Cruise day trips

[Atlonglast]

we will be travelling on QM2 through Europe & was wondering if the cruise organised trips are value for money & if not are there alternatives?

[Summergee]

The main reason we go on the arranged trips is because the ship will wait if there are any delays. We do not feel that they are always value for money.

[Pugwash123]

we will be travelling on QM2 through Europe & was wondering if the cruise organised trips are value for money & if not are there alternatives?

There are tour companies who provide private and group shore excursions for cruise passengers. They are usually cheaper than the tours provided by the cruise ships and some will guarantee to get you back to the ship on time or get you to the next port of call at their expense. We have used a private tour company in St Petersburg on two occasions now and have found them to be very good.

[Wiltonian]

The main reason we go on the arranged trips is because the ship will wait if there are any delays. We do not feel that they are always value for money.

 

We never take cruise line's tours. Invariably they use local operators, and in most cases, charge rather more. Also, most are in large tour buses/coaches (sometimes in convoys of several buses, disgorging hundreds of people where they stop), whereas most local tour companies offer the option of 8-12 seat minibuses or even 4-6 seat minivans.

 

Cruiselines make a huge fuss about waiting for their own tours but not others. This is their only USP, but it is illusory, for 3 reasons:

1. In my experience, companies schedule tours to be back in good time. Often, the minibus travelling is first, then walking tour near the ship, or free time, to minimise risk.

2. They all guarantee getting you back to the ship. Some of these are big companies; if they let down just one group, their reputational damage on places like CC would probably kill their company stone dead. They couldn't risk it.

3. The most common cause of delays are road conditions, which will affect official tours just as much as unofficial ones, so the ship will have to wait,

 

Official tours give peace of mind, but IMHO other providers provide 99.9% of that peace of mind, often a better a product, at less cost.

[BlueRiband]

Ship sponsored tours tend to be more expensive because the company is taking their percentage of the price and they require tour operators to have massive amounts of liability insurance. If something should go terribly wrong at least everyone is covered. This is not to say that private operators are NOT insured, but you would have to vet them or take the word of whomever might endorse them.

 

Another time to use a ship tour is when the tour will take up almost the entire time the ship is in port. I encountered this on a ship tour to the American Landing Beaches which was some distance from the pier in Cherbourg. We got caught in traffic on the way back and the tour operator phoned the ship. The gangway was removed behind us.

 

It depends on your comfort factor and willingness to vet a private operator.

[_kerry_]

We had 8 port days recently. We booked ship trips first couple but then decided to just hire taxis for a few hours. Getting a personalized tour in a comfy wifi ready car was much cheaper & we got to get around better with just the two of us. You have to watch the clock & make sure you can understand the driver but would recommend hiring a car.

 

 

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[Solent Richard]

we will be travelling on QM2 through Europe & was wondering if the cruise organised trips are value for money & if not are there alternatives?

 

 

What is your itinerary?

[Solent Richard]

We never take cruise line's tours. Invariably they use local operators, and in most cases, charge rather more. Also, most are in large tour buses/coaches (sometimes in convoys of several buses, disgorging hundreds of people where they stop), whereas most local tour companies offer the option of 8-12 seat minibuses or even 4-6 seat minivans.

 

Cruiselines make a huge fuss about waiting for their own tours but not others. This is their only USP, but it is illusory, for 3 reasons:

1. In my experience, companies schedule tours to be back in good time. Often, the minibus travelling is first, then walking tour near the ship, or free time, to minimise risk.

2. They all guarantee getting you back to the ship. Some of these are big companies; if they let down just one group, their reputational damage on places like CC would probably kill their company stone dead. They couldn't risk it.

3. The most common cause of delays are road conditions, which will affect official tours just as much as unofficial ones, so the ship will have to wait,

 

Official tours give peace of mind, but IMHO other providers provide 99.9% of that peace of mind, often a better a product, at less cost.

 

All well and good when you are in ports that these 'private' companies specialise in: usually the larger ones where there are popular attractions. Often their range is limited to one excursion.

 

I usually like to strike a balance. What the cruise lines offer is a wider choice to cover many interests.

 

While on a Queen Mary 2 cruise visiting Boston there were no other companies running tours to Salem. The Cunard one was excellent...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2016/08/25/one-way-to-do-salem/

 

As a point of note, I have very often taken 'Private' excursions that cost considerably more than the ships...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/10/29/one-way-to-do-florence-and-pisa/

 

I always advise people who ask about excursions to see what is on offer from all quarters. When 'cost' becomes the driving issue the plot is lost.

 

:evilsmile::evilsmile: