Shore excursions from other than the ship

[JR14]

Is this recommended, what web site are the best to choose from? We are first time cruisers.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

Go to the Ports of Call Board here on Cruise Critic and check under each of your port stops to read what others have done and which independents they've used.

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

In addition to the Ports of Call section, visit the Roll Call for your cruise. There you will meet others sailing with you. Often people plan private tours and are looking for others to join them and split the cost.

[anthonyy7]

First you should determine what you want to see/do at each port. Sometimes you don't need a tour and can do things on your own. If a tour is required then usually a private tour will be less expensive than the cruise line contracted tours.

 

As the previous posters has stated, check out the Ports of Call section and selection your destination. Ask your Q's there about what to do, What's the best tour company, etc.... Usually there is a local or two on those boards that can assist.

Edited April 10, 2016 by anthonyy7

[Floridiana]

You have 3 options:

 

1) Arrive in port, walk around, maybe pick up an excursion offered at the pier by a local. - We picked up local tours on the pier in Australia and New Zealand. We walked around in several Caribbean ports.

 

2) You pre-book a private tour a) on your own b) with people on your roll call.

We are doing option 2 a) on our next cruise in the Baltic.

 

3) You book tours offered by the cruise line for your itinerary. - We do this often, sometimes for convenience, sometimes because the destination is far away from the actual port, sometimes because we don't understand the language. - The ship will wait if a tour booked through them is late in port.

[Pubmaster]

We have booked a tour for 30th December 2016 off the Azamara Journey to see the island and the dragons it is 2.5 hours and costs 70 dollars. The tour company Top Komodo Tours have groups of 20 and much cheaper than booking with the cruise line. To book contact infotopkomodotour@gmail.com

Happy cruising

[CruiserBruce]

The Ports boards are here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

[CruiserBruce]

We have booked a tour for 30th December 2016 off the Azamara Journey to see the island and the dragons it is 2.5 hours and costs 70 dollars. The tour company Top Komodo Tours have groups of 20 and much cheaper than booking with the cruise line. To book contact infotopkomodotour@gmail.com

Happy cruising

 

Per board rules, the place to set up a tour share is your Roll Call, located here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2307926

[beachbum53]

You have 3 options:

 

1) Arrive in port, walk around, maybe pick up an excursion offered at the pier by a local. - We picked up local tours on the pier in Australia and New Zealand. We walked around in several Caribbean ports.

 

2) You pre-book a private tour a) on your own b) with people on your roll call.

We are doing option 2 a) on our next cruise in the Baltic.

 

3) You book tours offered by the cruise line for your itinerary. - We do this often, sometimes for convenience, sometimes because the destination is far away from the actual port, sometimes because we don't understand the language. - The ship will wait if a tour booked through them is late in port.

 

To the OP, something else to keep in mind. Some tour operators have a contract with the cruise line, so if you see an excursion offered through the cruise line that you're interested in, it may not be available independently of the cruise line.

[OCruisers]

.....................

You pre-book a private tour a) on your own b) with people on your roll call.

................................

 

Checking your roll call is a very good suggestion.

On the roll call for our cruise there are three excursions with independents some of them taking together. :)

[obnurse]

JR: Always keep in mind that if you book something with someone other than the cruise line, it's your responsibility to get back to the ship on time. Do people book on their own all the time? Yes. Is there a calculated risk involved? Yes. If you book through the cruise line they will not leave without you in case there is an unforeseen issue and you are late getting back to the ship.

[Steviewonder1]

We have done both, Ship Line excursions and Private Excursions. Getting on your Roll Call is the best advice. On our Eastern Med Cruise 3 years ago we did all but 2 as Private excursions. They were fantastic and were a small group of 8-10 people. On private excursion you can make changes on the go to do something different if it works for the small group. On the Ship's excursions you are with a group of 50 or so folks and you get hearted around like cats and the trip is to fixed locations only. The private excursions you are let off at a parking area and have the free run of the area with a get back to the parking are in a couple of hours. Lunch is wherever you want it, and the tour person will provide many examples of where to go. One of our finest lunches for the 10 of us was at a fine Italian restaurant up on the hillside overlooking the Amalfi coast! The difference in cost of the ship vs private excursions is as much as 50% less for the private, but with all the many varieties that it can offer. You can have as much fun as you want, but the options are always out there for you to choose.

Good Luck with your choices and have a Great Cruise!

[Host Walt]

JR: Always keep in mind that if you book something with someone other than the cruise line, it's your responsibility to get back to the ship on time. Do people book on their own all the time? Yes. Is there a calculated risk involved? Yes. If you book through the cruise line they will not leave without you in case there is an unforeseen issue and you are late getting back to the ship.

Another point. If the ship docks late or skips the port, if you book your own private tour you may lose whatever you paid.

 

That said we still look to independent tours whenever we cruise.

[paul929207]

Another point. If the ship docks late or skips the port, if you book your own private tour you may lose whatever you paid.

 

That said we still look to independent tours whenever we cruise.

We have never pre-paid for a private tour.

[Floridiana]

On the Ship's excursions you are with a group of 50 or so folks and you get hearted around like cats and the trip is to fixed locations only.

 

Not my experience. I have had many small van excursions with the ship (different lines, Caribbean, Guatemala). Yes, fixed locations. We have also been on a small group tour of 8 where we always had to wait for one couple even after I was shopped out. ;)

[phillygirl63]

Choosing private tours vs. ship's excursions vs. DIY also depends on the ports. We prefer private tours whenever we are going to a port where we want to cover a lot of ground in one day, such as Rome, Amalfi coast, etc. Ship's tours are limited in the number of sites to be seen, cost more, and you only move as fast as the slowest person in the group. However, ship's tours were fine for Cinque Terre, Florence, some ports in Alaska, for example, where you only really need transportation and maybe a short walking tour. For those ports offering only one main attraction that appeals to you, then you may want to DIY.

 

I would recommend looking at the ship's excursions to get an idea of the highlights in each port, then doing research to see if maybe there were private options available that would get you to as many of those highlights as possible in the short time you have in that port.

 

Good luck.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Checking your roll call is a very good suggestion.

 

On the roll call for our cruise there are three excursions with independents some of them taking together. :)

 

 

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