Shore Excursions Tours & Activities

Table Of Content

• Princess Cruises' Ultimate Ship Tour
• Can you buy shore excursions on the ship?
• How to Get the Most From Your Shore Excursion: Pro Tips for Your Tour
• Full vs. Half-Day Tours:
• Cruise Travel Trends: Bookings, Value, & Destinations
• What happens if I've booked a shore excursion for a particular port and the call is canceled?
• Boutique-Style Tours:

What's more, the tour may not include the bridge, so check first if that's your main objective; in these times of heightened security, some lines have stopped all passenger visits to the bridge. Don't expect to hang out in the crew bar or see the crew cabins; some areas are sacred and crew privacy and peace need to be respected. Depending on where you are going and what tours are being offered, there might be a small capacity, meaning that it has the capability of selling out faster. This is also true if you want to book a specific time, as some time frames are more desirable than others. Moreover, it is important to read into the cancellation policy of the provider you are considering booking with. If your ship cannot dock or there is inclement weather that prevents the tour from operating as scheduled, you should know whether you are entitled to a refund or not.

Princess Cruises' Ultimate Ship Tour

Often basic city tours will be included, while more extensive tours and activity excursions are available for an additional charge. The benefits to a cruise line's shore excursions are that they depart from and return to the ship; you don't need to figure out where to meet a guide in a port you've never visited. Better still, should an unexpected problem (traffic, a medical emergency) occur during your outing, the ship will not leave port until all of its own tours have returned. Located 30 minutes away from the cruise port by boat, Pearl Island offers a small, turquoise beach, bar and lunch buffet, lounge chairs, watersports equipment, and more. Cozumel is another of the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean, and we recommend booking a day pass to a beach club while in port. When visiting cruise line private islands, however, there are no local third party vendors.

Can you buy shore excursions on the ship?

Instead of offering just one “best” shore excursion in this Mexican port, we have three, one of which is sure to fit your cruising style. Cunard offers one Behind-the-Scenes tour per voyage on cruises of more than seven days. It takes about three hours to show no more than 16 passengers the workings of a Cunard Queen. Royal Caribbean treats its All Access Tour as an excursion, so you can prebook it online, which is handy since space is limited. The tour is an extensive journey through the backstage areas of the ship, from the galley and the stores to the engine control room, the laundry and the I-95 crew corridor. There's also a bridge visit, subject to security levels, and a gift on completion of the tour.

How to Get the Most From Your Shore Excursion: Pro Tips for Your Tour

Prices can range from as little as $40 per person to hundreds -- or even thousands -- of dollars, depending on what's included or how exclusive the experience is. Looking at Princess Cruises' shore excursions in Grand Cayman, a 2.5-hour stingray swim costs $70 per person, a 5-hour scenic island drive costs $100, and a 4-hour, two-tank scuba dive costs $180. In Juneau, Alaska, a 3-hour tour to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center costs $50 per person. A 3-hour gold panning activity and salmon bake costs $125, while a 2.25-hour tour to take a helicopter ride to the top of the glacier, where you can walk around on the ice for half an hour, costs $420. Not all shore excursions involve busloads of tourists dutifully following flag- or umbrella-waving guides. You will find these types of sightseeing tours, as well as athletic endeavors overseen by dive masters or hike leaders.

If your cruise visits the British Virgin Islands, consider making a day trip to the small island of Jost Van Dyke from Tortola. While on this small island, you can swim and snorkel in a protected cove with extremely soft sand and clear waters. The main industry in St. Kitts used to be sugar cane, and the train was originally built to transport sugar cane around the island. The train rides through the countryside of St. Kitts, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views of the island’s natural landscapes. While most cruises stop in Falmouth, Jamaica as opposed to Ocho Rios, you’ll find that they offer several of the same excursions. Following this cultural insight, visitors travel to Grand Anse Beach, often considered the best beach on the island.

Full vs. Half-Day Tours:

Royal Caribbean’s private destination of Labadee offers more than enough to enjoy without spending anything extra on excursions. However, there are several additional activities to book that can offer a more enhanced experience in port. If you’re looking for a beach day, book a day pass to Maya Chan Beach Resort. This all-inclusive day pass includes transportation, beach beds, all-you-can-eat food, an open bar, use of snorkeling gear and glass bottom kayaks, bathroom facilities, lockers, wifi, and more.

This tour takes guests on a 10-mile bike ride along St. Croix’s coastline, through sugar plantations, and in the port city of Frederiksted. It includes commentary from a local guide, as well, meaning you’ll not only take in the sights, but also the culture and history of this Caribbean island. Instead of choosing one excursion over another, we recommend booking a private tour of the island with Victor Bodden Tours. These tours can be customized to your liking and come at a reasonable price, even for solo travelers. If climbing waterfalls and diving sounds like the exact opposite of a relaxing day in the Caribbean, consider booking a day pass through ResortForADay.com.

What happens if I've booked a shore excursion for a particular port and the call is canceled?

Couple left behind by cruise ship highlights why booking cruise line excursions is important - Cruise Blog

Couple left behind by cruise ship highlights why booking cruise line excursions is important.

Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Most people organize these ahead of time through a tour operator or travel agent. However, in popular cruise ports, there are often representatives waiting at the port or at a tourist office who can book you on same-day tours if space is available. Alternatively, you can wait until you're on the ship and book your excursion in person at the shore excursions desk. You'll be able to ask the staff questions about the tours, and the charges will be added to your final cruise bill. However, you do run the risk that a popular tour might be sold out by the time you're ready to book. While you're free to explore any port on your own, many cruisers opt for organized excursions for their knowledgeable guides, access to restricted locations and unmatched convenience.

It is important to research what is available in each port and to set a budget. If, for instance, your cruise is port intensive, you may have to spend less in each destination. On the other hand, you might be able to splurge a little bit more if you are only stopping in two or three places. Take your adventure underwater and discover a whole world that’s teeming with life. Swim with sea turtles and manta rays, float over vibrant reefs, and explore colorful coral forests on a snorkeling excursion designed to bring you up close with the ocean’s most beautiful natural treasures. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

Arriving in multiple ports you are unfamiliar with and expecting to find the best things to do would be challenging at best and disastrous at worst. In most cases, shore excursions give you access to something that might otherwise be hard to arrange on your own. San Juan, Puerto Rico is a Caribbean cruise port where booking an organized shore excursion isn’t totally necessary. Because you won’t find many cruises visiting Martinique, we recommend making the most of your time on the island through an island tour. Booking an island tour means you can see multiple of the island’s highlights, from beaches to markets and historic ruins, in one day.

A stop for refreshments and canapes and a detailed visit to the bridge, to meet the captain and navigational officers, are also included. Members of Norwegian's loyalty club, Latitudes, who have reached Platinum level and above qualify for a free behind-the-scenes tour as one of their perks, but other cruisers can pay $79 to join a tour. These tours operate once per cruise, so you need to book as soon as you can. It is customary to tip your guide, as well as the driver, at the end of your excursion. While there is no set amount, you should plan on tipping more for full-day excursions.

I use many factors to decide whether to take a ship's tour, book an independent excursion or explore on my own in port. However, if you're a novice traveler, you might want to book ship tours exclusively because they're the simplest, easiest and most convenient options. We recommend booking your shore excursions with either The Cruise Web's third party excursions partner, Shore Excursions Group, or through the cruise line directly. If you've done your research and have decided that you want to do a specific excursion offered on your cruise, think carefully about whether to book in advance or onboard. It's best to book in advance for must-do tours and limited-availability excursions (like almost every excursion on an Alaskan cruise or flightseeing while docked on a cruise to Hawaii). Included at Perfect Day at CocoCay is beach access, food, drinks (juices, water, tea, etc.), beach chairs, umbrellas, Splashaway Bay, Captain’s Jill’s Galleon, Oasis Lagoon pool, and more.

I canvassed TPG's cruise team and we agreed that we give roughly $5 to $10 per person for half-day tours and $10 to $20 per person for full-day excursions, adjusted for service and quality. You can book your tours online in advance, or have your travel agent do it for you. This is the best route if there's a ship's tour you absolutely want to take and you don't want to risk its selling out.