Private Tours vs Ship Tours

[melgray13]

We are preparing for our first Europe Cruise in Nov. We have cruised to the caribbean many times and use almost all private tours. We love the value and personal service. We are starting to try and look for ideas for things to do in Europe. We are looking at both ship excursions and private. We like the idea of the private tour but have some concerns - First, it doesn't seem that they have the same "value" as those in the caribbean - they seem to be more than many of the group tours (there are only 2 of us). Second, we are concerned about making it back to the ship on time. There are SO many things to see in each of the ports we want to max our time in the port but since some of the cities are 50+ miles from the pier we are concerned about potential delays and missing the ship.

 

What are your experience? What do you recommend?

 

Thanks!

[Longin2cruise]

Like you, I was concerned with missing the ship, so we just took ship tours. However, after spending 5 days post cruise in Rome & taking private tours, I've decided that's the only way to go. I suggest that you go to the Roll Call section of this board & look up your cruise. Possibly there will be other people who have used reputable private tour guides & may even be looking for someone to share the costs.

[carlmm]

Well, if you ask for best value I would recommend doing everything on your own. Maybe in contrast to the Caribbean, the infrastructure in Europe is superb and, in contrast to the US, too, public transportation including trains is excellent. For example you can get to Rome and back by train for € 9, including all buses and subways in Rome.

Making you own way is the proven way used by millions of tourists every year in Europe.

 

Yet if you look for the personal service of a private tour, you will certainly find some good options in every port. But you are more than right - they are very expensive. This is the decision you have to make - if the added comfort is worth the money to you. You should not worry about missing the ship. As said, the infrastructure is good and tour operators experienced with cruise guests should exactly know when to get passengers back on board.

 

One example where I would recommend a private tour is the Amalfi coast - it is almost impossible to do this on your own in a limited timeframe by bus; if you rent a car, the driver misses the views; and the huge tour buses do not have the flexibility and mobility of a small private van. (While as a counterexample, neither a ships nor a private tour are advisable to see Pompeii, as it is just a few minutes by train.)

[ama22]

Well, if you ask for best value I would recommend doing everything on your own. Maybe in contrast to the Caribbean, the infrastructure in Europe is superb and, in contrast to the US, too, public transportation including trains is excellent. For example you can get to Rome and back by train for € 9, including all buses and subways in Rome.

Making you own way is the proven way used by millions of tourists every year in Europe.

 

Yet if you look for the personal service of a private tour, you will certainly find some good options in every port. But you are more than right - they are very expensive. This is the decision you have to make - if the added comfort is worth the money to you. You should not worry about missing the ship. As said, the infrastructure is good and tour operators experienced with cruise guests should exactly know when to get passengers back on board.

 

One example where I would recommend a private tour is the Amalfi coast - it is almost impossible to do this on your own in a limited timeframe by bus; if you rent a car, the driver misses the views; and the huge tour buses do not have the flexibility and mobility of a small private van. (While as a counterexample, neither a ships nor a private tour are advisable to see Pompeii, as it is just a few minutes by train.)

 

I agree that a private tour is the way to go on the Amalif coast, but be aware that a private guide and a private driver are too different things in Europe. We paid 450E for 6 hours (just 2 of us) for what we thought was a private guide, but turned out to be a driver. He drove us from town to town along the coast, but didn't go into any of the towns with us, nor did he tell us what to see in the towns. His commentary during the drive along the coast from town to town was very good, but I guess we expected more. At each of the towns he asked how long we would need in the town, which was a very hard question to answer, because we didn't know how much there was to see in each.

 

We didn't go to Pompeii, but I have read many reviews that said you should get a guide at the entrance to Pompeii to fully appreciate what you are seeing.

 

Have a great time in the Med. There is so much history and beautiful sights to see.

 

Mary Lou

[cruisemom42]

I agree that a private tour is the way to go on the Amalif coast, but be aware that a private guide and a private driver are too different things in Europe. We paid 450E for 6 hours (just 2 of us) for what we thought was a private guide, but turned out to be a driver. He drove us from town to town along the coast, but didn't go into any of the towns with us, nor did he tell us what to see in the towns. His commentary during the drive along the coast from town to town was very good, but I guess we expected more. At each of the towns he asked how long we would need in the town, which was a very hard question to answer, because we didn't know how much there was to see in each.

 

We didn't go to Pompeii, but I have read many reviews that said you should get a guide at the entrance to Pompeii to fully appreciate what you are seeing.

 

Have a great time in the Med. There is so much history and beautiful sights to see.

 

Mary Lou

 

 

You raise a very good point and one that I think a lot of people are not aware of when they book a private tour. In many of the Mediterranean ports (particularly Italy) a driver is not the same as a guide. Guides have to be registered and have to demonstrate significant knowledge, whereas drivers do not. Drivers cannot represent themselves as guides, and usually cannot give you a guided tour of a museum (such as the Vatican, for instance).

 

There are some drivers that, IMHO, do a good job of filling passengers in on the major details, but it's not the same as having a guide (or alternatively doing your own homework and knowing what you want to see and what its significance is....)

 

Also, I have read some things here on these boards that drivers have relayed as "facts" that are quite blatantly untrue!

[lansingisland]

Our family of four did all private drivers on our Med cruise 2 years ago (we're going again this year!!!). We felt that with such a short time in port we wanted to see as much as possible. No waiting for bus loads to move around. The guides were waiting for us when we docked, we left immediately, and they miraculouly got us to the front of lines for everything...no waiting to see the David or the Coloseum. We requested lunch "on the run" most days (except a very memorable meal on the Amalfi coast with our Driver in Rome group) It was expensive, but we covered a lot of ground and when we were ready to move on, we did. There is always a little fear of missing the ship, and I suppose that happens, but I bet your drive/guide is more scared of that than you! He would have to help you deal with it. Remember, if there is a massive traffic jam or something, chances are the ships tours will be stuck too!

[kathy16]

We are on Oceania Insignia May 10, 2008 Med cruise Istanbul to Venice, and we are trying to decide about private tours. We are interested in sharing with 1-2 other couples to reduce pp costs, but are not having any luck finding other passengers (have posted on roll call) We have booked Ekol tours in Kusadasi. Any suggestions for tours for 2 (+?) in Taormina, Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Dubrovnik, Amalfi(Pompeii), Venice? My cruise is only a few months away now...

[TimCruiser68]

I prefer private tours because they are more personal.I do not like to go on my own when cruising as I do not want to waste time in a once in a lifetime trip.

[pondnana]

We are on Oceania Insignia May 10, 2008 Med cruise Istanbul to Venice, and we are trying to decide about private tours. We are interested in sharing with 1-2 other couples to reduce pp costs, but are not having any luck finding other passengers (have posted on roll call) We have booked Ekol tours in Kusadasi. Any suggestions for tours for 2 (+?) in Taormina, Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Dubrovnik, Amalfi(Pompeii), Venice? My cruise is only a few months away now...

 

Kathy; You don't need a guide in Dubrovnik. We were there on Regatta last spring and took a taxi from port to old city and spent the time walking around on our own. Santorini is also a place you can visit on your own. In Venice we used Rick Steeves book and took the #1 vaporetto. He gives a blow by blow description of each stop and what is of interest. Enjoy your cruise. These are great ports of call.

Diana

[houch]

We are doing a Med cruise in Aug and will book the tours with the ship. We are girls cruising together and we just feel safer with them. We don't want to risk missing the ship and all the hastles that go with that. Last year in St Petersberg we had some problems with a delay. Our tour guide said we would not miss any part of the tour, we would just be late getting back and the ship would wait for us and it did. She was in contact with the ship. We have always been happy with the ship tours. I am sure there are pos and neg with both, just depends on what you are looking for, etc.

[Bruin Steve]

Okay...

We have done four European cruises thus far (another coming in July)...

We have done some of both--Shore Excursions and Private Tours...and we have also done some ports "on our own"--usually ones we're familiar or comfortable with...

 

There are pluses and minuses with each...

 

The first question might be...Which ports are you visiting? There is likely a different answer for each one...

 

First, in general, know that many of the Mediteranean ports are actually some distance from the tourist sites (Civitavcchia for Rome, Livorno for Florence and Tuscany)...For others, you'll likely want to see a wide array of sites which may be fairly widespread (for example, if you dock in Villefranche or Nice and want to see Monte Carlo, Eze, St. Paul de Vence or Cannes). In such cases, doing it "on your own" requires managing difficult logistics and either car rentals and directions or wasting a lot of time waiting for trains and buses)...

 

Also know that in many ports, as was noted above, a "private tour" often means just a "driver"...In Italy, there is a special, difficult-to-get license for giving "tours"...Most of the advertised drivers don't have it...So, they can drive you from place to place...and some are better than others at giving you some commentary along the way...but, they are barred from even accompanying you inside, for example, Pompei or the Vatican or most other churches, museums, archaeological sites or other tourist sites...

 

Also note that some Shore Excursions are actually pretty good, some are not...Yes, there is the issue of getting on and off a bus with 40 people or following around a pack of 40 following the guide...But, on the other hand, unlike in third world countries, the ship's excursions ar typically CHEAPER (even though they seem pretty expensive compared to other parts of the world) then a private guide...In most ports, 2 people on a private tour will cost you considerably more, 4 will ALMOST break even...With 6 or more, you typically squeeze ahead...

 

Of course, that said, it varies from port to port...

 

A few issues in pricing: The ship's excursions, especially the full day ones, typically include EVERYTHING--transportation, guide, admissions fees to sites and lunch...With the "private tours", you are typically only paying the driver... You will pay extra for lunches, for admissions fees and even, where necessary, like in Pompei, for an additional licensed guide...If price is a concern, always consider "apples for apples"...

 

As to individual ports, here's a rundown of some of the Med ports:

 

Turkey (Istanbul, Kusadasi or Izmir): Hire a private guide...This is one country where private guides are a bargain. We did private tours for TWO with more covered than the ship's excursions for a lesser price (I recommend Ekol). Do NOT attempt to do Kusadasi on your own. Ephesus and other sites are distant from the port...and, for the price, it's just not worth it...

 

Greece:

---Athens: The typical offering of "Athens and Cape Sounion" is apretty good excursion and usually cheap enough. A private driver will likely charge you more and cover only the same sites. IF you want to tour the Pelopenesse (Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, et al) or do a combination the ship doesn't offer, go with a private driver (In 2006, we paid 250 euros for a full day tour for two).

---Mykonos: I saw nothing of value here in the way of either a shore excursion or private tour...Take a cab or shuttle into town, wander town or go to a beach on your own.

---Santorini: We've both taken a tour and done it on our own with a rented car...We've also done the trip to Oia on our own using public buses. The reason to do a tour is that they're not all that expensive compared to other ports and it's sometimes nice to get a guided overview...take only a half-day tour, though...You'll want to explore a little on your own...If on your own, a rental car will give you a little freedom to explore the island...Beware, though, the road to Ancient Thira is treacherous--one lane for both directions and countless hairpin turns...then a difficult hike to the site...but, oh, what views!

---Corfu: We've done it on our own and with a shore excursion (Achilleion Palace--half day)...It's a small town and easy to get around the town itself...--the Palace is NOT in town...We enjoyed the tour as it is actually a good overview of a very scenic island. Private guides here are expensive...We've done the island with a rental car--which is fairly cheap, but, we actually preferred the excursion...which got us back to town with plenty of time to explore the town on our own and have our now traditional lunch at Pizza Pete's (Great restaurant, not so much for the food but the incredible location and views)...

---Rhodes: We did a shore excursion to Lindos. Local guides are expensive. If we did it again, we'd skip Lindos, take a half day shore excursion of Rhodes Town (We wandered on our own and some commentary and history would have enriched the experience).

 

Italy:

---Venice: Tour or excursion not necessary...Easy town to get around on foot or by vaporetti (public bus/boat system)...You can pick up the regular public tours at the Doge's Palace and of the Synagogues in the Ghetto.

--Naples: If your aim is to see Pompei, do a Shore Excursion. One trip, we did the ship's offering of Capri, Sorrento and Pompei and thought it one of the better excursion. A private guide will not take you on this route (or will tell you it's impossible to do in one day)...Of course, it would be pretty useless to do it by private guide--Capri is an island and they'd have to leave their car somewhere then backtrack to it...and they can't really give you a tour, so what use are they there or in Pompei? If you want to see the Amalfi Coast, though, a private driver is preferred, though they'll still just drop you in each town for you to tour on your own...But, since you'll spend a lot of the day driving, a good driver can be quite informative and entertaining (We thought Salvatore of DriveAmalfi was outstanding)...IT's a very nice and scenic tour with several picturesque towns...but, if I was advising a "First-timer", I'd advise to see the absolutely remarkable Pompei ahead of the Amalfi Coast. Doing either on your own is difficult.

---Rome: You might do it "on your own", but remember, the port is far from the city...and you'd better know how to get around the city. I'd spent weeks in Rome on prior "land trips" before and still prefered to take a shore excursion. In 2003, we took Celebrity's offering of "A Walk in Renaissance Rome" and it was one of the best excursions we ever took. We had only 11 passengers on the excursion with two guides and a driver. It covered more than the brochure noted (because they went faster with just the small group--less waiting around) and included lunch--at a lower price than the other full day excursions...and there really wasn't as much walking as the title implied...Alas, at least in last season's offerings, they seem to have reconfigured this tour...But, still, Rome is a great town to avail oneself of a good FULL DAY Shore excursion...Private drivers can not take you into the sites such as the Vatican...The ship's guides, however, can not only take you in and give you a tour, they can shortcut the often very long lines.

---Livorno: If you've never seen Florence, you simply must go...Though a shore excursion might be good since they can actually take you into the Duomo, the Uffizi, etc., there are some drawbacks--buses cannot get near the center of town, so there are long walks. If you want to visit places in addition to Florence on your way there and back, a private driver might be the way to go. In 2003, we took another excellent shore excursion...having already spent a lot of time in Florence, we opted to visit San Gimignano and Volterra on the ship's tour...Party of 19, lunch was the best I've had on any shore excursion--in a winecellar at a winery outside of San Gim...

---Taormina, Sicily. Private tours seemed very expensive, so we opted for a ship's excursion to Mt. Etna...Would not do it again...didn't have time to get to Taormina at all (the ship doesn't actually dock there)...Next time, it's a private tour in this port...

 

Dubrovnik, Croatia: You can wander this town amply on your own, walk the walls, shop, eat, etc. BUT, the shore excursions are cheap enough and you've usually got enough time to more than cover the town...So we've twice taken excursions here. First time we did the Dubrovnik and Cavtat tour--a major disappointment. Last time, we took a gamble on an excursion to a winery/farm in the Konavle Valley...Turned out to be one of the better excursions we'd taken. They first gave us a good guided tour of the town, then we had "Free time" with ample time to go up onto the walls and walk half way around on our own and then to visit the Synagogue before meeting up again and continuing off into the countryside for the farm visit and outstanding lunch and entertainment (stopping along the way at the viewpoint for that marvelous almost aerial view of the old city)...

 

Kotor, Montenegro: There weren't a lot of private tours to be found, so we took a ship's excursion to Sveti Stefan and Budva. You could just wander Kotor for the entire visit, but it's small...I advise finding a shore excursion that tours Kotor and the simply marvelous Budva...and skip Sveti Stefan.

 

France (Villefranche, Nice or Monte Carlo): We did a shore excursion to Nice, Eze and Monte Carlo. Bad guide, too much waiting around...You can go on your own, but the logistics will limit you. Get a private guide in this port and go at your own desired pace to whichever towns you want to visit.

 

Barcelona: I've spent a lot of time here on various trips, but, for some reason, in 2003, we took two shore excursions: The "City tour" and the Flamenco night. The Flamenco night outright sucked...no other way to put it...bad show, food not included, waste of time. The city tour somehow missed most of the best sites in Barcelona, except for La Sagrada Familia. Do this port on your own. Use taxis or the hop-on, hop-off bus.

 

Also, buy yourself a copy of the AAA Spiral Guides for Venice and for Barcelona if you choose to do those on your own...the maps, illustrations and suggested walking tours are great...

 

Hope this helps...

 

PS. Just another couple of thought: Everyone remember that what is the "way to do things" for one person is not the way to do it for another...We all have separate needs and criteria.

 

For some folks, the important part is to try and save money...

For others, it's comfort and luxury, no matter the cost...

Some folks don't like large groups while others find comfort and security in numbers.

Some are undaunted by dealing with logistics, reservations, etc. Others prefer the cruise line to take care of everything for them.

Some people feel a need to cram as much into each port stop as is humanly possible while others are satisfied in just seeing whatever leisurely fits into their shore excursion...

Some folks are comfortable exploring strange places on their own...others are not...

Some folks have a fear of getting lost, or not making it back to the ship on time...

 

We're ALL different...and any method of seeing a port might be the best method for someone...

 

Good luck...

[lawyerrose]

Okay...

We have done four European cruises thus far (another coming in July)...

We have done some of both--Shore Excursions and Private Tours...and we have also done some ports "on our own"--usually ones we're familiar or comfortable with...

 

There are pluses and minuses with each...

 

The first question might be...Which ports are you visiting? There is likely a different answer for each one...

 

First, in general, know that many of the Mediteranean ports are actually some distance from the tourist sites (Civitavcchia for Rome, Livorno for Florence and Tuscany)...For others, you'll likely want to see a wide array of sites which may be fairly widespread (for example, if you dock in Villefranche or Nice and want to see Monte Carlo, Eze, St. Paul de Vence or Cannes). In such cases, doing it "on your own" requires managing difficult logistics and either car rentals and directions or wasting a lot of time waiting for trains and buses)...

 

Also know that in many ports, as was noted above, a "private tour" often means just a "driver"...In Italy, there is a special, difficult-to-get license for giving "tours"...Most of the advertised drivers don't have it...So, they can drive you from place to place...and some are better than others at giving you some commentary along the way...but, they are barred from even accompanying you inside, for example, Pompei or the Vatican or most other churches, museums, archaeological sites or other tourist sites...

 

Also note that some Shore Excursions are actually pretty good, some are not...Yes, there is the issue of getting on and off a bus with 40 people or following around a pack of 40 following the guide...But, on the other hand, unlike in third world countries, the ship's excursions ar typically CHEAPER (even though they seem pretty expensive compared to other parts of the world) then a private guide...In most ports, 2 people on a private tour will cost you considerably more, 4 will ALMOST break even...With 6 or more, you typically squeeze ahead...

 

Of course, that said, it varies from port to port...

 

A few issues in pricing: The ship's excursions, especially the full day ones, typically include EVERYTHING--transportation, guide, admissions fees to sites and lunch...With the "private tours", you are typically only paying the driver... You will pay extra for lunches, for admissions fees and even, where necessary, like in Pompei, for an additional licensed guide...If price is a concern, always consider "apples for apples"...

 

As to individual ports, here's a rundown of some of the Med ports:

 

Turkey (Istanbul, Kusadasi or Izmir): Hire a private guide...This is one country where private guides are a bargain. We did private tours for TWO with more covered than the ship's excursions for a lesser price (I recommend Ekol). Do NOT attempt to do Kusadasi on your own. Ephesus and other sites are distant from the port...and, for the price, it's just not worth it...

 

Greece:

---Athens: The typical offering of "Athens and Cape Sounion" is apretty good excursion and usually cheap enough. A private driver will likely charge you more and cover only the same sites. IF you want to tour the Pelopenesse (Corinth, Mycenae, Epidaurus, et al) or do a combination the ship doesn't offer, go with a private driver (In 2006, we paid 250 euros for a full day tour for two).

---Mykonos: I saw nothing of value here in the way of either a shore excursion or private tour...Take a cab or shuttle into town, wander town or go to a beach on your own.

---Santorini: We've both taken a tour and done it on our own with a rented car...We've also done the trip to Oia on our own using public buses. The reason to do a tour is that they're not all that expensive compared to other ports and it's sometimes nice to get a guided overview...take only a half-day tour, though...You'll want to explore a little on your own...If on your own, a rental car will give you a little freedom to explore the island...Beware, though, the road to Ancient Thira is treacherous--one lane for both directions and countless hairpin turns...then a difficult hike to the site...but, oh, what views!

---Corfu: We've done it on our own and with a shore excursion (Achilleion Palace--half day)...It's a small town and easy to get around the town itself...--the Palace is NOT in town...We enjoyed the tour as it is actually a good overview of a very scenic island. Private guides here are expensive...We've done the island with a rental car--which is fairly cheap, but, we actually preferred the excursion...which got us back to town with plenty of time to explore the town on our own and have our now traditional lunch at Pizza Pete's (Great restaurant, not so much for the food but the incredible location and views)...

---Rhodes: We did a shore excursion to Lindos. Local guides are expensive. If we did it again, we'd skip Lindos, take a half day shore excursion of Rhodes Town (We wandered on our own and some commentary and history would have enriched the experience).

 

Italy:

---Venice: Tour or excursion not necessary...Easy town to get around on foot or by vaporetti (public bus/boat system)...You can pick up the regular public tours at the Doge's Palace and of the Synagogues in the Ghetto.

--Naples: If your aim is to see Pompei, do a Shore Excursion. One trip, we did the ship's offering of Capri, Sorrento and Pompei and thought it one of the better excursion. A private guide will not take you on this route (or will tell you it's impossible to do in one day)...Of course, it would be pretty useless to do it by private guide--Capri is an island and they'd have to leave their car somewhere then backtrack to it...and they can't really give you a tour, so what use are they there or in Pompei? If you want to see the Amalfi Coast, though, a private driver is preferred, though they'll still just drop you in each town for you to tour on your own...But, since you'll spend a lot of the day driving, a good driver can be quite informative and entertaining (We thought Salvatore of DriveAmalfi was outstanding)...IT's a very nice and scenic tour with several picturesque towns...but, if I was advising a "First-timer", I'd advise to see the absolutely remarkable Pompei ahead of the Amalfi Coast. Doing either on your own is difficult.

---Rome: You might do it "on your own", but remember, the port is far from the city...and you'd better know how to get around the city. I'd spent weeks in Rome on prior "land trips" before and still prefered to take a shore excursion. In 2003, we took Celebrity's offering of "A Walk in Renaissance Rome" and it was one of the best excursions we ever took. We had only 11 passengers on the excursion with two guides and a driver. It covered more than the brochure noted (because they went faster with just the small group--less waiting around) and included lunch--at a lower price than the other full day excursions...and there really wasn't as much walking as the title implied...Alas, at least in last season's offerings, they seem to have reconfigured this tour...But, still, Rome is a great town to avail oneself of a good FULL DAY Shore excursion...Private drivers can not take you into the sites such as the Vatican...The ship's guides, however, can not only take you in and give you a tour, they can shortcut the often very long lines.

---Livorno: If you've never seen Florence, you simply must go...Though a shore excursion might be good since they can actually take you into the Duomo, the Uffizi, etc., there are some drawbacks--buses cannot get near the center of town, so there are long walks. If you want to visit places in addition to Florence on your way there and back, a private driver might be the way to go. In 2003, we took another excellent shore excursion...having already spent a lot of time in Florence, we opted to visit San Gimignano and Volterra on the ship's tour...Party of 19, lunch was the best I've had on any shore excursion--in a winecellar at a winery outside of San Gim...

---Taormina, Sicily. Private tours seemed very expensive, so we opted for a ship's excursion to Mt. Etna...Would not do it again...didn't have time to get to Taormina at all (the ship doesn't actually dock there)...Next time, it's a private tour in this port...

 

Dubrovnik, Croatia: You can wander this town amply on your own, walk the walls, shop, eat, etc. BUT, the shore excursions are cheap enough and you've usually got enough time to more than cover the town...So we've twice taken excursions here. First time we did the Dubrovnik and Cavtat tour--a major disappointment. Last time, we took a gamble on an excursion to a winery/farm in the Konavle Valley...Turned out to be one of the better excursions we'd taken. They first gave us a good guided tour of the town, then we had "Free time" with ample time to go up onto the walls and walk half way around on our own and then to visit the Synagogue before meeting up again and continuing off into the countryside for the farm visit and outstanding lunch and entertainment (stopping along the way at the viewpoint for that marvelous almost aerial view of the old city)...

 

Kotor, Montenegro: There weren't a lot of private tours to be found, so we took a ship's excursion to Sveti Stefan and Budva. You could just wander Kotor for the entire visit, but it's small...I advise finding a shore excursion that tours Kotor and the simply marvelous Budva...and skip Sveti Stefan.

 

France (Villefranche, Nice or Monte Carlo): We did a shore excursion to Nice, Eze and Monte Carlo. Bad guide, too much waiting around...You can go on your own, but the logistics will limit you. Get a private guide in this port and go at your own desired pace to whichever towns you want to visit.

 

Barcelona: I've spent a lot of time here on various trips, but, for some reason, in 2003, we took two shore excursions: The "City tour" and the Flamenco night. The Flamenco night outright sucked...no other way to put it...bad show, food not included, waste of time. The city tour somehow missed most of the best sites in Barcelona, except for La Sagrada Familia. Do this port on your own. Use taxis or the hop-on, hop-off bus.

 

Also, buy yourself a copy of the AAA Spiral Guides for Venice and for Barcelona if you choose to do those on your own...the maps, illustrations and suggested walking tours are great...

 

Hope this helps...

 

PS. Just another couple of thought: Everyone remember that what is the "way to do things" for one person is not the way to do it for another...We all have separate needs and criteria.

 

For some folks, the important part is to try and save money...

For others, it's comfort and luxury, no matter the cost...

Some folks don't like large groups while others find comfort and security in numbers.

Some are undaunted by dealing with logistics, reservations, etc. Others prefer the cruise line to take care of everything for them.

Some people feel a need to cram as much into each port stop as is humanly possible while others are satisfied in just seeing whatever leisurely fits into their shore excursion...

Some folks are comfortable exploring strange places on their own...others are not...

Some folks have a fear of getting lost, or not making it back to the ship on time...

 

We're ALL different...and any method of seeing a port might be the best method for someone...

 

Good luck...

 

Thank you, Steve, for another thorough, knowledgeable, kind post. I appreciate the time and care you put into answering questions on this board. We have been comparing shore excursion vs. private tour for Rome and have gotten a lot of conflicting opinions. Some of the posters give the impression that we would be foolish to take the shore excursion, but you said it right when you observed that different people have different needs. While it seems that one can pack a lot of sites into a private tour, and, yes, you have more "personal" attention; but then everything isn't covered, like admission to the Vatican and a guide once inside. We want to see the things most important to us in Rome in a relaxed manner; not having to worry about the details. With a HAL excursion, it'll all be paid upfront, in dollars instead of euros (so we won't have to worry about worsening exchange rates); and we can just relax and go with the flow.

Thank you for pointing out that this is as valid a decision as going it alone or doing a private tour.:)