We will be going on a cruise (Western Europe) in July and wondered whether if we pre-booked shore excursions and changed our mind, the fees were refundable. Our understanding is that as long as you cancel 24 hours in advance they are but our travel agent was not sure this is correct. is it?

We would like to know about third party options in Rotterdam (to go to Amsterdam) and Zeebrugge to go to Bruges. Any leads?

I am fairly sure you can go to the tour desk on the ship and cancel them, they don't charge you until you pick up the tickets anyway, so till then I'm sure you can work something out...

I wouldn't waste my money on prearranged tours in Amsterdam or Bruges, these cities can be toured with a lonely planet guide and a train ticket. Especially Amsterdam is really easy to tour, it is just an hour from Rotterdam by train.

How long do you have in Rotterdam and Zeebrugge? The port that the ship docks in i pretty much in the city center and probably only a EUR10 cab ride from the shore. The city of Rotterdam has their own website for the cruise terminal:

http://www.cruise.rotterdam.nl/terminal.htm

Zeebrugge is about a 30 minute ride to Bruges. we dock at 8 am and depart at 6 pm. In Rotterdam the timing is the same.

Question is timing and cost. We do not want to miss the ship. What would a taxi cost from Amsterdam to Rotterdam?

We were woundering about third party tour operators in the various ports. We saw them all over Alaska and the Caribbean but were unsure of the European ports. Also, we have heard that grabbing a taxi at a port is not always a smart idea.

Amsterdam to Rotterdam will cost you a fortune, think $125. Sorry I don't know of any prearranged tours...

If you plan things right, and leave a lot of "in case" time then you won't run into any problems, and IF you do, you can always grab a train to Zeebrugge and meet up with the ship the next morning... Cabs at the port won't be a problem, all cabs in Holland are regulated and metered. If you are off the ship by 8:30 you are at Rotterdam central station by 8:45, can be in Amsterdam by 10. play it safe and leave Amsterdam around 2:30 or 3, that way you will have a good 5 hours to tour the city...

I would second the opinion about not doing a guided tour, especially if this is your first trip to Europe. The trains between Rotterdam and Amsterdam and v.v. leave every 11-19 minutes and take 65-70 minutes. In four hours, you can see a tremendous amount of Amsterdam, as the tram system is very efficient. I'd take the tram away from the train station a little bit (as some people are put off by the street life), and alternate between walking a little and taking the tram a little. With some planning in advance, you can map out a route that hits a number of key sights, although you might not get a chance to go inside any of the museums.

Brugges is ridiculously easy to do on foot with a decent guidebook. We did it after being on a flight all night and getting into Brussels airport around 11am. It's not particularly complicated.

Actually, I'd probably just spring for a hotel in Amsterdam instead of sleeping on the boat between Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. That way I'd get a nice Indonesian dinner and be able to tour the city leisurely. Depending on how much a guided tour of Amsterdam costs, staying in the city overnight might be cost-effective.

If you check out this website, you can get lots of info on private guides and such. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Your help is much appreciated. we now have a much better feel for our options and are looking forward to a great cruise.