Private excursion vs celebrity excursion

[Taclin01]

Hi, I know this is a silly question but, would it be safer wise to book a third party excursion at all of our ports or just go ahead with the celebrity ship tours? The only reason I am thinking of changing is hopefully the exposure to covid will be lower. We will be masked on the ship and in transfers but, we are trying to be as careful as possible. I also don’t want to have to quarantine because someone on the excursion group tested positive and we were contract traced. Also, in Italy, Spain, and France can you do your own tours? 

[Lastdance]

30 minutes ago, Taclin01 said:

Hi, I know this is a silly question but, would it be safer wise to book a third party excursion at all of our ports or just go ahead with the celebrity ship tours? The only reason I am thinking of changing is hopefully the exposure to covid will be lower. We will be masked on the ship and in transfers but, we are trying to be as careful as possible. I also don’t want to have to quarantine because someone on the excursion group tested positive and we were contract traced. Also, in Italy, Spain, and France can you do your own tours? 

I have booked private excursions for my b2b.  Those excursions are for the two of us and for four of us, where we all wear masks inside the car/SUV.  Even getting picked up at the airport in Rome(FCO) the company states that one must wear a mask.  To answer your last question: Yes

[mahdnc]

39 minutes ago, Taclin01 said:

Hi, I know this is a silly question but, would it be safer wise to book a third party excursion at all of our ports or just go ahead with the celebrity ship tours? The only reason I am thinking of changing is hopefully the exposure to covid will be lower. We will be masked on the ship and in transfers but, we are trying to be as careful as possible. I also don’t want to have to quarantine because someone on the excursion group tested positive and we were contract traced. Also, in Italy, Spain, and France can you do your own tours? 

 

We are taking a transatlantic cruise in October and just finished scheduling our private tours in Italy, Spain, and France.

 

@Lastdance we will be staying a week at your lake in July.  Hope to get a lot of hiking and some kayaking in.

Edited May 24, 2022 by mahdnc

[zitsky]

I plan to book private tours for our September cruise.  But, but, but.....  There is no guarantee that you won't get sick from a private tour.  Yes, you're around fewer people but what if the guide or driver is sick?  I kind of think it's silly for me to worry about private excursion when I'm on a ship with 100s of other people.

[NutsAboutGolf]

Folks often confuse private tours for independent tours. 

PRIVATE = Just your party on the tour

INDEPENDENT = Independent tour, usually is NOT private

 

If you meant independent and if you actually want to be safe (some don't care, they just don't want risk isolation on ship tours) as part of your due diligence you should ask:

 

1)  Tour vehicle size; ship tour on a motorcoach may sound unsafe but if the indie tour is cramming 15 customers into a van, that's actually worse

2)  What are the policies if the ship is late?  Do they wait?  If they won't wait will you receive a FULL refund?  Some tours that cater to land based customers may only offer a future tour credit

[zitsky]

49 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Folks often confuse private tours for independent tours. 

PRIVATE = Just your party on the tour

INDEPENDENT = Independent tour, usually is NOT private

 

If you meant independent and if you actually want to be safe (some don't care, they just don't want risk isolation on ship tours) as part of your due diligence you should ask:

 

1)  Tour vehicle size; ship tour on a motorcoach may sound unsafe but if the indie tour is cramming 15 customers into a van, that's actually worse

2)  What are the policies if the ship is late?  Do they wait?  If they won't wait will you receive a FULL refund?  Some tours that cater to land based customers may only offer a future tour credit

Thanks.  Does Celebrity offer PRIVATE tours?  Because aren’t most PRIVATE tours INDEPENDENT tours???  I am interested in PRIVATE tours myself.

[NutsAboutGolf]

20 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Thanks.  Does Celebrity offer PRIVATE tours?  Because aren’t most PRIVATE tours INDEPENDENT tours???  I am interested in PRIVATE tours myself.

 

At some ports they're called private journey's.  They seemed really expensive but I've never looked into them.  Often before gas prices increased in you could rent a driver either half or full day at affordable prices.  You can find drivers in the trip advisor forums

Edited May 24, 2022 by NutsAboutGolf

[TeeRick]

3 hours ago, Taclin01 said:

Hi, I know this is a silly question but, would it be safer wise to book a third party excursion at all of our ports or just go ahead with the celebrity ship tours? The only reason I am thinking of changing is hopefully the exposure to covid will be lower. We will be masked on the ship and in transfers but, we are trying to be as careful as possible. I also don’t want to have to quarantine because someone on the excursion group tested positive and we were contract traced. Also, in Italy, Spain, and France can you do your own tours? 

Yes we plan to do our own small, private tours for the reason you mentioned.  Just a smart thing to do these days- avoiding full tour buses.

[Bruin Steve]

We've done four cruises so far in the "post-covid" era...and we've done a mixture of cruise line shore excursions and "private" or "independent" tours...We also often do pre- and post-cruise "land" stays and do some private or independent tours on those.

 

I really don't think there's any real greater exposure on one or the other.

 

For example, on our Pacific Coastal cruise a little over a week ago, in San Francisco, we opted to do a winery tour with a private provider rather than the cruise line big bus winery tour...Ours cost less and visited more wineries with longer stops and more wine...We chose it for all of the usual reasons we prefer small group tours...posted it on our roll call and had a nice group of 12...

 

The tour company clearly explained all of their Covid precautions on their website...in greater detail than the cruise line did...of course, realize the cruise line is also using a local private tour company.  We were 12 plus driver in a spacious Mercedes van.  The cruise shorex would have been 45-50 on a big bus.  But then realize that both tours went to wineries for tastings and crowded the participants into a tasting room...ours, of course, were less crowded...And one of our wineries actually set up the tasting outside--in the vineyard.  Both had "free time" for lunch on your own in Sonoma--where everyone headed for different restaurants.  We opted for one with outdoor tables.

 

Only so much of your tour is in transit...A lot also depends on what you are visiting.  If you are worried about risk, look at the cruise line's requirements--If they've taken precautions that everyone be fully vaccinated and tested, your chances of catching it from your cruise mates are low--and no different if you are on a shorex than if you are on a privately put together tour with ship mates.  The greater chance is in port--wherever you go--Is it an indoor attraction, an outside attraction, free time for shopping/eating?

 

IOW, Covid risk is my last criteria for choosing between Shorex and private or independent tour.

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, Bruin Steve said:

.Ours cost less and visited more wineries with longer stops and more wine...

 

Ahh.  Tell me again how you get these "more wine" tours???  Asking for a friend.   🙂

[Saturngrl]

I always book tours privately or with an established online tour vendor.  I've had great results with Viator to date.   I also book excursions that will have us back to the port no later than two hours before "all aboard" time.   That gives us shorter wait time in line to board the ship, clean up and be out on deck to watch the pier runners! 

[Bruin Steve]

7 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Ahh.  Tell me again how you get these "more wine" tours???  Asking for a friend.   🙂

As usual, I research the port using TripAdvisor, Google and the Cruise Port boards here on Cruise Critic.  I look for local tour companies with excellent reviews and ratings (In the case of San Francisco, I found "Edge of the World Tours"--ranked by TripAdvisor as the #2 tour company in SF out of well over 100).  I contact the top providers by email and ask them for availability, proposed itinerary, size of vehicle, price and other questions...and, based on responses, I reserve the date, post it on the Roll Call and ask others for interest in joining us...

 

PS:  Not a lot of concern about "getting back to the ship on time".  The tour companies in each port that specialize in cruise ship tours are VERY AWARE of return times...they monitor traffic, make adjustments if they need to.  We have NEVER had a private tour miss the boat.  And we've been on something like 100+ private port tours over the years... 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Bruin Steve

[Michidoeme]

Celebrity was also offering “small tours” with approx 15 pax during our recent Beyond cruise in Mediterraneum

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

As usual, I research the port using TripAdvisor, Google and the Cruise Port boards here on Cruise Critic.  I look for local tour companies with excellent reviews and ratings (In the case of San Francisco, I found "Edge of the World Tours"--ranked by TripAdvisor as the #2 tour company in SF out of well over 100).  I contact the top providers by email and ask them for availability, proposed itinerary, size of vehicle, price and other questions...and, based on responses, I reserve the date, post it on the Roll Call and ask others for interest in joining us...

 

PS:  Not a lot of concern about "getting back to the ship on time".  The tour companies in each port that specialize in cruise ship tours are VERY AWARE of return times...they monitor traffic, make adjustments if they need to.  We have NEVER had a private tour miss the boat.  And we've been on something like 100+ private port tours over the years... 

 

Thanks.  That's really helpful.  I am on the roll call but have not planned anything yet.  Partly because we are traveling with friends.  But I still think we want to do a private *or* independent tour with other people.

 

I will look for one of these "more wine" tours.  Not because I have a drinking problem.  But because I like to support independent businesses.  🙃

[NutsAboutGolf]

5 minutes ago, Michidoeme said:

Celebrity was also offering “small tours” with approx 15 pax during our recent Beyond cruise in Mediterraneum

 

I wonder if that's just fancy marketing; did you find they offered the same tour in both "small" and "large" options?

[Michidoeme]

These were tours with priority access, and focussed on eg Herculaneum, Pompei.  There were other, longer tours which incl these sites but with other parts and were not listed as “small”.   In theater before leaving in morning, these other tours seem definitely to include a larger group.

[Lastdance]

4 hours ago, zitsky said:

I plan to book private tours for our September cruise.  But, but, but.....  There is no guarantee that you won't get sick from a private tour.  Yes, you're around fewer people but what if the guide or driver is sick?  I kind of think it's silly for me to worry about private excursion when I'm on a ship with 100s of other people.

I think for me, I am just trying to do my best with staying away from the virus, at least as, much as possible.  Anything can happen to any of us no matter how well we plan.  My friend just came back from Croatia on a tour with 12 for lots of outdoor activities in and aroound Dubrovnik.  She never expected that her appendix would disagree with the venue. Anyway, she ended up in the hospital, missing the majority of her tour.  She had insurance, but what a pain trying to collect!  Life is great until something goes wrong; it happens to the best of us no matter how well we plan.  Personally, I believe so many of the cruisers who have posted that they ere in very close quarters, on a bus, for long periods of time, believing that is how they got Covid.  Having said that, I always book tours with very few people and love it when just the two of us tour because of the personal experience.  I hope you have a great cruise!

Edited May 24, 2022 by Lastdance

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Folks often confuse private tours for independent tours. 

PRIVATE = Just your party on the tour

INDEPENDENT = Independent tour, usually is NOT private

 

That may be your definition, but on the Ports of Call boards, "Independent" usually means you are doing something totally on your own, for example using public transportation from the ship to get into the city and then walking around on your own or making your own reservations for museums or attractions.

 

The other category is distinguished by saying "private" versus "shared" or "semi-private".

[jelayne]

We normally do independent tours with others  from the Roll Call.  If I’m setting them I try and do 4-8 people and only infrequently join a tour of over 10. We just find the small groups move faster, see more and are more fun.  We will continue that approach, which may be slightly safer than the larger tours.   However there is no getting around the long flights in packed airplane full of unmasked passengers.  The cruise line big bus tour may actually be safer than a plane.

[NutsAboutGolf]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

That may be your definition, but on the Ports of Call boards, "Independent" usually means you are doing something totally on your own, for example using public transportation from the ship to get into the city and then walking around on your own or making your own reservations for museums or attractions.

 

The other category is distinguished by saying "private" versus "shared" or "semi-private".

 

Yes, both terms are ambiguous; many associate independent with independently owned tour companies and to a far less degree, some associate it with independent from the cruise line

[cangelmd]

14 hours ago, Taclin01 said:

Hi, I know this is a silly question but, would it be safer wise to book a third party excursion at all of our ports or just go ahead with the celebrity ship tours? The only reason I am thinking of changing is hopefully the exposure to covid will be lower. We will be masked on the ship and in transfers but, we are trying to be as careful as possible. I also don’t want to have to quarantine because someone on the excursion group tested positive and we were contract traced. Also, in Italy, Spain, and France can you do your own tours? 

I’m finishing a port intensive cruise right now. In terms of safety it’s a mixed bag. We did one private tour with 2 of us and the driver. We masked, she did not. Spent most of the day together. If one of us had had Covid, we likely would have all gotten it, but we escaped. We did a couple of Celeb tours, full buses, more masking actually than on the ship. We did one tour organized by a roll call member and it was a full bus with a few maskers.

 We concentrated on riding trains and walking around on our own, partly to reduce risk.

Thoughts: I’ve heard very little excess coughing and sneezing onboard- I know Covid is here, but I don’t think there’s a huge outbreak going on. We have gone to one show and to the casino, but have masked faithfully.

Here in Europe there’s a big shortage of bus drivers, so expect tours to be full.

If I was in the Caribbean, I think I would concentrate on taxis and walking around - leave windows down, it’s hot anyway.

We have tested ourselves every couple of days through the trip. Take tests with you,

[cangelmd]

Sorry, had to plug in iPad!

we didn’t feel more or less safe on any of the options we chose, each had its own risks.

Do not assume, however, that your group is small, unless you know that it will be a small group. Expect to pay accordingly.

[cangelmd]

2 hours ago, cangelmd said:

Sorry, had to plug in iPad!

we didn’t feel more or less safe on any of the options we chose, each had its own risks.

Do not assume, however, that your group is small, unless you know that it will be a small group. Expect to pay accordingly.

And the captain just announced we passed the 3% Covid count and requested people wear masks while inside.

[TFree]

3 hours ago, cangelmd said:

 We did one tour organized by a roll call member and it was a full bus with a few maskers.

Hi @cangelmd: sounds like you were on Jonathan’s Giants Causeway tour with us. We were among the maskers. Wish we had met you. 
 

I cannot say that I was really surprised by this morning’s announcement by the captain. I think it was about day 11 of the transatlantic cruise when we got the same announcement.

 

I think maybe the cruise lines are coming to different conclusions about how to move forward. Unless it has changed recently, I understand that Viking (at least for river cruises) is testing people every day. Next week we will be on a Uniworld river cruise, and to the best of my understanding, they are requiring proof of vaccination, but not any testing, presumably on the theory that the countries they will be traveling in do not require it, so why should they?
 

Celebrity‘s approach, I am beginning to think, is somewhat akin to “don’t ask, don’t tell.“ They require you to show a negative test to get on board, (maybe they are required to do so because they are selling large ships, I don’t know). But after that,  they are not requiring B2B testing. They are not saying much, if anything, about Covid case count, until a threshold is reached. If you buy or get a voucher for a test kit from Celebrity, they will not deliver it to you until after you are in the terminal getting your baggage.  So they really don’t seem anxious to find out about cases on board. This is one way to move toward normalization of the necessity of living with the virus. There is lots of room for argument as to whether this is the best approach. 
 

Tom & Judy

[thepoint]

mahdnc

 

Would you mind sharing what private companies you are using in Italy, France and Spain.  Thank you.