Best Tips for Shore Excursions on a Cruise

Best Tips for Shore Excursions on a Cruise

 One of the attractions of cruise vacations is the many different destinations you can experience while on the cruise. Part of that experience is usually done via some sort of excursion, whether a tour booked before you cruise, on the ship, or one you arrange yourself independently. It can be as simple as planning a walking tour or hiring a taxi, or as complicated as planning a series of adventures involving many different activities.

This article discusses some of the tips for shore excursions on a cruise. One of the first steps in planning your shore excursions whether to do any planning at all. Depending on your level of experience and comfort level making plans in distant places, you can just wait until you get on the ship, talk to the shore excursion desk, and book your excursions. a lot of people have been there before you, and there will be plenty of information about it online.

Two of the best starting places are Cruise Critic and Rick Steve's Guides. If you are going to go off on your on taking a walking tour research, but that is not true. Before you arrive, you need to understand a little about the places you will visit and the local culture. You not only need to find out the places you absolutely must-see, but you also need to know the areas to avoid at all costs.

Most cruise ship destinations are perfectly safe, but common sense and basic situational awareness will go a long way in keeping you and your family safe. Also, you need to know how the taxis work. Some places have zones with flat rates while some use meters. Some have licensed cab services as well as uber, but also may have independent cabbies which may or may not be safe or cost-effective. It pays to do a bit of homework before you get there.

One of the best tips is to talk to as many people as possible once you get on the ship. Sure, go ahead and speak to the shore excursion desk, whether you plan on using their services or not, but remember, their job is to sell you tours, not be your tour guide. At meals or social gatherings, ask everyone you meet if they have been to the upcoming ports of call. You will eventually meet people who have been there dozens of times and know all the ins and outs of a destination.

Also, speak to the crew. They will know the best places to get good food cheap, and they all know exactly where the best free Wi-Fil is. A debate you will often hear discussed is the ship's excursions versus independent tours. There are pros and cons to both. The most significant argument you will hear from pro-ship people is that, if you take a ship's excursion, they have to wait on you if something happens. While this may be true, the aforementioned common sense and situational awareness can alleviate most of this worry.

In a lot of ports, the ship is contracting with the same company you would book with independently. Also, keep in mind that the local tour guides depend on word of mouth to get customers. A company that lets someone miss their ship importantly, wear a watch (a cheap watch) and keep track of time. Most people that miss a ship weren't on tour, but were sitting in a bar and forgot what time it was.

Despite the extra cost, there are several good reasons for booking your tour on a ship, such as: * It may be better for your peace of mind. As mentioned, booking a ship's tour requires little or no planning, no advance layout of cash, and you are virtually guaranteed to get back on time. Especially if you are a first-time cruiser, this may be the best route to take Until you get your feet wet. * If you are going far or wide.

If your destination is a long way from the port or you are going to visit many places, it may be worth the cost to book on board. There are many ports where the city on the itinerary is actually an hour or more from the sea. This means two or three hours worth of transportation without doing anything. The travel different places spread across the countryside. Until you have been there a few times and know the pitfalls, you might want to stick with a shi p's excursion. * If the place is really exotic or potentially risky.

There are more ships and repeat cruisers every year, so the cruise lines are always trying to get to more places and been there to discover the good, bad and ugly. Also, you may be visiting a place that has known political, social or religious problems. For these, it may be best to book board.