Picking shore excursions while onboard

Eph60 · May 11, 2013

The post about questions asked on a cruise to the crew got me thinking about this. I thought maybe I could help some figure out how to get a tour that might be right for you when you are already on a cruise ship.

The ships will usually have a talk about tours that you can attend when you are on the ship. These talks do have some good information, however keep in mind that they will more then likely talk about the tours they have not been able to fill or sell in advance bookings. This does not mean they are not good tours they are just less popular.

To get the best advice for the tours go to the tour desk and talk to the tour sales staff. First let them know what interests you have, such as you want something active or not active. Do you like to see wildlife or are you just looking for beautiful scenery? Do you prefer something from the water or a land type tour? It may sound odd but let them know the types of things you like to do back home because that can give them an idea of what you like.

The sales staff does NOT know you so they really do not know what you like and unless you give them an idea of what you like they will sell you what they need to fill or what the manager has told them to push for that cruise.

Do some research online or through books of the area you are going to. You can find a lot of things that you may really want to see or do and that will steer you towards a tour that is right for you. You must also decide whether you want to take a longer or shorter tour. You could tie up your whole day on tours and not see the port so decide how important it is for you.

Keep in mind your budget. Tours from the ships are a lot more expensive then if you booked them on your own, however a tour from the ship will more then likely be a reputable tour company and they will get you back to the ship before it sails. This may be important to you if you have never been to the port before.

If you are taking a tour during a holiday keep in mind that some tours may not be available. Some tour companies are small family operations and like you they enjoy doing things with their families on holidays.

To enjoy your tour better have an idea of what is important to you and let the sales person know that so they can direct you to the right tour for you.

coloradocruisers · May 11, 2013

We're too paranoid about not being able to book what we want, so we book well in advance. Also, once on-board, the fewer things on our to-do list the better!

WeCruiseToo · May 13, 2013

Great tips Paul – thanks!

On most cruises, depending on the ports-of-call, we’ll do a fairly even mix of ship-sponsored excursions, third party tours, and just exploring on our own. One tip: on the first couple of days, anytime you’re in your cabin (like while you’re getting changed for dinner) tune the TV to the shore excursions channel – you may get some great ideas, even if it’s for your next cruise!

(After the first day or two we tune the TV to catch any of the on-board entertainment we may have missed, but that’s a whole different topic!)