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If you have your heart set on a particular tour, don't assume it will have space available if you wait to book until you board your cruise ship. Look over the shore excursion options in advance, and be ready to reserve your spot online as soon as they open for booking. If not, you risk losing out on the opportunity to have that cool once-in-a-lifetime experience, such as salmon fishing in Alaska or wagyu sampling in Japan. "We monitor tours for lack of interest, and do everything we can -- including not making money -- to make sure a tour goes because we know that's disappointing for the guest," says Witsoe. Even though a cruise line will do all it can to keep scheduled tours running, sometimes a cancellation is necessary.
How to Get the Most From Your Shore Excursion: Pro Tips for Your Tour
Active tours can include water sports, ziplining, hiking, biking, dog-sledding and more. Activity-based trips might feature a day at the spa or beach, a pleasure cruise on a sailboat, wine or food tasting, a cultural performance or a visit to a museum. Sightseeing excursions are typically bus tours that take passengers to the highlights and shopping areas of the port city or nearby destinations.
If you're on a budget, balance tour and non-tour days.
If you skip this step, you won't realize that the bus tour only passes by, rather than stops at, a famous cathedral or museum. Or, you might miss a note explaining that there's no free time or food included. Make the most of your time in each port with an optional shore excursion.
What are the cancellation policies for shore excursions?
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Especially on port-intensive itineraries, this can lead to excursion burnout. Read what other travelers have to say about a specific excursion or attraction before plunking down your money and signing up for that tour. Some cruise lines have shore excursion reviews right on their websites. Most port towns are bustling with activity as soon as you step off the boat. Kiosks and personnel distributing flyers promote trips at a fraction of the price the cruise line is offering.
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Perhaps, there are operational or weather issues that are beyond the cruise line's control, or maybe the ship is not full and doesn't have enough passengers to meet the minimum participants for certain shore excursions. If you're booking tours, know that they're never guaranteed -- especially if they're more niche tours in smaller ports -- and be prepared with a good attitude and a Plan B. For cruisers deciding whether to spend their vacation dollars on a cruise-sponsored shore tour, the key is to assess the value of the tour and not just its cost. Sure, you could perhaps arrange your own transportation or guide, but could you put together the same compelling package for less money? And, is the time you spend creating your own tour worth it, when you have a tour that was carefully put together by a cruise line's professionals? The answers will help you decide if a ship's excursion is worth booking.
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Located in the panhandle of Alaska and the Gastineau Channel, it is the second-largest city in the United States by area, and a popular destination for cruise ships each summer. Experience each city's must-see landmarks and iconic sites through shore excursions that ensure you check the most important items off your bucket list. If it's an activity, like snorkeling or a helicopter tour, read up on how much time is spent in transit and prep and how much time you will spend actually doing the activity. You can book your tours online in advance, or have your travel agent do it for you.
Generally, you can recover some or all your money if you cancel within a certain window. If you wait too long, though, you'll forfeit the entirety of what you paid. Be sure to check with your particular line or independent tour provider for its refund policy before booking. Some — like St. Tropez or Mykonos — are truly lovely places to wander, get lost in the shop-lined streets and end up at an alfresco restaurant for a long, wine-soaked lunch.
Cruise line tours are convenient, but they're not always the most customizable or economical options. If you're traveling as a family or with a group of friends, you might be better off hiring your own guide for the day. Not only could it be less expensive than five or six shore excursion tickets, but you'll also be able to create a tour based on your interests.
Shore excursions are offered in most cruise ports and highlight the best local attractions, sight-seeing opportunities and high adventure activities. Waiting might be a good idea if you're not inspired by the shore excursions you're seeing on your cruise. Some cruise lines charge penalty fees for canceling shore excursions onboard or within 24 to 48 hours of the port call, so you might want to wait to see how the weather is before booking. You may also get some good word-of-mouth tips on board the ship that change your mind about what tour you'd like to do. Don't forget to come up with a Plan B, in case your desired tour gets canceled or is sold out. Shore excursions are designed for all activitiy levels in almost any mainstream cruise destination.
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. If something went wrong or you feel that you didn't get what you paid for on an excursion you booked through your ship, you can report your concerns to the onboard shore tours desk. There's no guarantee you'll get satisfaction, but at least someone will be made aware of the problem, and it might work out in your favor. If you don't want to forfeit the price of the tour, however, you need to cancel in advance, usually one or two days before that port of call. If you contact the shore excursion desk that morning to say you're not feeling well and want to skip out, you'll still get charged on your final cruise bill.
Toulon is also one of the best places to visit in Provence to experience the region's douceur de vivre (sweet life) and to visit traditional Provençal markets. Tourists can soak up the sunny South of France lifestyle on leisurely seaside strolls, by relaxing at outdoor cafés and basking on the beach. Travel in a private vehicle with your own party and customize if desired. Extending a gratuity to your guide or driver is strictly optional; however, in some countries, these personnel may anticipate that if you were pleased with their services, you will reward them in a monetary way.
It's helpful to join the Roll Call thread for your ship and sail date to "meet" your fellow cruisers and arrange to share tour costs. You can also see what real cruisers thought of their tours by reading shore excursion reviews. Even couples traveling alone might find more affordable group tours offered by independent operators or tour options not offered by the cruise line.
In addition to the highlights tour, the roster for a given port could include culinary tours, historical tours, walking tours and active tours. The key is to diversify options for passengers, who might be a mix of first timers and repeat visitors with varying interests and abilities. Some third-party operators will customize a tour for you or your group, so you can spend more time at 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 in a bus — so you will spend less time waiting for everyone.
You can review the costs of shore excursions prior to booking your cruise and you can actually pre-book them prior to arriving at the ship. To book online before you arrive, try ShoreTrips.com, a service that, similar to the cruise line, will make shore-side arrangements for you. Read the reviews on other trips booked through their site and fashion yours off of those.
I've skipped tours in places like Key West, Florida; Tallinn, Estonia; Monaco; Nassau, Bahamas; Skagway, Alaska; Geiranger, Norway; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In most cases, you don't need to book a shore excursion to explore a port of call. You can simply walk off the ship and stroll into town or catch a cab to take you wherever you want to go. The ship’s excursions get you to the markets, often with some city highlights along the way, then leave you with a few hours of shopping time. You are then free to make your way back to the ship or to a meeting point for the return trip as a group.
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