Don't Plan Your Shore Excursion Without Reading This!

Your cruise is finally booked, great! Now that your itinerary is set, what is there to do each day you’ll be in port? The first place most people go to begin their search is the cruise line’s list of shore excursions. But should you or is it safe to go out on your own?

Cruise Line Shore Excursions: Convenience at a Price

There’s no easier way to plan for your adventures ashore than to book through your cruise line. Every sailing has a ready-made list of available excursions, with something that will appeal to everyone. From relaxing beach breaks to adrenaline-filled action to city tours. All you need to do is pick one, add it to the cart, and complete the purchase. The cruise line takes care of the rest.

This low-effort planning is appealing to a good number of cruisers. There’s nothing wrong with going this route. In fact, in certain situations, I think you absolutely should use the cruise line’s shore excursions. But much of the time, this convenience will come at a price, both in terms of price and quality.

The Pros and Cons of Ship Excursions

Worry-Free

The best part about ship excursions is that everything has been arranged for you. You’re told when and where to show up and then the cruise staff and tour conductors take care of the rest until you are safely back on the ship. It couldn’t be more worry-free.

Pre-Paid

Ship excursions have been pre-paid, either before you leave home, or charged to your onboard ship account. You won’t need to carry a large amount of cash into port with you. At most, you’ll need some cash for tipping or for anything not included in the purchase price.

Large Groups

One of the concerns many potential cruise passengers have has to do with crowds. The current method for operating excursions through the ship does little to dispel this concern. Popular excursions can have more than a hundred passengers booked. And it’s a huge group to try and move from place to place throughout the tour. It's a lot of hurry up and wait.

Rigid Plans

When you book a ship tour, there’s a timeline to adhere to. There’s no room for extra time a particularly enjoyable stop. No opportunity for spontaneity. You’re stuck doing exactly what is planned.

Excursions With Limited Availability

Certain ship excursions are a hot commodity with extremely limited availability. If dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska is on your bucket list, it might already be sold out when you book your cruise.

Price

Ship excursions almost always cost more. Why? The cruise lines go through the effort of finding, arranging, and managing their list of excursions. In that role as middle man, there is a cost to the ship for that effort and it gets passed along to the passenger.

The Case for Independent Shore Excursions

With a little bit of extra effort, making your own arrangements often means more time ashore, more variety, and smaller or even private tours, all with the added bonus of lower prices.

Less Time Waiting

A smaller group is simply quicker on their feet. A group of 4-20 moves at what feels like lightning speed compared to a bus of 60 or a catamaran with 100 guests. You’ll be able to see more and do more in the same amount of time with small independent tours.

Variety

Ship excursions tend to focus on a port’s highlights. When you choose to go independent, your options open up dramatically. Local tour operators will often offer tours that hit the same highlights, but they also know about all the other things to see and do in port that are off the beaten track and away from the crowds.

Experience More

Small independent excursions provide you with the opportunity for different experiences that you can’t otherwise get. They make for some of the best memories. A driver I once hired in St. Lucia made a quick stop at his mother’s house. He wanted us to try his island’s bananas. He was convinced were far better than any other bananas. And his mother also had some freshly baked bread for us.

Or the time a driver took our family to watch a glass blower. We arrived early and were encouraged to give blowing glass a try. Later, a bus filled with tourists arrived. They were able to watch a demonstration, but that group was far too large to let anyone jump in and test blowing.

Everyone having fun where you’re at? Or is it time to move one? With a small or private group, it’s easy to make changes on the fly and have your excursion be whatever you want it to be.

Better Value

When you go independent, prices can be significantly less, But it’s not only that it costs less, going out on your own or with a local independent guide also results in longer, smaller, and more flexible tours of your port, giving you better value.

What About Missing the Ship?

I hear this one all of the time. It’s a fear-filled question. The cruise line says they will only wait for ship-sponsored excursions. Therefore, it’s too risky to go out on your own, right?

I can’t dismiss it outright, but I do think it’s less of a concern than it seems like it should be.

Independent tour operators are just as concerned about getting you back on time as you are. Really. Their livelihood relies on tourism and much of their business is word-of-mouth. They simply cannot afford to have a reputation as a company whose guests missed the ship.

Ships will wait for missing passengers when they can. Prior to leaving port, sometimes you’ll hear passenger names announced over the public address system. These are often people who haven’t been accounted for and the ship is trying to determine where they are.

How to Reduce Your Risk

NEVER cut it close making it back to the ship.

Know the All-Aboard Time

This is published with the daily schedule and there are signs at the gangway. Aim to be back at the pier no later than an hour before that.

Stay on Ship Time

If you are new to cruising, you be unaware that local time and ship time can be different times. One of the biggest factors in this mistake is your cell phone. You get to port and go to check voicemail, email, etc. Innocently, you turn on cellular, and without you realizing it, your phone auto-updates to port time. Some people will carry an old-fashioned watch and keep it on ship time.

Don’t Over Do It

A bucket of beers may be cheap in Mexico but don’t overdo it. Or if you do, have a designated timekeeper who can ensure you get back on time.

Don’t Venture Too Far

There are some excursions where I think you should use what the ship has to offer. Any excursion that involves a long journey from the port is better arranged through the ship. For instance, going to Tulum from Cozumel involves a ferry and a long bus ride and is an all-day trip. With a trip like that, it wouldn’t take much to throw the schedule off resulting in a late return. A ship excursion is a better bet.

Book with Reputable Companies

Whether you want an independent tour or just need a local driver, try to stick with someone you can book in advance that has an established relationship with cruisers. They tend to know all the ship schedules.

Haggling with a guy holding a sign on the pier is an unknown risk. It can work, but I would only do it if you aren’t going far and don’t plan to be gone very long.

Who Should Not Go Independent?

The chronically late. Are you a punctual adult? I ask that seriously. Some people are easily distracted and never where they should be when they need to be. You know who you are. You should book through the ship.

Heavy drinkers too. No judgment here. You’re on vacation. Have a good time. But missing the ship is gonna kill your buzz. Do a ship tour.

High Anxiety types. If you think you’ll spend your time ashore nervously thinking about the time, it won’t be worth it. Enjoy your vacation without edging toward a panic attack and take a ship excursion.

How to Find Independent Tours

I’m a huge fan of word-of-mouth! There are hundreds of Facebook and Cruise Critic groups where you can get recommendations from other cruisers. If that still seems like too much work, you might like Tripadvisor’s tour marketplace, Viator.

Viator works with local tour operators worldwide and provides you with a one-stop-shopping experience to find and book shore excursions. Not only can you read detailed guest reviews, but most tours offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance.

Bottom Line

Excursions booked through the ship are convenient, but it’s usually not the best value. If you want to save money on your shore excursions, one of the best ways of doing that is by booking independently.

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