Wear the PimpMyCruise logo proudly! It is an invitation that can be directed at anyone... crew, staff, fellow cruisers... even a travel agent... to pimp your cruise in any way consistent with their position.
Onboard tour desk offerings -
No doubt about it - shore excursions are a huge revenue source for the cruise
lines - grossly over priced in many cases - but they cater to a captive audience
- many of whom are willing to pay for the convenience of booking right there
on the ship - or in advance on the cruise line's website.
But how many times do you really want to pay $30 per person to ride a motor
coach into town (departing on a fixed schedule) - when a go-when-you-want-to-go
cab ride would be about $15 to $20 - for the entire cab?
Ok, you say - this local take-a-cab-instead option might be fine for trips
to town, shopping, etc., but what about tours to special attractions, especially
those some distance from the ship? What if you are on an Eastern Mediterranean
cruise-of-a-lifetime and want to see the Pyramids of Ancient Egypt? Or, even
on a standard garden variety Caribbean cruise and you want to climb Duns River
Falls in Jamaica? Isn't it still best to go with the cruise line's shore excursion
options under these circumstances?
Nope.
Third party organized excursions -
When choosing shore excursions you now have the alternative for organized, booked-in-advanced
excursions from companies not affiliated with the cruise line.
Shoretrips.com - has been around for quite a while, has a
great reputation and has been thoroughly vetted by the staff at PMC. A poll
of travel agents who have utilized this company in the past resulted in nothing
but positive reviews - not one single critical or negative comment. You can
book this company with confidence. They even offer a full prompt refund if
your ship is late to port - or misses the port entirely for whatever reason.
PortPromotions.com-
The new boy on the block - a
'Johnny-come-lately' touting discounted prices. We have not
yet done an apples to apples price comparison to determine
just how much lower their prices are - we just know that agency
clients have reported to us that they ARE lower - lower than Shoretrips.com;
hence, a lot lower that the cruise
line offerings. What we do know
is this - Portpromotions.com has
a better designed website - but
currently with far few offerings than Shoretrips.com -
but this will likely change over
time as they add product. So, at this point we say caveat
emptor (pretentious
way of saying buyer beware). If you have any experience
with this company, proudly swagger
on over to the Tell
Your Story Forum and give
us an ear full.
Striking out on your own -
This is the perfect solution for adventuresome types - a logical continuation
of the PMC theme. You simply go ashore with no advance planning - marching
boldly ahead with "Pimp My Shore Excursion" - attitudinally, if not literally
- emblazoned across your countenance - fully permeating your body language.
Just don't try to fake it. The local talent is usually pretty good at spotting
amateurs trying to pass themselves off as true free spirits.
Pimp Tip - this is distinctly NOT an option for those who do not
like surprises, desiring everything to be predictable and well organized. For
us this option has been the catalyst for hundreds of memorable, highly pimped
port visits that we wouldn't trade for the world! Even the few white knuckle
experiences we have had make for some great story telling - at least for those
who survived to tell the tale.
Staying on board the ship -
What? Isn't this the most un-pimped option of all...missing out on
all that shore-side excitement and once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing? Well,
maybe. But consider this - by the time you reach that last stop on the
aforementioned standard three or four port Caribbean cruise - the islands
have begun looking a lot the same...another beautiful pristine beach...more
overly friendly natives offering you a "spliff of ganja, mon"...or to
help you carry your wallet...plus more of the ubiquitous souvenir shops,
all with the same T-shirts - stenciled with clever sayings such as Orgasm
Donor, Rub My Belly for Good Luck or I'm Huge in Japan and
other hilarious imprints too embarrassing for even PimpMyCruisers to
wear.
So, why not just stay onboard the ship and enjoy the peace and quiet
around the pool - as well as nearly empty dining rooms and no lines in
the food court? Plus, here is a huge upside for you Spa
Hounds. The
onboard spa usually offers deep discounts on treatments, massages, facials,
etc. due to the slack in demand when the ship is in port.
Sometimes the high priced
tours are well worth
the cost - like this Flight Seeing Tour
in Alaska - producing experiences that just can't be had
any other way.
For
those who like their
inland scenery served
up in comfort with a
tasty Brisket & a bottle
of Merlot - rail tours
are just the thing - like
traveling through 360 degrees of
the Discovery Channel in HD.
Sea Kayaking allows you
to both get a little
exercise & quietly
sneak up on sleeping
wild life. Whether
your fantasy is to
poke a nursing Sea
Lion or nudge a Killer
Whale - the thrills
are guaranteed. (Full
coverage emergency
medi-vac insurance
is strongly recommended!)
Some buses
to the beach are just more fun than others. Why wait until you get there to start the party?
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For
those who like their
inland scenery served
up in comfort with a
tasty Brisket & a bottle
of Merlot - rail tours
are just the thing - like
traveling through 360 degrees of
the Discovery Channel in HD.
