optional shore excursion - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

sunbeltsue1 · 08-03-2009, 05:34 AM

A Europe river cruise line offers a popular optional all-day Salzburg tour. Price and exact itinerary will be available from onboard cruise manager. We cannot prepay.
I suspect we can buy a similar tour on our own for fewer Euros.
I understand we must be back on the ship on time.
Other considerations?

Lanky Lad · 08-03-2009, 04:28 PM

Hi Sunbeltsue1. The main points to consider are being back on time and how safe the boat is. If you book throught the cruise line, they check out if the boat meets all the safety regulations (or should) and if the tour is late back, they should wait.

Book on your own and if the tour is late back, you may find the ship has gone without you.

nealberk · 08-06-2009, 08:50 PM

Cruise line booked excursions = more expensive, safer, more secure, and more standardized.

Self booked excursions = cheaper, possibly riskier, more chances of something going wrong and missing the ship, and totally customizable.

Depending upon where we are and what we are doing and risk factor we do both.

sk8erguy1978 · 08-13-2009, 02:38 AM

Welcome to CLF.

I think the advice given is perfect.

My personal suggestion, unless recommended, pay a few bucks extra and go with the ship tour.

Cruise Planner · 08-13-2009, 01:30 PM

If you want to book an independent excursion, do so with a reputable company and you won't have any problems. Shore Trips is one such company; they check out all the vendors and make sure you not only get what you bargained for, but will stand by them 100%. We've used them for many years and so have over 900 other CP agents. With several thousand bookings, we've never had any problems and very few complaints and no one has ever missed the boat.

I personally prefer the independent excursions because they are less expensive, less crowded, and usually much more fun because they are flexible and ready to assist you. The mass involved with the cruise line excursions means no flexibility and you often feel you're being herded like cattle.

A misconception that most people have is that if they are late, the ship will wait for them if they booked the excursion through the cruise line and will not wait for them if they didn't. This is false. I've talked about this very subject with several captains, including a very long 45 minute conversation with one captain while we were on the bridge with him waiting for some people who were late in coming back from an independent excursion. It all has to do with communication. No matter how you booked the excursion or even if you didn't book any excursions at all and you find you're going to be late, you need to communicate that fact to the ship. What would happen if you're simply walking around and stepped off a curb and broke your ankle? If you don't communicate with the ship, they'll probably leave without you - has nothing to do with how you booked your excursion.

Always carry the local port authority contact information with you when going to port. This can be found in the daily newsletter left in your cabin. This is true for any port in any part of the world. Bottom line is they don't want to leave anyone at the port, but without good communication, sometimes they have no choice.

Pete