Ship tours, how can we make sure we're in the same group? Does it even matter??

[thedarklord]

Much preferring to just wonder into town and do our own thing, we've never been on a ship organised tour before. However, on our upcoming cruise in April, we find ourselves needing to use a ship organised tour right now for French and Italian ports apparently. Never having taken one before though, I realise I don't know the answer to what is probably a really obvious question to someone with more experience!

We're travelling with friends on this cruise, so in total there are 5 of us, across 3 different bookings. If we all wanted to do the same tour, is there some way of making sure we're in the same group, same coach? Getting off the ship in various ports in the past, I've seen loads of coaches all doing the same tour, I assume people are told "You're on coach 119, you're on coach 120" etc., or can you just get on the first coach with space for your group? Or would we need to speak to the shore excursions desk to get this sorted?

[shof515]

you dont need to do anything at all. make sure you are all together at the tour meeting place and then they will put you all on the same coach 

[MeHeartCruising]

First, You all should purchase the same excursion.  Then, on the day of the excursion, you all need to go to the assigned meeting location at the same time (usually in a restaurant, bar, or the theatre).  Upon arrival at the location, someone from each group needs to "check-in" with the employees working the room.  As you check in, you briefly show them your ticket and tell them which excursion you are on.  Multiple excursions MAY be in the same room.  At that time, the employee will give you a sticker to place on your shoulder/chest area.  They will give you multiple stickers for the multiple people in your group. They key is to try and get everyone the same number.  That number corresponds to a bus load of people.  However, it MAY not be easily possible if a bus is filling up.  If you arrive and start getting a bus number, if your group won't fit on that bus, they will continue your group on another bus.  I suppose if your overall group is so large, AND they know they will be using an additional bus, they may put you aside until they start on the new number group.  This would put you all on the same bus.   But that would be additional work for the employee to keep track of at a very busy time that morning.  It can get confusing what is going on as they check people in and give them the stickers.

 

Once you all have stickers, you go sit down.  As the ship is cleared and the busses are assembled, they will start calling groups (by excursion name and numbers).  You will be told to follow a certain employee off the ship and out to your bus.  They walk,  you follow.  Don't lose them.  They lead you to the right tour bus.  Someone will meet you at the bus door and collect your excursion ticket.  Everyone getting on that bus should have the same sticker number on them.  

 

Note:  In some busy ports, 2 excursions that are exactly the same that are on different busses MAY or MAY NOT visit the sites (if there are multiple) in the same order.  One bus may visit site A, B, and C (in that order) while another bus might visit site C, A, and B (in that order).  They do this to spread out crowds.  So if your entire group is on the same bus, you won't necessarily be going to the same place at the same time.

Edited February 7, 2022 by MeHeartCruising

[KeithJenner]

If you turn up together I would be extremely surprised if they split you up between buses. If there isn’t space on bus A for your entire group they will put you on bus B and fill up the other one with smaller group. Probably the most common number of people in a group is two, so they will easily find a smaller group to use,

[julig22]

Just make sure that you all sign up for the same time - some tours do have multiple times.  And check the excursion #s when you get your tickets to make sure they are the same - they have been known to add excursions and change times, different than what you signed up for.  If there is an issue, make sure to go to the excursion desk asap to get it corrected.

Different ships handle the "sticker" process differently - you might get them when you get to the theater, you might get them when you leave.  Or your excursion might be meeting somewhere off the ship, no stickers at all.

Someone from your group just needs to be your spokesperson and let the staff know how many are in your party if there are multiple busses for your excursion.

[thedarklord]

Many thanks for all the help and advice, sounds like it shouldn't be a problem which is reassuring to hear.