Escorted tours in ports of call cost extra, but they are often the best way to get a nutshell view of a destination and make the most efficient use of your limited time ashore.
Shore excursions used to be limited to rather cheesy city tours, but today’s excursions are extraordinarily varied, from crocodile hunting in the Amazon to kayaking in Alaska, and from elephant riding in Thailand, to flying over Moscow in a MiG jet. Most offer good value, but it’s easy to spend more on shore excursions than on buying the cruise.
Shore excursions are offered by cruise lines in order to enhance a destination visit. Booking with a cruise line avoids the hassle of arranging your own excursions, and you’ll be covered by the cruise line’s insurance just in case things do go wrong. General city tours are designed to give you an overview and show you the highlights in a limited time period – typically about 3 hours. Other excursions provide a mind-boggling array of possibilities, including some that may be exclusive to a particular cruise line – even overland tours are part of the excursions available on longer cruises.
Not all tours are by bus. Some may be by bicycle, boat, car, or mini-van. Some cruise lines also offer private, tailor-made excursions to suit you, a family, or small group. A private car, with a tour guide who speaks your language, for example, may be a good way for a family to get to know a foreign destination.
To get the most out of your shore visits, doing a little research – particularly if you are visiting foreign countries – will pay dividends. Once on board, attend the shore-excursion lectures, or watch destination and shore-excursion videos on the television in your cabin.
Once your ship reaches a destination, it must be cleared by local officials before you are free to go ashore. In most ports, this is accomplished speedily. Meanwhile, you may be asked to assemble for your organized tours in one of the ship’s public rooms. You’ll need to carry the ship’s identification card with you, to be checked at the gangway, and for when you re-board. Remember to take the ship’s telephone number with you, in case of emergencies.
Playing with stingrays in Nassau.
NCL/Susan Seubert
How tiring are excursions?
Most tours will involve some walking; some require extensive walking. Most cruise lines grade their excursions with visual symbols to indicate the level of difficulty, for example in terms of fitness required.
How expensive are they?
For an average three-hour city sightseeing tour, expect to pay $40–100, and for whole-day excursions with lunch, $100–250. Flightseeing or seaplane sightseeing tours will cost $250–350, depending on the location, what is included, and how long they last – the flightseeing itself typically lasts about 30–45 minutes.
A ticket to ride
Many companies with large resort ships charge extra for shuttle buses to take you from the port or other docking area to a local city or town center. The port with the highest charge is Venice, Italy, where the transport is by motorboat between the cruise terminals and St. Mark’s Square.
What should I take with me?
Only what’s necessary; leave any valuables aboard ship, together with any money and credit cards you do not plan to use. Groups of people are often targets for pickpockets in some sightseeing destinations. Also, beware of excursion guides who give you a colored disk to wear for ‘identification’ – they may be marking you as a ‘rich’ tourist for local shopkeepers. It’s always prudent to wear comfortable rubber-soled shoes, particularly in older ports, where there may be cobblestones or other uneven surfaces.
How can I make a booking?
Several cruise lines allow you to book shore excursions online before you cruise, which means that some popular excursions may sell out before you even get to your ship. So book early.
If you need to cancel a shore excursion, you usually need to do so at least 24 hours before its advertised departure time. Otherwise, refunds are at the discretion of the cruise line, and refunds of pre-paid tickets booked online can take a long time to make and can incur currency-exchange losses.
Shopping excursion with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Norwegian Cruise Lines
How to tell which excursions are good?
If it’s your first cruise, try to attend the shore-excursion briefing. Read the excursion literature and circle tours that appeal to you, then go to the shore-excursion office and ask any other questions you may have before you book.
Shore excursions are designed for general interest. If you want to see something that isn’t described in the excursion literature, skip the excursion. Go on your own or with friends.
Brochure descriptions of shore excursions, often written by personnel who haven’t visited the ports of call, can be imprecise. All cruise lines should adopt the following definitions in their descriptive literature, lectures, and presentations: the term ‘visit’ should mean actually entering the place or building concerned; the term ‘see’ should mean viewing from the outside – as from a bus, for example.
City excursions are basically superficial. To get to know a city intimately, go alone or with a small group. Go by taxi or bus, or explore on foot.
If you don’t want to miss the main sightseeing attractions in each port, organized shore excursions provide a good solution. They also allow you to meet fellow passengers with similar interests.
In the Caribbean, many sightseeing tours cover the same ground, regardless of the cruise line you sail with. Choose one and then do something different in the next port. The same is true of the history and archaeology excursions in the Greek islands, where the same ancient gods put in frequent appearances.
What if I lose my ticket?
Report lost or misplaced tickets to the shore excursion manager. Aboard most ships, excursion tickets, once sold, become the sole responsibility of the buyer, and the cruise line isn’t generally able to issue replacements.
Are there private excursions?
Most cruise line-organized excursions work on the ‘one-size-fits-all’ principle. However, a more personalized alternative exists for anyone looking for privately guided tours and land experiences. Tailor-made ‘build-your-own’ excursions, arranged by a ‘travel concierge,’ provide private tours of a destination and its environs. These could include lunch or dinner in a hard-to-book top-class restaurant, a visit to a private museum, or other bespoke requirements for small groups.
The right transportation and private guide will be arranged, and all arrangements taken care of – at a cost, of course. A cruise line destination ‘expert’ will plan an excursion, arrange the right transportation, and attend to all the other details that make the experience more personal. It’s all about exclusivity – at a price.
White-water rafting in Costa Rica.
Sea Dream Yacht Club
Going ashore independently – and safely
The main advantage of going independently is that you do so at your own pace and see the sights you want to see. If you hire a taxi for sightseeing, negotiate the price in advance, and don’t pay until you get back to the ship or to your destination. If you are with friends, hiring a taxi for a full- or half-day sightseeing trip can often work out far cheaper than renting a car – and it’s probably safer and more relaxing. Try to find a driver who speaks your language.
Exploring independently is straightforward in the major cruise ports of the Aegean, Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, and the South Pacific’s islands. If you don’t speak the local language, carry some identification (but not your actual passport, unless required – keep a photocopy with you instead), the name of your ship (and its telephone number, for emergencies), and the area in which it is docked. If the ship is anchored, and you take a launch tender ashore, observe landmarks near the landing place, and write down the location – or take a photo. This will help if you get lost and need to take a taxi back to the launch.
Some small ships provide an identification tag or boarding pass at the reception desk, to be handed in each time you return to the ship. Remember that ships have schedules – and sometimes tides – to meet, and they won’t wait for you if you return late. If you are in a launch port and severe weather approaches, the ship’s captain could make a decision to depart early to avoid being hemmed in by an approaching storm. Although this is rare, it has happened, especially in the Caribbean. If it does, in the port, locate the ship’s agent, who will try to get you back on board.
Planning on going to a quiet, secluded beach to swim? First check with the shore excursion manager, as certain beaches may be considered off-limits because of a dangerous undertow, drug pushers, or persistent hawkers. And don’t even think of going diving alone – even if you know the area well.
If you explore independently and need medical help, you could risk missing the ship when it sails. Unless the destination is a familiar one, first-time cruisers are probably safer booking excursions organized by the ship and vetted by the cruise line. Also, if you have a problem during a tour, the cruise line should be able to sort it out on the spot.
The main downside of going it alone is the possibility of delay. If there is a problem with your chosen mode of transport, you could miss the ship as a result. In such a case (it does happen), you are responsible for getting to the ship. This may not be easy if the next port of call is in another country, and you don’t have your passport. You should also be aware that cruise lines do change itineraries occasionally, due to weather, or political or other factors. If you book your own tours, and it’s a tender port where the ship has to remain at anchor offshore, you may need to wait until passengers on the ship’s organized tours have been offloaded. This can take two or more hours aboard some of the large resort ships.
Allow plenty of time to get back to your ship before sailing time – the ship won’t wait. Make sure your travel insurance covers you fully.
10 destination niggles
These destinations are lovely places, but watch out for the following nuisances.
1. Cagliari, Italy. Poor beaches and staggeringly overpriced shops.
2. Grenada. Intrusive hawkers on Grand Anse and other beaches.
3. Gibraltar. The rock’s fine, but that’s it – there’s nothing else other than duty-free liquor, and some Barbary apes.
4. Naples, Italy. Trying to cross the road from the cruise terminals to town can be a nail-biting experience.
5. Cannes, France. There can be dog muck all over the sidewalks, so tread warily!
6. Portofino, Italy. Several ships disgorging passengers onto the skinniest strip of land in summer.
7. St. Maarten. When six large resort ships are docked at the same time.
8. Ensenada, Mexico. The poor area surrounding the cruise ship docking area.
9. Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Constant hustling to get you to buy something, and the general unsafe feeling.
10. Juneau, Alaska. The tacky souvenir shops are simply overwhelming.
Shopping aboard
Many ships have designer brands (clothing items, cosmetics, perfume, watches) on board at duty-free prices, so you don’t need to spend time shopping ashore. Some ships have private rooms where you can view expensive jewelry or watches in private. Onboard shops are closed while the ship is in port, however, due to international customs regulations. Good discounts are often offered on the last day of the cruise.
Shopping in the center of Fort de France, Martinique.
Getty Images
Shopping ashore
Aboard ship, a ‘shopping lecturer’ will give a presentation about shopping in the various ports of call. Many cruise lines operating in Alaska, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and the Mexican Riviera engage an outside company that provides the services of a shopping lecturer. Most talks are about designer jewelry and watches – high-ticket items that boost commissions to cruise lines. The shopping lecturers’ heavily promote selected shops, goods, and services, authorized by the cruise line, which receives a commission. Shopping maps, with selected stores highlighted, are usually placed in your cabin, and sometimes include a guarantee of satisfaction valid for 30 days.
During organized shore excursions, be wary of stores recommended by tour guides – they may be receiving commissions from the merchants. Shop around before you purchase. When buying local handicrafts, make sure they have indeed been made locally. Be wary of ‘bargain-priced’ name brands, as they may be counterfeit. For watches, check the guarantee.
Some of the world’s shopping havens put serious temptation in the way of cruise passengers. Top of the list are Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai (especially in the Mall of the Emirates – a shopping resort rather than a mall – and the Dubai Mall, with over 1,200 shops, including the only Bloomingdale’s outside the US).
33 destination excursions to experience
1. Icy Straight Point, Alaska: Take a trip on the world’s longest zipline. With a 1,320ft (402m) vertical drop, the ZipRider transports participants from mountain peak to harbor-side beach at 60mph (97kph).
2. Juneau, Alaska: A flightseeing trip to Mendenhall Glacier, plus an Alaska salmon bake.
3. Skagway, Alaska: The historic White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad train tour.
4. Grand Cayman, The Caribbean: Snorkeling with the stingrays at Stingray City.
5. Jamaica, The Caribbean: Horseback riding on the beach at Montego Bay or Ocho Rios.
6. St. Maarten, The Caribbean: Join the America’s Cup Regatta adventure tour and compete in an actual yacht race.
7. Cozumel, Mexico: Children will enjoy a personal dolphin encounter at the Cabo Dolphin Center.
8. Dublin, Ireland: Visit the original Guinness brewery.
9. Edinburgh, Scotland: Take a whisky distillery tour.
10. London, England: Join the London by Night tour. This includes a West End musical or play.
11. Naples, Italy: Take the boat tour to the island of Capri to visit the famous Blue Grotto cave.
12. Nice, France: Enjoy this elegant city, plus the Corniche and the medieval hilltop village of Eze.
13. Palma de Mallorca: Tour the former Carthusian monastery of Valldemossa. Frédéric Chopin and George Sand lived here in 1838.
14. Rome, Italy: Visit the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
15. Sorrento, Italy: Visit to the ruins of Pompeii, plus the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento.
16. Venice, Italy: Take a romantic trip on a gondola.
17. Reykjavík, Iceland: Take the Ring of Fire tour of the warm geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon and visit an active volcano.
18. St. Petersburg, Russia: Sign up for a guided walking tour through the Hermitage Museum, or an excursion to the Catherine Palace, summer residence of the tsars.
19. La Coruña, Spain: Pay homage in the city of Santiago de Compostela, home to the shrine of St. James.
20. Aqaba, Jordan: Tour to the ‘Rose-Red City’ of Petra.
21. Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Take a 4x4 Dune Drive Safari Tour.
22. Mumbai, India: Go on a Buddhist Trail tour to the Kanheri Caves.
23. Hilo, Hawaii: Marvel at the Kilauea Volcano tour in Volcanoes National Park.
24. Key West, USA: Take the Conch Train Tour in Ernest Hemingway’s favorite town.
25. Hamilton Island, Australia: Cruise/tour the Great Barrier Reef.
26. Melbourne, Australia: Brave the shark diving in the aquarium tour on the banks of the Yarra River.
27. Singapore: Take the Night Safari tour.
28. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Visit the Petronas Twin Towers and the city’s vibrant night markets.
29. Buenos Aires: Take the Steak and Tango night tour.
30. Ushuaia, Argentina: Ride world’s southernmost train.
31. Cape Town, South Africa: Tour of Cape Town and Table Top Mountain.
32. Mombasa, Kenya: Tour of Tsavo National Park, one of Kenya’s oldest game parks.
33. Chiang Mai, Thailand: Elephant jungle tour, where you will ride on and bathe these extraordinary animals, and swimming at Mork Fa Waterfall.
Shopping tips
Know in advance just what you are looking for, especially if your time is limited; when time is no problem, browsing can be fun.
When shopping time is included in an excursion, be wary of stores repeatedly recommended by tour guides, as they may be receiving commissions from the merchants.
When shopping for local handicrafts, make sure they have indeed been made locally. It can happen that a so-called local product has in fact been made in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or another Far Eastern country. It pays to check.
Be wary of ‘bargain-priced’ name brands such as Gucci bags and Rolex or Omega watches – they are probably counterfeit. Check the serial numbers to see whether they are genuine or not. For watches, check the guarantee.