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The ship’s excursions get you to the markets, often with some city highlights along the way, then leave you with a few hours of shopping time. You are then free to make your way back to the ship or to a meeting point for the return trip as a group. Arriving in multiple ports you are unfamiliar with and expecting to find the best things to do would be challenging at best and disastrous at worst.
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The pre-purchase window for certain products and activities closes between one and three days prior to the sail date. If you missed the purchase window, check with us once you're on board — we'll help you find what you’re looking for. Some cruisers are so focused on what to do on each individual day that they never stop to consider their tour schedule as a whole.
EUROPE EXCURSIONS
Most travelers rely on carrying a copy of their passport in ports, leaving the originals locked away safely in their staterooms. There are some cruise lines that hold your passports for you throughout the cruise. You are free to come and go at will from most cruise ships while they are in ports of call. Shore excursions are simply one means to explore the areas visited by the ship and to participate in available activities off the ship.
A kayak experience with Avalon on Portugal's Douro - Travel Weekly
A kayak experience with Avalon on Portugal's Douro.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 15:39:14 GMT [source]
Compare free time vs. guided touring
There is no need to tip any cruise ship staff who are along for the excursion (which sometimes happens on river cruises). While luxury lines, river cruises, small coastal ships, expedition ships and even some premium cruise lines include some shore excursions in their fares. Other tours on those lines and all excursions offered by mainstream cruise lines must be purchased.
In most cases, shore excursions give you access to something that might otherwise be hard to arrange on your own. If you're uncertain about a few tours or want to pay for your excursions with onboard credit, wait until you board to book. The excursions desk staff might have additional insight into the shore tours you're considering that will help you decide.
The most popular excursions and limited-participant tours will sell out — often before you even board your cruise ship. Even better, many cruise lines discount the tours you purchase in advance. Some take up all your time in port, while others are just a few hours of an all-day visit. Choose a full-day tour to see the most you can in one trip or for journeys to destinations outside of the port city. Some cruise lines and even some travel agents offer shore excursion credit as a booking perk. It is essentially a credit of a preset amount (often $50) applied to each day in port for which you book a shore excursion.
The key to booking the best shore excursions is knowing what you want from your cruise vacation and making sure that your tour choices support those goals. Explore the possibilities for shore excursions on your next cruise below. Shore excursions are designed for all activitiy levels in almost any mainstream cruise destination. Active tours can include water sports, ziplining, hiking, biking, dog-sledding and more. Activity-based trips might feature a day at the spa or beach, a pleasure cruise on a sailboat, wine or food tasting, a cultural performance or a visit to a museum. Sightseeing excursions are typically bus tours that take passengers to the highlights and shopping areas of the port city or nearby destinations.
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Make a beeline for the tour desk as soon as you board, and be prepared to wait in line. You can always ask the staff if they recommend you book immediately because a tour is filling up or whether you can take a day to decide. I've taken more than 50 cruises, and I've made my share of tour booking mistakes. In reality, the shore tour decision-making process gets more complex — especially if you want to make the most of your eight hours in a port you might never revisit. There’s no better way to explore the beauty beneath the waves than on a guided scuba excursion. Dive deep below the surface of the sea with a certified expert and weave through brilliant coral colonies, scour centuries-old shipwrecks and come face-to-face with exotic aquatic critters.
Can you buy shore excursions on the ship?
This is a mistake that can lead to burnout or a disappointing vacation. The train depot is right in town, close to the cruise docks, so you don't need bus transportation there. And the guides are part of the train experience, so you will get the informative narration either way. For those looking for a more personalized adventure, there’s Private Journeys.
Some shore tours -- such as daylong trips from Tunis to the marketplace, museum and ancient Carthage -- pack many activities into one trip. Others focus on one destination or activity, like a trip to the Mayan ruins from Cozumel. It's up to you whether you'd prefer to see many things for short amounts of time or focus on one place in depth.
Don't book a walking tour in Europe if you're not able to tramp over uneven cobblestone streets for an hour or more. Skip the mountain biking tour if you're not in good health or the kayaking tour if you have back or shoulder pain. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
Then, decide whether having a guide and the security and ease of booking through your cruise line outweigh any difference in price. If you're a first-time cruiser, it can be helpful to have a few hacks to make your shore excursion experience amazing. Keep these tips in mind when booking, preparing for and embarking on your tour.
To enhance each port visit (as well as to increase their profits), cruise lines offer organized shore excursions on all ships for additional fees. These land-based trips run the gamut from sightseeing city tours to cultural events and active pursuits. You can take a sunset pleasure cruise in St. Lucia, visit penguin colonies in Antarctica, go wine tasting in Provence or bike through Copenhagen.
The purchase window for certain products and activities closes before to the sail end date. If you missed the purchase window, check with us on board, we'll help you find what you’re looking for. For example, Norwegian Cruise Line offers a nearly three-hour ride on Skagway's White Pass and Yukon Route scenic railway for $199 per adult. But if you go to the railway's website, you can book the same trip for $146 — $50 less. When you explore Europe’s ancient cities, every arch and alleyway tells a story.
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