But many first-time cruisers book their trip then wonder whether they should sign up for the shore excursions offered by the cruise line.
These trips can easily add hundreds of dollars to the final cost of a holiday so it’s best to do some homework before deciding when to sign on for a group tour and when to just get off the ship and tour independently.
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It’s not a case of right or wrong. In addition to the cost, it really comes down to what type of traveller you are.
Organized shore excursions are a complete no brainer. Every detail — right down to bathroom breaks, free time and, sometimes, meals — is taken care of. Passengers just have book the tour, pay the money, then show up at the designated time and place.
The group is usually accompanied by an escort from the ship and a local guide, who will provide you with background on the wonderful sights you are seeing. These helpful people will also make sure you don’t wander off and miss the ship’s departure. If the tour runs late, the ships waits. If you get lost on your own, the ship sails to the next port and you have to figure out how to rejoing the cruise at your own expense.
In general, these excursions might be good for people who don’t feel confident striking off on their own, panic at the thought of having to communicate in a foreign language or have no sense of direction.
But if you are a confident traveller and the thought of being shepherded around in a large group makes you bristle, you will be much happier just setting off on your own. This is particularly true in most Western European cities and towns, where everything is close together, public transit is excellent and cafes are easy to find. Sleepy small towns — such as those in the Greek islands or in the Caribbean and other places are also pretty easy to navigate.
Here are a few other things to consider:
— If you are thinking about taking an organized excursion, carefully read the tour descriptions before you sail and set a budget. These contain important information about the tour such as the activity level and the conditions you will encounter. Translation: If you are a fit, high energy person, avoid the “panoramic” tours, which are usually bus trips targeted at seniors or those with mobility issues. On the other hand, if you have a health issue or are a fulltime couch potato, perhaps you should pass on the strenuous hike up rocky Mt. Etna.
— As a general rule, avoid trips that involve a lot of travel time. For instance, during a port call in Rostock, Germany, a 12-hour excursion to Berlin
included seven hours of train travel and an additional hour getting to and from the station. I opted for a tour of two closer towns instead.
However, on a Celebrity cruise that visited St. Petersburg, Russia, for two nights, I did take the 16-hour excursion to Moscow, which involved a lot of
travel time and some expense. I reasoned it would probably be many years before I returned to Russia and seeing Red Square, the Kremlin and the KGB Museum
were definitely worth it. The only down side was it left only one day to tour the also-wonderful St. Petersburg.
— Sometimes a shore excursion is a better way to visit an attraction that might otherwise require you spend a lot of time lining up. Often cruise lines have arrangements with major museums and attractions that give tour groups priority access. And enormous museums, such as the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, are best seen with a guide who will maximize your visit by showing you a representative sampling of its treasures.
— A shore excursion can also be a better way to tour remote areas, such as Patagonia, where the sights you want to see may be some distance from the ship, and taxis and buses aren’t plentiful or frequent.
— Don’t feel compelled to take a tour in every port. In many ports, it’s easy to tour independently. Ships often dock close to the town centre or arrangements have bee made for a low cost passenger shuttle between the port and the ship. Many cruise lines also provide detailed information and maps for passengers who plan to head off on their own.
On a Mediterranean sailing aboard Carnival Freedom, cruise director John Heald gave excellent information for indepently touring every port including tips for using vaporettos (public water taxis) in Venice, how to reach Rome on the local train (about $10), typical taxi fares to attractions, and great inexpensive places to eat.
— If you can afford it, go ahead and splurge on a “must do” outing. A helicopter tour of four glaciers during a Holland America Alaska cruise was pricey but it is one of my best cruise memories. Landing on the glacier then getting out and walking around on the blue ice was magic.
Another standout from a Princess cruise to Alaska was taking the Gold Rush-era White Pass and Yukon Route Railway from Skagway to the White Pass summit.
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