Table Of Content
- When to Book Shore Excursions Through Your Cruise Line
- Our Shore Excursion Partners:
- Snorkeling, Sailing and Scuba are the Order of the Day
- Good Times to Tour Independently or Book Shore Excursions on Your Own
- Report the bad -- and the good.
- Ship-Sponsored or Independent Shore Excursions: Which Is Right for You?
Just make sure there is a contingency plan (or plenty of time to get back) to get the ship. As with anything, do the research and read reviews, if the reports are favourable, go ahead and book. Gaze at the glaciated Snaefellsjökull volcano, admire the seals at Ytri-Tunga beach, and check out the famous ‘lifting stones’ of black Djupalonssandur beach.
When to Book Shore Excursions Through Your Cruise Line
It just means I don't need to source travel companions from the thread going through a broker. Anna, Viator do transfers to and from Ports, depends on which port though. In LA Anaheim) I am going to book a shared van shuttle, i.e.
Our Shore Excursion Partners:
You can book your own excursions directly with a tour provider, you don't have to go with Princess. Viator just sells vouchers/tickets (and sometimes more expensive than booking directly). You're on such strict timings with shore excursions, it's not worth the risk.
Snorkeling, Sailing and Scuba are the Order of the Day
Keep in mind that Viator is not a real tour company but simply a booking company. That is why many experienced travelers suggest only booking directly with a tour provider. Yes we've used them in New Zealand and Singapore. Once you've booked they give you the details of the local tour operator so you can contact them directly should you need to. Explore our list of the top 10 shore excursion destinations and the top-booked Viator products in each destination to get inspired or discover new products for your clients. Click “see all experiences” to explore all of the shore excursions for that destination.
Good Times to Tour Independently or Book Shore Excursions on Your Own
In some cases, cruise lines really go to a lot of effort to offer special shore excursions and tour opportunities. Paul Gauguin Cruises, for instance, has its own scuba diving program in the South Pacific with onboard PADI instructors and ship-conducted dive trips. For cruisers deciding whether to spend their vacation dollars on a cruise-sponsored shore tour, the key is to assess the value of the tour and not just its cost. Sure, you could perhaps arrange your own transportation or guide, but could you put together the same compelling package for less money? And, is the time you spend creating your own tour worth it, when you have a tour that was carefully put together by a cruise line's professionals? The answers will help you decide if a ship's excursion is worth booking.
Benefits of booking shore excursions with travel agents
Wave season is an exciting time that stretches from January to March when cruise providers put forth their best deals. This is an opportune time of year for cruise deals since many travelers are looking for an escape from the cold, gloomy weather or looking for their first vacation in the new year. Recently there has been an increase in younger demographics looking for travel advisor services as well as an increase in younger generations interested in taking a cruise. Snorkeling, sailing and scuba diving expeditions in major water sports ports, such as the Caribbean's St. Thomas or Grand Cayman, are good bets for independent cruise excursions.
Viator guarantees the lowest price which gives clients and travel advisors the ability to shop around for the best price. Most prices are more expensive than booking directly with the excursion company directly. Sometimes I'll get the company/tour name from viator and look it up in my Chase Travel.
BEST Akureyri Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews (2024) - Cruise Critic
BEST Akureyri Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews ( .
Posted: Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:40:19 GMT [source]
Report the bad -- and the good.
These tours are tailored for the hours that the ship is in port. Our tour in Tauranga picked us up right outside the port area, a very short walk from the ship. Booking an excursion with an outside company is the way to go with a cruise ship.
You can sometimes find the actual tour provider by using the tour description as a google search term. Skip the third party and book directly and pay when service is rendered. We just used them for a Walk and Rum tour in St. Thomas. BUT, they didn't tell us that the Rum part was for a different part of the day. Kind of a big deal if you were looking at trying different rums and getting that experience.
11 BEST Gibraltar Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews (2024) - Cruise Critic
11 BEST Gibraltar Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews ( .
Posted: Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:26:46 GMT [source]
Oh, they apologized and claimed they didn't know about us. All the tours we wanted to take had been already taken and/or in progress. We got the usual sorry BS letter, they refunded our payment and gave us each a $50 certificate for another excursion with them. I've booked with viator several times...easy to use and to cancel if necessary saw refund right away. However they are only a booking agent so you still have to go directly to tour operators to finalize details especially if there is hotel pickup involved. Actually Viator is a travel agent contracting services out to tour operators/hotels etc.
Even more, complex and hidden fees can be a point of contention for everyone involved. Cost is always a factor, whether you're a cruise line or cruise traveler. When planning excursions in new destinations, a cruise line will talk to multiple tour operators to find the provider with the best prices and reputation, as well as a variety of creative and unique tours. Many Viator tours are not ship shore excursions. They are not necessarily geared to cruises and aren’t setup based on ship arrivals. I would much prefer to book directly, and communicate directly, with the person actually providing the tour.
I have had my fill of third parties after this and a bad experience with a hotel booking. Discover one of Norway’s stunning glaciers on this 4-hour shore excursion from Olden. After a scenic drive through the valley, set off on a 1-hour hike, passing a startling panorama of mountains and waterfalls. Spend your time in port in Marseille exploring with ease by electric bike on this half-day cycling tour.
