Frequent cruise travelers: do you prefer cruise line excursions or independent excursions?
May 12, 2009 by Cruise Tips
Filed under Cruise Lines
Can you answer ck’s question about Cruises?:
I’ll be taking a cruise to the Yucatan, and I’m looking at excursions. I know the ones offered by the cruise line will be over-priced and crowded, but I like the convenience factor. I’ve looked at some independent excursions that are cheaper and have fewer people on them, but I’ll have to do a little planning on my own. What are your experiences? Are you willing to sacrifice a little bit of quality for convenience?
Norweigan Cruise Line
I’ll be taking a cruise to the Yucatan, and I’m looking at excursions. I know the ones offered by the cruise line will be over-priced and crowded, but I like the convenience factor. I’ve looked at some independent excursions that are cheaper and have fewer people on them, but I’ll have to do a little planning on my own. What are your experiences? Are you willing to sacrifice a little bit of quality for convenience?
Norweigan Cruise Line
Cruises Feedback: We always organise our own trips wherever possible by getting a rental car or hiring a local guide if language would be a problem on your own.
Cruise line excursions are designed to make max. money for the cruise line with quality down to the lowest standard.
We find that for 2 people the cost is similar but we have a much better day and stop and look at things WE want to see!
Cruises Feedback: I work for a cruise line and as you know you do pay a bit more, but it is very convenient. The choice is yours. I would suggest if it is only around the local town, do it yourself, if further afield do the ships tour. Reason I say this as the ship will wait for one of its organised tours if it is late getting back, but will not wait for passengers who are doing thier own thing ashore. What ever you decide, also my advice is to take the ships daily paper with you, or a least the bit with the local agents phone number on, as this will be the person to contact should you have any trouble ashore, like being late, assistance if loose passport etc.
Enjoy your time.
Cruises Feedback: I nearly always book through the cruise. There is the convenience factor, but more important is the paranoid factor. If a cruise sponsored even is running late - the boat waits for you. If you are doing your own thing - the boat will leave and you’ll have to fly to the next destination with your own funds.
The extra that I pay is worth it so I know I don’t have to worry about a flat tire, an accident that backs up traffic or some other random delay.
Cruises Feedback: If i’m familiar with the port and have been there before i will go on an excursion on my own. If im not familiar with the port i most likely would book it through the ship. It may be more costly BUT it will guarantee your timely return to the ship and the ship can not leave the port without you. I’ve heard of way too many people who did excursions on their own who didnt make it back on time and the boat left without them. Its up to you at that point to meet up with your ship at the next port. You are better off spending a bit more on the excursion booking through the cruise line than paying for it later on when you cant get back to port. Do your research thoroughly. Make sure you are well aware of how close/far your port is to any excursions you wanna do and find out about taxis or any transportation available to and from yoru excursion and how long it will take to get there before you go on your own. A lot of people who will tell you to book excursions on your own are the ones who cruise several times a year and are knowledgable on the ports they see because many of them have seen them several times.
Cruises Feedback: I pay the extra and book through the ship. If you run late on a cruise-sponsored excursion, the ship will wait for you to return. Otherwise you are left! (And yes, ship’s excursions do indeed run late on occasion! I was on excursions that ran late in the Bahamas, returning to the ship docked in Alexandria from an overnight in Cairo, and Rome.) It was wonderful not to have the worry about being stranded.
Cruises Feedback: it really depends on what port and what tour you want to do. if you are in Cozumel, book your own. In progresso, you could go eithor way depending on what it is you want to do.
Cruises Feedback: Whether YOU should do a ship’s excursion or go on your own depends on several factors: your willingness to do advance research, how experienced you are as a traveler, how comfortable you are with a degree of uncertainty, which port you’ll be stopping in, your ability to keep track of time and to allow for delays getting back to the ship, etc.
Ship’s tours will guarantee you don’t get left behind. They will cost more, will likely be more crowded and may include some things you’re not really that interested in.
Going on your own will save you some money, usually, but you have to figure what to do where, try to figure out which companies are reliable, etc. Your trip will be less crowded and more personal, however.
A great source for advice on port excursions is CruiseCritic.com. Click on “Boards” at the top of the page, then go to “Ports of Call” and find your port. You can browse the questions and answers there or, if you join [it's free], you can post your own questions or do a search.
You say you’re going to the “Yucatan”. There are several ports in that area and most of them are probably OK to go on your own. If you’re wanting to do “ruins”, though, I’d definitely take a ship’s tour. Cozumel and Costa Maya are easy to do on your own. Don’t have any direct knowledge of the others, but know people who have done Merida on their own OK.