Comments on: Take A Shore Excursion or Arrange Your Own? http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/ Cruise Chat, News & Bargains Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:36:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Anne Campbell http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-376 Anne Campbell Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:13:28 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-376 Yes, I do love to arrange my own excursions. I found a terrific private guide with car for a stop in Naples. He made the experience so much better. Yes, I do love to arrange my own excursions. I found a terrific private guide with car for a stop in Naples. He made the experience so much better.

]]> By: Harry Martin http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-374 Harry Martin Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:08:34 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-374 Great example from your trip to Hawaii on the rental cars. I booked ours before we even left on the cruise, and we did each port for only $35 and the cost of a couple gallons of gas (and a borrowed "Hawaii Revealed" travel book). The cruise forums on Cruisemates.com gave me the name of a great private tour guide in Acapulco whom I have used twice. $30 pp for a tour the ship sells for $50+ (and is half as long). What surprises me is that people *so* seldom do any research before they leave. Our first time in Puerto Vallarta, I got a great walking tour straight out of a Fodors guide. The money we saved we used for lunch, instead (at $12 pp). The only time I am tempted to use the ship's excursions is when the tour will go far, far from the port. In that case, I want to know for sure that we will be back in time. Great example from your trip to Hawaii on the rental cars. I booked ours before we even left on the cruise, and we did each port for only $35 and the cost of a couple gallons of gas (and a borrowed “Hawaii Revealed” travel book).

The cruise forums on Cruisemates.com gave me the name of a great private tour guide in Acapulco whom I have used twice. $30 pp for a tour the ship sells for $50+ (and is half as long).

What surprises me is that people *so* seldom do any research before they leave. Our first time in Puerto Vallarta, I got a great walking tour straight out of a Fodors guide. The money we saved we used for lunch, instead (at $12 pp).

The only time I am tempted to use the ship’s excursions is when the tour will go far, far from the port. In that case, I want to know for sure that we will be back in time.

]]> By: Anne Campbell http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-367 Anne Campbell Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:43:29 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-367 When I worked at Cunard Line we were sued all the time, frequently for insane reasons. Once, a woman sailing transatlantic with her dog sued because her cabin steward stepped on the dog's toy and caused it the runs. Another, a man picked up a lovely woman at a bar and later, in his cabin, discovered "she" was a man. So he sued. Yea, lawyers put out press releases saying how dangerous it is to cruise. When I worked at Cunard Line we were sued all the time, frequently for insane reasons. Once, a woman sailing transatlantic with her dog sued because her cabin steward stepped on the dog’s toy and caused it the runs. Another, a man picked up a lovely woman at a bar and later, in his cabin, discovered “she” was a man. So he sued.

Yea, lawyers put out press releases saying how dangerous it is to cruise.

]]> By: Wolfiewolf http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-359 Wolfiewolf Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:09:48 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-359 Ann, I'm afraid you are right about the ambulance-chasing lawyers - though I wouldn't call them maritime lawyers as it upsets the genuine ones - but unfortunately they are aided and abetted by a fair number of the cruising public. One of the cruise lines told me recently that around 50% of the claims they receive in America are fake or fraudulent in some way. This is quite different to their experience in other parts of the world. Ann,

I’m afraid you are right about the ambulance-chasing lawyers - though I wouldn’t call them maritime lawyers as it upsets the genuine ones - but unfortunately they are aided and abetted by a fair number of the cruising public. One of the cruise lines told me recently that around 50% of the claims they receive in America are fake or fraudulent in some way. This is quite different to their experience in other parts of the world.

]]> By: Anne Campbell http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-357 Anne Campbell Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:49:26 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-357 Yikes! I can't imagine how horrible it would be to miss a ship and try to catch up with it. But to have a tour cancelled but not informed is pretty dreadful as well. Yikes! I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to miss a ship and try to catch up with it. But to have a tour cancelled but not informed is pretty dreadful as well.

]]> By: smokinbruce http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-356 smokinbruce Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:48:57 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-356 We have done it both ways we have booked snorkling tours only thro the ship because of the insurance reasons and the ship will not leave you behind. We had a tour cancle on a ship but were not told. when we confrounted the ships tour people we were told go and do it on your own. we did not do it. got out mony refunded but we were still beat out of the last port of the trip planed fun. On this last cruise we seen people miss the ship! they had to take the Pilot boat out to the ship at their own expence bummer not for me!! the only "self booked tour" we wil take are limited to small tours around an Iland or local shopping where we can controll our time we have fun and do not worry about missing the boat or hear our names called just before the ship leaves We have done it both ways we have booked snorkling tours only thro the ship because of the insurance reasons and the ship will not leave you behind.
We had a tour cancle on a ship but were not told. when we confrounted the ships tour people we were told go and do it on your own. we did not do it. got out mony refunded but we were still beat out of the last port of the trip planed fun.
On this last cruise we seen people miss the ship! they had to take the Pilot boat out to the ship at their own expence bummer not for me!! the only “self booked tour” we wil take are limited to small tours around an Iland or local shopping where we can controll our time we have fun and do not worry about missing the boat or hear our names called just before the ship leaves

]]> By: Anne Campbell http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-353 Anne Campbell Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:22:41 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-353 Ahhhhh.....thanks for pointing that out, Herry. There are dozens of maritime lawyers solicitating passengers who are unhappy with their cruise. I can't imagine how often people do sue! If the weather is bad, the cruise line gets blamed. Yes, even though you sign a form saying the cruise line isn't responsible for anything that happens on a shore excursion, it doesn't keep people for suing. Ahhhhh…..thanks for pointing that out, Herry. There are dozens of maritime lawyers solicitating passengers who are unhappy with their cruise. I can’t imagine how often people do sue! If the weather is bad, the cruise line gets blamed.

Yes, even though you sign a form saying the cruise line isn’t responsible for anything that happens on a shore excursion, it doesn’t keep people for suing.

]]> By: Herry Lawford http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-350 Herry Lawford Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:54:31 +0000 http://www.shipcriticblog.com/take-a-shore-excursion-or-arrange-your-own/#comment-350 Ann, One of the reasons that the line charges more for an excursion than the local rate is that they become effectively the insurers of the local tour operator. If someone on a shore excursion gets injured, that person is very likely to sue the shipping line, rather than the local operator, even though the fault may lie with the operator. Lines can run up huge costs (at least in America) defending themselves in such cases - and all this falls on their insurers - who charge accordingly. Ann,

One of the reasons that the line charges more for an excursion than the local rate is that they become effectively the insurers of the local tour operator. If someone on a shore excursion gets injured, that person is very likely to sue the shipping line, rather than the local operator, even though the fault may lie with the operator. Lines can run up huge costs (at least in America) defending themselves in such cases - and all this falls on their insurers - who charge accordingly.

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