Shore excursions: to book or not?

Wow! You’ve finally booked that dream cruise you’ve always wanted! Lucky you. Now comes the planning part. Your cruise consultant will likely forward you the link to do your “Online Check In” which is where you input all the required documentation, such as passport numbers, emergency contacts, allergies, etc. Once you’ve completed that chore you are likely to start exploring the cruise site and come across the Shore Excursions that are being offered in each port of call.

It’s to the cruise line’s advantage to have a “call to action” and urge you to pre-book those shore excursions, but is that really the case?

The right shore excursions are what truly make the itinerary you’ve chosen the best it can be. Browse through the selection offered by the cruise company. Note that there are all types ranging from active adventure style sightseeing to the gentler coach-style travel. Make sure that the one’s that catch your eye are applicable to your level of participation.

Photo: Contributed

Tours that are described as “customized”, “personalized” or “concierge” are generally a smaller group number. These tours sell out fast and should always be pre-booked. You can always cancel later if you choose not to participate. Those that mention a coach or bus are generally your typical large group tour and rarely sell out as they can also charter more buses based on demand.

A number of the cruise ship sponsored shore excursions are either guided or self-guided. The guided ones are those that have you paired with a local expert who walks you about your port of call. The self-guided ones are for those more independent travellers who prefer their own time schedule. You are given a pre-recorded audio headphone and then proceed to tour at your own pace.

Keep in mind that taking your shore excursions from the cruise ship is not required. The cruise line will adamantly advise that if you tour without their “endorsed” operator and are late returning to the ship that you will be left behind however. Reality is, when you book your own tour through a local operator or taxi driver just be sure to request that you are back to the pier well in advance of departure time. I was on such a local tour myself in Chile when the van we had chartered broke down. I have to be honest in saying that our hastily organized return on the local bus system was by far the highlight to our day!

Photo: Contributed

Should you like to pre-arrange some private tours with local operators in advance, check out recommendations through Cruise Critic or look at this site ToursByLocals.com. A wonderful source of information regarding local tour guides in 100s of different countries.

Keep in mind that a number of ports of call really don’t need guided tours. For instance, the Greek islands are best explored by the local bus systems which operate circularly around the islands with various stops. Take time to just relax, indulge in the local culture and cuisine and create a memory to last a lifetime!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.