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I try to book direct with local tour operators. There is no advantage to using them if you can find the actual operator. If you see something on TripAdvisor offered by Viator google the tour name or description. You will usually find the tour operator they are using. Most cruisers also have a travel budget and can't just book the most expensive tour in every port.
Report the bad -- and the good.
"Book those small-group tours early and then cancel, if needed," Witsoe says. "You have more flexibility with bus tours," if you want to wait. Most cruise lines allow travelers to book online in advance, but check your cruise line's cancellation policy before booking to determine when (or if) you can cancel a tour and get a full refund. When a small cruise line like Windstar creates shore excursions, it aims to create an experience it would be difficult or time consuming for the average traveler to research and replicate.
Snorkeling, Sailing and Scuba are the Order of the Day
Perfect for time-pressed or first-time Athens visitors, this private sightseeing tour offers a seamless and comfortable way to discover the city’s top attractions. Visit two of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed attractions on this full-day shore excursion from Naples. Sample a cross-section of outdoor sights on the Big Island during this shore excursion exploring Volcanoes National Park, waterfall, black sand beach, and more. Adventure travel isn’t for everyone, and if you’re a travel advisor with thrill-seeking clients it may be difficult to find something that will ignite their sense of adventure. Whether you're visiting San Francisco or Barcelona, some cities are so conveniently situated to cruise terminals that it's easy to get around via a short walk, taxi ride or hop-on hop-off bus.
When to Book Shore Excursions Through Your Cruise Line
They do not support the cruisers as they promise. Last time we contacted our credit card issuer and contested the charge. Use Viator with this in mind that they are only a collection agency. On the Viator site, there is an option to select"shore excursions". If you select this, it should include pick up from the dock and the return to ship on time guarantee.
17 BEST Haifa (Tel Aviv) Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews (2024) - Cruise Critic
17 BEST Haifa (Tel Aviv) Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews ( .
Posted: Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:29:49 GMT [source]
I also use TripAdvisor and if possible check directly with the tour company for verification and price comparison. You should realize that Viator is not the tour operator but simply a booking company. You can book through them as many do but a little research may allow you to find the actual tour operator and book direct. We have had bad experiences with Viator before on two separate cruises.
Top-Booked Shore Excursions
Rarely do I end up selecting one where we have to pay in advance - and even so, they still have a great cancellation policy. As long the firm has been around for eons and is reputable, I am not too worried about paying up front. For a stop in Vanuatu for example, I found a highly recommended day tour that bases tours around the times your ship is in port, I've communicated directly with the company to book it. No middle man, and a much more reasonable price, and more personalised, than the ships tours. Most of the shore excursions on Viator have a 24 hour cancellation policy. When we cruise, we rarely take cruise line excursions.
17 BEST Barcelona Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews (2024) - Cruise Critic
17 BEST Barcelona Shore Excursions: Things to Do, Cruise Day Tour & Reviews ( .
Posted: Tue, 06 Dec 2016 13:42:17 GMT [source]
Disembark your cruise ship at the port of Casa Maya and embark on a shore excursion to the ancient Mayan city of Chacchoben. We've taken a look at the shore excursions on Viator and hand picked some of the top products across the world. We've also highlighted which ones are covered by Viator's worry-free policy. Many of the shore excursions listed on Viator have a “Worry-Free Guarantee” which is a guaranteed return-to-ship policy. This is something that third-parties may not be able to accomodate.
We've used Viator a lot, mostly in Europe, and have had excellent tours. I believe Viator is a wholesaler and books with private companies. We just book directly with the excursion companies. Even if you don't get a better rate, you are dealing directly w the vendor who also gets to keep all the money instead of having to split it with the booking site.
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.
"We want people to feel like they paid for expert advice and got what they wanted to see," says Witsoe. I just had the 2 worst cruise experiences trying to book 2 different catamaran/snorkel tours with Viators. As some of you know, booking a tour off a cruise ship on your own requires you to have complete faith that the vendor you choose will produce as promised. A year ago I found the Cat/snorkel tour my wife and I wanted to take in St. Kitts/Nevis using Viator as our booking agent. We prepaid for the tour, watched others on our ship sail off on their tours, but smiled thinking about how much of a savings we'd have by using Viators instead of the ship's higher priced tours. Just a few weeks before I received 2 or 3 reminders from Viators about where to meet the tour.
I also agree, I prefer to book directly and have direct contact with the tour company. FYI, my beautiful bride booked the above mentioned tour and she is the rum fan. Both times they hadn't actually booked me on the tour that I had paid for. Mind you that was back in 2007 and 2008 so perhaps they have better service now. Now I know to just search out the actual tour providers and book directly now rather than use Viator. I regard companies like Viator as a useful resource to help me find tours.
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.
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.
In our case, they decided that as we did something on one excursion, we were going to do it the same way every tour we used them for. So when tried to contact them and straighten this out, we got the run around, and they didn't convey the info to the next vendor. Eventually, as they thought we wanted to start at 7am on every tour, when we actually weren't starting until 3pm on a certain activity, they were there at 7am, we weren't, they showed us as a no show. Whether it’s your first time in Wellington or you just want to see as much as possible during your time in port, this half-day sightseeing tour offers a great introduction to the city and a diverse range of sights. Then the team fills in with complementary tours, which might visit other area attractions or focus on special interests like cooking or biking.
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