Booking excursions onboard?

[Big Stevie]

I understand P&O hold back 10% of their excursions for onboard booking. So when embarking I assume its a mad rush to get to the booking desk? Do most folk book their preferred excursions in advance online?

 

Also, Ive no idea how much excursions might cost, so what would be a typical price for an excursion to say the Colosseum in Rome?

 

Thanks

[PurpleMoonlight]

I've never seen a rush to book on board and I have never had a problem doing so. I prefer booking on board as you can ask questions about the desired trip if necessary.

 

Prices vary depending on where and what, Rome probably about £50. Its a 90 - 120 mins coach ride.

[BrianI]

You don't need to be in a hurry to book. You can go to the port talks or watch it on your TV, where all the excursions are describe. It's not true about holding back excursions. They are always trying to sell you more. On most excursion that involve a coach, it's just a question of putting the right amount of coaches on to suit the demand. The only it's worth booking in advance is an excursion that may have limited capacity.

Excursion are not cheap, around £40 for a 4 hour tour. In many ports it's easy to do it yourself. Many have hop on/off buses that stop right outside the port or if you get four people to share a taxi, it will be cheaper than a ships tour or simply use public transport or underground where it exists like Barcelona.

For Rome there is a "Rome on your own" where they take you on a coach and just drop you off leaving you to do what you want. Just google (port name) tourism for each port. Lots of info there.

Brian

[Mysticalmother]

The current price for an excursion to Rome including admission to the Colusseum plus a bit more - it's called "in the footsteps of the Gladiators" is £56 for an adult. It also gives you some free time on your own. There are several other excursions which visit the Colusseum but don't include entry - they range from about £42 to £60 . (These are prices for our cruise in May this year)

[BigJH]

I usually book in advance, but this year will wait as that's the only way I can use my OBC, which I seem to have a fair bit of due to the double OBC offer...

[P&O SUE]

It depends how popular the exursions are - for example in Norway many sold out before we boarded!

 

Also if you book in advance you pay when you book them. I like that as I spread the cost!

[Host Sharon]

It depends how popular the exursions are - for example in Norway many sold out before we boarded!

 

Also if you book in advance you pay when you book them. I like that as I spread the cost!

 

True - but you can't offset them against any OBC you might have. Just something to consider, but I agree, some very popular and number-restricted excursions do sell very fast. Rome won't be one of those.

[Big Stevie]

Thanks.

 

Rome and the Colosseum is a definite 'must see' for us, so I guess I could book that in advance so we know that we are going. The rest i may book onboard. We have £820 OBC but I'm guessing that will easily get used up on drinks etc for myself, wife and 8yr old son?

[PurpleMoonlight]

Depends how much you drink :D

 

Prices are largely the same as in the UK.

 

You can spend the OBC in the shops, spa and on photos too though. Some will go automatically on the auto gratuity.

[Big Stevie]

Some will go automatically on the auto gratuity.

 

Unless I opt out?

[PurpleMoonlight]

Unless I opt out?

 

 

Ohhhh, not a nice thing to do.

[themanwithahat]

Thanks.

 

Rome and the Colosseum is a definite 'must see' for us, so I guess I could book that in advance so we know that we are going. The rest i may book onboard. We have £820 OBC but I'm guessing that will easily get used up on drinks etc for myself, wife and 8yr old son?

 

Depends how much you drink ;-) Don't forget you can bring your own if you fancy lazing on a balcony with a beer (or pop if your son likes it). My 17 year old's blood is 95% Pepsi, so we just brought a big box of it with us.

 

Rome is perhaps worth booking with P&O, because it's a fair journey from Citavecchia. Much else, unless there is something you absolutely definitely must see, you can, I reckon ad lib.

 

There are websites (whatsinport.com ?) which go into ridiculous detail about buses, taxis, where everything is etc. and if you ask on these forums (I think there is one specifically for ports) then you'll get a lot of advice on how to DIY. Also, I think you are select, from what I remember, which means you get a free bus anyways.

 

Anything that is 'obvious' (e.g. Pompeii from Naples) there are usually half a dozen ways of doing it, almost all cheaper than the £40 / head.

[themanwithahat]

Ohhhh, not a nice thing to do.

 

Yes, not unless you have a real genuine gripe and arguably not even then. It is the hard working service people who suffer when people do this. IME they bend over backwards for you.

[itf]

I understand P&O hold back 10% of their excursions for onboard booking. So when embarking I assume its a mad rush to get to the booking desk? Do most folk book their preferred excursions in advance online?

 

Also, Ive no idea how much excursions might cost, so what would be a typical price for an excursion to say the Colosseum in Rome?

 

Thanks

 

£60 seems to be about the max for a full 10 hour day trip in Rome looking at our booking.

[Big Stevie]

Unless I opt out?

 

Ohhhh, not a nice thing to do.

 

I thought it was common practice for passengers to remove automatic tipping and instead tip staff individually, or have I misunderstood? (I'm guessing there are multiple threads on this subject already?)

Edited February 21, 2015 by Big Stevie

[PurpleMoonlight]

I thought it was common practice for passengers to remove automatic tipping and instead tip staff individually, or have I misunderstood? (I'm guessing there are multiple threads on this subject already?)

 

Unless you are looking to reward less, what's the point?

[Pidgeofcdf]

I thought if you took off automatic and gave staff envelopes they then had to put it into "the pool" ?

[Big Stevie]

I thought if you took off automatic and gave staff envelopes they then had to put it into "the pool" ?

 

I hope they do that when I'm in there having a swim:)

[Dirky]

Unless you are looking to reward less, what's the point?

 

Does this not allow you to tip the staff who you think deserve it more?

 

Or are you saying these staff will not keep the envelope of cash you give them but put it in to the general 'pot' ?

[themanwithahat]

The problem with tipping those who deserve it is you only tip the people you see - wait staff, room staff and so on. There are many people working very hard who you are unlikely to meet..

[Big Stevie]

The problem with tipping those who deserve it is you only tip the people you see - wait staff, room staff and so on. There are many people working very hard who you are unlikely to meet..

 

But how do we know they are working hard? Maybe if there was cctv in place then we could observe their efforts and tip/not tip accordingly.

 

Im happy to sell this idea to any cruise liner thats interested:D

[PurpleMoonlight]

Does this not allow you to tip the staff who you think deserve it more?

 

Or are you saying these staff will not keep the envelope of cash you give them but put it in to the general 'pot' ?

 

You can still tip an individual in cash in addition to the auto gratuity.

[PurpleMoonlight]

But how do we know they are working hard? Maybe if there was cctv in place then we could observe their efforts and tip/not tip accordingly.

 

Im happy to sell this idea to any cruise liner thats interested:D

 

Overall, complaints against the cabin steward and waiting staff are rare.

 

In all likelihood you will receive an excellent service from them.

 

Also, if you are on freedom dining you can have different waiters every night. How would you propose rewarding them at the end of the cruise?

 

The auto gratuity really is the simplest method.

[Cruise_lover11]

Overall, complaints against the cabin steward and waiting staff are rare.

 

In all likelihood you will receive an excellent service from them.

 

Also, if you are on freedom dining you can have different waiters every night. How would you propose rewarding them at the end of the cruise?

 

The auto gratuity really is the simplest method.

 

 

Well said. I would never consider removing the auto gratuities, particularly when seeing how hard the staff work.

[P&O SUE]

I thought it was common practice for passengers to remove automatic tipping and instead tip staff individually, or have I misunderstood? (I'm guessing there are multiple threads on this subject already?)

 

I don't think it's "common" practice - wait til you get on board see how hard the staff work - don't like seeing the tips removed myself.