Embedded ABD on the Med Cruise

[lilbon]

Has anyone done this that can advise if it is worth it? I would love to get my husband to agree to an ABD tour and wonder if this could be a good kick start to it, but not sure if this is worth it and if it really gives a taste of a true ABD tour.

Any advise would be great!!

 

[SonnyEclipseFan]

Yes. Yes, and yes. We did the ABD add-on last year and loved it. It was our first ABD. We loved it so much that we booked two more ABD trips since that trip. It will be the best decision you will ever make.

 

[lilbon]

What did you love about it that differs so much than a regular DCL excursion? I just am trying to wrap my mind around an extra 5K for 7 days...

 

[SonnyEclipseFan]

Here is our video from the last year....

 

[lilbon]

Thanks!!

 

[SonnyEclipseFan]

What did you love about it that differs so much than a regular DCL excursion? I just am trying to wrap my mind around an extra 5K for 7 days...

You are the first off the ship, and last to get back on. You don't have to worry about anything. No waiting in line for anything. Cheapest way to sample ABD.

 

[lilbon]

Yeah, that is what I am thinking.. a cheap way to see if we like it - or a cheaper way because it isn't cheap.

 

[SonnyEclipseFan]

Yeah, we compared the costs to do the best shore excursion in each port to the cost of the ABD cost. A good value for the price.

 

[lilbon]

That is what I am trying to do to see if it would be worth it value to cost.

 

[sayhello]

You get multiple excursions in a day - 2 or 3 per day. Without having to go back to the ship. ABD just transports you from place to place. All your meals (lunches) onshore are included. You will have less people on your ABD excursions then on most DCL excursions. If there's time, ABD will ocassionally add in an extra activity (they took us to Eze, which wasn't on the itinerary). If something's not available, ABD will figure out a great alternative without you having to lift a finger. If for some reason you have to miss a port and go somewhere else instead (I know that doesn't happen as much in the Med) ABD will take care of booking your excursions for the new location, again, without you having to stand in line, etc.

ABD will take photos of you and your family members while on the excursions so that you're all actually in the photos.

Sayhello

 

[AgentMama]

How is the pace when you add this to the cruise? Do you end up with down time or is it go go go the entire trip?

 

[ldo]

Having been on a med cruise, and taken excursions, as well as DIY, but not ABD, here's my IMHO:
getting off the boat early for all ports would be too taxing for me and certainly my teens. If you're an early riser, not an issue. But being on a bus at 7 likely means meeting at 6:45 or 6:30 and eating by 6.
From the video, you do get to see A LOT (vatican AND colosseum). However, we much prefer mixing long and short days. $5K for 5 ports for 2 is $500 PP/port. The guides look great. But, is it worth the extra $ for getting off the boat 1st, (let's assume) a more engaging guide and the same group of people for each port. On other shore excursions, all of the details are typically taken care of for you, as well, but the guides might be from vendors. I have been on 5 European cruises, both DCL and others and I don't ever recall a "bad" guide and many were excellent. They might be more about imparting historical knowledge, but all were fine, IMHO.
Also, in hot summer, my family wanted to do a shorter day and get back to the boat and enjoy-such as Pompeii without going to Sorrento also.

 

[robinsok1]

Having been on a med cruise, and taken excursions, as well as DIY, but not ABD, here's my IMHO:
getting off the boat early (I saw the clock on the video as 7:01) for all ports would be too taxing for me and certainly my teens. If you're an early riser, not an issue. But being on a bus at 7 likely means meeting at 6:45 or 6:30 and eating by 6.
From the video, you do get to see A LOT (vatican AND colosseum). However, we much prefer mixing long and short days. $5K for 5 ports for 2 is $500 PP/port. The guides look great. But, is it worth the extra $ for getting off the boat 1st, (let's assume) a more engaging guide and the same group of people for each port. On other shore excursions, all of the details are typically taken care of for you, as well, but the guides might be from vendors. I have been on 5 European cruises, both DCL and others and I don't ever recall a "bad" guide and many were excellent. They might be more matter of fact historical knowledge, but all were fine, IMHO.
Also, in hot summer, my family wanted to do a shorter day and get back to the boat and enjoy.

This is all dreaming for us at the moment, but your breakdown and thoughtful counterpoint are very helpful. Thanks!

 

[ldo]

I think PP's idea of looking at excursions and then comparing is a good plan. I will also say that many ports are a easy DIY or use an outside vendor who waits for you at the dock. There are also many private tour options, esp for families or 4+ people. Not as cost effective for 2 persons.
The most we want to get up early is 2 ports in 7 days. For ex, we mixed a LONG St Petersburg day with a 1/2 day DIY Tallin. FYI, British Isles, Balitcs, Norway have a lot of easy, safe DIY, using tours for a few ports. Med is a bit trickery due to longer transport, so probably shore excursions in most ports.
OT-we were in line at airport going to DCL Norway with a family with 3 tweens/teens going on their 2nd ABD land trip and they absolutely LOVED it.

 

[sayhello]

I am NOT a morning person, but I did not find that we needed to get up exceptionally early. We were gathering at the same time as the other folks taking DCL shore excursions, we just got to go to the front of the line. We NEVER met at 6 or 7am!

Sayhello

 

[aggiedog]

Many good points here. Like ldo, we've done several cruises, none with an ABD. I think it would be "worth it" if you do not enjoy planning on your own, if you are very hesitant to make your own plans, want to be part of a larger group for social reasons, or are planning on doing the most expensive DCL excursions anyways, and want to do all of them. Best I can tell, you'd be paying $400-500/person/day.

We definitely paid much less (sometimes WAY less) than that per person per day for our family, and we've had some amazing excursions. We are lucky that with 8 (my family and my parents) of us, we can get private tours for fairly cheap per person. With that many of us, we have yet to feel that we need to be part of a larger group in order to have travel buddies, and the majority of us are introverts anyways. We also prefer to not have a packed day every day, but we do usually get off the ship at first call, and rarely come back before mid-afternoon. I kind of enjoy looking for excursions, but admittedly stress some over it as the trip gets closer. Ok, honestly, I'd love to have someone plan the whole thing for me, but for the 6 I'm paying for, haven't been able to justify the cost for what I know I can do on my own. And we have never had a bad day out on an excursion. We've done both the Baltic and Med, with 3-7 days of land tour before we cruise.

 

[lucky1]

How is the pace when you add this to the cruise? Do you end up with down time or is it go go go the entire trip?

I am NOT a morning person, but I did not find that we needed to get up exceptionally early. We were gathering at the same time as the other folks taking DCL shore excursions, we just got to go to the front of the line. We NEVER met at 6 or 7am!

Sayhello

We did the first Med ABD embedded of this year. Might have been timing but different from SayHello's experience our meeting times each morning at port between 6:30 and 7:30am. Yes it was early, but Cabana's opens at 6 and then we rested our eyes on the bus journey's to our destination. We were always the first ones walking off the ship and close to the last ones getting back on the ship. They did put us all on late dinner, because no way we would have made it to early dinner. I will say of all of our cruises, this one we probably needed a vacation from after the cruise. We never did spend as much time doing things on the ship as we have done on other cruises, but somehow we did manage to get a lot of Disney ship photos (which is part of our DCL package) We felt the ABD embedded was worth every penny we paid and did not regret doing it. 1) We had multiple Port exerisons in one (Yes you can probably arrange to do this on your own at a cheaper rate), but you don't get the Disney Story telling with this. 2) we made good friends with our fellow adventures, which lead to doing more together on the ship and great discussion during dinners 3) some little surprises that your adventure guides have that you would not get from most tours 4) they are quick to make accommodations (we had several people that could not walk from Lunch to Colosseum , so they arranged a taxi for them and covered the cost)

 

[lilbon]

This is our first time going to Europe and probably our last in this region. I would like to get the most from the cruise. What time did you get back on the ship? While I am not sure getting up at 6 every morning sounds fun, I am sure that it would be worth it. It is a lot of money though. It is only two of us, so I am not sure private tours would save much???

 

[ldo]

lilbon, I understand wanting to see everything. for lower priced alternatives, you might want to post your specific cruise ports on the DCL BB or look over on cruisecritic to see if there is a roll call (for making up groups to do private tours together). A private tour for 2 persons is usually not cost effective, but joining a group with others for a small group tour can be very reasonable.

 

[tink1970]

This is our first time going to Europe and probably our last in this region. I would like to get the most from the cruise. What time did you get back on the ship? While I am not sure getting up at 6 every morning sounds fun, I am sure that it would be worth it. It is a lot of money though. It is only two of us, so I am not sure private tours would save much???

Speaking for 2 people who just did private tours in 2 ports (Livorno and Civitavecchia)...it IS expensive for just 2. We spent, between the tours and the tips (cause yes, I'm an American an overtip) around $1100-1200 (depending on the Euro, I was able to prepay one in Dec; can't remember what the rate was so estimating). That's about $300/per person/per port.

The pros for doing 2 people tours: 1)total control. I'd had a migraine the first two days of the trip so it was a relief to tell the drivers-"we're done, take us home." 2)Riding in a nice sedan v. a bus. 3) Less walking in Rome...our driver knew Rome's twisty turny roads and alleys very well so he could get us very close (say 1/2 block) from where we wanted to be, park ?illegally and be waiting for us when we were done.

The cons: 1) The expense (see above). 2) No other people...since I'd been ill we really didn't interact with anyone else (missed dinner every night) and if you're a people person...well...3) Someone still has to research and contact the company and make arrangements and decisions. I didn't want to go to Florence in the summer (crowds!) so we went to Cinque Terre and that was sort of a disappointment. So a day in port kind of wasted.

That said, ABDs are still more expensive than private tours (looks like for a 7 day cruise there are 4 port days and it's a little more than $2400/pp so $600/per person/per port. Pros as above-more excursions, ABD guides, snacks, lunches, and as you said a sort of preview of the ABD concept. Cons-$$, still traveling with a group, buses, no control over what you do. Noting that you don't expect to return to the area anytime soon, it might be a definite advantage to doing as much as you can.

Good luck making your decision and have a great cruise