Are OE excursions worth the upcharge?

[DRKofSA]

Cruising September 2024 10 day portal to antiquity that goes to mykonos, istanbul, ephesus, rhodes, malta, palerma and amalfi.

We see some excursion price differences between regular tours and Oceania Exclusive (OE) tours of $90 per person and more.  are they worth the extra cost?

 

what number of people should one expect on a non-OE excursion?

 

if anyone has recommendations on great excursions at these locations, would appreciate the input.

 

[EJL2023]

16 minutes ago, DRKofSA said:

Cruising September 2024 10 day portal to antiquity that goes to mykonos, istanbul, ephesus, rhodes, malta, palerma and amalfi.

We see some excursion price differences between regular tours and Oceania Exclusive (OE) tours of $90 per person and more.  are they worth the extra cost?

 

what number of people should one expect on a non-OE excursion?

 

if anyone has recommendations on great excursions at these locations, would appreciate the input.

 

Most non-OE Excursions I’ve been on have 26-30 people. For Istanbul sign up early as we got shut out as all sold out. 

Edited September 8, 2023 by EJL2023

[davencl]

Assuming a OE small group tour. We took our first small group tour in Rome after our cruise on the GEM a couple of weeks ago. Not a cruise ship tour. It was insanely expensive but well worth it to us.  Learned and experienced so much more in the small group. I think some tours are fine in large groups others are best in small groups if your willing to afford it.

 

[LHT28]

some of the OE tours  are limited  to 16 max   read the  description of the tour & the fine print

[Woodrowst]

4 hours ago, davencl said:

Assuming a OE small group tour. We took our first small group tour in Rome after our cruise on the GEM a couple of weeks ago. Not a cruise ship tour. It was insanely expensive but well worth it to us.  Learned and experienced so much more in the small group. I think some tours are fine in large groups others are best in small groups if your willing to afford it.

 

I agree with davenci.  I have taken both OE and regular Oceania tours and enjoyed both.  It is really a matter of deciding if you would benefit from a smaller group for a particular excursion.  My experience is that the two types of tours are not so different that only the OE would be enjoyable.  It is more of an enhancement in the right situation.

[roberts2005]

A lot will depend on the guide, and how the 16 are packed in the bus.  Last year in Israel, the guide was useless.   I would rather take my chances on a large bus with more comfortable seating.

[Vineyard View]

6 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

A lot will depend on the guide, and how the 16 are packed in the bus.  Last year in Israel, the guide was useless.   I would rather take my chances on a large bus with more comfortable seating.

This is exactly what worries me about the one we booked for 8 1/2 hours in Tunisia. I could not hang in that situation. Is there anyway one can find out transportation details in advance?  I doubt it is available. 

[Copper2031]

I also have booked an OE with 16 for 8 1/2 hours in Santorini and am concerned that for the price if the guide isn’t very good we won’t be happy. It’s a food and wine excursion.  I think we’ll probably stick with it but I’ll still be researching other ideas.  

[davencl]

I'll add packing 16 people in an oversize van is very uncomfortable.  We had one on our recent NCL cruise in the Mediterranean.  I would say the seats were 2" narrower than standard airline seats with less legroom.  Our tour was fine but riding in the van was not comfortable.   In this case the van rides were not long.  The other small group tours we took were 8 people or less.  

Edited September 9, 2023 by davencl

[Noxequifans]

The previous posters have given a number of differences to consider. Suggest that the decision is based on individual preferences. 

[Vineyard View]

5 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

The previous posters have given a number of differences to consider. Suggest that the decision is based on individual preferences. 

Another consideration are people who experience claustrophobia in a tight enclosed space of that many people jammed together, or motion sickness issues as a result of those tight spaces. So if that is part of the equation, understanding ahead of the excursion helps to make an informed decision. If you pay that level of money, I sincerely feel that it is fair to understand the expectations on this part, as well as the excursion descriptions. 
I know, I can hear it, if that is a concern then sit in a large bus, with 30-40 people. But it just seems fair to know ahead IMO. 

[Cruisingagain2022]

On 9/8/2023 at 1:32 AM, DRKofSA said:

Cruising September 2024 10 day portal to antiquity that goes to mykonos, istanbul, ephesus, rhodes, malta, palerma and amalfi.

We see some excursion price differences between regular tours and Oceania Exclusive (OE) tours of $90 per person and more.  are they worth the extra cost?

 

what number of people should one expect on a non-OE excursion?

 

if anyone has recommendations on great excursions at these locations, would appreciate the input.

 

We have done a similar itinerary in Sept 2022. We  did not use Oceania for any of the excursions. We went through our TA who seemed to use Shore ex and or Viator. Excursions where similar to O excursions based on description.

First excursion included only 12 people lots of room on coach , which was very different from the hoards who came off the O coaches. 

 

2nd  excursion  was to Santorini. There were 4 of us in a car a little tight but fun. Taking the cable car early in the morning is a bonus going up .. long lines for the cable car coming down … although donkey and walking down are optional🥴

3rd tour Mykonos we had about 20 people on a large coach lots of room.

Some places we stopped at we actually just took the shuttle from the cruise terminal to some of the towns and did some of our own independent exploring.

 

Athens we did the hop on hop off bus .

The last tour in Istanbul. It was just me and my husband in a lovely luxury minibus. Apparently the other couple canceled.

It does get very  (traffic) congested in Istanbul so getting from the cruise terminal to the old city takes time.
Authentic Turkish delight this is the place to buy it … . Our guide told us the best store to obtain ( could he have been in commission sure ) it was outside the bazaar.

Pistachio and or chocolate are my favs.

 

I am sure it can be hit and miss when it comes to excursions. 
I did make  sure our tours  did not last any more than 4 hours as my attention span dwindles after a few hours.
All our guides were locals  and their knowledge amazing.

All but one tour was in the morning … which was great because the heat and humidity was high even in September.

Istanbul was the only afternoon excursion due to the time we docked.

 

We embarked on Riviera in Malta and stayed in the old town overnight. So did our own independent  tour.

 

if you are still waiting to get on your cruise enjoy !!

if you are on your cruise hope your having a marvelous time !!

Will  forward to seeing your feedback on the excursions your take and who with.

 

 

[babydrum]

On 9/9/2023 at 12:36 AM, roberts2005 said:

A lot will depend on the guide, and how the 16 are packed in the bus.  Last year in Israel, the guide was useless.   I would rather take my chances on a large bus with more comfortable seating.

We have 5 days in Israel and I’m trying to decide between the ships tours and Viator as they can both be hit or miss. The reviews are all over the place. I tried to arrange Guided Tours Israel for our b2b but the roll call is not very active. 

[LHT28]

16 minutes ago, babydrum said:

 I tried to arrange Guided Tours Israel for our b2b but the roll call is not very active. 

 I see they offer  semi private tours   I am guessing  they would put you with others wanting to do the same tour  without you having to provide  a group yourself

 

[babydrum]

Just now, LHT28 said:

 I see they offer  semi private tours   I am guessing  they would put you with others wanting to do the same tour  without you having to provide  a group yourself

 

They don’t have any yet so I posted on my roll calls. I would prefer to use them as I’ve read good reviews but I need two more couples. We still have time as our cruise isn’t until May but I may have to take a ship excursion if no one is interested. It’s hard to find reviews on specific Oceania tours. 

[LHT28]

12 minutes ago, babydrum said:

They don’t have any yet so I posted on my roll calls. I would prefer to use them as I’ve read good reviews but I need two more couples. We still have time as our cruise isn’t until May but I may have to take a ship excursion if no one is interested. It’s hard to find reviews on specific Oceania tours. 

Ok  I saw some for Jerusalem  but maybe not what you wanted to see/do 

Was just  a thought

 

Are you booked on an Oceania cruise  or Azamara?

[Woodrowst]

4 hours ago, Cruisingagain2022 said:

…which was very different from the hoards who came off the O coaches. 

 

 

 

I think referring to Oceania shore excursions as having hoards is using quite a bit of hyperbole and can be misleading to those who are thinking through the type of tour they want to take.  Every Oceania excursion I have taken had empty seats on the bus and there were never over 30 people (and often less).  I don’t really think that is a “hoard”.  In a previous post I mentioned that I have been on both OE and regular tours that were enjoyable.  I have also been on enjoyable tours I arranged privately.  All three approaches have their advantages and disadvantages; it is a matter of which advantages work best for you in a particular port.  We all have our favorite approach, but I don’t think we need to prop up our favorite by denigrating the other ways of touring.

[Cruisingagain2022]

I am sure the OP appreciates your feedback

 

 

[babydrum]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

Ok  I saw some for Jerusalem  but maybe not what you wanted to see/do 

Was just  a thought

 

Are you booked on an Oceania cruise  or Azamara?

Oceania.  I've never been to Jerusalem and Bethlehem so I'm interested in seeing the standard sites, same with Nazareth and Galilee.  If you could link me any Oceania excursions for those tours I'd greatly appreciate it.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, babydrum said:

Oceania.  I've never been to Jerusalem and Bethlehem so I'm interested in seeing the standard sites, same with Nazareth and Galilee.  If you could link me any Oceania excursions for those tours I'd greatly appreciate it.

When is your cruise?

Did you not get the PDF file  from your TA or Oceania

Here are some tours  for  a cruise next May but they probably offer on other cruises to the same ports

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/middle-east-cruises/jerusalem-to-barcelona-RVA240529/port-jerusalem-HFA/?voyageday=2&sr=#all

 

Also check the Land Tour package  it may be expensive  but they look after  hotels etc..

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/middle-east-cruises/jerusalem-to-barcelona-RVA240529/hotels/

[roberts2005]

4 hours ago, babydrum said:

We have 5 days in Israel and I’m trying to decide between the ships tours and Viator as they can both be hit or miss. The reviews are all over the place. I tried to arrange Guided Tours Israel for our b2b but the roll call is not very active. 

Guided tours Israel was not available for our dates. They were completely booked by one of the ships.

 

one day we we saw Nazareth and Jerusalem.  One day Caseria   Final day was Galilee

[the more ports the better]

we were just in Jerusalem in July, when the protests were going on, interesting.  We hired a private company which I would not recommend, but I would highly recommend staying at a hotel in Jerusalem.  We disembarked for the three days and stayed at the King David.  
 

Any hotel near Mamilla Mall is perfect.  You can walk through the mall, it’s outdoors and festive with great gelato, right into the Jaffa Gate.

 

The sights are crowded during the day, however, by around 5:00, the old city empties out other than the Western Wall which is always busy, and you can take your time and see everything else.  Our guide dropped us at our hotel at about 3:00 then we headed back on our own in the evening and were able to take our time and really reflect on the sites.

 

Our last day was in Nazareth and Galilee where we reboarded in Haifa.  If you have a private company, make sure you have shuttle meeting coordinates from the ship and drop a pin on Google maps as the O bus to the port is a bit confusing to find.

 

Also, my husband was an alter boy, catholic schools…..  we hired a company that does private Christian tours to see all the biblical sites which was amazing.  I would not, however, recommend doing that for the following reasons.  The Christians are obviously not Jewish and they are not permitted to enter the port so you must take the port bus both ways and it does not run very often.  Also, the Christians are mainly Palestinian Arabs even if they have Israeli passports, so be prepared for a lot of political commentary regarding the Israeli Palestinian conflict if you have a Christian guide.  It seemed that the Israeli guides had opinions too but did not seem so vocal about them.

 

Our first day was in Palestine seeing Jericho, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.  The rest of the time was in Israel.  I am a big planner and It was a great experience but I will do it differently if I go back.

 

 

[Vineyard View]

Is there anyway to know what the transport of the OE excursions are ‘expected” to be based on experience in various ports? I am fairly concerned that an 8 1/2 hr OE in Tunisia will be a crammed van after reading this and other threads. Would not want to take up the space of the reservation from someone else if that is the case. 

[the more ports the better]

 If the excursion sells out, then you know there are 16.  This happened on an excursion to Hanoi.  We changed to the regular tour as 6 hours on a mini bus with 16 would be uncomfortable.

[babydrum]

1 hour ago, the more ports the better said:

we were just in Jerusalem in July, when the protests were going on, interesting.  We hired a private company which I would not recommend, but I would highly recommend staying at a hotel in Jerusalem.  We disembarked for the three days and stayed at the King David.  
 

Any hotel near Mamilla Mall is perfect.  You can walk through the mall, it’s outdoors and festive with great gelato, right into the Jaffa Gate.

 

The sights are crowded during the day, however, by around 5:00, the old city empties out other than the Western Wall which is always busy, and you can take your time and see everything else.  Our guide dropped us at our hotel at about 3:00 then we headed back on our own in the evening and were able to take our time and really reflect on the sites.

 

Our last day was in Nazareth and Galilee where we reboarded in Haifa.  If you have a private company, make sure you have shuttle meeting coordinates from the ship and drop a pin on Google maps as the O bus to the port is a bit confusing to find.

 

Also, my husband was an alter boy, catholic schools…..  we hired a company that does private Christian tours to see all the biblical sites which was amazing.  I would not, however, recommend doing that for the following reasons.  The Christians are obviously not Jewish and they are not permitted to enter the port so you must take the port bus both ways and it does not run very often.  Also, the Christians are mainly Palestinian Arabs even if they have Israeli passports, so be prepared for a lot of political commentary regarding the Israeli Palestinian conflict if you have a Christian guide.  It seemed that the Israeli guides had opinions too but did not seem so vocal about them.

 

Our first day was in Palestine seeing Jericho, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.  The rest of the time was in Israel.  I am a big planner and It was a great experience but I will do it differently if I go back.

 

 

I have 5 days in Israel.  First day Ashdod, 3 days Haifa and last day Ashdod.  I considered getting a permission to leave the ship and get a hotel in Jerusalem for 4 nights and doing all of my tours from there.  The last day of my stay is on the Sabbath and I heard it's hard to get transportation out after 2:00.  Guided Tours Israel is available for a private tour on my days,  If I can get two couples the prices below would apply which are very reasonable.  If we do it on our own it averages $910 for us per day and I'd be better off using a ship's tour.  Would you mind sharing the name of the company you used?  I'd rather have a Christian focused tour without the politics.

 

May 27, 2024 - Jerusalem and Bethlehem : $159 per person

May 28, 2024 - Biblical Galilee : $159 per person

May 29, 2024 - Acre and Rosh Hanikra: $159 per person

May 20, 2024 - West Coast - Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Caesarea: $159 per person

May 31, 2024 - Dead Sea and Masada : $179 per person

Edited September 11, 2023 by babydrum