Shore tours .....DIY or via Princess?

[Kinkacruiser]

Hello All,

I have read numerous posts about booking shore tours through independant operators. Being fairly new to the shore tour scene, I would like to ask what are some of the advantages of the DIY approach.

Cheers,

Kinkacruiser

[mare s.]

we're doing Princess land tour before the cruise but doing it on our own in each port. In my experience, ship's tours are great if time on land is limited and distances are relatively far. But private tours allow much more flexibility and you don't feel you are being herded around. You do what you want and at your own pace and usually the tour guides are experienced enough to get you in and out of a special attraction before the buses arrive! In two ports we're going without guides and are just going to use public transport and wander around. You really get a feel for the city and its people that way...we've found more interesting little restaurants and stores just by grabbing a map and walking. But it's really a personal thing...many people like the security of a ship tour and that's fine.

[Kinkacruiser]

Why thankyou mare S, I value your input. I hope you have/had a great time in New Zealand.

Regards,

Kinkacruiser

[matmar]

It really comes down to where you are going and what you would like to do when in port. Personally we think Princess rips people off for the shore tours, but in some instances you really have no choice. For example when we were recently in Dunedin we wanted to do the Tiaeri (i think thas how it was spelt) Gorge train trip and prior enquiries we found that it was not available on the day we were in Dunedin all because Princess took over the whole trip so we had no option other than do it through Prncess.

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks for that, Matmar. Was the train trip from Dunedin worth it? I see it's a pricey one. Hope you enjoy your Singapore cruise later this year.

All the best,

Kinkacruiser

[MVPinBoynton]

Kinkacruiser,

Dunedin is one of the most interesting ports on the cruise. We took Arthur's Tour and saw so many things that you just can't see anywhere else in the world. You can read about what we did and see pics on our website www.thepreismans.com . I have taken train trips in many places and they are nice; but in Dunedin, to me, seeing the sights of this unique place would be better than any train trip could be.

[qld cruiser]

Thanks for that, Matmar. Was the train trip from Dunedin worth it? I see it's a pricey one. Hope you enjoy your Singapore cruise later this year.

All the best,

Kinkacruiser

 

Hi Kinka, the Train trip is great...well worth the money.

if you plan on doing things on your own at each port, just be careful to be back in time for ship...she does not wait unless you are on a ship organised tour.

We have been to N.Z a few times now, so we do our own thing .

let me know where you are going, and I will give you the rundown what we did.

kind regards, Lorraine:) :)

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks Lorraine,

I will be taking you up on the ins and outs of NZ...what a plus that you've been there. I thought the train trip full day excursion was close to $200?

All the best,

Anna

[Ransome]

what are some of the advantages of the DIY approach.Kinkacruiser

 

One point that hasn't been raised is that if you take a Princess/P&O/Carnival tour and it is delayed on return to the ship, then they will hold the ship for you, however if you take a private tour and it is delayed, the ship will leave without you if you aren't back on time. I agree though, Princess do add a significant price mark-up on their tours, however if you are returning close to the ships departure time the extra cost is probably good insurance.

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks Ransome. It would be a nuisance being left behind, to say the least. Perhaps if we just "picked the eyes" so to speak of the ship's shore tours and did small Info centre tours ( found in each of the big NZ ports), then that would overcome the cost and lateness problem. It always good to hear from seasoned cruisers. This site is very helpful for all sorts of things.

Hope you enjoyed your recent Feb. cruise.

Cheers,

Kinkacruiser

[aussie57]

I really agree that Princess tours are very overpriced. In Tauranga you can pick up local day & half day tours run by local operators right on the wharf to Rotorua Thermal areas etc for a fraction of the price & they get you back to the ship by sailing. We were disappointed about the Taieri gorge train trip in Dunedin being bought out by Princess as the local price for the train trip is about $70NZ & Princess charged $200USD

[Kinkacruiser]

Hi Aussie57,

I've been doing lots of research on tourist attractions in the ports of call. The "i sites" located centrally in each city/town have tours which are very reasonable. The independant operators are also competitive.The train trips out of Dunedin and Christchurch would be an attractive proposition but not at 3 times the price. I feel if you have the time before the cruise, as I have, then googling about is very rewarding. Thanks for your comments.

Cheers,

Kinkacruiser.

[ErinH1]

I'm a veteran of only 2 cruises, but this itinerary has to be one of the easiest for doing it on your own. Since everyone speaks English, the signs are in English, the Australians and New Zealanders are the friendliest people you'll find, and there's not much traffic--to worry about missing the ship seems a little extreme. Sure something could happen, but on these cruises the probability is very slim. Plus the reasonably-priced shuttles Princess provides into the center of town at each port really helps. However, we found the shuttle return times a little too early, so got ourselves back to the ship each day. If you're nervous about missing the ship, just make sure to allow 30-60 minutes' extra time when going back. Now if I were taking an Asian cruise, I would think twice about doing it on my own.

[mare s.]

well, we're back from our wonderful cruise "down-under" and I have to say that we loved our private tours...our guides were uniformly wonderful and we saw so much more than if we'd taken the Princess tours. Our two "do it ourselves" days (Melbourne and Dunedin) were also great. Dunedin is a lovely city and the Otago Museum was outstanding..we spent quite a bit of time there. One of the nicest things about going it alone especially in Australia and New Zealand is the opportunity to talk to people. We found that people in the shops loved to talk to us...people on the street would approach us (I guess we looked like confused tourists!) and ask if we needed help. When we wandered around Devonport (Auckland) we said good morning to a gentleman who was cleaning his boat outside his beautiful shore front home...ended up having a lovely conversation with him. Being in a group of 30 or more on a bus...you miss things like that.

[matmar]

Christchurch

We went on the "Heritage Train Ride, Winery & Antarctic Centre" tour - cost was US$199 per person.

 

The bus collected us from the wharf and took us to the train, about 1 hours drive out of Christchurch. At the train station we boarded an old restored train and travelled to Weka Pass passing through some lovely countryside. The train is run by volunteers who spend their lives maintaining and restoring the rail line and carriages, full credit to them. At Weka Pass we got off the train to find basically nothing there except a couple of small shops and a pub. The only shops open were the coffee shop and a second-hand junk store, mmm not a very exciting place. We boarded the train for the return journey. Back at the starting point, I noticed a sign that the journey would cost an independant traveller NZ$18. We were then back onto the bus to the winery.

 

At the winery, we were all placed into a large room set up for groups. Here we were seated at dining tables and presented with a platter of breads, dips, cheeses, salmon, salamis etc etc to go with the wines we were about to taste. We were given about half a dozen small samples of varying types of rather ordinary NZ wines. Overall it was Ok, at best I would have to say value on this was no more than NZ$45.

 

Back onto the bus, we headed to the Antarctic Centre. Here we were told we had approx. 1 hour to spend visiting this centre. At the lobby I noticed the entry fee for an independant traveller would be NZ$30, which allowed you entry to spend all day if you wished. Whilst this was interesting we felt that we were rushed through.

 

Back on the bus, we were taken downtown to spend about 30 minutes free to wander before the bus returned us to the ship.

 

Seeing these prices, I do not know how Princess can justify the price they charge, definitly "RIPPED OFF" by Princess.

 

Dunedin

Here we went on the "Taieri Gorge by Train & Olveston House" - Cost USD$169 per person.

 

The train collected us at the wharf, the return train trip lasted about 5 hours travelling up to the gorge via a beautiful countryside. The gorge was spectacular and worth the trip. A very nice lunch was provided on board along with a selection of wines, beers or softdrinks.

 

On the return, the train stopped at the Dunedin station where we transferred to a bus to go to Olverston House.

 

Olverston House, mmm, well its not as impressive as Larnach Castle (we stayed at Larnach Castle on our last trip to NZ).

 

The train trip is normally about NZ$70 but due to the fact that Princess books out the whole train on the day it is in port, there is no chance of any independant traveller getting a seat on these days. The gorge is worth seeing and to do so you have to pay the Princess price. Again "RIPPED OFF" by Princess.

 

Hope this helps anyone going to NZ.

 

Cheers & Happy Cruising

 

Mark

[Kinkacruiser]

Hello Mare S, Erin H 1 and Matmar,

Thanks for your responses and confirmation what I suspected about the overpricing. It was only by reading the posts at this great site that I embarked on my own researching, so I'm very grateful to you all for sharing your experiences.

Cheers,

Kinkacruiser

[kaseyoz]

we have just returned from the NZ to australia cruise. being from australia we felt very comfortable doing our own thing. We hired cars in tauringa which was bought to the dock for us and we also left it there. Also in dunedin. We did this because there is so much to see in these places and the tours do not get to them all.

While it was great for us i would hestitate to recommned this for any amercian drivers. In rotaroura we got lost several times as the maps were not very good and sign posts very poor. If you do the otago road (would be the main reason to hire a car, you travel on a fairly narrow road very close to the edge of the road with no barrier.

we did end up seeing so much more than a tour at a much cheaper price but i guess we didnt get the background info either.

 

karon

[GGCHAMBERS2]

I really agree that Princess tours are very overpriced. In Tauranga you can pick up local day & half day tours run by local operators right on the wharf to Rotorua Thermal areas etc for a fraction of the price & they get you back to the ship by sailing. We were disappointed about the Taieri gorge train trip in Dunedin being bought out by Princess as the local price for the train trip is about $70NZ & Princess charged $200USD

 

 

Aussie57

 

Did you take a tour in Tauranga that you bought on the wharf and if so how was it.

 

GG

[pinksuit]

Christchurch

We went on the "Heritage Train Ride, Winery & Antarctic Centre" tour - cost was US$199 per person.

 

The bus collected us from the wharf and took us to the train, about 1 hours drive out of Christchurch. At the train station we boarded an old restored train and travelled to Weka Pass passing through some lovely countryside. The train is run by volunteers who spend their lives maintaining and restoring the rail line and carriages, full credit to them. At Weka Pass we got off the train to find basically nothing there except a couple of small shops and a pub. The only shops open were the coffee shop and a second-hand junk store, mmm not a very exciting place. We boarded the train for the return journey. Back at the starting point, I noticed a sign that the journey would cost an independant traveller NZ$18. We were then back onto the bus to the winery.

 

At the winery, we were all placed into a large room set up for groups. Here we were seated at dining tables and presented with a platter of breads, dips, cheeses, salmon, salamis etc etc to go with the wines we were about to taste. We were given about half a dozen small samples of varying types of rather ordinary NZ wines. Overall it was Ok, at best I would have to say value on this was no more than NZ$45.

 

Back onto the bus, we headed to the Antarctic Centre. Here we were told we had approx. 1 hour to spend visiting this centre. At the lobby I noticed the entry fee for an independant traveller would be NZ$30, which allowed you entry to spend all day if you wished. Whilst this was interesting we felt that we were rushed through.

 

Back on the bus, we were taken downtown to spend about 30 minutes free to wander before the bus returned us to the ship.

 

Seeing these prices, I do not know how Princess can justify the price they charge, definitly "RIPPED OFF" by Princess.

 

Dunedin

Here we went on the "Taieri Gorge by Train & Olveston House" - Cost USD$169 per person.

 

The train collected us at the wharf, the return train trip lasted about 5 hours travelling up to the gorge via a beautiful countryside. The gorge was spectacular and worth the trip. A very nice lunch was provided on board along with a selection of wines, beers or softdrinks.

 

On the return, the train stopped at the Dunedin station where we transferred to a bus to go to Olverston House.

 

Olverston House, mmm, well its not as impressive as Larnach Castle (we stayed at Larnach Castle on our last trip to NZ).

 

The train trip is normally about NZ$70 but due to the fact that Princess books out the whole train on the day it is in port, there is no chance of any independant traveller getting a seat on these days. The gorge is worth seeing and to do so you have to pay the Princess price. Again "RIPPED OFF" by Princess.

 

Hope this helps anyone going to NZ.

 

Cheers & Happy Cruising

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

Does this price include the transfers to 'n from train? I was just trying to book this and it seems as though, you will need a taxi or some other transportation to 'n from the train deot. Is that correct? PinkSuit

[aussie57]

Aussie57

 

Did you take a tour in Tauranga that you bought on the wharf and if so how was it.

 

GG

 

Sorry GG

We intended to go to Rotorua but my husband is disabled & on talking to the tour operator on the dockside, we discovered that there would be too much walking involved. So I just went walking in the lovely town of Mt Manganui.

There are references elsewhere on CC about a tour operator called Ian who runs the Tauranga tours & people who went with him were very happy.

[Budget Queen]

we have just returned from the NZ to australia cruise. being from australia we felt very comfortable doing our own thing. We hired cars in tauringa which was bought to the dock for us and we also left it there. Also in dunedin. We did this because there is so much to see in these places and the tours do not get to them all.

While it was great for us i would hestitate to recommned this for any amercian drivers. In rotaroura we got lost several times as the maps were not very good and sign posts very poor. If you do the otago road (would be the main reason to hire a car, you travel on a fairly narrow road very close to the edge of the road with no barrier.

we did end up seeing so much more than a tour at a much cheaper price but i guess we didnt get the background info either.

 

karon

 

 

Can you expand upon what you did??? I have 12 hours in Tauranga and although American, don't have a problem with getting a little lost. I also have experience driving the left side of the road in Ireland last year- also plenty of narrow unmarked roads. :)

 

Who did you rent with, and what attractions, could be done in probably an 8 hour timeframe. I am in port 9:15am-9:15pm

 

Thanks for any information.

[SheilaNC]

BudgetQueen,

If you have not been to Rotorua before, I do encourage you to either do a tour or try the drive (knowing that the road is note well marked). It is quite an amazing area for learning about the Maori as well as seeing the amazing sights, like geysers and bubbling mud and water. We did it thoroughly on our last trip and this time we will stay in the lovely Tauranga area (last trip wasn't a cruise so we didn't get to this part of NZ).

 

I appreciated your helpful posts re: Alaska and would happy to return the favor if you have specific questions about NZ

[Budget Queen]

No I have not been here before. I did look at some tours, and it just does not appeal to me. They seemed to include the thermal areas- my most interest. Then some other, "stuff" that I really have no interest in - "cultural Performace", extended time lunch etc.

 

I am just more interested in the natural sights and if this can be done with a drive, I do have 12 hours in port, I would prefer it with getting there on my own and spending my time as I choose.

 

Not sure if this is doable???

[MVPinBoynton]

BQ,

I would highly recommend a private tour like we took. There is so very much to see in that port. One thing to realize is that the cultural center stuff, which I also was not that interested in is in the thermal area. Therefore you don't have to sit through it, you can go on to the thermal sights and see more of it. Also if you have a private tour, you can tell them to skip it. It is an amazing port. Have a great time.

[SheilaNC]

I agree with Mike - check out this Web site http://www.nzmaori.co.nz/ to see what the Maori Center includes. Learning about the Maori culture IS New Zealand and this site is better than others we visited. The drive should be a lovely one, but using a driver, albeit more expensive, ensures that you'll see exactly what you wish to see since you can customize the trip.

 

As an aside...one of the fun things we did that most people miss (don't know if it's still as open as it was then) was walking along the golf course. Only place we ever been (my DH is a golfer) where you could see steam and boiling mud arising from the course and the signs by some of the hazards tell you not to try to retrieve lost balls...due to boiling mud!

 

Whatever you decide, have a great day!