Purchasing port excursions - ditching the cruise line offerings = cheaper?

I've heard one can purchase the same port excursions while in port,
from the tour operators themselves, for a much cheaper price than
pre-paying for an excursion through a cruise line.

Is this generally the case?

What about ditching the port excursions offered by cruise lines and
finding one's own tours / tour operators using a reputable guide book?

I can imagine tour operators treating cruisers shabbily because they
are captive customers; a guaranteed steady supply from the cruise
ships, paid for in advance.

What have your experiences been, good and bad, with making alternative
arrangements?

One thing I'd worry about with non-cruise line sanctioned tours would
be getting back to port in time. How soon before the official departure
time is one typically expected to board?

Also, I'd be a little worried about missing some great tours because
I'd miss the departure times. Even if a cruise ship is listed to arrive
at 8am, can't it take two hours plus to actually get off the ship, e.g.
10am+?

In Hawaii, to get to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I imagine most
worthwhile tours leave earlier than disembarkation time.

So perhaps I would get stuck paying extortionist tour fees.

This is my first time cruising, so I don't know what to expect. Hoping
to learn from some veterans here. Thanks!

We research the port of call and book our own tours and/or car rentals and
have found it costs less and we are better able to enjoy our day. We booked
a car rental on Cozumel and saved half of the rate. In Dominica, we walked
past the hordes of tour operators at the pier and found a tour operator that
booked my wife and I for an all day tour of the island saving us almost half
of what the cruise line offered. If you are more comfrotable with a group
of people, arrange with the members of your party or ask your dinner
tablemates to share an outing.



wrote in message
oups.com...
I've heard one can purchase the same port excursions while in port,
from the tour operators themselves, for a much cheaper price than
pre-paying for an excursion through a cruise line.

Is this generally the case?

What about ditching the port excursions offered by cruise lines and
finding one's own tours / tour operators using a reputable guide book?

I can imagine tour operators treating cruisers shabbily because they
are captive customers; a guaranteed steady supply from the cruise
ships, paid for in advance.

What have your experiences been, good and bad, with making alternative
arrangements?

One thing I'd worry about with non-cruise line sanctioned tours would
be getting back to port in time. How soon before the official departure
time is one typically expected to board?

Also, I'd be a little worried about missing some great tours because
I'd miss the departure times. Even if a cruise ship is listed to arrive
at 8am, can't it take two hours plus to actually get off the ship, e.g.
10am+?

In Hawaii, to get to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I imagine most
worthwhile tours leave earlier than disembarkation time.

So perhaps I would get stuck paying extortionist tour fees.

This is my first time cruising, so I don't know what to expect. Hoping
to learn from some veterans here. Thanks!

wrote:

I've heard one can purchase the same port excursions while in port,
from the tour operators themselves, for a much cheaper price than
pre-paying for an excursion through a cruise line.

Is this generally the case?

IME yes

What about ditching the port excursions offered by cruise lines and
finding one's own tours / tour operators using a reputable guide book?

This is preferable by far if you can do it. Lots of places there are
drivers lined up as you get off the ship wanting you to employ them
for a tour and it is usually much cheaper than the ship's tours

I can imagine tour operators treating cruisers shabbily because they
are captive customers; a guaranteed steady supply from the cruise
ships, paid for in advance.

Possibly - I had one ships tour that was the pits, but the other's
I've taken have been good.

What have your experiences been, good and bad, with making alternative
arrangements?

Alternative arrangements have been good.

In San Juan I hired a private guide and she did both the rain forest
and the fort for less than I would have been charged by the ship for
doing one of those. It did help that the ship got in early. But we
didn't have to worry about getting back on time because the ship
didn't leave until 9 pm.

Most of the time in places like St. Thomas, you can do your own tours
with the taxi drivers at the ship. They have a set rate for that.

One thing I'd worry about with non-cruise line sanctioned tours would
be getting back to port in time. How soon before the official departure
time is one typically expected to board?

Also, I'd be a little worried about missing some great tours because
I'd miss the departure times. Even if a cruise ship is listed to arrive
at 8am, can't it take two hours plus to actually get off the ship, e.g.
10am+?

In Hawaii, to get to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I imagine most
worthwhile tours leave earlier than disembarkation time.

So perhaps I would get stuck paying extortionist tour fees.

This is my first time cruising, so I don't know what to expect. Hoping
to learn from some veterans here. Thanks!

We have had nothing but good luck in purchasing non-ship excursions. It
depends how adventuresome you wish to be and which port you are in, of
course.
On our last (Caribbean) cruise, we booked our excursions in advance, relying
on recommendations and comments made on the Cruisecritic message boards.
We have also used non-ship tours in South Pacific ports, again based on
strong recommendations found on internet sites, newsgroups, etc.
Having said that, rather than do "tours," we usually prefer to explore on
our own.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I've heard one can purchase the same port excursions while in port,
from the tour operators themselves, for a much cheaper price than
pre-paying for an excursion through a cruise line.

Is this generally the case?

What about ditching the port excursions offered by cruise lines and
finding one's own tours / tour operators using a reputable guide book?

I can imagine tour operators treating cruisers shabbily because they
are captive customers; a guaranteed steady supply from the cruise
ships, paid for in advance.

What have your experiences been, good and bad, with making alternative
arrangements?

One thing I'd worry about with non-cruise line sanctioned tours would
be getting back to port in time. How soon before the official departure
time is one typically expected to board?

Also, I'd be a little worried about missing some great tours because
I'd miss the departure times. Even if a cruise ship is listed to arrive
at 8am, can't it take two hours plus to actually get off the ship, e.g.
10am+?

In Hawaii, to get to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I imagine most
worthwhile tours leave earlier than disembarkation time.

So perhaps I would get stuck paying extortionist tour fees.

This is my first time cruising, so I don't know what to expect. Hoping
to learn from some veterans here. Thanks!

Duncan Craig wrote:
On our last (Caribbean) cruise, we booked our excursions in advance, relying
on recommendations and comments made on the Cruisecritic message boards.
We have also used non-ship tours in South Pacific ports, again based on
strong recommendations found on internet sites, newsgroups, etc.
Having said that, rather than do "tours," we usually prefer to explore on
our own.

Thanks Duncan, I'll check there.

Given the high per-person cost of tours, renting a car may indeed be
better. I'll only be with my fiance', so I don't know how the economics
would work out (gas can't be cheap in Hawaii, where I'll be). Probably
would be a lot cheaper with two couples renting a car.

In poor locations (not Hawaii!) I imagine it would be a far better deal
to simply hire a driver. I know it is in places like Bali, where I
think I paid $25 for a driver and a car for an entire day.

The time spent in ports for the cruise I'm taking don't seem overly
generous, so that will be a challenge.

Hi, Mike,

We rarely book through the ship. As the other posters have related, it is
easy to DIY (Do It Yourself) if you do your homework and advance planning.

We did all of the Hawaiian ports on our own--it's a snap. You will
definitely save money over the cruise-sponsored tours, but as you have
probably learned or been warned, Hawaii is expensive. Period. So budget
accordingly.

I second the other poster's recommendation of the Hawaii discussion board at
www.cruisecritic.com Also, you asked about a travel guide--my fav for Hawaii
are the "Revealed" books by Andrew Doughty and Harriet Friedman, e.g., Maui
Revealed. Check your library to see if they stock them.

If you rent a car (we did at most stops), make sure you take the local (not
1-800) number of the car rental agency so that you can use your cell to call
from the ship the morning you arrive. Although the major companies routinely
send shuttles through the port to pick up clients, you may eliminate delay
by letting them know you are ready to be picked up. At the end of the day,
they will shuttle you from their offices back to the port. The car rental
agencies we used were at the local airport, and in most instances, the
airport was very close to the pier.

I assume you are cruising with NCL. We did, as well (although on the Star
when they did the Fanning Island run--not on the current "island hopper"
ships). Anyway, I recall minimal delays from the stated time of arrival in
port until the ship was cleared for pax to disembark. I usually allow a full
hour from the stated time, e.g., if the schedule says 7a, I figure 8a will
be the earliest time for pax to get off. However, if I recall correctly,
clearance was fairly rapid there, and certainly, you are not looking at the
2 hours you guesstimated. On the "back to port" time question, it's usually
1 hour before. All in all, take your itinerary and subtract 1 hour from
both ends of the day = best estimate of your actual time in port.

Have a fun cruise in Hawaii!

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

The answer is yes, no and maybe. They are usually not the same company and
almost all have it written in their contract that they cannot take anyone
unless they book through the ship. Some do with a 'sister' company which is
in name only. G In many ports that have been around and considered very
safe like the Virgin Islands and many of the shorter or more popular tours,
(especially like shopping), then you can indeed do it on your own and come
out cheaper. The cheaper can range from half to only a couple dollars
cheaper. The ships vendors often treat you better because the ship can put
pressure on them and take money back as well as suspend them. Only tours
booked through the ship will you have any GTY that you will get exactly what
you paid for or they will refund part or all of your money. Note I did not
say you would always be happy with the tour, but that they would provide
what was advertised. In addition those vendors that get the ships business
must meet certain standards such as safety, training, insurance, and someone
who speaks and understands English. In addition they will make sure you get
back to the ship on time for sailing or they will at their expense get you
to the next port of call. None of this is promised by any independents.
Unless you are familiar with the port, speak the language, or are a real
traveller and not just a cruiser or tourist then stick to the ships
packages. If you are adventurous, then try it on your own.
Jim


wrote in message
oups.com...
I've heard one can purchase the same port excursions while in port,
from the tour operators themselves, for a much cheaper price than
pre-paying for an excursion through a cruise line.

Is this generally the case?

What about ditching the port excursions offered by cruise lines and
finding one's own tours / tour operators using a reputable guide book?

I can imagine tour operators treating cruisers shabbily because they
are captive customers; a guaranteed steady supply from the cruise
ships, paid for in advance.

What have your experiences been, good and bad, with making alternative
arrangements?

One thing I'd worry about with non-cruise line sanctioned tours would
be getting back to port in time. How soon before the official departure
time is one typically expected to board?

Also, I'd be a little worried about missing some great tours because
I'd miss the departure times. Even if a cruise ship is listed to arrive
at 8am, can't it take two hours plus to actually get off the ship, e.g.
10am+?

In Hawaii, to get to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I imagine most
worthwhile tours leave earlier than disembarkation time.

So perhaps I would get stuck paying extortionist tour fees.

This is my first time cruising, so I don't know what to expect. Hoping
to learn from some veterans here. Thanks!

One big advantage is that a local guide will take you to a decent
local restaurant.

For meals ashore, the cruise lines invariably go to a hotel, or worse,
to some touristy "garden" or "cultural center" that caters to bus
tours. You wind up with a dumbed-down version of local cuisine, or
worse, an "international menu".

In Bangkok in 1997, Princess took us to a restaurant on the Chao
Phraya where we were served an "international" (i.e., occidental)
buffet. Can you imagine? Our one meal in Thailand and we didn't get
Thai food! The twit from the ship said they had gotten complaints
from passengers about spicy Thai food. Apparently they weren't
capable of serving a buffet of both Thai and western. Aah, excuse me
for going on about it, but it still gets me sore.

Good local food is one of the delights of travel, but you don't get it
on cruise ship tours.

Frank wrote:
In Dominica, we walked past the hordes of tour operators at the pier and found
a tour operator that booked my wife and I for an all day tour of the island saving
us almost half of what the cruise line offered.

Good strategy. I often do the same with accomodations when I'm
traveling independently.
I find the tourist centers, then walk down the road a while and often
find better, less crowded accomodations with lower prices. I also use
guidebooks to find these alternative tourist areas (typically Lonely
Planet), then inquire about rooms and prices at places *not* listed in
the guide book.

These places often have to work harder to get customers. Over the
years, I've realized that there isn't always anything special about
accomodations listed in guidebooks. Only that it is a lot of free,
sometimes unjustified, advertising for the places that get listed.

If anyone here has been schooled in, and enjoys, the Rick Steves style
of travel, I'd love more tips on making a cruise vacation more like
independent travel. I see cruise travel as the ultimate opposite of
Rick Steves' philosophy - everything done for you vs. DIY. I wonder if
with cruising it's possible to have the best of both. That's what I'm
shooting for on my first cruise.

I know I'll have at least two opportunities to really get away from the
manicured cruise thing; when the ship arrives early in Maui and Kauai,
then overnights, then leaves the next afternoon. Not a huge window of
opportunity, but I'll take it.

Diana wrote:
We rarely book through the ship. As the other posters have related, it is
easy to DIY (Do It Yourself) if you do your homework and advance planning.
We did all of the Hawaiian ports on our own--it's a snap. You will
definitely save money over the cruise-sponsored tours, but as you have
probably learned or been warned, Hawaii is expensive. Period. So budget
accordingly.

Thanks Diana. Good to hear about going independently.

A Scott W in another current thread I started claims there is no
difference in price between cruise line tours and tours not associated
with cruise lines in Hawaii, or at least for Kona:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.t...8edef4 1cda27

Of course he also gave great advice about good snorkeling within
walking distance from port in Kona. Thanks for the guidebook
recommendations and CruiseCritic forum suggestion.

Although the major companies routinely send shuttles through the port to pick up
clients, you may eliminate delay by letting them know you are ready to be picked up

Excellent bit of advice, thanks.

I assume you are cruising with NCL.

Indeed. I'll be on the Pride of Hawaii ship. Thanks for the advice on
em/disembarkation.
This is valuable to know.

For meals ashore, the cruise lines invariably go to a hotel, or worse,
to some touristy "garden" or "cultural center" that caters to bus
tours. You wind up with a dumbed-down version of local cuisine, or
worse, an "international menu".

Walt wrote:
For meals ashore, the cruise lines invariably go to a hotel, or worse,
to some touristy "garden" or "cultural center" that caters to bus
tours. You wind up with a dumbed-down version of local cuisine, or
worse, an "international menu".

Walt, I feel your pain. Been there, found a work around. Please see the
other thread I mentioned above.

It's titled: "Excursions on NCL Hawaii cruises - cheaper to purchase
off-ship?" if the link I posted doesn'twork.

Thanks again to all for the great advice.