Shore Excursions and Optional Tours

Another cost consideration in budgeting a cruise vacation is what you plan to do ashore at your ports of call. All cruise lines sell shore excursions. These include a wide variety of choices, from city sightseeing to tours designed to appeal to specific interests or the more adventurous.

Some cruise lines publish their optional excursions on their website, or provide passengers with a printed booklet, so these can be planned and reserved in advance as well as onboard.

The most popular shore excursions do sell out, and the most unique often have limited space. By preparing in advance, you can avoid disappointment and save time not spending valuable vacation time planning these once onboard.

Buying the cruise line's shore excursions isn't your only option. TravelStore can arrange shore excursions for individuals or groups directly with our suppliers in the ports you're visiting, as well as customized luxury travel experiences. The advantages are:
-- comparable trips would often be less costly, 
-- you'll often end up in a much smaller group of travelers, and
-- they can be customized to your interests.
We can also arrange pre- or post-cruise hotel stays. (Read more about Extending your cruise and CruiseTours.)

Many of our customers prefer customized excursions with a private car and driver, to avoid traveling with 50 other people by motorcoach while exploring a port of call. This provides more personalized and exclusive experiences, and if you have specific interests, those can be better met on a private tour. (We sometimes offer a complimentary car and driver excursion when you book luxury cruises with us with luxury lines Seabourn and Silversea.)

For a couple, a private tour option will usually cost more than taking an organized group tour offered by the cruise line. However, if you are a family traveling together, or two couples, the cost may be very competitive with, if not better than, what the cruise lines charges for a group tour.

Many passengers prefer more personal experiences. It is these that often make a cruise more memorable. The cruise expert with whom you book your cruise can assist in planning and arranging various options for you.

Do I have to purchase shore excursions?
Not at all. In select ports, it's easy to enjoy a walking tour on one's own, and with a little advance research, have some good ideas on what there is to visit or see, and how to enjoy one's time. This can work well for the prepared traveler, and in ports where the ship docks near the heart of town.

Where the port facility is further away, taxis are often available and, in many cases, the cruise ship may offer a complimentary or low-cost shuttle service to and from the town or city.

In some locations, the port can be quite a distance from the city center, where walking or taking a taxi is not practical. The port for Rome and Florence is in Livorno, a good 45-60 minute drive from these cities -- each way. A private car and driver can be more efficient in maximizing your time ashore, and can offset the higher cost.

In some locations, taking a local taxi may not be advisable or a preferred means of transport. Taxis are not always clean vehicles, may not be air conditioned (if you are in a hot climate), and drivers may not be safety conscious.

Booking your own excursion while in port also warrants caution: you won't know if the business you are dealing with is properly licensed, if they are reputable, if they are properly insured (with an American insurance company), and if they adhere to safety requirements.

Cruise lines, and the suppliers we use, work with local tour companies that meet such requirements. Plus, cruise lines generally work with operators that carry insurance with U.S. jurisdiction, permitting passengers to sue in a U.S. court if something goes wrong. Regardless of the portside activities you choose, we strongly recommend all travelers purchase travel insurance.

Once you've booked your cruise with us, study the ports of call, the amount of time you'll be in each port, and review with your cruise planner what your interests might be and what excursions we can arrange for you. This will help enhance your cruise experience considerably, and is part of the service included when you book your cruise with us.