Cruise and Resort : Making Travel Fun Again!

IN PORT

What about shore excursions?

One of the great advantages of a cruise vacation is that the ship takes you to a variety of places. Of course, you want to go out and explore! Sometimes you want to be spontaneous, but in some ports you may need a more defined plan to see the things you really want to see. You should look at the shore excursions offered by the cruise lines or independent suppliers when in non-familiar ports. The cruise line tours offer a sense of security and safety, but the costs can add up quickly. If you have several people that want to do the same tour, it may make more sense to book something in advance that is totally exclusive to your group. Feel free to ask your Cruise and Resort agent for recommendations.

Look at the shore excursion booklet normally sent with your cruise document package to get an idea of what each port has to offer.

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Should I attend the port lectures onboard?

There are usually several port lectures conducted by the shore excursion department onboard. Although the goal may be to sell you tours, these lectures are valuable and extremely informative even if you just want to find the best beaches. If you can't attend the lecture personally, just check out the television in your room. They tend to play the video-taped lectures over and over again!

You are welcome to ask the staff at the shore excursion desk any questions you may have about a particular port. They are there to assist you, regardless of whether or not you purchase a tour.

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Are there advantages to booking shore excursions offered by the cruise lines vs. independent excursions we book ourselves?

Here are the advantages to booking the cruise line tours:

1. You are enjoying the tour with people from your cruise. It's a good way to make new friends!

2. The cruise line makes sure that they choose some of the highest quality ground operators. Most tours are extensively evaluated by the cruise line before they are offered to guests.

3. The cruise line usually backs the tours with some sort of performance guarantee.

4. You don't have to worry about finding an English-speaking guide. The cruise line has already done it for you.

5. If traveling alone, these tours are cost-efficient.

6. You don't have to negotiate or haggle with taxi drivers and tour guides.

Here are the advantages to "doing your own thing" while in port:

1. You choose what you want to see, when you want to see it, and for how long you want to see it.

2. You may want to have a more intimate experience than one you share with a hundred shipmates.

3. It you have at least a few people traveling together with the same interests, independent excursions can cost considerably less than those arranged by the cruise line. If you have five or six people, you may get a driver and minivan for the whole day for less than it might cost for a few hour tour offered by the cruise line.

4. You can get off the beaten path.

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