Heidi BucoloOnce you have booked your ideal cruise vacation and all the associated onboard experiences, your next step is to decide what to do when you are off the ship. With so many options, first time cruisers might be a bit overwhelmed. To help with the planning process, we have put together our expert tips for booking the perfect shore excursions.
Expert Tips to Book Shore Excursions
What is a Shore Excursion?
If you are new to cruising, you may not know the lingo. The term “shore excursion” can refer to any number of different activities that occur at each port of call. Cruise shore excursions occur off the ship and are completed during the hours you are docked at the port.
Unless you are booked on a luxury cruise line, shore excursions are not covered in your cruise fare. You will have to pay extra for experiencing these destinations. So, we always recommend reserving a portion of your travel budget for cruise shore excursions.
Do You Want to Book Shore Excursions in Port?
Just because your cruise ship is stopping at a port doesn’t mean that you need to purchase a shore excursion. While a few regions of the world do have specific visa requirements to leave the ship, you are allowed to freely walk off the ship in nearly all cruise ports of call.
You could explore the port on your own, head to a local restaurant or bar, or grab a taxi to the beach. Perhaps, you might even decide to stay on the ship. While your cruise ship will visit many exciting destinations, maybe you have no desire to visit a certain port. Or, you have visited so many times before that you decide to skip getting off the ship this time around. There are several advantages to staying on the ship while in port.
Where Do You Find Shore Excursion Suggestions?
Each cruise line has its own list of shore excursion options with provided descriptions and usually customer ratings. You can take comfort in knowing that these shore excursion vendors are vetted by the cruise line. Further, the list of offerings may change from time to time based on cruisers’ feedback.
If you are looking for suggestions on the most popular activities in each port of call, there are several cruise blogs and vlogs out there that offer shore excursion reviews. You can also find feedback from travelers on sites like TripAdvisor, Cruise Critic, or Facebook groups. Odds are there is someone out there who has taken the exact shore excursion that you are considering and has posted their thoughts online about it.
What Type of Shore Excursion Do You Want to Book?
There are endless shore excursion options. First, you will need to decide what type of activity you want to book. Are you looking for an all-inclusive beach break or a relaxing day ashore? If this is your first time visiting a port of call, you might want to book a sightseeing tour. These tours usually make quick stops at all the popular attractions, with just enough time for photos and a bit of information. These excursions are usually bus tours or walking tours.
If you are the adventurous type, then you will want to catch your latest thrill. From zip-lining, ATVs, and horseback riding to hiking in a rainforest, up a volcano, or on a glacier, there are plenty of activities for thrill-seekers like ourselves to enjoy in every port of call.
If you are looking for something a bit less touristy, many cruise lines offer cultural immersion shore excursions. These tours will get you closer to the people, culture, and authentic cuisine of the region you are visiting. Some premium cruise lines even offer privileged access to popular attractions where you can go during off-hours or to areas that are normally off-limits to the general public.
Consider your preferences and limitations
When looking through shore excursions trying to figure out which one to choose, there are some further factors you’ll want to keep in mind.
First, consider how much of the tour you want to be guided and in a group, and how much time you want to wander around on your own at various points of interest. Reading past guest’s reviews of a particular excursion is a great way to get a feel for how much time you’ll have on your own. Evaluate whether you want to be guided every step of the way or whether you want a more “hands-off” tour that mostly just transports you from spot to spot. If you want the latter, find tours that have something along the lines of “on your own” in the description.
Another factor to think about is the activity level that you’re able to partake in/are comfortable with. Many walking tours or hiking excursions can include lots of uneven terrain and elevation changes that may be difficult for those with mobility issues. Some excursions feature focal point destinations that may not be accessible for those with walkers or wheelchairs. Or maybe you have a health condition that prevents you from partaking in a long bicycling or kayaking tour. The good news is that tours are usually labeled with an “activity level” and have clear descriptions so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
How Long Do You Want to Be in Port?
When planning shore excursions, you need to keep in mind how long your ship will be docked at each destination. Usually, you are at a port for anywhere from 8 to 10 hours, though this does vary by itinerary. So, be sure to check your ship’s specific arrival and departure times for each port of call.
Once you know how long your ship will be in port, you will need to determine how long you want to be off the ship and how much of that time you want to allocate to a cruise shore excursion. Some tours will last only a few hours with multiple morning and afternoon booking times, while others can last almost the entire time the ship is in port.
If you want some free time to walk around on your own later, then pick your shore excursion accordingly. If you do book a full day shore excursion, it is up to you to make it back to the pier in time.
With that being said, if you book the tour with the cruise line, you are guaranteed that the ship will wait for you — even if your excursion group gets caught in traffic and is late getting back.
How Much Money Do You Want to Spend on Shore Excursions?
Cruise shore excursions can have a wide range of pricing depending on the type of tour and the port of call. Excursions like beach breaks and city tours tend to cost $100 or less per person, while adventure tours and unique experiences can cost quite a bit more. We have spent up to $500 to $600 per person on some shore excursions, like our helicopter ride over the volcanoes in Hawaii. Private tours can even come close to $1,000 a person for exclusive access and VIP treatment.
The cruise region can also have an impact on the prices of shore excursions. For example, Alaska and the Mediterranean tend to have cruise shore excursions that are more expensive than those in the Caribbean and Bahamas.
When pricing out a cruise, we usually plan to allocate about $100 per person, per port of call for cruise excursions. Again, this is an average, as some ports you may spend very little, while other ports you may splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime tour. Or, you may just decide not to book an excursion at all in some ports.
Who Should You Book Your Shore Excursions With?
When booking a shore excursion for your upcoming cruise, you basically have three options. Each option has its pros and cons. We always explore all avenues to find the right tour for our particular cruise.
Directly with the Cruise Line
The easiest way to arrange for cruise excursions is to book them directly with your cruise line. Once you have a deposit on a cruise, most lines allow you to book shore excursions through their website’s online cruise planner.
When booking directly with the cruise line, you can usually cancel the tour up to 24 to 48 hours before the departure time and receive a full refund. Also, you are guaranteed to get back to the ship on time when you book with the cruise line. If your tour is delayed for any reason, the ship will wait for you.
However, this convenience comes at a price, as these shore excursions do tend to be a bit more expensive.
Third Party Vendor
Your second option to book shore excursions is a third-party vendor. Several sites now exist that allow you to purchase shore excursions outside of the cruise lines, such as Viator or Shore Excursions Group. These companies usually offer similar tours at often discounted rates. The other benefit is that these tours are sometimes limited to smaller groups as opposed to the large tour buses that cruise lines often use.
If you are looking for a beach break, Resort for a Day is another great option that offers day passes to popular resort hotels.
These third-party operators will also often guarantee that you will not miss your ship or pay for travel arrangements to get you to the next port of call in the unlikely event that you do. They will usually also refund your money if your ship misses the port of call for any reason.
Local Tour Operator
Lastly, you could opt to book a cruise excursion directly with a local tour operator. Given the wealth of online information, it is pretty easy to find local companies that come highly recommended from other cruisers. During a trip to the ABC islands, we booked all of our tours with local vendors and had an excellent experience with each one.
However, you will not have any protection from the cruise company or the third-party vendor with this route. Each tour operator has his/her own policies when it comes to cancellations, payment methods, and guarantees on getting you back to the ship on time. So, do be sure to find out all the details before booking.
Pricing can also vary. Some of these operators offer more unique experiences at lower costs. Not all direct bookings will save you money though. If the tour promises unique access or small group/private tours, they will likely be pricey. However, the ability to customize the experience might be worth the cost to some.
When Should You Book Your Shore Excursions?
While technically you can book your shore excursions at any time, we recommend booking early. Popular tours and activities do sell out.
At any time after you make a deposit on your cruise, you will have access to the online planner. Here, you can begin to research, plan, and book your cruise excursions.
If you have booked your cruise well in advance, you may want to wait and see if the cruise line will run any promotions that include discounts on shore excursions. Of course, there is always the possibility that the tour could sell out in the meantime. Full payment will be required for the excursion when booking.
If you choose to book with third party vendors or local providers, we would also recommend researching and booking as soon as you have your cruise booked. Again, many of these tours tend to be limited to fewer people, so they can sell out quickly. Third-party companies will usually require full payment when booking. Local companies can vary from full payment due at booking, to a deposit to reserve your spot, to full payment due in cash the day of the tour.
Should You Book an Excursion in Every Port?
While you certainly can book an excursion in every port of call, you should be mindful of travel fatigue. There are a few things to consider when deciding if you should book an excursion in every port of call.
- What is the length of your cruise and how many ports will you visit?
- How does your itinerary have port of calls and sea days arranged during the course of the cruise?
- How long are your days in port?
- Is there an excursion that really piques your interest in every port?
Generally speaking, we don’t book more than three excursions on a typical seven-day cruise. We also tend to off-set a long, adventurous tour with a shorter, more relaxing tour. If we are familiar with a port of call, we also might just get off the ship to walk around on our own for a few hours. If we have visited the port several times before, we might decide to just skip the port all together and relax on the ship.
Ultimately, the decision is completely up to you! Just make sure you are giving yourself time to relax and enjoy your vacation.
Why Should You Book a Shore Excursion?
Shore excursions give cruisers the opportunity to maximize their time ashore while eliminating some of the legwork of planning (tickets, transportation, etc.) for a DIY tour.
These tours are usually designed to highlight the best attractions that the area has to offer. Further, they have likely been modified over time based on previous customers’ feedback to give you the best experience possible.
These tours are also usually led by locals who can provide some first-hand knowledge and insight into the history, culture, and folklore of the landmarks in addition to just the information that you can read on a sign or in a guidebook. We always prefer a guided tour over a self-guided tour for this very reason.
Over the years, we have heard many personal accounts that have given us great appreciation for the destination and its people.
What’s Included on a Shore Excursion?
What’s included in your shore excursion will vary based on the tour you book. At minimum, transportation and a tour guide is usually included. Most excursions will also include admission to the places you visit and use of whatever equipment is necessary for the tour, unless otherwise specified in the description.
Many tours will also include a complimentary bottle of water or alcoholic drink (beer, rum punch, etc.). Some even include lunch. Keep in mind that while some tours provide a lunch stop, the meal itself might be at your own expense.
Items that are not included are often food and drinks, any professional-type photos taken during the tour, and gratuities. We always have cash on hand to tip our bus drivers and tour guides for providing us a wonderful day ashore.
Transportation to and from the cruise port itself might also not be included. Often times, local tour operators will provide walking instructions from the cruise ship to a meeting point. Or, the instructions will indicate that a taxi is required to reach the meeting point. However, most excursions do depart right from the cruise port area.
So, be sure to always read the tour’s description in its entirety before booking.
What Should You Pack for Your Shore Excursion?
What you pack to go ashore for your excursion is obviously dependent on your destination and the type of shore excursion that you have booked. You will certainly want to have some cash on hand to tip guides, purchase food and drinks, and/or buy souvenirs. Keep in mind that you may want to carry cash in the local currency. While most ports in the Caribbean do accept U.S. dollars, that isn’t necessarily the case for regions such as Europe.
For many excursions, you will want to pack your smartphone, camera, action camera, and/or binoculars to capture all the fun. It’s also a good idea to pack a raincoat or poncho if the weather forecast looks iffy, as you don’t want to be caught in a rainstorm unprepared.
If you are visiting a warmer destination, be sure to pack sunglasses and sunscreen. If you are visiting a cooler climate, pack layers in case it gets warmer or colder as the day progresses. Consider the level of walking involved in your tour and be sure to pack the appropriate footwear. Also, be sure to read the tour’s description as it might specify to pack a change of clothes, bathing suit, or towel.
Of course, you will always want to have your ship card, photo identification, and plenty of water packed when going ashore for the day as well.
Can You Book More Than One Shore Excursion in a Day?
Again, whether you can book more than one shore excursion in a day will be dependent on a few factors. It will depend on how long your ship is docked at port. It will also depend on the length of the shore excursions you are considering. Further, it will depend on just how busy of a day that you want.
If you are willing to go from the arrival time to the departure time of your ship, then it is possible to book a morning tour and an afternoon/evening tour. Given that different excursions can have different meeting points and drop off points, we recommend that you give yourself at least an hour between tours.
It is also a good idea to let your morning tour guide know that you have an afternoon tour booked, as tours can often run late due to a number of factors. Sometimes the guides let you stay at that beach a little longer and sometimes there is just a lot of traffic.
Typically, we do not book two shore excursions in one day as it can be a bit hectic. The exceptions would be if we happen to be in port for 12+ hours or if the ship is staying overnight. This would generally give enough time to head back to the ship for a few hours in between tours.
Enjoy!
Now that you know our expert tips for booking the perfect shore excursions, you can make the most of your time at ports of call. By mixing and matching different types of shore excursions, at various price points, and with various vendors, you can get the most customized and immersive experience during your cruise vacation.
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