Shore excursions bookings

[LukeJ]

Was discussing with the wife about shore excursions when we go aboard next August. How far in advance do you all think is best time to book excursions?

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ If you want to book shore excursions through the cruise line, it's always best to book ahead of time. The good ones always book out pretty quickly and I have missed out on the best shore excursions by waiting too long. You usually get a bit of a savings deal booking ahead of time too. If you choose to book a shore excursion outside of the cruise line, there usually isn't as much of an urgency involved. I'm curious what port of call you will be exploring! What type of excursions are you interested in? August is only seven months away. You might as well just book now if you can!

[LukeJ]

I'm in two minds as I would like to book and get it out of the way, and then not worry anymore about it. However, by booking on the ship through the company, the costs will be almost double of that if you book on shore through the actual companies rather than the cruise line. But on the flip side, if we booked onshore, there is always that risk of missing the ship when it sets sail again. The headaches this causes.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It's such a toss-up. When I travel with a group, I'm more likely to book my shore excursions through the cruise company. When traveling alone or just with my partner we most likely prefer to wing it, booking everything off the ship. There are more risks involved when booking off-ship, but it's not too bad if you have been not the port before and feel comfortable with the area. Have you been to any of these ports of call before? Sometimes the extra cost is just easier to avoid the "headache" of it all. It's a guaranteed excursion where you can be completely relaxed for the entire duration. If you just want to explore a beach, it can be easier to taxi there, but everything else is just easier to book through the cruise line, especially at an unfamiliar port. 

[LukeJ]

Very true, it's certainly a toss up between saving money or having the security of knowing that you won't miss the ship. Some trips are hours away from port and it could prove to be tricky trying not to miss the next sailing.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It's reasonable to say, in that case, that booking through the cruise line would make much more sense in order to not feel the pressures of rushing back to the ship. It all depends. What type of excursion adventures are you looking into? I wouldn't recommend a driving tour to be booked outside of the cruise line. Anything low-risk is better for booking on-shore. Otherwise, the security and convenience of the excursion options your cruise line has available now are likely the better choice. The transportation linked to those excursions is also more secure and safer than other portside options. Reliability is very important when trying to make it back to the ship in time.

Edited January 2 by Kendall James-Vargas

[SpaceCowboy9]

What port(s) & activities are you looking at ?  You may get some recommendations.

I like booking outside the cruise line, because I like saving money. Trip advisor, google, etc. will give you a good indication of whether or not to book.

Another thing to look at is the length of time in port.  If you have a 12 hour window, stuff can go sideways & you have a lot of time to grab a cab.

Bring spare cash with you - enough for cab fare from anywhere back to the ship.

[FJB]

My next cruise is in mid February and I haven’t booked the first excursion.  Maybe tomorrow or New Years Day when I have some extra time. But before drinking or after the hangover…

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@SpaceCowboy9 That's an important tip. You have to have plenty of cash in hand to make sure, if all else fails, you still make it back to the ship in time. It's better to overestimate how much you plan to spend than underestimate. The shopping markets always get me spending more than I expected. Who would have thought I would need to purchase gifts for everyone in my neighborhood? The souvenirs are too fun to skip. I feel very similar to you. If you have less than 6 hours at a port of call, it's best not to venture off on your own. It's less of a risk to book excursions on your own if you have a longer stay at that port. 

@FJB That's funny. I avoided the hangover at all costs this year and went to sleep at 9:30 pm. Call me what you want, but I woke up fresh as a daisy on New Year's Day. I can't handle hangovers anymore. The aftermath is too hard to shake! I hope you had a great time celebrating the New Year. 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas very well said, I was planning either a tour of the said city we would be stopping in or sightseeing around the fjords. 

[FJB]

21 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

. @FJB That's funny. I avoided the hangover at all costs this year and went to sleep at 9:30 pm. Call me what you want, but I woke up fresh as a daisy on New Year's Day. I can't handle hangovers anymore. The aftermath is too hard to shake! I hope you had a great time celebrating the New Year. 

I stayed up till midnight after having 4 glasses of wine.  Was awake about 6am and out of bed about 7 to move on with my day.  No hangover.  I did get some shore excursions booked yesterday for our February cruise.  

[Cruising Caribbean]

@FJB Happy New Year! What a great way to start the year, with no hangover! I wish I had your tolerance. I'm such a lightweight. It's another added bonus you ended up booking some excursions. Which excursions did you end up booking? Did you book anything new or some of the same? I have booked some of the same excursion options in the past, and I usually wish I ventured out to try something new. 

[Emrys]

Book through the cruise line so you are more covered is always a good idea. The cruise ship will wait if your tour is delayed, something that tours not booked through the cruise line can guarantee.

[LukeJ]

Yes @Emrys as you say, that is the one of the toss up decisions that we thought about. It may cost you more, but the safety of that is that you don't have to worry or rush back, because the ship will not leave without you. If you miss it, the travel plus the commotion of getting to the next port of call outweighs that plan.

[FJB]

On 1/3/2024 at 7:25 PM, Cruising Caribbean said:

@FJB Happy New Year! What a great way to start the year, with no hangover! I wish I had your tolerance. I'm such a lightweight. It's another added bonus you ended up booking some excursions. Which excursions did you end up booking? Did you book anything new or some of the same? I have booked some of the same excursion options in the past, and I usually wish I ventured out to try something new. 

Booked an island tour thru the cruiseline and booked a powerboat/snorkel tour with an outside vendor.   One old, one new.  Need to book at least one more excursion for this upcoming cruise.  

[Cruising Caribbean]

@FJB The island tour sounds fun! You have to love it when they throw in a little house drink in the mix too. Are both of these excursions at the same port of call? I'm assuming the powerboat/snorkel tour is for another day. I love snorkel tours. They are the best. The only thing that bothers me is the age requirements. I have a young child so usually the child has to be at least 8 for these experiences. Eventually, you will catch me back out on a powerboat! Let me know how you like it. As long as the weather is right, I'm sure it will be a successful excursion.

[PaulB]

My wife and I just booked a Viking experience on the shore excursions. It involves making weapons or some variation out of fire and flint, which I find awesome, and followed by archery and sword fighting followed by white water rafting. It may be expensive doing through the cruise line, however it's a one off experience and something I would always remember.

[Cruising Caribbean]

A Viking experience sounds very exciting! What port will you be enjoying this experience? You will get to white water raft, too? That sounds amazing. I love white water rafting and archery is a huge bonus. The price has to be worth it. It's probably a few hours at least! Have you white water rafted before?

[FJB]

Booked another excursion today for a cruise that is less than 3 weeks away.  Last piece of the puzzle is to book a hotel for our pre-cruise stay.  But man hotels are expensive in FLL right now!  I may be sleeping on the beach….

[LukeJ]

@FJB why not if the weather is good ha ha. I done that before when working abroad in the summer seasons. If I didn't have a place, I'd sometimes sleep on the beach. Always remember thinking it was surreal, lying there listening to the waves.

Edited January 25 by LukeJ

[PaulB]

No way. Rather have a hotel and a nice soft bed to sleep on than sleeping outside. Even though it sounds magical on the sands of the beach, it could be quite dangerous too. But one thing I'm sure, you will always have brilliant memories.

[3Sisters]

@FJB I don't recommend sleeping on the beach pre-boarding! It can be so much fun and exhilarating to camp on the beach in your young days, but I can't image doing that with your cruise suitcase in hand. Showering at the beach almost guarantees you a sandy bottom for a couple days. I'm picturing endless amounts of sand in your shoes flinging around as your board your cruise. You could always sleep in an airport chair or floor. Many people get really comfy on the airport floor and no one thinks anything of it. It's a bit hard and quite dirty, but with a good travel pillow you could make it work!

[FJB]

Happy to say my wife and I won’t be sleeping on the beach - booked a Marriott brand hotel room over the weekend for about $210 a nite.   We had to sacrifice beachfront hotels ($375+ per nite) for something more affordable near the airport.  I may regret being a cheapskate if I can’t sleep because of airplanes flying overhead….

[LukeJ]

I guess you all have a point. I keep getting these thoughts running around my head, where I'm sleeping in a sleeping bag on the beach, and when I wake up, the tide has come in and I'm stuck in the middle of the sea with no land surrounding me. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@FJB I highly recommend nature sounds! If you are used to a very quiet sleep environment, nature sounds does wonders. You can go on Spotify (or a music app of choice) find aa playlist or song you like and set the song/track on repeat. Keep your phone plugged in so it doesn't die and enjoy. I have used this hack for traveling with snorers or my multiple little children (particularly waking babies). I have also used this nature sound trick on cruises! It's my go to for peaceful sleep. As long as the hotel is clean, it will be good enough. Marriotts are great hotels. It's very unlikely it will disappoint, especially if it has free breakfast!