Cruise "Excursions" - Grrrrrrrr!

[DGS49]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

 

[candycorn]

ShoreTrips - Shore Excursions - City Tours - Day Activities

 

[candycorn]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

On our upcoming one, I booked while I was on the last cruise and got "onboard credits".... I'm using them in the Bahamas next Spring. Otherwise, I'd be staying in the port area only; you're right the prices are outrageous.

 

[MarathonMike]

My solution is to never go on cruises.

 

[candycorn]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

You know about the massive message board for cruise related topics right? Has the word "critic" in it... If not I'll message you the site. You may be able to crowd-source someone aware of alternatives

 

[Jarlaxle]

Take an Uber and "tour" on your own?

 

[Moonglow]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

Is dysentery extra?

 

[DGS49]

Just. back. All excursions were excellent. Tipping was very optional. It was not mentioned by the tour-guides, and tips were greatly appreciated. As always, if an excursion is done right, you will wish you had more time to spend in the area - and occasionally do so in the future.

A lot of very specific, historically significant material was given whilst exploring an area of a site. I will probably forget a lot of it, but I'm reinforcing all of it with Youtube videos.

This is really what cruising is all about, eh? The food and the pampering are supposed to be SECONDARY.

 

[petro]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

Is dysentery extra?

Nothing like a vacation on the
SS Listeria.

 

[jasonlee3071]

Been on a Hawaiian cruise one time years ago. Wasn't really a bad experience, because it was my 1st time I found it a novel experience.
But nowadays I would never go on another cruise anywhere.
It's more enjoyable to visit a place and travel around visiting/taking your time seeing the place and getting to know it.
I would say this way would be more affordable as cruise ships are really damn expensive anyway.

 

[22lcidw]

I've just finished reviewing the excursions available for my coming cruise to parts of Canada and New England. To put it mildly, the prices are outrageous. Given that essentially all travelers are coming as couples, we see three (3) hour bus tours selling for $140 or more; add a lunch and it's well over $200! Even "Hop-on, Hop-off" tour bus rides are $60-70 each. There are visit "on your own" "tours" for forty and fifty dollars each.

Then, of course, at the end of these overpriced excursions, you are expected to "tip" the tour guide 15% and the bus driver 10%.

It makes me crazy!

You might ask, why not just NOT take a tour? Good question. But you are in a quandary with an ocean cruise. Often the docking facility is NOT WALKABLE from the town, so if you don't sign up for the pre-packaged tour, you very well might get stuck sitting on board the ship, during your only lifetime trip to, say, Halifax, N.S. On a river cruise, the ship is always docked right in the middle of the town, and you can easily walk to do your own tour, as pocket tourguides are always available from local merchants.

Also, good river cruises almost always have an INCLUDED tour at each stop; you can opt for something more elaborate, but a basic tour of the city is almost always included in your cruise fare.

I swear, these cruise companies make more money on the "excursions" than they do on the cruises themselves. It is infuriating.

Are there repitable private excursion companies that do the same tours at ports? From my understanding they are cheaper then the cruise controlled excursions. Never heard of one not returning in time for ship departure.