Shore Tour Q & A

We are adding new dates all the time.

If your date is not listed, send us the following details:

No - Once we have sold just one seat, the tour is 100% confirmed.

We promise that we will never ever cancel.

We are very proud to be the only Shore Excursion provider from Cobh/Cork to offer a no quibble 100% refund up to 12 hours prior to your tour date.

If your ship does not make it to port for any reason you can cancel last minute and receive a 100% guarateed refund

Please see our Refund & Cancellation page for full details.

Yes - But it is always wise to book in advance to guarantee your place.

You have the option of paying a low deposit when making your booking and then paying the balance to your driver on the day in cash.

When you complete your booking, you will be able to print/save your booking confirmation. This is your ticket to board the bus.

You will also receive an email booking confirmation from us within 15 minutes of completing your booking.

This email has a handy link to where you can print your ticket.

If your confirmation email does not arrive, please check your spam folder and then - Contact us.

Your ticket/booking confirmation email has all the important details of your trip (Date, time, directions, etc)

If you cannot print your ticket after you make a booking, you can always print it at a later time. (Your booking confirmation email has a handy link to where you can print your ticket)

Better still, save paper by presenting your booking confirmation on your phone.

If you cannot find your ticket or email confirmation, just Contact us and we will sort it out for you.

On the day we will have your name and your number of seats booked, so don't worry we've got you covered.

Yes - we make it easy for you to canel your booking.

Just contact us with your booking confirmation number, your full name and the date of your tour.

Cancellations made up to 12 hours before your tour date will receive a 100% refund.

See our Refund & Cancellation Page for more details.

We have transparent easy to understand prices which are significantly lower than the ships tours.

This makes our tours affordable to all age groups from kids up to seniors.

If you have a child who is under 2 years of age on the date of your tour, it is possible to take him/her on your lap and not pay for his/her seat.

We always provide luxury modern air-conditioned touring vehicles with experienced local driver/guides.

The various size vehicles supplied are for 6, 12, 24 and 55 passengers.

Which size vehicle we use on the day, will simply depend on the eventual number of seats that are sold.

Definitely! Our local driver/guides will give professional running commentary (in English) with lots of fascinating history, interesting stories, fun facts, jokes and some may even sing a song or two.

Yes, we will have plenty of room in the luggage bay to store any large items that cannot go on board the bus.

Note: Passengers must be able to board the bus without the use of their mobility aids (including wheelchairs). Our staff are happy to give as much assistance as possible.

Please contact us in advance to discuss any concerns or special requirements you may have.

If you have a disability, please contact our office to discuss any needs or requirements you may have. We have a lot of experience and will be able to give you good advice.

For your convenience we can reserve the front seats for you.

Tours will depart at 8am or precisely 30 minutes after disembarkation begins.

Example 1: Your ship is due to dock at 7am, disembarking begins at 7:30 and your tour departs at 8am as scheduled.

Example 2: Your ship is due to dock at 7am but is delayed and instead docks at 8:30. disembarking begins at 9am so your tour departs at 10:00 sharp

Example 3: Your ship is due to dock at 9am, disembarking begins at 9:22 so your tour departs at 9:52 sharp

Docking times change all the time, sometimes by a little and sometimes by a lot but we will always be ready and waiting for you but do keep in mind that this tour will depart either at the official time OR precisely 30 minutes after disembarkation begins - whichever is later

Note: For the full day tour, your ship needs to be in port for up to 9 hours to fully enjoy this tour.

Your bus will only be a few minutes walk from your ship, but it is important to be ready to get off your ship when the ship doors open (not making your way down after the announcement to disembark is made.)

If for any reason your ship does not reach port, even at the last minute, you will receive a full 100% refund - No questions asked!

We are very proud to be the only Shore Excursion Provider in Cobh/Cork to guarantee this.

IMPORTANT: If you book through third party websites like Viator or TripAdvisor, the Terms & Conditions of that contract with these providers will apply to your booking.

NOTE: Should your ship dock in an alternative port, we reserve the right to operate from this port if it is feasible for us and refunds will not be issued in this circumstance.

Some ships dock at the other side of Cork harbour in Ringaskiddy from time to time.

This is no problem for us as we can easily begin our tour from Ringakiddy.

However, docking in Ringakiddy does mean an alteration to our usual tour day in that we must exclude Cobh from the regular itinerary.

This gives you the benefit of a more comprehsive tour of Cork city and a little more free time during the day as well.

IMPORTANT: While making your booking, ensure that you check your ships name so that you do not select the wrong port on the correct date.

From Cobh - When you disembark from the ship - Immediately turn right heading for the gates - You will find our "Butlers Shore Team" here.

Our buses are parked around the corner - This i less than a 2 minute walk approx. from your ship

See pic below which shows where our buses are parked in relation to your ship in Cobh.

From Ringaskiddy - Follow instructions by ship crew or Port staff but generally you will turn to your left on disembarkation and we will be 1 minute away from you.

Watch out for our staff at the port gates in their Butlers Shore Tours uniform.

The walking distance from your ship to your bus is approximately 2 minutes - it is important to be early as we leave on time

If you miss your bus, you will not receive a refund/compensation, partial or otherwise.

Sometimes there are customs checks but our experience is that our passengers who arrive at their meeting location well before their appointed customs time normally will have no problem getting to their bus in plenty of time.

No - Seats are allocated on a first come - first served basis

To get your prefered place on the bus - be sure to arrive early!

Note: You cannot not switch seats during the tour unless you have the express co-operation of your fellow passengers.

If you are not seated with your family/friends, lets us know and we will do our best to help if at all possible.

Yes, but you will need to get to your bus early as seats are assigned on a first come - first served basis.

All admission fees are included.

Meals or refreshments are NOT included in your tour price.

Note: If for whatever reason you do not visit an attraction, you will not be entitled to a refund, partial or otherwise.

Blarney Castle and Kinsale is up to 2 hours each.

Jameson Distillery Midleton is 2 hours.

Charles Fort iss about 15 minutes

Note: If your time in port is shorter, we will need to shorten the free time and/or modify the itinerary to ensure you back at your ship at least one hour before sailing.

This is something we take very seriously.

See more details

Yes, it is customary to tip your driver/guide for a job well done.

A guideline amount iss 5.00 Euro per person

Most issues can be resolved quickly so please contact us via your guide or direct with our office and we will always endeavor to give you a speedy resolution.

For complaints, please contact us in writing by email or post.

See our contact details.

We continuously strive to improve our service and will take any complaints very seriously.

You can be assured of a quick and comprehensive response should you have any complaints.

Shore tours are unique in that there is no margin for error on the return time. Please be assured that we take your sailing time even more seriously than you do and always plan to have you back to your ship at least one hour before sailing.

We have a very modern fleet of high end vehicles that are maintained rigorously which minimises the risk of a breakdown.

In the unlikely event that we do have a breakdown, we will stop at nothing to get you back to your ship in good time for your sailing.

In the event of an accident or road block, our extensive local knowledge will help considerably to work around this.

We always plan in some redundant time to cover unforeseen events plus we can alter our itinerary in a moments notice if needs be.

Please Contact our office and we will always do our very best to locate your property.

Any lost property that has been found by our staff will be stored at our depot in Carrigtohill Industrial Estate, Carrigtohill Co. Cork, Ireland, T45 A896 for a maximum of 3 months.

It may be collected from here, by prior arrangement (normally by courier), between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday.

Unfortunately due to security reasons we are unable to forward any lost property found on board our vehicles.

No - We have trialled wifi on our buses but despite claims, found that the quality is simply not good enough just yet in Ireland.

However, The restaurant in Blarney Woolen Mills has excellent free wifi.

Yes, we have a range of seats:

- 0 to 3 years is 20.00 Euro

- 4 to 11 years is 15.00 Euro

Contact us for more details.

Yes we can!

Rent a wheelchair for 35.00 Euro.

Contact us for more details.