The fun of a cruise is what you do on board and what you do ashore. Cruise lines offer a full schedule of shore excursions so you can make the most of your time in port. However, the process of choosing and booking tours can be overwhelming for new cruisers.
I have been on shore excursions all over the world, both by ship and independently, and have spent many days in port wandering alone. Allow me to walk you through the basics of cruise shore excursions so you can learn how to have the most fun, no matter your budget.
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What is a cruise shore excursion?
A shore excursion is a group tour or activity aimed at cruise travelers who can only spend a limited time at each port they visit on their itinerary.
A shore excursion can be a bus tour, a guided visit to a museum or historic site, a sporting activity (such as a walk, bike ride or snorkeling outing), a day at the beach or a cooking or dancing class. Shore excursions typically highlight the main attractions or culture of the destination you are visiting. Sometimes an excursion will take you to locations within walking distance of your cruise; on other occasions they might take you on a day trip to a nearby town.
Some shore excursions are aimed at families or are easily suitable for children. Some are suitable for passengers with mobility problems or other disabilities. Others may require a minimum fitness level and are not suitable for everyone.
Shore excursions may be sold by your cruise line and arranged with a partner provider. They can also be purchased through independent operators or third-party tour sellers.
Should You Buy Shore Excursions During a Cruise?
In most cases, you don’t need to book a shore excursion to explore a port of call. You can simply leave the ship and walk into town or take a taxi to take you where you want to go.
However, in some destinations, a shore excursion or independently organized tour is strongly encouraged. This may be in places where it is difficult to navigate as a foreigner who does not speak the language or understand the street signs, or where the tourist infrastructure is not yet fully developed.
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Can I book a shore excursion myself instead of through my cruise line?
Yes. I use many factors to decide whether to take a ship tour, book an independent excursion or explore the harbor on my own. However, if you are a novice traveler, you may want to book ship tours exclusively as they are the simplest, easiest, and most convenient options.
The advantages of a cruise line’s shore excursions are that they depart from and return to the ship; you don’t have to figure out where to meet a guide in a port you’ve never visited. Better yet, should an unexpected problem arise during your outing (traffic, a medical emergency), the ship will not leave port until all private tours have returned.
Independent tours, on the other hand, can be cheaper than cruise ship tours. I once saved hundreds of dollars by organizing a group for an overnight, independently organized excursion to Cairo and the Giza Pyramids from Port Said, Egypt; the ship’s voyages were incredibly marked. If you have a particular interest, the ship may not offer a tour for the activity or attraction you are excited about.
Related: Ship-Sponsored vs. Independent Shore Excursions on Cruises: Which Should You Book?
Some third-party operators will tailor a tour for you or your group, allowing you to spend more time in the places you most want to see. Sometimes these tour groups are also smaller than the large cruise ship tours – which can carry 30 to 60 people on a bus – so you can spend less time waiting for everyone.
Finally, some ports are simply beautiful to walk around, pop into shops and local restaurants or bars wherever you like. I’ve skipped tours in places like Key West, Florida; Tallinn, Estonia; Monaco; Nassau, Bahamas; Skagway, Alaska; Geiranger, Norway; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. A map and a guide took me where I wanted to go.
How much do shore excursions cost on a cruise?
Cruise shore excursion prices vary widely depending on the cost of living at the cruise destination, the type of activity involved, and whether it is a full- or half-day tour. Young children often pay a reduced rate for guided tours.
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 dive costs $180. In Juneau, Alaska, a 3-hour tour to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center costs $50 per person. A three-hour gold panning and salmon frying activity costs $125, while a 2.25-hour tour to take a helicopter flight to the top of the glacier, where you can walk around on the ice for half an hour, costs $420.
Some cruise lines, such as Viking and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, include the cost of basic shore excursions in their cruise fares. If you don’t want to do any special tours, you may be able to get all your port activities for free. Other lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, offer travel discounts or shore excursion credits as booking promotions.
Related: 8 Tips for Booking the Best Cruise Shore Excursion for Your Money
What is the best way to book shore excursions?
If you plan to book shore excursions through your cruise line, you have a number of options for booking them.
You can book your trips online in advance, or have this done by your travel agency. This is the best route if there is a ship trip you absolutely want to take and you don’t want to risk it being sold out. Book your tours as soon as they open for reservations. When my parents traveled on a luxury Regent Seven Seas cruise, they said waiting until the next morning to book tours meant some of their choices sold out.
The downside to booking tours in advance is that some cruise lines require you to pay for the tours in full, rather than putting them on your final cruise bill. It means you lose the money up front and it can be difficult to use the onboard credit to cover the costs of excursions booked online.
Related: Avoid these mistakes when booking cruise shore excursions
You can also wait until you are on board and book your excursion in person at the shore excursion desk. You can ask the staff questions about the tours and the cost will be added to your final cruise bill. However, you do run the risk of a popular tour selling out by the time you are ready to book.
The same goes for independent tours. Most people organize these in advance through a tour operator or travel agency. However, in popular cruise ports there are often representatives waiting at the port or at a tourist office who can book you for same-day tours if space is available.
Is it cheaper to book shore excursions on the ship?
No. Most cruise lines charge the same prices for shore excursions booked online and on board, or offer discounts on trips purchased in advance. For example, Royal Caribbean often advertises up to 30% off select trips reserved prior to sailing.
Should I tip on shore excursions?
Whether you’re on a cruise line-sponsored or independent shore excursion, it’s good practice to tip your tour guides at the end of the trip. Exceptions to this are if tips are included in the price or if you are visiting a country where non-tipping is a culture, where offering cash would be difficult.
Related: Ultimate Guide to Tipping on Cruise Ships
Tipping is a personal matter and there are no hard and fast rules. I contacted TPG’s cruise team and we agreed to give approximately $5 to $10 per person for half-day excursions and $10 to $20 per person for full-day excursions, adjusted for service and quality . Tip non-guide drivers about $2 per person in your party.
You’ll probably want to tip more for customized private tours; take into account 5 to 20% of the cost of the tour.
How do I get the most out of my cruise shore excursion?
The key to getting the most out of your cruise shore excursion is to know what you want and make sure the itinerary meets your expectations. I find that the more I cruise, the less I go on ship-sponsored shore excursions because they don’t offer exactly what I want.
For example, if you’re considering a bus tour, make sure you understand how much time you’ll spend on the bus and how much time you’ll spend at the destination or attraction, whether looking at or entering the main attractions. if there is free time to explore. If it is an activity such as snorkeling or a helicopter flight, find out how much time you will spend on transportation and preparation and how much time you will actually spend on the activity.
Make sure you note the fitness level required and don’t try to take on more than you can handle. If you have difficulty with mobility, check if there is a lot of walking on uneven terrain such as cobblestones.
Related: 11 Cruise Ship Excursions to Avoid
If the tour takes place during lunch, check if a meal is included or if you have time to pick up something to eat.
Personally, I find organized tours are best when the excursion is an activity I can’t do alone (such as kayaking, ziplining, or a winery tour); when it comes to long distances where I don’t feel like using public transport or renting a car during a one-day visit; or when the culture is so foreign that independent exploration would be difficult. Sometimes you also need an expert guide, like in Pompeii, to know what you are seeing.
In short
Shore excursions are a great way to make the most of your time in port, but you might get the most from a mix of guided tours and independent explorations. Choose the best option based on your budget and interests, and don’t forget to look at both ship-sponsored and independent tour and activity options. And if you want to stay on board for a day while your ship is in a port that doesn’t interest you, that’s fine too.
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