OKay my two cents worth here. All ships make a lot of profit on tours. There is a $15 communciaton fee for the simplest of requests. With internet these days so much we can do ourselves without using the tour desk.

If Radisson used to be more reasonable than they are now then they were just slow to adopt this as a profit center as most ships do, they are still less than many competitors though. I think we must all realise this is a profit center and when we book a tour recognize for the convenience and comfort of booking with RSSC you are paying a price. In probably 90% of the cases you can do a tour for much less on your own.

I was shocked on my trip to Machu Picchu a few weeks ago sitting next to a tour escort from Holland America. I was told they charged $3000 per person, stayed at the Libertador (less expensive) and took the standard train (lot less expensive). Radisson charges $1800 stays at the Monasterio (more expensive) and take the Hiram Bingham train (much more expensive by about $300 or more per person). Compare those prices.

Same with Moscow one day excursion from St. Petersburg, the same excursion on Oceania was about $250 more (I think just doing this from memory) than RSSC. Same exact tour.

Sometimes I will take a tour. This is when they offer something I cannot do on my own, a concert, trains, boats things of this nature. I have taken some tours that I really thought were a great value, other tours I wondered why on earth I signed up in the first place. They are great for those who are not comfortable in a foreign place doing things on their own. I remember I thought the Xian Warriors was expensive but after the trip I really felt I got a great value for my money.

Otherwise I usually just go ashore and pick up a tour or taxi driver on the docks. I dont even like pre-arranging too much. Particuarly when the operator wants an upfront payment. If they are not there and you are stuck waiting around. I remember doing this once with a guide in St. Petersburg HIGHLY recommended on the CC boards by many who emailed me back etc and then just did not turn up. He disappeared from sight. Several people were in the same situation.

I do use RED OCTOBER in ST. Petersburg, a big company and very reputable. In Rome I know a tour operator I trust - more expensive than others but I am confident she will be there.

AS to the rent cars that does sound like it was being mishandled and there was an overcharge. No one knows the details here, bigger car, the rent car company charging RSSC more then with RSSC profit it just got way up there.

The one thing I have liked about the tour desk on RSSC is that they did offer information on doing things on your own and usually have a local come onboard in each port that can direct "independent" tourists. I have not experienced that on other lines but then I dont go on other lines much anymore to know if this is offered elsewhere. Most of the cruise lines push with great tenacity their tours this is pretty standard. I have always found RSSC not to be as aggressive on this issue. I think one is a profit motivation but I also know one is safety. I know that I make some of the tour desk managers nervous. They see us somewhere on our own and say "how did you get here?". They are much more comfortable with all passengers on escorted tours so they know nothing will happen to them. Lets face it - I have been forced to get on a roof to find the ship before and show it to the taxi driver, then I got stuck in between the Great Wall and Beijing one time. Caught in a traffic jam coming back from Gibraltar thought we might miss the ship. It happens when you go independently. I know one tour manager sees me and says "be careful" in the ports. I guess this tour manager knows me pretty well.

Hopefully this was an unusual incident and that this is not a new trend. I honestly dont know because I very seldom even go to the tour desk personally.

I will pay attention to this on my next trip, on the Panama Canal cruise December 27 - January 10.

As to the snorkeling information, it was probably a person who was not around when it was available. I had a new agent at RSSC tell me yesterday that there are never any cruises with more than 5% society savings. I just chuckled - she will learn!! I have to admit I hear more misinformation from RSSC from new people who sincerely believe that what they are saying is correct I am sure. We are dealing with individual people here and one or two pieces of incorrect information do not make a whole cruise line off base. So this is not such a big thing in my mind.