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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. Yes, after you make the final payment on your cruise, you can pre-book your shore excursions directly with the cruise line or online with iCruise.com. ICruise.com offers many of the same shore excursions offered by the cruise lines, but at reduced prices.
How much do shore excursions cost?
Simply peruse the docks and the surrounding area for a vendor offering this service on the cheap, make sure it fits your cruise ship's schedule, and enjoy. With a little extra on-shore footwork, finding your own tour operator can save you up to 100 dollars, or more, per couple. Cruise Critic spoke with Melissa Witsoe, a product manager for Windstar, whose job it is to shape one-of-a-kind shore tours in the Mediterranean and Asia.
Book small-group tours early and cancel later.
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 explore Europe’s ancient cities, every arch and alleyway tells a story. In Sicily, you can bike across the rim of Mount Etna, which the ancient Greeks believed was home to the legendary Cyclops. In Spain, learn how to prepare tapas like a true Malagan, then savor every single bite. And venture deeper into nature — literally — as you explore the magnificent Lipa Cave in Montenegro. No matter where your journey takes you, these experiences will make every moment memorable.
Boutique-Style Tours:
If you've booked independently, be sure to ask your provider where you should meet. If you're not meeting in the immediate port area, find out in advance the best way to get to where you need to be. Shore excursions can be booked online via your cruise line's website or over the phone prior to embarkation, directly with your cruise line or your travel agent. You can also wait until you're onboard and visit your ship's shore excursions desk, where someone can assist you with choosing a tour that's appropriate for your interests, level of physical ability and budget.
Ship-Sponsored Shore Excursions vs. Private Independent Excursions:
If the credit is not fully utilized during the cruise, the balance will be paid to that passenger by the ship's Purser at the end of the voyage. If cancellation occurs onboard after the cancellation deadline for specific shore excursions, a 100% cancellation fee will apply. The ship's shore excursions office will be able to advise you of the cancellation deadline applicable to each tour. Optional shore excursions during the land portion of a Land & Sea Journey are non-refundable within 3 days of your Land & Sea Journey departure date. Group shore excursions cancelled within three days prior to embarkation (sail) date are nonrefundable.
Destinations & Ports
Our family-friendly shore excursions give you new ways to discover destinations together. Sometimes you also need an expert guide, such as in Pompeii, to know what you're seeing. Cruise shore excursion prices vary widely depending on the cost of living in the cruise destination, what type of activity is involved and whether it's a full- or half-day tour. Independent tours, on the other hand, can be cheaper than cruise ship tours. I once saved hundreds of dollars organizing a group to go on an overnight, independently operated excursion to see Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza from Port Said, Egypt; the ship's tours were incredibly marked up. Also, if you have a particular interest, the ship might not offer a tour for the activity or attraction you're excited about.
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All cruise ships offer shore excursions -- guided walking or bus tours that allow you to experience local history, culture and cuisine, as well as activities such as snorkeling, zip-lining and shopping. Some tours are simply transportation to a nearby city or beach, and you can do what you please once there. "The biggest mistake cruisers make when booking tours is incorrectly assessing activity level -- everyone in their head thinks strenuous means different things," says Witsoe. Many cruise lines mark activity levels in shore excursion descriptions, but it's up to travelers to understand the definitions and to be realistic about their own abilities. If you know you have mobility issues, look for the best tours for your needs. For example, Witsoe says, if you're looking at castle tours across several ports and one has an elevator to the top and the others don't, prioritize that tour.
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. I've taken shore excursions around the world, both ship-run and independent, and spent many days in port wandering on my own. Allow me to take you through the basics of cruise shore excursions, so you can learn to have the most fun no matter what your budget is.
Expert guidance. No booking fees.
Most cruise lines allow travelers to book online in advance, but check your cruise line's cancellation policy before booking to determine when (or if) you can cancel a tour and get a full refund. Not all shore excursions are large group bus tours with multiple departures. Boat trips and cycling tours might have caps on the number of participants, and some tour times are more popular than others.
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 plan to book shore excursions through your cruise line, you have a couple of options of how to book them. 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. You should plan to dress accordingly for the destination you are in and the tour you are taking.
Some take up all your time in port, while others are just a few hours of an all-day visit. Choose a full-day tour to see the most you can in one trip or for journeys to destinations outside of the port city. A half-day tour might only focus on one specific itinerary -- a three-hour kayak trip or a highlights tour of a city -- while leaving you with free time to explore the port on your own before or after. If you want the perfect day in port, you need to be savvy about your tour planning.
When a small cruise line like Windstar creates shore excursions, it aims to create an experience it would be difficult or time consuming for the average traveler to research and replicate. "We want people to feel like they paid for expert advice and got what they wanted to see," says Witsoe. Her team works to put together tour itineraries that offer passengers more than what they'd get from hiring a taxi to take them around and spends a lot of time ensuring that tours are safe and operators are top quality. The key to getting the most from your cruise shore excursion is to know what you want and make sure the tour description matches your expectations.
However, if you've planned a day full of water sports, and the sea is looking particularly unfriendly, the tour might be canceled for safety concerns. Outdoor tours usually aren't canceled for rain or weather conditions that would make the activity uncomfortable, as long as the operator deems it safe to go on. If you book in advance, you will prepay for the tour on your credit card; if you book onboard, the cost will be added to your onboard cruise bill. Be sure to check cancellation policies carefully so you don't lose money if you change your mind.
Can you tell the difference between an overcrowded tourist trap and a fabulous site from the shore excursion description? Remember, however, that it's unlikely you'll find yourself in this scenario. Virtually every tour vendor in a given port is keenly aware of ship arrival and departure times.
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