Ever wonder why Princess excursions are so costly?

[Toto2Kansas]

We were talking to a tour operator in the Caribbean last month. We had booked a snorkeling/water tour through Princess that was not very well attended, minimal passengers, so minimal in fact we were suprised the tour operator didn't cancel the tour.

 

We were discussing what Princess charges as their commission for selling the tours onboard, and we were 'told' that they keep 50% of the tour price and the tour operator gets the other 50%.

 

It explained a lot of things to us.

First of all, why the tours booked through the ship are so high in comparison to booking privately.

 

Second, on a couple of tours over the years, the tour was not as described and we voiced our displeasure after returning. No matter what happens with a tour, Princess usually will offer only a 50% refund. So, that explained to us that they will refund the tour operators portion to the passenger, but keep their 50% for selling the tour. or is that vice versa?

 

I knew they took their 'cut' for selling these tours, but I never realized that they were taking 50%, so it explained why these tours were sometimes outragious in price.

 

All the more reason for us to book independently and stay away from ships tours when we can.

[PRDMAC]

We were talking to a tour operator in the Caribbean last month. We had booked a snorkeling/water tour through Princess that was not very well attended, minimal passengers, so minimal in fact we were suprised the tour operator didn't cancel the tour.

 

We were discussing what Princess charges as their commission for selling the tours onboard, and we were 'told' that they keep 50% of the tour price and the tour operator gets the other 50%.

 

It explained a lot of things to us.

First of all, why the tours booked through the ship are so high in comparison to booking privately.

 

Second, on a couple of tours over the years, the tour was not as described and we voiced our displeasure after returning. No matter what happens with a tour, Princess usually will offer only a 50% refund. So, that explained to us that they will refund the tour operators portion to the passenger, but keep their 50% for selling the tour. or is that vice versa?

 

I knew they took their 'cut' for selling these tours, but I never realized that they were taking 50%, so it explained why these tours were sometimes outragious in price.

 

All the more reason for us to book independently and stay away from ships tours when we can.

 

Thanks for the insight, greatly appreciated. I do agree, some of the prices are outrageous.

 

PRDMAC

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, we always book privately when we can. :)

[mii]

Toto, now on the other hand I usually use Princess excursions BUT if I see a lot of posts on an independent that is favorable I will book them. In alaska I used Captain Larry's whale watching which is not ship sponsored and it was great. So when I am ready to book excursions I go to the Ports of Call board and find info that way on a particular excursion and will go with an independent. If I do not find anything then I will use princess for the excursions. Also maybe the area that you are visiting like for example Nicaguara. There is really not much info on that country so I then would pick a ships excursion.

 

Marilyn

[cdngrl]

great thread toto.

i also wondered why they were so costly. it stinks, as its really convenient to book online through princess. some alaska websites i've researched even say you can't book direct but must book through your cruiseline. that makes me think the tour operators make their money regardless and princess is refunding the cruiseline portion. either way, the consumer loses. bah! i could (and would) do many more tours if they were cheaper. as it is, i'm sending the kids and i'll stay back and babysit.

[paul929207]

Thanks, Toto.

 

I knew Princess made a good profit off their excursions, but never realized how much. It makes sense, you can usually get similar tours for 50% to 75% independently.

[bhopal21]

Another reason Princess sponsored tours are expensive is if you book through them as a ship sponsored tour then they assume (whether or not they claim to) liability for your safety from the time you leave the ship until you return and if there are accidents and/or injuries guess who will be sued first?

 

Mike:)

[Toto2Kansas]

Toto, now on the other hand I usually use Princess excursions BUT if I see a lot of posts on an independent that is favorable I will book them. In alaska I used Captain Larry's whale watching which is not ship sponsored and it was great. So when I am ready to book excursions I go to the Ports of Call board and find info that way on a particular excursion and will go with an independent. If I do not find anything then I will use princess for the excursions. Also maybe the area that you are visiting like for example Nicaguara. There is really not much info on that country so I then would pick a ships excursion.

 

Marilyn

 

Marilyn, I totally agree, at times there is a safety factor that comes into play, and also IF other things are available to book privately.

 

I always knew that Princess received their 'cut' for selling these excursions, that is to be expected, but I never realized it was that high. I kind of felt sorry for this excursion operator as when I added up the number of passengers and mulitplied it by his 50%, he sure wasn't making a lot for this all day tour which included drinks and lunch and paying the crew.

 

It was just a little info that I thought I needed to share with others here on the board. I know Princess makes their profits from things besides the actucal cruise fare, but 50% just sounded over the top to me and it explained why these excursions are so high in price. :eek:

[Shogun]

H Folks,

 

As one that books a mix of tours depending on risk,

 

having been held up on highways due to accidents,

 

broken down buses

 

rough seas,

 

it is very nice to return late eg last to board and find the ship still waiting,

 

even nicer to know that if we were to miss the ship we are in the hands

 

of Princess to look after us, get us to the ship or the next port.

 

Risk, is distance from ship, local set up, is there a railway or air port etc

 

 

 

yours Shogun

[mii]

Toto i am really glad you started this thread. I also did not realize that Princess makes 50% on their excursions. That is an eye opener. Thanks for starting this thread.

 

Marilyn

[cruisemom42]

We don't tend to book any excursions on Caribbean cruises, so when we went to the Med it was a real eye opener as to how expensive they were. I pretty quickly learned that DIY (or a shared private tour) is better -- and cheaper -- than the ship's excursions.

[cdngrl]

i'm too chicken often to book independantly. like shogun, i worry about something happening, getting back to the ship on time, natural disasters. seems unreasonable when i write it down! but i guess i have to weigh the peace of mind of booking with princess versus the cost.

[kooljamming]

Another reason Princess sponsored tours are expensive is if you book through them as a ship sponsored tour then they assume (whether or not they claim to) liability for your safety from the time you leave the ship until you return and if there are accidents and/or injuries guess who will be sued first?

 

Mike:)

 

Is this particular to Princess? I have read differently on other lines I have cruised. I know they offer peace of mind, which can be priceless when traveling to unfamiliar places, especially with kids.

[Toto2Kansas]

We don't tend to book any excursions on Caribbean cruises, so when we went to the Med it was a real eye opener as to how expensive they were. I pretty quickly learned that DIY (or a shared private tour) is better -- and cheaper -- than the ship's excursions.

 

I know we delayed taking our Egypt/Aegean cruise as the cost to visit the pyramids was around $800 each for the overnite (which we thought was totally outragious) when booking with Princess. We joined a group of more than 100 CC'ers that did the same tour privately, same places, for a third of what Princess was charging for this excursion. I was very impressed, and never felt unsafe whatsoever, even in this part of the world.

[cdngrl]

I know we delayed taking our Egypt/Aegean cruise as the cost to visit the pyramids was around $800 each for the overnite (which we thought was totally outragious) when booking with Princess. We joined a group of more than 100 CC'ers that did the same tour privately, same places, for a third of what Princess was charging for this excursion. I was very impressed, and never felt unsafe whatsoever, even in this part of the world.

i'm so cautious (and poor), i couldn't afford the overnight through princess and was nervous about taking it independantly, so i just did the day trip. around 80 cruise critic members did do the nile blue overnight tour though and so will i--next time i go!

it sure makes you scratch your head though, why the same princess excursion was almost 4x the cost.

[billet]

Is this particular to Princess? I have read differently on other lines I have cruised. I know they offer peace of mind, which can be priceless when traveling to unfamiliar places, especially with kids.

 

It is not even particular to cruise lines! If a company arranges a trip they have their own expenses and liability and need to cover those. Also the tour operator benefits by not having to do any marketing. 50% is not unusual.

 

The ship excursions are checked for quality (and rechecked), guaranteed, include transportation where necessary and provide peace of mind. The ship will also wait for you if the trip is held up which can be very expensive in port fees.

[wander]

I am SURE cruise lines make a bundle from Shore Ex. tours. However, I would NOT take one tour operator's statement about 50% as a universal fact for all Shore Ex., even on Princess.

 

I do know that insurance is one factor in why the lines charge more, remember the bus crash in South America (I believe) a few years ago where folks were on a non-ship sponsored tour and the addtional mess that caused for those injured as the cruise line was out of the picture in terms of $$$ and other assistance.

 

Salaries for the Shore Ex staff onboard and in Seattle is another factor. Perhaps greed is another factor, I do not know how much this comes into play.

 

Local tour folks (in ports) can negotiate their fees with the cruise lines. Ports with a lot of competition play under different "rules" that ports with limited tour opportunities, but they can always refuse to "play". For them, it may pay to cut prices to ensure 100 or more sales that day versus betting that that many folks will book with them onsite that day at their normal fee. It is like almost any sales situation, "a bird in the hand .....".

 

No, I am not involved in the cruise industry nor the tour business. But, I have worked with planning bus tours for land travelers related to conferences and conventions, attendees and families.

[can786]

I doubt that Princess doubles their cost on ALL excursions or else they would be completely pricing themselves out of the market. If it were widely known that the same excursion that Princess is charging $150 for could easily be gotten for only $75 nobody would be booking Princess excursions. It may be that the tour operator quotes Princess a lower price than they charge for the public and Princess doubles that price. Also, my personal experience when checking independent tours vs. Princess tours has been nowhere near such difference in pricing. I would have to say the Princess is usually $20-40 more than a comparable excursion that is in the $100-200 range. For example, we are booked with Orca Enterprises for the whale watching in Juneau for our cruise in June. Orca's price is $120 and the comparable Princess whale watching excursion is $149. If I were on a tight schedule in port that $29 difference would be worth it to be sure the ship didn't sail without me.

 

Also, the one time I had an absolutely horrible Princess sponsored excursion they refunded the entire cost of the excursion. Of course, it could have been because they were inundated with probably at least a hundred complaints about that excursion since I know there were at least 14 busses for that tour and I heard complaints from people on many different busses.

[kooljamming]

It is not even particular to cruise lines! If a company arranges a trip they have their own expenses and liability and need to cover those. Also the tour operator benefits by not having to do any marketing. 50% is not unusual.

 

The ship excursions are checked for quality (and rechecked), guaranteed, include transportation where necessary and provide peace of mind. The ship will also wait for you if the trip is held up which can be very expensive in port fees.

 

My question was whether they assume responsibility for your safety while on their excursion on foreign soil? If something goes wrong do they take full responsibility? I know many resorts and cruise lines use some kind of scare attics to get their bookings, which makes sense. With a few minutes of research, doing a trip on your own can be ten times more rewarding, especially when traveling a short distance from port. They feed on some passengers insecurities. Sometimes the same guy or company the ship uses for the excursion, is available the next day for a private tour. I don't care for cruise sponsored excursions because I don't care to show up with a bus load of tourists with locals harping to separate me from my few pennies. My goal is to put a bit of distance between me and the port as soon as possible. I am more into seeing what makes a place unique and different, which is usually away from the tourist zone.

[Genessa]

I also don't think Princess charges 50% more on every excursion. Actually, I know they didn't always because when we did the Mexican Riviera, I researched extensively for private tours and the exact tour we took through Princess with Vallarta (can't remember the full name of the company) was the exact price that Vallarta was charging for independent.

 

I would say that Princess (or any cruise line with optional excursions) will never be the cheapest way to go if you are looking solely at the original base price. But, like others, we book excursions differently depending on many variables. Time, safety concerns, language concerns, overall cost difference, confidence with method of paymeht, etc.

 

 

Many independent excursions you have to pre-book and pay for (or a substantial deposit) before you leave home. If you decide while on your cruise that you would rather just relax on board one day, you usually lose at least your deposit and now, out of courtesy, have to try and get in touch with the company. Princess, generally you have 24 hours pre-excursion to cancel. If the weather is bad, and the ship can't make it to the port with Princess excursion, no loss. Not usually so for an independent operator.

There, it is often a non-refundable deposit.

 

Many independent tours are cheaper if 6 of you are going, or 10 or whatever. But, we aren't always travelling with 6 or even 4 and the hassle of trying to find someone to share, that you know you can count on not to back out and leave you stuck isn't worth the extra $.

 

Not just general safety of whatever foreign country you are in counts with us, either, but specific safety of the bus, taxi, ferry, or whatever mode of transportation we will be using. Every single Princess excursion we have been on has had top notch transportation - no surprises. When it is an open air vehicle, the description always mentions it. No run down vehicles, rickety boats. The driver does things like chock the wheels when the bus is parked, boat captains and crew always do a safety check pointing out the life vests, etc.

 

We frequently do independent, but typically it is in English speaking countries where what we really want is maybe a short tour of the island and lots of beach time. If there is some very specific "site" we want to visit it is worth our peace of mind to pay Princess a little more, knowing I don't have to worry about anything - whether it be time, flat tire, boat engine dying, cancellation fees, honesty of the independent, finding people to share the excursion ...

[Pam in CA]

I also don't think Princess charges 50% more on every excursion. Actually, I know they didn't always because when we did the Mexican Riviera, I researched extensively for private tours and the exact tour we took through Princess with Vallarta (can't remember the full name of the company) was the exact price that Vallarta was charging for independent.

 

I would say that Princess (or any cruise line with optional excursions) will never be the cheapest way to go if you are looking solely at the original base price. But, like others, we book excursions differently depending on many variables. Time, safety concerns, language concerns, overall cost difference, confidence with method of paymeht, etc.

I agree with this, i.e., I don't think it's a flat 50% with every tour. And as you say, you're paying the extra for many reasons, including being able to pay in US$$ in foreign ports (and not having to exchange money for currency you'll never use again); knowing that if a bus breaks down, there's a huge amount of traffic, being stopped by local gendarmes (yes, that's happened to me), and other delays, the ship knows where you are and will wait; plus, if the tour isn't what you expected or there were problems, you can go to the Shore Excursion Desk and report them, often receiving at least a partial refund. Plus, if the ship doesn't make the port, your excursion is automatically refunded to your OBC and you don't have to worry about contacting the tour operator and getting your deposit back.

 

I do take independent tours sometimes but I pick and choose which ones I want to take and sometimes, I just want to be taken care of, particularly if it's in a foreign country where I haven't a clue how to communicate with anyone locally. If you are traveling with someone who is physically impaired, I like knowing that there are the Princess "EZ" tours available so they can enjoy a tour without being in pain or uncomfortable.

 

IMHO, there shouldn't be a flat recommendation to either never, or always, take a ship's excursion. There are times when it's better to go with the ship and times when you can do better on your own.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I learned that on an excursion in Bonaire in January, the Princess price was $99pp; the tour operator normally charges $65pp. Also, he was not allowed to have any independent customers take his tour on certain days (the days a ship was in port). I don't know what the actual payment to him from Princess was. My first thought is that it is in the $65pp range, but perhaps he accepts less to, essentially, let Princess do his advertising to their passengers, which opens his business up to a larger population.

[spongerob]

PA, you're probably right on all counts. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that operators are willing to take a little less in order to have some of the work done for them. Plus, they've got a guaranteed tour every time the ship calls.

 

Private tours are not necessarily cheaper. Remember, if there are admission fees you will probably be responsible for them, where they are usually included in the tour. And when you book on your own, you have to do your own research, contact operators, and of course, organize your group if you have others going with you.

[Pam in CA]

...but perhaps he accepts less to, essentially, let Princess do his advertising to their passengers, which opens his business up to a larger population.

That's true: by operating a tour for Princess (or any other cruiseline), they're pretty much guaranteed full capacity (with rare exceptions) so that in the long run, they'd make more money than if they didn't link up with a cruiseline. Princess is essentially acting like their rep.

[ShipShapeinFL]

My husband and I have booked the dolphin swim at Dophinaris through Princess. It is costing $378 vs $238 if we went directly through Dolphinaris. Since this is our first cruise, I guess we want the peace of mind booking directly through the cruiseline and are willing to pay the extra. From what I understand, we will get a full refund through Princess if we don't make it into port, and you lose all you money if you have booked through Dolphinaris and are a no-show.