in both cases - they could not find a tour operator who had sufficient insurance for HAL's requirements. However, per HAL officers - at the "last minute" there were operators who were willing to obtain sufficient insurance for our specific visit. These were both not usual Cruise Ship stops. I would imagine that in big cities such insurance is more common with tour operators, just guessing on this point.

 

Regarding "missing the ship", the only two case I know of for sure was again Africa where a couple took a private overland trip, meeting the ship in the next port. Due to a series of circumstances their return to ship plans were messed-up and they had to charter a private plane to fly them to the ship to get there in time. While they did make the ship, we did wait for them several hours as our next port was to an island on the way home to the US where there was no airstrip. The cost to the travelers per their report (heard it myself) was over $10,000 dollars. (Yes, they did feel they were taken advantage of - but thought that it was their only realistic option at the time.)

 

The second was a private tour of several buses that missed the ship. So, their tour operator did drive them all overnight to the next port where they joined the ship. So, they did make the ship but sleeping in a tour bus overnight was not a real thrill.

[wander]

As I age I get less "daring" and limit my independent trips/tours from the ship to ones that do not go too far afield from the port city. Younger - I was much more independently adventurous. These days, what I do depends on where I am. Australia, Europe and major cities in South America, parts of Asia and Africa. - more independent tours or just do on my own using public transportation. Other places (such as the 7 countries in West Africa one cruise visited several years ago) - ship tours only for me and I was grateful for my decisions. A few who started out with independent activities soon switched to ship tours.

Yes I know, these things can happen anywhere, even in our home towns But even in my home town there are areas I had no fear of entering at night that I now avoid at night. Foolish or wise decisions?????

[ski ww]

Lots of good points to think about. We like to do a mix of both depending on the port & how comfortable we feel. The cruise lines make most of their profit from shore ex & booze. They do have to pay their share holders. I believe some of the new ships now have a couple of single cabins for those that are solo travellers.

Allan

[pmjnh]

Just today I was comparing prices of a shore excursion in Norway. The cruise excursion was priced at $155 per person. When I looked into the exact same excursion through the same vendor, the price was $69 per person. The excursions were identical, no added perks with HAL's excursion.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I realize that the CC group is a non-representative sample but are there any CC members who do independent tours have missed the ship because they got back late or know anyone who has had this problem? How many of you or people you know had safety issues on a tour that you felt might have been avoided if you took a ship tour?

 

I would bet that the number for both issues is close to zero. I also suspect that these issues are just cruise ship propaganda designed to convince the gullible to take ship tours instead of private tours.

 

DON

I agree with you ..

[summersigh]

The cost of the tours themselves are not our main consideration regarding what tours or how to do our shore excursions. Our latest "plan" has been to do our own thing by taxi or private tour IF we'll be in an area that has access to taxis if there's a problem.

 

If we'll be touring away from a town, remote, and out of the reasonable access to taxis we opt for the cruise line tour rather than something happening and not being able to get back to the ship before sail away.

 

DH has a fairly limited distance that he can walk before having to rest so this method seems to reduce any stress we might feel and instead let us just relax and enjoy our day. That is enough to offset the extra $$ the ship's tour might cost us. I know it doesn't work for everyone but it does for us - we can continue to cruise and that, in our minds, is what's important.

[Cruising-along]

Just today I was comparing prices of a shore excursion in Norway. The cruise excursion was priced at $155 per person. When I looked into the exact same excursion through the same vendor, the price was $69 per person. The excursions were identical, no added perks with HAL's excursion.

 

I don't doubt this but am curious about something. Did they both (or both not) include a meal? On one of our private tours the lunch ended up costing a lot extra. We have had some amazing meals in Europe with HAL excursions, really wined and dined.

[pianosme]

At Half Moon Cay last week, we took and blew up floaties and told the kids they were their excursion. Had a lot of fun with that.

 

 

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[pmjnh]

"I don't doubt this but am curious about something. Did they both (or both not) include a meal? On one of our private tours the lunch ended up costing a lot extra. We have had some amazing meals in Europe with HAL excursions, really wined and dined."

 

 

No meal was offered on either trip. They were identical. Also, they both had transportation from the ship included, or within walking distance.

 

 

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[albingirl]

We had some wonderful tours on our recent 42 day Maasdam trip. They were all ship tours and many included great lunches and wine and cheese offerings and so forth.

I have zero interest in private tours when the places we visited were a great distance from the ship.

The ease of booking the tours was an advantage, particularly since these were all new ports for us. We knew people who opted to stay in the port cities, instead of taking tours, ship ones or private ones, but we felt they missed a lot.

The price involved was not a factor for us, especially since the trip itself was expensive to start. We were far from home and felt very comfortable while on the HAL tours. I personally felt there was no pressure or fear mongering on HAL's part to persuade us to book tours. They were worth every dime. Trip of a lifetime.

[Cruising-along]

"I don't doubt this but am curious about something. Did they both (or both not) include a meal? On one of our private tours the lunch ended up costing a lot extra. We have had some amazing meals in Europe with HAL excursions, really wined and dined."

 

 

No meal was offered on either trip. They were identical. Also, they both had transportation from the ship included, or within walking distance.

 

 

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Thank you :)

[boards]

We had some wonderful tours on our recent 42 day Maasdam trip. They were all ship tours and many included great lunches and wine and cheese offerings and so forth.

I have zero interest in private tours when the places we visited were a great distance from the ship.

The ease of booking the tours was an advantage, particularly since these were all new ports for us. We knew people who opted to stay in the port cities, instead of taking tours, ship ones or private ones, but we felt they missed a lot.

The price involved was not a factor for us, especially since the trip itself was expensive to start. We were far from home and felt very comfortable while on the HAL tours. I personally felt there was no pressure or fear mongering on HAL's part to persuade us to book tours. They were worth every dime. Trip of a lifetime.

 

This is exactly how we feel about booking our tours with Hal. So far we have never been too disappointed with most tours.

[nana51]

The first time in a new port I like taking the cruise line tours, simply because it is easier and smoother. After we've been there and seen the "lay of the land", we book our own tours after. Except as many people have said, Alaska, where they are very similarly priced.

[Randyk47]

The first time in a new port I like taking the cruise line tours, simply because it is easier and smoother. After we've been there and seen the "lay of the land", we book our own tours after. Except as many people have said, Alaska, where they are very similarly priced.

 

Pretty much the same for us. We do everything from ship tours to private tours to just wandering around on our own. The more we've been to a particular port the less likely we are to take ship tours. Really depends though and I'd say the biggest deciding factor is time and distance to a particular site we want to visit and the duration of the ship's stay in port. Right now our cruise focus has been the Med and many of the sites are distant from the ports so we've done more ship's tours than say we would in the Caribbean. It's certainly not inexpensive but then again after traveling that far we feel it's not the time or place to cut corners. Kind of goes to our "If not now, when?" motto.

[Cruising-along]

The first time in a new port I like taking the cruise line tours, simply because it is easier and smoother. After we've been there and seen the "lay of the land", we book our own tours after. Except as many people have said, Alaska, where they are very similarly priced.

 

We do pretty much the same, except that we usually go out on our own with a rental car, public transportation etc. on subsequent visits. That way we can really see what we missed the first time (at our own speed).

[Viv0828]

We have gone on 8 or 10 cruises and have never done a ship's tour and only once a private tour.

We research the ports we are to visit and plan what we want to see. Then we grab a cab, hop local public transportation or walk.

This works for us because we dislike crowds as in a bus and we like to linger many places long after the tour groups leave.

To each his own!

 

 

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[Cruizer Bill]

We took two HAL excursions on our last trip. That is about average for us. We see it as a case-by-case situation.

[Storylady]

I had a similar scenario in Istanbul, but unfortunately the place I wanted to go was to Haghia Sophia and the guide didn't want us to strike out on our own (dire warnings of crowds and traffic and missing the bus back to the ship). Knowing Istanbul as well as I do now, I should have done it anyway. But that was my first visit there.

 

As I've already posted numerous times, by the time we got to Haghia Sophia there was no time left and no light left in which to see it. :eek:

Yet, we took a HAL tour of Istanbul and we had Hagia Sophia all to ourselves because HAL paid for Hagia Sophia to be open. Nobody on private tours could see Hagia Sophia as it was closed on Sunday.

[kazu]

Yet, we took a HAL tour of Istanbul and we had Hagia Sophia all to ourselves because HAL paid for Hagia Sophia to be open. Nobody on private tours could see Hagia Sophia as it was closed on Sunday.

 

I guess things have changed as it was open in the afternoon when we were there in October, 2014. and that was a Sunday too. Our guide got us in within 10 minutes and the HAL shore excursions were lined up stretching down the way. When we came out the lineups were really, really scary:eek:

[cruisemom42]

Yet, we took a HAL tour of Istanbul and we had Hagia Sophia all to ourselves because HAL paid for Hagia Sophia to be open. Nobody on private tours could see Hagia Sophia as it was closed on Sunday.

 

Haghia Sophia is not closed on Sundays; it's closed on Mondays. And Topkapi is closed on Tuesdays.

[LocoLoco1]

We took two HAL excursions on our last trip. That is about average for us. We see it as a case-by-case situation.

Cruizer Bill, I agree. Some handy HAL 'Shuttles' to City-Centers from Industrial Dockages have been perfect and cheap. If one has vision issues, infirmities or if $Money$ is no object etc etc...by all means HAL-organized Tours/Limos can be Top-notch. Free-spirited folks going Independently ashore often save lots of $Money$ to go specifically where they want..when they want. I would tailor my answer somewhat differently if addressing the youngish impoverished Backpacker Crowd, of which I used to be. Locomotiveman Tom

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I use shore excursions quite regularly in European ports, not because it is good value for money but rather because I rarely have time enough prior to a cruise to do enough research to book all the private tours, etcetera. Nonetheless, in Asian ports or ports were private cars willing to do tours are plentiful then I will go ashore, negotiate with the driver and take a private tour.

 

I just got off the Volendam today (am currently in the St. Regis Singapore) and the excursions were obscenely priced. I'm willing to pay $149.95 per person for a tour of Paris, because, while a taxi would be slightly cheaper, it isn't a massive rip off. In Phuket, where we had a half day, HAL's tour was over $89.95 and we paid $10.00 (we are a party of 3) after heavy negotiating for a driver with a modern van to take us around the island, then to the shooting range, elephant ride, ATV course, lion centre and beach- we saw HAL groups almost everywhere we went. The driver stayed with us for 5 and a half hours and we tipped him $50, although the agreed fare was $10. In Myanmar we did the ship's tours because any other options required a lot of organising, but while I spent $840.00 in total on shore excursions the 3 days we were in port, people who had done enough research had secured the same (if not better) private tours for less than $200.00 (for 3 days).

 

I do however want to point that this isn't related to HAL but rather cruise lines in general, shore excursions are a rip off. You'd be surprised just how cheap HAL gets these tours for, and how much of a money maker they are.