Pre booking Shore Tours

[cruiselover96]

Now I'm confused. Have read on a few posts regarding pre booking shore tours. If this is the case, it's fairly new since we were on our last cruise in 2003. Have also read that some people have gone to pre book and not been able to as tours filled. What's the go:confused: Do they still book tours on the ship or are you better to do it beforehand:confused: Anyone got some suggestions. Thanks

Kerri

[jessica3152]

Yes, they still book them on the ship but some sell out fast so P&O now give you the chance to pre-book. Whether it increases your chances or just gives P&O a better idea of what to tell the ground tour suppliers is anybody's guess.

[Gyyp]

When you receive your tickets they now add a list of all available shore tours and prices which you can pre book up to approx 1 1/2 weeks before your cruise, if you don't use this method you can also book on the ship but it's first come first served, and if the tour you want to go on is booked out before you get on the ship then you miss out.

Any money owing for the tours is deducted from your cruise card when you board.

[cruiselover96]

It must surely reduce the crowds at the Tour Desk then. If you didn't get in early when you boarded the ship you ran the risk of missing out.

Thanks for your replies.

Kerri

[maxx]

We were thinking about just doing our own thing and hiring a local. Any pros or cons?

[cruiselover96]

A much cheaper idea that's for sure. We did it in Vila and Champagne Bay and had no problems. If you get a taxi at the wharf in Vila and tell the driver where you want to go and that you'll pay him say $20 (depending on how many of you there are) to take and wait, they are happy to do that. We did that to the Falls and were gone a couple of hours and our driver was there when we got back down and with a smile on his face as well. Very nice man he was. We then had local fruit and drink under the picnic area with locals playing their musical instrument, singing and dancing. Great day. In Champagne Bay they took us to a spot called the Blue Lagoon (where part of Brooke Shields movie, Blue Lagoon was filmed apparantly). BEAUTIFUL. For 4 of us the trip cost $10 and they also waited up top for about an hour. So it's definately a lot cheaper doing it that way.

We're off to Asia in 9 weeks and because it's an unfamiliar area I'm not sure that I would do a tour off my own back. It maybe easier through the ship. Be interested to hear later on when some cruisers report back after their Asian cruise and what they have to say about the tours.

I must add that on our first cruise 4 years ago as a family we did the tours through the ship. It was only after talking to some of the other cruisers that we learnt what to do and offer for a private tour. The only drawback is if they are running late for the return to the ship, the ship will not wait for you. If you take a ships organized tour and they are late, then they will wait, but that's the only time they will wait apparently. (Came across a family who only just made it back on board the ship by the skin of their teeth due to the taxi getting a flat tyre and not having proper equipment to change it. The driver drove like a maniac to get them back (more than normal)).

Kerri

[kaseyoz]

We were thinking about just doing our own thing and hiring a local. Any pros or cons?

I see you are going to pentacost island. I think that WILL need an offical guide rather than do your self. I know a couple people from this board have been there as i have seen their photos (maybe "pastit" not sure).

mystery island no tours

.

Vila I think you can do your self, maybe someone can help on this as we too are going there. Our friends who are going with us have been to vila 3 times for holidays not cruise so will let them decided what we are doing.

 

maybe we could list where we have been or going and see if anyone has done a tour themselves.

Noumea is easy by yourself, but there are many tours here and some still had spots on the day.

If you are not comfortable travelling by yourself then a tour is the way to go, especially when language is problem(noumea is french, yeah right !!!)

[kaseyoz]

cruiselover, i think the tours in asia will be different as i think most of the places they go to are a long way from the dock eg, bangkok. with language and poor transport i think i would be using ships tours.

 

When we went to Phuket in 2002 with friends who we are going on next cruise with, we hired a guy and a mini bus for the day and he took us to places we had never even heard of in the travel books and tour desks. he was fantastic.

also in bangkok we did what every tour book says not to do and that was to hire tuk tuks, that was the best day, the kids had a ball as we raced around bangkok(mum not to happy though!!). again we went to places we havent heard of.(inlcuding shops of course) We actually went to this huge golden buddha, where we "bought" some little birds that are in a cage, you release them and it brings good luck to your family. Hey they are probably homing birds, but the kids talked about for ages after, sometimes it is the little things.

 

guess this doesnt answer your question about private tours but if i had little time maybe an organised tour would be the go.

[cruiselover96]

Thanks kasey. Yeh I figure the safest and best way to do a tour for a day is through the ship. I would be very nervous doing it any other way I think. Like you say - most places are a long way from the dock.

Well done touring on your own. Sounds like it was great fun. Is a tuk tuk one of those bike looking things someone runs you around in?? and why are you told not to do them?

Kerri

[karmac]

We actually went to this huge golden buddha, where we "bought" some little birds that are in a cage, you release them and it brings good luck to your family. Hey they are probably homing birds, but the kids talked about for ages after, sometimes it is the little things.

 

quote]

 

I'm getting off the subject of cruising here but the I just thought I'd share this with you. When my dad was a kid, him & his brothers used to breed homing pigeons. They would go to the markets every Sat to sell them. A couple of days later they'd of course be back home. And yes, you guessed it, they would take the same pigeons back to the markets the following Sat & sell the again!

 

Karen

[Kazza1]

quote]

 

I'm getting off the subject of cruising here but the I just thought I'd share this with you. When my dad was a kid, him & his brothers used to breed homing pigeons. They would go to the markets every Sat to sell them. A couple of days later they'd of course be back home. And yes, you guessed it, they would take the same pigeons back to the markets the following Sat & sell the again!

 

Karen

 

Thats cheeky isnt it:D

[kaseyoz]

Thanks kasey. Yeh I figure the safest and best way to do a tour for a day is through the ship. I would be very nervous doing it any other way I think. Like you say - most places are a long way from the dock.

Well done touring on your own. Sounds like it was great fun. Is a tuk tuk one of those bike looking things someone runs you around in?? and why are you told not to do them?

Kerri

The tuk tuks do have a motor on them. The reason most people say dont do it is because they tend to take you where the drivers get commission not where you want to go. Our driver was very upfront about "shops that pay his petrol but we dont have to buy but please go in to a few of the shops". we did go into a wonderful gem factory, personal tour, cokes (bottled)free, and a great insight to how gems are made. Most were of the tiara, princess type of jewellry so we didnt buy anything. just the zooming around the streets of bangkok racing our friends in the other tuk tuk was just so much fun and a cheap way to see the city. we of course tipped the driver...

[cruiselover96]

The tuk tuks do have a motor on them. The reason most people say dont do it is because they tend to take you where the drivers get commission not where you want to go. Our driver was very upfront about "shops that pay his petrol but we dont have to buy but please go in to a few of the shops". we did go into a wonderful gem factory, personal tour, cokes (bottled)free, and a great insight to how gems are made. Most were of the tiara, princess type of jewellry so we didnt buy anything. just the zooming around the streets of bangkok racing our friends in the other tuk tuk was just so much fun and a cheap way to see the city. we of course tipped the driver...

 

Kasey, sounds like wonderful fun. :D :D We're in Bangkok for 2 days so hopefully will be able to give the tuk tuks a go. Thanks for the info.

Kerri:)

[NARELLE]

I agree when in foreign territory take ships tours. We went on sapphire Syd - Bangkok last year. Ship to Bangkok takes about 2.5 hours. If you are going to K.L. ship to city about 1.5 hours. and you are right when we were in Vietnam the ships tour broke down nad the boat that took them up the river took 2.5 hours after sailing time to come back. Ship tour they had to wait. If you are going to Singapore we did our own thing. easy to get around and ship berthed right near town.

[cruiselover96]

Scary thorght, missing the boat. Wouldn't you be devastated!! Our tours will be booked thru the ship. A lot more riskier if you don't I think.

At least with the Pacific Islands, once you've been there you know what you can and can't achieve.

Kerri