Anyone Missed the Ship Due to a Private Tour Company?

[Charles4515]

Here is the tour company:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187217-d4373325-Reviews-France_Prestige_Tours_Private_Day_Tours-Antibes_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Proven.html

 

Reading the TripAdvisor review and your report I see that you were a large group of 50 on two buses. While it is a private tour I would really call that an independent tour. Not much different than a cruise line excursion using buses. Might save a few bucks but that is not what I look for when booking private tours. Small groups, 8 or smaller at the most in a SUV, or car. We did that area from Villifranche, the port where our ship docked, in an 8 seat Mercedes Mini Van. I have done some shared private tours with as much as 12 people but what you want to book as a shared tour are tours of 8 maximium. The idea is not to replicate a cruise line excursion but do something better. A more intimate and customised tour. Usually it happens that those smaller tours are usually less expensive or the same price as the cruise line bus tours because the middleman is eliminated. I won't use other middleman either like Viatour or Shoretrips either. Book direct with the private tour operator. And don't pay in advance or tip in advance! It is okay to use a credit card to guarantee the booking but you pay at the end of the tour.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Charles4515

[Charles4515]

Last year, we were on Azamara when the ship sailed into St. Jean de Luz. We were supposed to stay 2 days. On day 1, the seas were rough. The tendering was stopped and the ship was moved to Bayonne, France. People ashore returned to the dock after the ship sailed. Again the ship agent was contacted to arrange transportation to Bayonne.

 

Had that happen in Bermuda. Not tendering but the ship was ordered out of the port because of very heavy seas predicted from a storm, they were afraid the ship would damage the dock and also they needed to depart ahead of the storm. The ship left early. They tried to notify everyone ashore and got most back before departing but there were some who could not get back before the ship sailed. The cruise line took care of accomodations and getting everyone home.

[gwsster]

I have seen people miss the ship but they were not on private tours or ships tours. They went off on their own. The most common reason is losing track of time or the fault of a local taxi driver.

 

Had this happen in port in Mexico...A ship sponsored tour. The bus driver sent us off to shop after the excursion and FORGOT that this was the weekend of a time change, it was an hour later than what he thought. We fortunately stayed near the bus and the tour guide had us go through this mall looking for our group. We couldn't find everyone and the bus left about 5 people at this little remote shopping area. We were very upset that these people had to figure out a way back to the ship, about a 45 minute drive as I remember. We don't know how they got back, but now only book private tours and check the local time before exiting the ship and being back at least an hour before sail away.

[berkyvdr]

We had a booked an independent kayaking excursion in St. Lucia. There wer nine of us in our group, but we were the only two with time constraints. We set off with only one guide (that is another story!) whom we kept reminding of our time worries (there were numerous delays prior to commencing our excursion). He just kept saying he would handle it and we would not be late. He was NOT wearing a watch!

 

When we were confident of the proximity of the endpoint we paddled hard to return to the shop, not waiting for the group. There we were told to wait as return transport was being arranged. When it became clear that even if everyone made it back to the shop, there would be more delays as equipment needed to be returned, etc, we decided to try to find our own way back to the ship.

 

We headed in the general direction of our hopefully waiting taxi. But we first needed to cross an inlet and there was no water taxi, although we had been assured there was always one waiting. We ended up paying a random stranger to ferry us across the small body of water. Fortunately our driver was waiting for us and we made it back to ship with only 15 minutes to spare.

[cpl100]

Reading the TripAdvisor review and your report I see that you were a large group of 50 on two buses. While it is a private tour I would really call that an independent tour. Not much different than a cruise line excursion using buses. Might save a few bucks but that is not what I look for when booking private tours. Small groups, 8 or smaller at the most in a SUV, or car. We did that area from Villifranche, the port where our ship docked, in an 8 seat Mercedes Mini Van. I have done some shared private tours with as much as 12 people but what you want to book as a shared tour are tours of 8 maximium. The idea is not to replicate a cruise line excursion but do something better. A more intimate and customised tour. Usually it happens that those smaller tours are usually less expensive or the same price as the cruise line bus tours because the middleman is eliminated. I won't use other middleman either like Viatour or Shoretrips either. Book direct with the private tour operator. And don't pay in advance or tip in advance! It is okay to use a credit card to guarantee the booking but you pay at the end of the tour.

 

The link I posted was to the tour provider. It was not a review of mine.

[CathyCruises]

We've never come close, but this was a weird episode. We were on a TA that had three port stops in the Caribbean before the crossing. The last stop was in St. Maarten. Ship left at the normal time and we went to late seating dinner. All of a sudden my DH said, 'we're turning around' as he could see the sun moving across the dining room. Sure enough we went all the way back to Saint Maarten, the gangplank was lowered and we expected to see an ambulance waiting but a couple got off and got into a waiting limousine and whisked their way into the night! The gangplank was raised and we turned back around and off we went across the Atlantic.

[K.T.B.]

Never missed the ship but once at Toulon France, (port in Provence area), we got back late and arrived about 5 minutes before the last on board time. Our driver missed a freeway exit and the next exit was about 40KM down the road and then we hit heavy rush hour traffic in the port city. I was the last on board and they had the gangway area cleared of all the usual items and pulled it up immediately after I boarded.

 

 

I see a lot of posts in this thread, including me, from people who took private tours and didn't miss the ship and are stating that it doesn't happen, but I know it does. I'll post the question a different way: Has anyone been late to the ship (at least 15 min or so past the sailing time) and had the ship wait for them?

 

Yes, and it was with Carnival.

 

On our first Alaskan cruise in 2006, while in Skagway, we took the White Pass train. (Awesome experience by the way!) We were 30 minutes late in returning and Spirit was waiting for us. There were a few hundred people on the train who were all passengers for Spirit. And for anyone who has been to Skagway and has taken the train, you know it's not a short walk back to the gangway! By the time everyone was on board, the ship left a little over an hour late.

 

The only reason the ship waited is because the majority of the people on the train had booked the excursion through the cruise line though.

[pammi44]

If you are fit with plenty of energy you may catch the boat.......... take a look

http://www.captaingreybeard.com/2014/02/dream-has-these-guys-on-the-run.html

 

That was totally fun!

[MTJtraveller]

I was relatively new to cruising and booked a private excursion for ourselves and another couple on the Amalfi Coast out of Sorrento with a Rick Steves recommended guide. The excursion was lovely, and the guide was fabulous.

 

Things went a bit haywire during the return. Traffic, as anticipated, was horrible. Fortunately for us, arriving at the tender about 15 minutes after all aboard, the ships excursions were behind us in the same traffic. Our guide was on the phone when we realised we may be late, talking to the ships agent and port authorities, letting them know we were late and finding out that many other passengers on ships excursions were in the same predicament. A very adrenaline filled van ride.

 

When we reached the ship we were given a scolding, as we should have. The ship had about 650 passengers so about half of the ship was arriving late. We hit the bar as soon as we got on board to toast our luck.

 

 

Valuable take aways:

I should have requested touring the outlying locations first, then a brief tour of Sorrento.

 

While I find value in Rick Steves recommendations, his guides may not be prepared for the limitations of cruise passengers.

 

Carry your passport with you or at least a copy of your passport.

 

Always bring the name of the ships port agent, in case you need help.

 

Request an early return to the ship. Don't be greedy with time spent on the excursion.

 

Always remember Sorrento and almost not making it back to the ship next time I book a private excursion. :p