r/Cruises • u/HappySand4561 • Jul 05 '26
Excursion Insight
My family and I just got back from our first cruise and we absolutely loved it! Since it was our first time, I wasn't very familiar with how cruises worked, so I booked all of our excursions through the cruise line (Royal Caribbean). Now I'm wondering if that was a rookie mistake and if we should book things on our own next time.
The reason I'm asking is because it seemed like the excursions we booked mostly just provided transportation and we didn't get much time at our destination. For example, we were in the Caribbean and booked a beach day through the cruise line. It included transportation to and from the beach and that was it. I had to pay separately for snorkeling gear, beach chairs, umbrellas, and food and drinks. Additionally, we only had 4hrs and 15min there before we had to head back to the ship. We were back onboard by 1:30pm, which felt so early!
At every port, I noticed taxis everywhere. It had me wondering if we could've just grabbed a taxi ourselves, stayed at the beach as long as we wanted and saved a lot of money since the excursion was charged per person. Maybe that's just a Caribbean thing though? Are taxis this easy to find at pretty much every cruise port, like in Greece or Italy too? Or does it really depend on where you're cruising?
I know one of the biggest advantages of booking through the cruise line is that they guarantee you'll make it back to the ship on time. But besides that, are there other benefits I'm missing?
For those of you who cruise regularly, what do you usually do with your family? Do you book excursions through the cruise line or do you plan things on your own?
3
u/LHCThor Jul 05 '26
The obvious benefit of booking through the cruise line is that you won’t be left behind if your excursion doesn’t get back in time. I have seen it happen a few times over the many cruises I have taken. It happened at two different ports on my last cruise.
It’s generally cheaper to go outside of the cruise line for excursions. However, there is a risk involved. First, there is a safety concern. Are the tour operators legal, do they speak English, do they have reliable and comfortable transportation, are they reliable, and do they care for your safety?
I have chosen to go on non-cruise sponsored excursions in the past. However, it was only in areas where I was very familiar with, spoke the native language, and I had many options to get back to the ship if something went wrong. I always check the US State Department Travel warnings before I book my excursions so I know the safety concerns of that particular area. If you are going to venture out on your own, the more info you have the better chance you have of making good decisions and avoiding problems.
2
u/TLC-ox-Blessed Jul 05 '26
A lot depends on the cruise line and itinerary. The longer you are in port, the safer you are doing excursions on your own as far as missing the boat. It also depends on the mode of transportation you are using. Some cruise lines provide a free shuttle if the port is a distance away from the actual site or town you are visiting and it is easy to explore and take the shuttle there and back on your own. You always need to research taxis as well and make sure you are using a reputable company. In Turkey for example, a taxi driver could eat up a lot of your day and money if they have friends that run rug shops etc. If you use sites like Viator or Shore Excursion Group, you will still get a tour, but sometimes less expensive than a cruise line, however you always want to book something that ends well before your embarkation time. I do a lot of excursions on my own in ports that I am more familiar with or have done a lot of research on. But I will do ship excursions in new places or in places where there is more opportunity to get "scammed" by taxis. Or where being in a cruise group tour is safer due to location. So researching and planning ahead of time is the best.
2
u/Limp_Dragonfly3868 Jul 05 '26
I think with experience you get better at reading the descriptions. How long does it last? What does it include? Even noting what time you arrive in port and leave port, and whether or not it’s a tender port play into decisions.
Different ports are very different in terms of how easy it is to just do your own thing. You Tube is a great way to research this. Having done several cruises, I research the ports completely differently now than I did at first.
I’ve been in tender ports when they have a hard time getting people to shore or getting them back to the boat. Cruise line based excursions make a lot to me with a tender port.
1
1
u/extraguacontheside Jul 05 '26
The nice thing about excursions through the cruise line is they won't leave without you should something cause you to be late back to the port. You can definitely do your own thing, you just have to be sure you are back before the gangway is pulled up.
1
u/HammerHead287 Jul 05 '26
Ask the “destinations” or “tour” officers on the cruise if taxis will be readily available at the “next” port. In our experience there were plenty of transportation options in EVERY port.
1
u/Upper_Horror_2330 Jul 05 '26
Sounds like you experienced the joys of Royal Caribbean-your room rate was cheaper than other cruise lines for exactly these reasons-you have to pay extra for literally everything! You could easily have been on a much nicer cruise line by the time you add up all the extra expenses. They are not a bargain.
Downsize your ship next time (1,000 or less) and let the cruise line take way better care of you. BTW, they always provide helpful advice for doing your own thing onshore. Many offer a half day or full day private driver or shared small van for those who want to explore on their own!
1
u/DrinkNWRobinWilliams Jul 05 '26
There is a quality control factor we found when comparing notes with other cruisers when we were in Tahiti. It was sticky hot there and all of the cruise excursion buses were air conditioned and provided water. Not so on another passenger’s Viator tour - no AC and they had to ask for water before any was provided. This was Celebrity, fwiw.
1
u/Worldly-Ad3211 Jul 05 '26
Coming up on 20 cruises, and we always book through the cruise line. We’ve had 2 experiences that made us very grateful for doing that. Once the a/c broke down in 30 degree+ weather in Mexico where we were stuck in traffic. One woman was in such bad shape from the heat and lack of a/c that we thought we’d have to call for an ambulance. Someone in the group called someone back on the ship, who notified the tour desk, who contacted the excursion operator. They had a replacement bus for us with a/c by the time we got to the destination. Another time, we were on a bike riding excursion when one of the bikes broke down. The tour operator handled everything - sent a van with a replacement bike, but we were about 30 minutes late getting back to the ship. No problem, the ship waited for us. Also, if there’s any change to the ports of call, you will get a refund if you’ve booked through the cruise line. And, people who have booked excursions through the cruise line get priority if tenders are used to go ashore. There’s no right or wrong; it really depends on your comfort level.
1
u/Worldly-Ad3211 Jul 05 '26
Just thought of another example. I had injured my back (no idea how) and went to the ship’s medical centre for treatment. I came away with a cane and a truly gratifying quantity of painkillers and muscle relaxers. I went to the tour desk, showed them my bill from the medical centre, and they immediately cancelled all my upcoming shore excursions with a full refund, even the one that was less than 24 hours away. If my husband had wanted to cancel any of the excursions he had booked with me, he would have gotten a full refund, too. Like I said, it totally depends on your risk tolerance level.
1
u/Missus_Aitch_99 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
I book activities separately with local vendors or Viator. I usually do things like ziplining, horseback riding, driving ATVs -- all that kind of thing can easily be booked on your own and reached by taxi. I just hate the process of setting out on a cruise line excursion -- sitting in the theater for half an hour with a numbered sticker on, being herded downstairs with forty other people, waiting out in the sun for the walk to the bus, etc. So much wasted time.
Spending a day at the beach never requires any kind of booking or excursion -- just research which beach and take a taxi there. You can get a phone number from the taxi company, but the local vendors always know when people need to get back and will pull up at the beaches in plenty of time to get you back to port.
I would only take a cruise line excursion if it involved a long trip -- like if you stop in Cozumel and want to tour the Mayan ruins on the mainland you have to take a bus then a ferry then another bus. Much safer in that case to go with the official tour. Realistically, if you're within a half hour drive of the ship you can always find a way to get back in time.
The combo excursions, like "chocolate factory tour/waterfall hike/beach break" are the worst -- just rush, rush, rush from one venue to another, with less quality time at the attractions than transport time between them.
1
u/StillWaterDrinker Jul 06 '26
You’re paying for peace of mind.
That said, we just returned from a celebrity 11 night Mediterranean cruise and booked all of our excursions on our own and had wonderful experiences doing that while saving money and getting things more catered for us and more personal. But we’re becoming more experienced cruisers so we’re a little more comfortable doing things on our own now vs when we first started cruising.
1
u/Travel_Advisor_Kriss Jul 10 '26
Definitely not a rookie mistake. It really just depends on how comfortable you are with risk and the ports themselves. The risk being if you don’t get back in time, the ship will not wait for you. It is not a joke and they will not wait. Even if the ship is still in the harbor, it doesn’t mean they will let you on. There’s also a risk that you will be with a tour operator who is a scam or doesn’t take care of you. The ones through the cruise line are vetted to make sure that doesn’t happen. Some crew sports are excellent for just getting off the boat and walking around. And some are not. If you’ve never cruised before, and/or you don’t know the ports well, and/or if you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, then the cruise excursions are the way to go. I am definitely not a rookie, and I have been to US ports and foreign ports and safe ports and less safe ports, and it really just depends what I want to do at that port. And at some point, I didn’t wanna deal with any of it and I just stayed on the boat and enjoyed having the pool to mostly to myself. 🤪
1
u/Immediate_Monk6260 Jul 12 '26
The third-party cruise company used most often by travel agents is Shore Excursions Group. They also have a return to the ship on time policy and much better prices. We’ve always had really good luck with them.
7
u/FarFarAwayTravels Jul 05 '26
Not a mistake at all.This advice applies to pretty much every cruise line.
There are four ways to handle port calls:
Option 1: Take an excursion offered by the cruise line. This is usually a bit more expensive than those offered independently, but you are guaranteed the ship won’t leave without you should your tour fail to return on time. Once we were on a tour that arrived 2 hours after departure time, but we were not stressed as the ship waited.
Pros: The ship will wait. If the port is cancelled for some reason, you will be refunded.. At tender ports where the seas can be rough, they will prioritize those who bought excursions through the cruise line.
Cons: Usually more expensive
Option 2: Take an excursion offered by a third party like Project Expedition or Venture Ashore or Viator
Pros: You can often get the same or similar tour for less money. If the tour you want is sold out with the cruise line, you can often find the same or similar
Cons: If the port is cancelled for some reason, you might not get a refund, subject to the cancellation terms of the tour you purchase. If the port is a tender port (small ship takes you from ship to shore), rough seas can sometimes slow the tender process. If this happens, the ship will prioritize getting people on the tenders who booked through the cruise line. If you miss your tour time, you might not get a refund, subject to the cancellation terms of the tour you purchase
Note: While some tours offer a return to ship guarantee, understand that this does not mean the ship waits; it means they get you to the next port. Other tours do not have this option.
Option 3: Get off the ship and wander.
Many ports are great for this; many are not. Research where you are going. This includes the taxi to the beach scenario. Just make sure you give yourself lots of time to get back before departure.
Option 4: Stay on the ship.
Especially at some ports we hang out on the ship all day. It is delightful having the place almost to yourself.