Thursday, April 18, 2024

Shore excursions: What new cruisers need to know

cruise shore excursions

As part of our Journey Collection, Seabourn product specialists have developed several options to explore destinations not accessible during a single day port call. Guests are approved to disembark the ship and travel to another destination and then re-board the vessel in another port. Mid-Cruise Overland Journeys can be overnight experiences or multi-day trips and will include all transportation, hotel overnights and most meals. Most journeys include several unique sightseeing experiences along the way. Mid-Cruise Overland Journeys need to be booked well in advance in order to make the various arrangements.

tips for booking the best cruise shore excursion for your money

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 care to do any specialty tours, you might be able to get all your port activities for free. Other lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, offer discounted tours or shore excursion credit as booking promotions.

Assess your tour schedule as a whole

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And the guides are part of the train experience, so you will get the informative narration either way. If you like independent touring and merely want an excursion for the transportation and someone to get you pointed in the right direction, book tours titled "on your own." Read the tour description carefully and then read between the lines to discover the truths about the excursion hidden behind all the promotional language. Generally, you can recover some or all your money if you cancel within a certain window.

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Prices can range from as little as $40 per person to hundreds -- or even thousands -- of dollars, depending on what's included or how exclusive the experience is. Explore the possibilities for shore excursions on your next cruise below. 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 scuba dive costs $180. In Juneau, Alaska, a 3-hour tour to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center costs $50 per person. A 3-hour gold panning activity and salmon bake costs $125, while a 2.25-hour tour to take a helicopter ride to the top of the glacier, where you can walk around on the ice for half an hour, costs $420. Purchasing a shore excursion online provides immediate confirmation via email and will guarantee you receive the lowest price for that tour.

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Am I required to book shore excursions if I get off the ship?

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. Yes, you’ll find a range of experiences to suit the interests and activity levels of everyone in your family. Our family-friendly shore excursions give you new ways to discover destinations together. The key to booking the best shore excursions is knowing what you want from your cruise vacation and making sure that your tour choices support those goals.

We Make Vacation Planning Easy

There are some cruise lines that hold your passports for you throughout the cruise. Shore excursions are a great way to make the most of your time in port, but you might get the most value out of a mix of guided tours and independent exploration. Choose the best option based on your budget and interests, and remember to look at both ship-sponsored and independent tour and activity options. And if you feel like staying on board one day while your ship is docked in a port that doesn't interest you, that's okay, too.

How do I know which tours are right for me?

It's surrounded by mountains and fjords, including Sognefjord, the country’s longest and deepest. Bryggen features colorful wooden houses on the old wharf, once a center of the Hanseatic League's trading empire. Immerse yourself in the culture and history of each destination on your exciting itinerary, while connecting with the locals. Travel in a private vehicle with your own party and customize if desired.

Does Seabourn offer private vehicle touring?

cruise shore excursions

You will be prompted to enter your Email or Mariner ID along with your password. Go to Explore Shore Excursions then select Download Personalized eBrochure. If the excursion truly is demanding, the tour description will make sure that's abundantly clear in order to scare off anyone who isn't up to the challenge. Also, consider whether your kids can handle a long bus ride or if you get motion sick.

Cobranded Cards

We are able to secure additional space on occasion, so guests are encouraged to waitlist as our shore side team will actively be working to clear waitlisted guests. However, last minute cancellations can result in costs to us or to our third party service providers. Cancellation fees for certain shore excursions may be up to one hundred percent (100%) of the shore excursion price, depending on the shore excursion. For onboard cancellations of shore excursions, therefore, please speak with the Shore Excursion department onboard for the actual cancellation fee amount. Cancellations of spa services within twenty-four hours of the appointment are subject to a fifty percent (50%) cancellation fee. All cancellations made onboard will be refunded in the form of onboard credit, regardless of whether the purchase was made by a guest or a third party.

Sometimes an excursion will take you to sites within walking distance of your cruise; on other occasions, they might take you on a day trip to a nearby city. Independent travelers might go straight to private tour guides (and the invaluable Roll Call forums to find friendly folks to share the minivan). But many travelers -- especially first-time cruisers -- prefer to rely on ship-sponsored shore tours.

Most people organize these ahead of time through a tour operator or travel agent. 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. Yes, Seabourn shore excursions can be purchased online once you have booked your cruise and have a booking number.

The knowledge and efficiency of tour operators vary, and some tour offerings are simply duds. You'll also pay a premium for letting the cruise line arrange your day. Ship-arranged excursions also tend to have broad appeal, so if you're interests in a given port are more specific or niche, you may want something outside of the cruise line's offerings. The benefits to a cruise line's shore excursions are that they depart from and return to the ship; you don't need to figure out where to meet a guide in a port you've never visited. Better still, should an unexpected problem (traffic, a medical emergency) occur during your outing, the ship will not leave port until all of its own tours have returned. A shore excursion is a group tour or activity aimed at cruise travelers who can only spend a limited time in each port they're visiting on their itinerary.

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. Not all shore excursions involve busloads of tourists dutifully following flag- or umbrella-waving guides. You will find these types of sightseeing tours, as well as athletic endeavors overseen by dive masters or hike leaders. However, some tours simply bring you to a destination where you're free to explore until it's time to meet the bus to go home. Others feature guided components, followed by an hour or two of free time.

You will not be happy if you book a cruise excursion only to discover you're physically incapable of participating fully in the tour — or that the activity is much easier than you imagined. Read the tour description carefully to determine if the activity level is right for you. Make a beeline for the tour desk as soon as you board, and be prepared to wait in line. You can always ask the staff if they recommend you book immediately because a tour is filling up or whether you can take a day to decide. If you had a problem with a tour you booked independently, you can report the issue directly to the tour company or write reviews of the excursion on Cruise Critic or TripAdvisor. For independent tours especially, be sure to ask if the price of your tour includes gratuities.

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