Excursions

[fudge]

Hi everyone,

We are booked on a Seabourn cruise on 4th Feb to Barbados. I am just finishing the on line registration, I went to book excursions, I guess you have to pay. I didnt see any included in the cruise fare? Is that correct?

We have just returned from a Regent cruise where all were included. This is not a criticism of Seabourn, I was shocked to see no excursions included.

On the bright side caviar is included on Seabourn, you have to pay on Regent. 

 

[Isklaar]

Excursions are not included on Seabourn. I for one would be happy if it stays that way!

 

[SLSD]

I also appreciate that SB does not include excursions in their pricing.  While we do take SB excursions, we also like to be able to choose a private excursion or just walk through an interesting port town on our own. We've never sailed with Regent.  

[fudge]

Thank you for your reply. I see it both ways, in the past we have paid for excursions and not enjoyed them however, on our last cruise we went on excursions where we would have paid. 

Its not a deal breaker, we have done this cruise before, its easy enough to walk around the places we sail to.

Edited November 3, 2022 by fudge

[AtA]

We stopped sailing with Regent once they started including tours and their prices jumped because of it. 

We just went on a SS cruise where tours were also included and the prices were ridiculous for the 11 days and the tours were quite lame.

I'll always choose a ship where I have to pay for my tours over one that includes it if possible.

[tv24]

I echo the others here.  I prefer the lines that do not include excursions in their fare.  In many ports we prefer to explore and DIY.  I recently watched a YouTube review of Viking Ocean Cruises and found their overly-programmed excursions in every port to be too confining, and they add to the cost of the trip.  There are some exotic or somewhat dangerous ports where I definitely prefer a cruise line arranged excursions, but I want that to be my option, and I want to choose which excursion itinerary works for me.  So I hope Seabourn continues to not include excursions, allowing us to choose, plus not inflate the cost of the cruise to cover the included excursions.

[sfvoyage]

7 hours ago, AtA said:

We stopped sailing with Regent once they started including tours and their prices jumped because of it. 

We just went on a SS cruise where tours were also included and the prices were ridiculous for the 11 days and the tours were quite lame.

I'll always choose a ship where I have to pay for my tours over one that includes it if possible.

 

1 hour ago, tv24 said:

I echo the others here.  I prefer the lines that do not include excursions in their fare.  In many ports we prefer to explore and DIY...  So I hope Seabourn continues to not include excursions, allowing us to choose, plus not inflate the cost of the cruise to cover the included excursions.

 

I also dislike cruises that include excursions, except for expedition voyages such as Antarctic and Arctic, because I'd much prefer to explore on my own.

 

Another disadvantage of inclusive excursions is that, for canceled ports due to weather etc., passengers do not get refund or credit for the excursions that are forfeit because they are built into the base fare.

Edited November 4, 2022 by sfvoyage

[sfvoyage]

1 minute ago, sfvoyage said:

 

duplicate post

Edited November 4, 2022 by sfvoyage

[hoosier74]

If you see a destination on your itinerary that says "Carambola Beach, St. Kitts and Nevis'" this is typically an included excursion called Caviar in the Surf.  It's a Seabourn event of a day at a private beach, BBQ, champagne, caviar and lots of fun. 

 

You don't have to participate and there may be other excursions offered.   

[AtA]

6 hours ago, sfvoyage said:

 

 

Another disadvantage of inclusive excursions is that, for canceled ports due to weather etc., passengers do not get refund or credit for the excursions that are forfeit because they are built into the base fare.

YES! 

We were on a SS cruise that got impacted by Hurricane Fiona. We wound up missing most of the ports, had one port changed on us and instead of getting a full day in Quebec with what sounded like a wonderful tour, we arrived at 4 PM. (I personally think they did that on purpose to save the money on tours)

And the tours in Halifax and the ports we did make, they dumbed down to basic drive around the town or city tours versus some that were more interesting. (Money saver there too?)

Overall, we should have gotten back a lot more money.

Edited November 4, 2022 by AtA

[fudge]

4 hours ago, hoosier74 said:

If you see a destination on your itinerary that says "Carambola Beach, St. Kitts and Nevis'" this is typically an included excursion called Caviar in the Surf.  It's a Seabourn event of a day at a private beach, BBQ, champagne, caviar and lots of fun. 

 

You don't have to participate and there may be other excursions offered.   

Thank you. We have sailed with Seabourn three times and enjoy the cruise line, we have over 100 days with SS. We have done Carambola Beach twice, its a great day.

[bbloom]

On 11/4/2022 at 7:28 AM, hoosier74 said:

If you see a destination on your itinerary that says "Carambola Beach, St. Kitts and Nevis'" this is typically an included excursion called Caviar in the Surf.  It's a Seabourn event of a day at a private beach, BBQ, champagne, caviar and lots of fun. 

 

You don't have to participate and there may be other excursions offered.   

 

Thank you!  That explains a lot to this Seabourn newbie moving over from Crystal Esprit. 

 

Another day that looked "odd" on the 12/27 departure from Barbados is titled "Hillsborough, Carriacou, Grenada" but with no shore excursions listed.  Any idea what this day might entail or options on things to do?  

[crusinbanjo]

On 11/3/2022 at 8:30 PM, AtA said:

We stopped sailing with Regent once they started including tours and their prices jumped because of it. 

We just went on a SS cruise where tours were also included and the prices were ridiculous for the 11 days and the tours were quite lame.

I'll always choose a ship where I have to pay for my tours over one that includes it if possible.

I reluctantly have to agree with you.  When Regent went in this direction, Mrs Banjo and I left them and have never returned.  Just recently we were on a SS cruise, with the now included excursions.  Of, the ones we could get on, one was very poor, the other pretty good. We could not get excursion reservations for any other ports.  Our future plans will be to favor lines that do not include all the extra things that we would prefer to buy separately. 

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, crusinbanjo said:

I reluctantly have to agree with you.  When Regent went in this direction, Mrs Banjo and I left them and have never returned.  Just recently we were on a SS cruise, with the now included excursions.  Of, the ones we could get on, one was very poor, the other pretty good. We could not get excursion reservations for any other ports.  Our future plans will be to favor lines that do not include all the extra things that we would prefer to buy separately. 

Just out of curiosity (even though I think I know the. answer), was Silversea willing to give you a refund for the "included" excursions that you could not get reservations for.  

[Dunnedg]

On 11/6/2022 at 5:14 PM, bbloom said:

 

Thank you!  That explains a lot to this Seabourn newbie moving over from Crystal Esprit. 

 

Another day that looked "odd" on the 12/27 departure from Barbados is titled "Hillsborough, Carriacou, Grenada" but with no shore excursions listed.  Any idea what this day might entail or options on things to do?  

Perhaps ‘Caviar in Surf’ day.

[crusinbanjo]

21 hours ago, SLSD said:

Just out of curiosity (even though I think I know the. answer), was Silversea willing to give you a refund for the "included" excursions that you could not get reservations for.  

To be honest, I did not ask for a refund, because I don’t have the fight in me anymore to argue with management over policy vs customer.  However, we will always just vote with our feet as we have in the past.  Future cruise plans will always look at value for dollars spent.  If the value for actual service received isn’t there, then we won’t be there either.

[phillipahain]

Sadly not impressed by a Seabourn tour today at all