What you should know about shore excursions

adminonAugust 19, 2023August 28, 2023Leave a Comment

Cruises are more sought after every year and it's not just the sheer amount of time spent on board that determines which cruise to choose, but much more the itinerary to experience different shore excursions while there.

Shore excursions through shipping companies

Many shore excursions are still done through the shipping companies themselves and booked there accordingly. This is largely due to the convenience of the passengers and, above all, their fear. Yes, the fears are really fueled by the shipping companies, namely that only the shore excursions of the shipping company will get you back to the ship in time before it leaves port. And most importantly, that the ship will wait for you or you will get a free onward transportation to the next port. But is that even true? Do you really have disadvantages if you do not book shore excursions through the shipping company?

Book shore excursions externally

To clarify, I have an expert in the interview today, CEO Florian Berthold of www.my-country-trips.en. He explains that there is virtually no downside to booking shore excursions through outside vendors. On the contrary, you benefit from smaller groups and also partly lower costs. And he also explains that the excursions his company offers include appropriate insurance, which will also get you to the next port for free in case of a delay.

My-LandExcursions.de works together with local tour operators, who are regularly checked for quality. Florian and his team put a lot of emphasis on quality. Because there is nothing worse than offering a bad service. And that means that customer opinions are taken seriously and checked immediately. Means as soon as there are one to a maximum of three complaints about a provider, Florian's team immediately engages with the local provider and looks at ways to improve quality. At the same time, passengers can call the hotline (0800/0004913) for assistance on the spot and, in the worst case, get their money back.

Shore excursions

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BI (Business Intelligence) is an organization's ability to track the flow of data to identify opportunities, mitigate risks and optimize the way it does business. Most companies – not just hotels – have not yet reached this optimal level of BI maturity. Many have automated data collection, reporting, and in some cases data visualization. But that doesn't mean they mobilize data into action. Very often, users only use their BI platforms to schedule reports that are emailed to them in their inbox, but reports alone do not constitute business intelligence. So they are still stuck in static spreadsheet mode when it comes to decision support. More advanced users use BI tools to increase their speed of discovery within the BI portal, but then spend hours re-sharing and explaining their findings to others not in the same environment. They often have long discussions with colleagues to find out, "Why don't your numbers match my numbers??" (Weekday vs. Date, company profiles vs. Negotiated price codes, timing of data collection, filters by different dimensions – possibilities abound!).

Looking at automated scheduled reports is certainly a step in the right direction and even better when hotel teams are examining data to make informed decisions. However, the shortcomings of today's use of BI are clearly visible.

Enter decision intelligence (DI)

Cassie Kozyrkov, chief decision scientist at Google, describes DI as a way to complement data science with social science, decision theory and management science. Making it more effective in helping people actually use BI data to make better decisions. A great analogy she uses to describe the difference between data science and DI is comparing those who make microwave ovens to the cooks who use them. Note that by "data science" it refers to analytics delivered via BI platforms. Simply put, DI is an enabler for the end goal of BI – identifying opportunities, minimizing risks and optimizing your business operations.

First, it is important to note that BI and DI are not just technologies, but rather evolving organizational skills. To be successful, you need a data-driven culture, people and tools. You can't buy the first two off the shelf from any technology vendor. They must be understood as strategic organizational goals. Once that commitment is made and you are actively working towards it, there are four ways you can get much further with your data than simple self-service BI reports:

1. Centralize and correlate

Hoteliers today work with a flood of valuable data from their transactional systems ( PMS , POS etc.) as well as with market intelligence from a variety of third-party sources ( STR , Kalibri Labs , Knowland, etc.). However, very few can actually correlate their channel mix (and many other business dimensions) with something like their STR Market Penetration Index (MPI). That's because this data sits in its own silos most of the time, and no one can see how one affects the other. So the obvious first step to unlocking such insights is to centralize all this information on a BI platform that then allows users to collect, layer and correlate different types of data to get a holistic view of the business. In the following example, users can see how their segment, channel, and room mixes changed and impacted their STR indices as they move through the time slot.

Source: HotelIQ STR Dashboard

2. Visualize and interact

One of the worst habits people develop with spreadsheets is to condition themselves to look at certain cells on a wall of numbers. They look at the same reports and regularly glance at the same cells to monitor the health of their business. Therefore, when presented with a BI tool, their first instinct is to automate their reports. They still want the wall of numbers laid out the way they have conditioned themselves to read and think. However, a great side effect of such conditioning is that they miss out on all the threats and opportunities that are hiding in plain sight. For example, how likely is it to spot a white tiger hiding in a crosswalk?

Similarly, a miscoded price code can get buried in a sea of reservations. If you see a drop in ADR totals, significant damage may have already been done. Instead of looking over a wall of numbers, what if your price codes were displayed in a scatter plot? It would highlight to you which services are performing worse than expected and which are performing better. Then imagine clicking on an action and having the information you need to take it literally at your fingertips!

Source: HotelIQ Agency Trends

3. Analytics-driven collaboration

We all know digital workplaces. If we weren't before, the pandemic has forced us to collaborate digitally. From Sharepoint to Slack to project management portals, all facilitate collaboration between teams. However, when it comes to sharing data and insights, most of us still rely on extracts and spreadsheets. As a result, teams spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find a single version of the truth that everyone can agree on before taking decisive action. This is where you need an analytics-driven digital collaboration platform – a portal or intranet where your strategic teams log in daily to work, access a single version of the truth (through automated data integration), share, comment, plan and track performance. In addition, the digital collaboration offers many other advantages .

4. AI-powered decision support

Once you have centralized all your data and your team is able to explore, share and collaborate easily, the next obvious step is to determine what actions to take. This is where AI can greatly enhance your decision-making capabilities by processing historical and current data trends to highlight the risks and opportunities ahead of you. However, we are often fixated on the accuracy of AI predictions. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that no one has a crystal ball that can accurately predict the future. Instead, we need to focus on the reliability and appropriateness of AI's input into our decision-making process. It may not be able to predict a pandemic, but can certainly highlight unusual activities that require your attention much faster than a normal human being. Let's put it this way: if you have a junior analyst who is very thorough and meticulous, the CEO would leave all the decision making to her? AI is like this analyst and should be treated the same way – pay attention to what AI is telling you and then make informed decisions.

Source: HotelIQ Risk to Achievement Dashboard

Eventually, technology and decision science will evolve. There will be even more sophisticated ways to enable the consumption of information by companies and allow them to leverage it. Unlike tactical technologies like a phone or a refrigerator, however, there is no leap when it comes to an organization's analytical capabilities. The longer you delay building this culture and implementing these solutions, the harder it will be to stay competitive in the information age.

Sameer has an extensive background in hotel business intelligence, data management, product management and customer support. He has worked for TravelClick and The Jumeirah Group and, prior to joining Intelligent Hospitality, was a business intelligence consultant for Four Seasons Hotels& Resorts. He holds a BS and MS in Hospitality Management from the Conrad N. Hilton College at University of Houston.

In the summer I, with my family, took a road trip through the Netherlands. Our trip also took us to the little cheese town of Alkmaar… and because I liked it so much, I went there again a few days ago. Good for you, because from this is now this, very extensive travel report, with many tips& Information (from how to get there to where to stay), about and around Alkmaar in Holland, emerged.

Alkmaar Netherlands

Alkmaar Netherlands: Good to know!

Alkmaar is a city in North Holland, between the North Sea and the Ijsselmeer, with about 110 inhabitants.000 inhabitants. Already in 11. In the nineteenth century a settlement was built around the church. In 1254 Alkmaar was granted city rights and in 1573 it became a symbol of the Dutch struggle for freedom against the Spanish.

Today, the city is known above all as a cheese hotspot, even beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Already since 1622 the Alkmaar cheese market takes place every Friday morning in the summer (from Easter). The white dressed cheese carriers are not only a real eye-catcher. They also attract many tourists (around 300 per year).000 visitors) to the city.

Alkmaar Holland

Tips for Alkmaar: All cheese..

In Alkmaar much revolves around cheese. So far so good… Therefore, in Alkmaar, you will find not only the cheese market, but also many cheese stores and not to forget, the Dutch Cheese Museum. Of course you should visit it and please also give a kiss to the cheese lady in front of the entrance door..

The Cheese Museum is located right on the market square. So you could almost say, around the market place is the cheese epicenter.

Good to know: Other interesting museums in the city include the Municipal Museum, the National Beer Museum and the Beatles Museum.

Alkmaar Old Town Stroll: So idyllic..

The old town of Alkmaar, with about 400 historic old buildings, is really cute and soooo instagramable! Canals, colorful houses, white bridges, flowery backyards, small alleys, church towers, warped houses and small museums.

Did you know: Rudi Carell had one of his first appearances (as a child) in Alkmaar?. Even today, a bust stands on the edge of the city center and the square has been renamed "Rudi Carrellplaats".

A special picture of the city offers of course from the water, with a leisurely canal trip. By the way, you can also rent a boat in Alkmaar and, after a short briefing, steer it yourself.

Alkmaar Old Town

Pure pleasure: Alkmaar restaurants& Cafes

Alkmaar has a lot of small cute cafes, bistros and restaurants to offer. So many that the decision is really hard. Especially nice, I personally think, is the colorful mix. Because honestly, only "a cafe", would be almost boring. In Alkmaar you can also find a flower store with a vegan bistro or a soap store with a cafe or… a restaurant behind historic walls. Therefore, my tip is to really just let yourself drift and turn into the small, narrow side streets. It's worth it!

Alkmaar Old Town

Alkmaar shops& Shopping tips

In the old town of Alkmaar you will not only find many beautiful old houses, but also some very nice stores. Here is where browsing and shopping is really fun. Let's face it, great souvenirs are e.g., typical Dutch specialties – like cheese.

My secret tip: Take a detour to the candy store. The shop resembles an old pharmacy with lots of jars, wooden drawers and a cute and colorful display. You will find "Inde Soete Suyckerbol" on the edge of the old town (Voordam 4, 1811 MA Alkmaar).

Inde Soete Suyckerbol Alkmaar Shopping Tip

How to get to Alkmaar?

You can easily reach Alkmaar by car, e.g. on a road trip through Holland as we experienced it. If you want to park in Alkmaar, it is best to use one of the parking garages on the outskirts of the old town. The daily fee here is around 15.- Euro. On my second visit to the city, however, I arrived by train. This is also quite uncomplicated with the connection 'Alkmaar Amsterdam'. Travel time about half an hour. The Alkmaar train station is located a bit outside the old city center. If you have chosen an Alkmaar accommodation / overnight stay outside the city – like we did e.g. in the Duynvoet Park of Dutchen in Schoorl (ca. 10 kilometers from Alkmaar) – then you will find the bus station next to the train station of Alkmaar.

In the streets of Alkmaar Holland

Around Alkmaar..

Around Alkmaar there are of course also a few very worthwhile excursion destinations, which you can also reach quickly "by bike.

Walk through Bergen& Schoorl

Towns like Bergen with its ruined church and small game reserve or Schoorl with its impressive dune landscape are definitely worth a trip.

Bergen aan Zee

By bike through the dunes& to the beach

Since the town is located on the Dutch North Sea, you will find Alkmaar beach feeling e.g. in Bergen aan Zee, Egmond aan Zee or also in Hargen, Camperduin and Castricum aan Zee. All beaches are located between eight and twelve kilometers from the city. So also quite erradelbar.

Schoorl Duene

Not far away: Amsterdam, Haarlem& The Hague

A few more kilometers to the cities of Amsterdam, Haarlem or even The Hague. By car or train you can also reach these destinations relatively quickly. Journey time between 30 minutes and one hour.

Shore excursions through shipping companies

Book shore excursions externally

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