Shore Excursions & Cruise Guided Tours
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Nassau is an extremely common port on cruise itineraries, and most visitors to New Providence Island will opt for a beach day. The best way to do this is through a shore excursion that combines both attractions of the island. Royal Caribbean’s Spices and Sunshine tour first brings visitors to the Laura Spica Gardens, where they’ll learn more about the various spices and herbs produced on the island. Active adventurers may want to book the Blue Hole, Dunn’s River Falls & Chill at Reggae Hill shore excursion. This tour includes diving and swimming at Jamaica’s famous Blue Hole followed by the chance to climb small waterfalls and explore caves.
Will lunch be provided for me on my shore excursion?
Shore excursions are simply one means to explore the areas visited by the ship and to participate in available activities off the ship. Freeport may not offer as many shore excursions to choose from compared to other Bahamian ports, but many visitors plan for a beach day or visit the Lucayan National Park. Shore excursions are tours that are designed for cruise ship passengers to maximize their time in specific destination. Since you cannot experience everything, they are only meant to give you a taste of what the port has to offer and can be booked directly with the cruise line or through a thirty party.
A Guide to Included Shore Excursions on Ocean Cruises - TravelAge West
A Guide to Included Shore Excursions on Ocean Cruises.
Posted: Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
How do I book shore excursions?
Don't forget to come up with a Plan B, in case your desired tour gets canceled or is sold out. Remember that shore excursions look different in different parts of the world. 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.
Princess Cruises' Ultimate Ship Tour
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 tours can be booked onboard at your ship's excursions desk or online before you depart on your trip. Choose from city tours, culinary explorations, shopping outings, outdoor expeditions, cultural activities and more. We recommend you book early for the best selection, as our excursions and tours have limited capacity and fill up quickly. Shore excursions may be easily booked online in advance of sailing on the book shore excursions page.
Cruising to the ABC islands calls for beaches, culture, and unique excursion opportunities. If your cruise itinerary visits all three islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao), we recommend making Aruba a beach day. There are a couple of pros for booking through your cruise line, with the most notable being that if your tour runs late, the ship will wait for you. Additionally, if your ship is unable to dock in port, you will be automatically refunded the full amount of any short excursion that you booked.
How much do shore excursions cost?
Falmouth offers beaches and jungles, so there’s something for everyone and every fitness level. The River Tubing, Rainforest Drive, and Hibiscus Falls excursion offered by Royal Caribbean provides the best of Dominica’s natural beauty with an active adventure. Snorkeling opportunities are fantastic on the island as well, and many passengers find that renting an ATV or golf cart provides the perfect way to explore as much of Bonaire as possible in one day. The most famous beach on the island is Eagle Beach, a wide stretch of sand with pristine turquoise waters. The beach offers excellent swimming as well as the opportunity to snorkel or rent water sport equipment.
There are six day passes listed on the website, most of which are all-inclusive and include transportation from the ship. Let’s discuss the best shore excursion to book in every Caribbean cruise port to help you make the most of your next Caribbean cruise. While this tour is expensive at $150 per person, tours of just the galley and kitchen are often offered free of charge. The Back of the House Tour is offered once on a seven-night cruise and twice on cruises of 14 nights or more. Celebrity Cruises offers Inside Access tours on each cruise, which are conducted in small groups and last three hours.
Featured Excursions by Destination
In the rare instance that tours are cancelled by Holland America Line or the tour operator, the full amount will be refunded within four to six weeks after the voyage ends. Some cruise lines, such as Viking and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, include the cost of basic shore excursions in their cruise fares. If you don't care to do any specialty tours, you might be able to get all your port activities for free. Other lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, offer discounted tours or shore excursion credit as booking promotions. Shore excursions typically highlight the marquee attractions or culture of the destination you're visiting.
If you've booked a sightseeing tour that's primarily done by bus, it's unlikely a bit of rain will affect your plans. However, if you've planned a day full of water sports, and the sea is looking particularly unfriendly, the tour might be canceled for safety concerns. Outdoor tours usually aren't canceled for rain or weather conditions that would make the activity uncomfortable, as long as the operator deems it safe to go on.
In these instances, it is better to hail a cab and rent your own beach chairs. Plus, you will often have more time on the beach than if you were reliant on the cruise line's bus. That being said, avoid any tour that claims to show you the "highlights" of a destination. Instead, pick the top two or three things that you want to see and find a tour that allows you to spend more time there. The biggest advantage to independent vendors is that their prices are often less than the cruise line's, even if the tour is similar.
If you’re cruising to the Caribbean, you’ll find a wide range of tours from beach days to catamaran cruises, zip line adventures, ATV excursions, and much more. It's important to be organized -- some cruise lines hold only one behind-the-scenes event per sailing, usually on a sea day, so they do tend to book up, despite the relatively high cost. If you want to register an interest, head for Guest Relations as soon as you board.
Sometimes, you will have to pay an admission fee into cultural landmarks and will have to have cash on hand. If you are interested in shopping around and seeing what other options are available to you, you are probably wondering where to start. TripAdvisor is a great place to browse, as you will find lists of things to do, restaurants, businesses, and tour operators in each port of call. Plus, you can read reviews from previous customers to see if they had a good experience or not. If you had a problem with a tour you booked independently, you can report the issue directly to the tour company or write reviews of the excursion on Cruise Critic or TripAdvisor. For independent tours especially, be sure to ask if the price of your tour includes gratuities.
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer. 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. Be sure to note the fitness level required and don't try to take on more than you're able to do.
Our Destination Insiders leverage extensive knowledge and years of travel expertise to hand craft one-of-a-kind private tours with you in mind. You can customize an existing tour that catches your eye, or work with an Insider to create an exclusive tour experience that’s completely unique to you or a small group. Celebrating a special occasion, chasing a lifelong dream, or looking for ways to rediscover a favorite destination? With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help. Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money.
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