I look at the four times I recommend cruise passengers take a cruise line excursion rather than any other alternative for exploring a cruise port like self-touring or independent tour guide or company
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00:00 Start
00:45 The Risks?
04:46 How Far?
06:29 How Quick?
08:29 How Essential?
The cruise lines argue we should always do their excursions because they are convenient, easy to book, include the must-see sights, the ship will wait for us if the cruise line excursion is delayed, and they have screened the tour operators.
But as I will explain, I don’t think those are good reasons – and it also makes it a way more costly way to explore ports. However, while I prefer self-exploring ports, there are a few times when I absolutely will
Go on cruise line excursions having learnt some lessons the hard way, as you will hear. If you’re new here, welcome aboard. I’m Gary Bembridge, making it fun and easy to do cruising right – including when to take a cruise line excursion and when not to.
The first key thing I ask about any destination or port I am going is, “How safe is it?” Most cruise ports are safe but if I have even the slightest doubt, I stick with the cruise line. The most extreme example of that was going to Egypt on a Nile River Cruise.
I knew that Egypt has a reputation of being relatively unsafe. There’s been unrest, stories of crime on tourists, being aggressively hassled by vendors, twitchy police and army who have been known to even arrest people taking photos they deem suspicious, and harassment of some travellers, including women and LGBT travellers.
So, for that trip I stayed within the cruise-controlled bubble the whole time and did every single tour with the cruise line. But asking the question applies just as much on any cruise anywhere. Just because a cruise calls into a country or port I don’t assume that means it is safe to.
For example, several Caribbean islands I am due to go on a cruise next year to have reputations for being unsafe, like Jamaica whereas I record this the US State Department has just raised its warning level against travelling there due to a crime surge.
There are unsafe protests going on in Panama also at time I am making this – another place I am due to call on. I will look at doing cruise line excursions in those. Of course, by the time I go things may have changed, so I always check the latest State
Department or UK Foreign Office advice close to going and if any issues, book cruise excursions. There is though, another part to the “how safe is it” question! For example, when I go to Alaska, the Norwegian Fjords or places with majestic scenery or glaciers I love going on helicopter rides.
In Alaska up onto glaciers to walk or sledge with dogs, in Norway to see the huge mountains and mountain-top lakes. These are costly but also high-risk activities. So, I always book cruise line tours as I want to make sure that they’re well screened and verified.
This decision was reinforced for me when doing a helicopter tour on a Disney Magic Norway cruise. Talking to the pilot, I found the line only allowed pilots from that company with over a certain number of flying hours to be used on their tours.
In the back of my mind was the terrible accident in Misty Fjords near Ketchikan Alaska a few years back when five Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam passengers booked their own less costly fly plane that crashed with their loss of life.
I know a cruise line excursion is not a guarantee of 100% safety when doing riskier activities, but I feel it reduces the risk. If I am doing anything high value and high risk like those or even ATV or Ziplines and so on, I book the cruise line screened providers.
Also, if I have any issues or problems with these costly trips, I have a very strong leverage for getting that resolved. For example, I have been refunded once half of a long cycling excursion by the line in Marseille as I felt it was not up to their advertised standards.
So, anytime I have the slightest question either about safety of the place or even the activity in my mind, I will always book the cruise line excursion and stay within that bubble. But there is another more pragmatic issue that determines it too.
This next one is the most frequent reason I book a cruise line excursion. And that is when the port is nowhere near the main attraction or city. This is especially the case when cruising Europe, South America, and Asia where many of the headline and must-see places are a long way away.
For example, I am just back from a Western Mediterranean cruise on Norwegian Viva. And three of the ports fitted into this. Rome was a good hour from the port of Civitavecchia. Florence, and Pisa, were an hour and a half from the port of Livorno, and Seville was
Also an hour and half away from Cadiz where we docked. My cruise before that was on Regent Explorer and the must-see Kyoto was also an hour and half from Kobe where we docked. I could reel off example after example from my cruises.
Whenever the city or sights I want to see are a distance away, I stick with cruise line tours to remove the stress and hassle of getting there and worrying about getting back in time. Though mostly I book their “On Your Own” tour as that has a transfer there with a guide
Enroute to brief on what to see and how to get around, a contact number to call them if I get lost or stuck, and a meeting point and transfer back. But even if the distance issue for booking a cruise line excursion does not convince
You, the next one is very practical as can increase your time to explore. There are two times that taking a cruise line excursion has made getting out and into the port for me easier and faster. First, sometimes a cruise line excursion has helped me skip the hassle of getting a visa,
Or getting through immigration faster than those that are not on tours. My best example of that, which is not applicable right now as cruise lines have put going there on hold, but when I went to St Petersburg Russia on Silversea Silver Whisper by going
On their cruise line excursion, I didn’t have to go to all the hassle and expense of getting a Russian visa to get off the ship. Those self-touring had to get a visa in advance. On some cruises calling on multiple countries the authorities require us going through immigration.
On a Queen Mary 2 trip through Asia, we had to do that in Singapore. The tours had priority and we went first, and friends who were self-touring were delayed some hours getting off by the queues. So, I now check if either visa or getting through immigration checks make a cruise line
Tour worth it. The other time a cruise line tour speeds things up is in is in a tender port, where we all must get the tender boats off the ship into the port. On large ships especially, like when I was on Celebrity Edge on a Mediterranean cruise
Last year, I found it could take hours to get one as the line excursions went first, then those in premium cabins and then everyone else had to get a ticket and wait for it to be called. A cruise line excursion is good way of getting around all of that.
Though there is another consideration that trumps all these reasons for doing a line excursion! And that is frankly when it’s the only option! For example, when I went to Antarctica, we could only go on land with the cruise line, the same too in the Galapagos.
In the summer I went to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic and at most stops I could only get off the ship on a cruise line excursion because of the threat of polar bears, and so the area had to be patrolled by armed polar bear guards.
And the other easy decision on doing a line excursion for me is when they’re included. Like on that Regent Explorer Japan cruise I mentioned, included in my fare was a choice of excursions. So, as I had paid for them I did them in each port.
The same when I went on a Viking Ocean Cruise from Venice to Athens as an excursion was included in the fare. Most river cruise fares include excursions too, so when I went on a Viking Danube cruise recently, I also did the excursions. So, check if any tours are included.
There are only a handful of lines that do, and most tend to be the premium ones. When going on cruise line excursions, I see several big mistakes cruisers make when going on them. So, join me in this video where I explain what those blunders are.
Starting with something many do but should know better. See you over there.
43 Comments
It is usually safer to go with an excursion with a cruise line.
One place we've felt very unsafe was Panama
I was willing to chance it in Rome, because what I really wanted to do was an "Angels and Demons" tour, which was not offered by the cruise line. It was one of the best excursions I've ever been on, but having my own driver and car (then a separate private tour guide for the Vatican) minimized the risk. It was just me, so it was a bit expensive, but they knocked 50 Euros off because some other driver / car was a no-show. All I had to do was share the car with them until they were dropped off in Rome (where, I assume, a substituted car and driver were provided).
On my upcoming cruise to Oceania, I'm also third party booked to go to Hobbiton. I had booked with the ship, but then the excursion was dropped by the line… though they didn't cancel my excursion. After investigating, I booked third party, and canceled my ship excursion. I had a bad feeling that I'd get there with a notice of no tour, and no way to book it (it's sold out now).
I'm no stranger to having either the cruise line or third party tours canceling on me. I have a very strong suspicion that I was cut from a tour in Scotland because I was a single traveler and they could book an extra couple if they had a single empty seat. They rebooked me on a cheaper competitor (with a partial refund) where the vehicle broke down. They claimed their vehicle windows were damaged and it was out of service, but I saw them at locations. Heck, I saw the guy who wrote the email at one of those locations.
I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam when we lost those passengers. It was a surreal and somber last 48 hours to that cruise. At that point, no names had been released, so we were all wandering around trying to find the people we’d met over the week, hoping not to find some of them missing.
It was horrible for everyone (most of course for the victims and their families, I don’t mean to minimize that).
Try different things and you’ll have your own experience.
I'd say we have done the cruise line excursions 90% of the time.
Pretty sure the 38 were passengers on a shore excursion from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, on the active volcano that exploded in NZ, would not be saying the RCI do any checking of the safety of the activity.
Gary's points are very important to consider, but everyone needs to weigh their own personal risk level.
Me … I'm a small, slight older woman, and probably traveling solo. I'm also more than a bit shy and introverted. The fact that I know martial arts does not show … I can defend myself, but that doesn't stop people from hassling me. And for me, getting hassled would ruin the excursion. So being part of a group excursion, with the guides taking charge, is worth a lot to me.
Other people will definitely decide differently — as would I, if I knew a port city very well or had companions who did.
I've always seen risk in ports like:
Low – self-exploring
Medium – 3rd party excursions
High – cruise ship excursions
Very High – stay aboard
Extremely High – stay home
We took a helicopter open door flight in Maui. We took our son and his family. We had the best time. Unfortunately, my daughter in law was really scared and ended up grabbing onto my thigh. When we were done, when i got back to the house we rented, I had a huge bruise on my thigh. It was ok as it did help her feel safer while in the copter. Two months after we were there was the big fire. It was so sad to see so many of the places we visited were now burned to a crisp.
I just completely disagree with the point about getting cruiseline tours to visit places far from the ports (i.e. Rome, Florence, Seville), this is such a clear sign that these are places you should not visit on a cruise, but on a regular holiday. Rome and Florence are whole holidays in themselves, and you could do a whole trip around Andalusia visiting Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Gibraltar, etc. Absolutely no reason to do it with a cruise, and then pay for expensive excusions.
Just back from a Barcelona to Cape Town on Regent………Most of the ports had an element of danger so Regents included excursions were a definite must
Thank you for the videos, finnaly cruising on diamond pricess, for xmas with my darling, loving everyminute, your tips made it more enjoyable and using all what a cruise can offer and safely
Good and practical advice. Thanks much. 👍
Excellwnt example and advice – that is why I watch ALL your videos ! Thanks
We stay in the bubble every cruise now. The world is just different.
100% agree. Also, any times when you have tight times trying to squeeze in excursions or excursions with med-high time variability elements like coming back via water (weather) or by something like sled dogs.
All great info. Thank you. On my Med cruise last summer I saw another reason when booking with the cruise line is extremely helpful. Avoiding long ques to see and do popular attractions like climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa or entering the well known museums in Rome and Florance. You would not have time to visit these sites without prearranged group tickets. We walked past many people who have been waiting in line for hours.
Jamaica sucks. Dont even bother getting off the boat
Cruise excursions are ridiculously expensive. We were on Cunard QV earlier this month and one of their Lisbon ‘excursions’ was a ‘self explore’ which essentially meant being dropped off and picked up in town for $45 when you could walk it yourself in 30 mins. Going to Norway in March with Fred Olsen and again ‘self explore’ of Tromso is £55 and a two hour trip, to include a 10 min sleigh ride with huskies, is £260. Needless to say we will be exploring ourselves.
Wishing you and your mate the happiest Christmas.
Wise advice. I can recommend some smaller vessels where tours are organised without additional charge with dedicated indigenous staff e.g. Pandaw.
Re: Egypt, I've walked alone around the back streets of Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, and only the kids come up and ask for money. Go explore on your own.
We’ve done both in the past, common sense rules!
Great advice Gary!
Another benefit to booking excursions with the cruise line is when there is a strong possibility of a change in itinerary. We're booked on a 17-night South America cruise and two weeks before we are due to set sail they have already cancelled one port, changed another, and moved around the arrival dates for ports included in the first half of the trip. Not unexpected for South America. Since we booked all our excursions with the cruise line everything is being moved around and cancelled for us.
Your video about your South American cruise experience is what convinced us to book all our excursions through the cruise line. Thank you! This is only our second cruise and we are still learning.
You don't mention the option of booking a tour with a local company. They are often specialists who know more about the place than the cruise line or the big companies they hire. I took a river cruise in the Danube delta, organised by local specialists at 1/4 the cost of an internationally sold Danube cruise. And it Kenya there was a big difference between prices for locals and short term visitors. I lived in Belfast for 18 years, so I am never scared of places.
What about Cartagena in Colombia – how un/safe is that for self-exploration? I understand that the port is quite close to the city.
When I was in the med last year on Princess and stopped in Livorno. My excursion to Florence was 2 hours late getting back but Regal Princess waited for us!
you are in error on st. petersburg. anyone going on a sanctioned tour does not need to get the visa. the tour company handles any needed paperwork. cruise lines are lying to get you to only book with them
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
I saw a YouTube video where cruisers took a $2 bus to the Mendenhall Glacier, from Juneau, but were let off a mile from the visitor's center. from there, it is another mile to the Falls, plus a $5 charge to enter the visitor's center. Sometimes it's not worth the money saved, when you are pressed for time. I'm doing that cruise mid June, 2024. I'm also doing a three week cruise, the following October, from East coast to West Coast, through Panama. (Sounds like I'll be doing mostly NCL excursions on that cruise)
The following year, there is an European cruise that busses you from the port to Paris. That would be a good one not to go cheap on.
I've been to jamaica a couple of times, it was rough and aggressive at times in montego bay. I did well chipping in with another solo traveler and hiring a private car to go explore treasure beach
Thank you for the video. That really does make sense!
We did a full transit Panama Canal voyage Feb 2023 on HAL from Fl to San Diego. I pulled State Dept reports for all ports we visited and only book excursions via HAL in hopes of being a little safer. Will not do any flying excursions. Pilot friend said these companies hire pilots looking to get their hours. Not good. Thanks for sharing.
Good to see you are doing your bit to save the planet!!!
I must say—this content is THE MOST IMPORTANT information for cruisers.
The number of things that can go wrong is uncountable. If only one occurs your cruise (or life) can be ruined in seconds.
The world is a beautiful place, and cruise companies are the best at making you think it’s heavenly to visit foreign lands. Yeah, these places are beautiful, but all of them come with risk.
My advice, a random internet dude who’s taken 15-20 cruises: Watch every video on this channel and heed the warnings.
Happy cruising!
For my first cruise ever, the ports of call are Great Stirrup Cay and the Dominican Republic. I don't even know what happens on an excursion, so I don't know if I should even take on or just get off the ship and explore myself. I'm 68 and I can't take very long walks without having to slow down or stop from time to time. So, do I fall behind others in a group excursion? Do I hold up everyone else? I really have no clue about excursions at all, so I may not even take one. So I don't know what to do now.
Great point about being the only option. We recently sailed to Moreton Island, a popular short cruise destination here in Australia. As the ship tenders into a resort, the activities, and shops etc, are only open to cruise ship passengers and resort guests. As such, the only way to do any activity on the island is to book via the cruise line, as there is no way to book once on shore.
Thanks for the tips. I think that you have several good points here.
In Egypt it used to be less safe to go in groups, because they were favourite targets of terrorist attacks. If you go solo in Cairo, you don't necessarily stand up as a tourist, it depends on one's looks, dress and body language. But it is true, solo western women and individuals who present as LGBTQ are at higher risk of harassment. But this is Cairo, in more obvious touristic spots locals have a much more refined ability to spot the tourist
Good video, Gary. We've done 'our own thing' in Rome a couple of times, albeit some years ago (10+ years), and everything worked out – train both ways. But the last time we did it we noticed that the trains back were very full, mainly with cruise passengers, so on our next couple of visits to 'Rome' we booked cruise line excursions, but not up to Rome! – we did excursions out into the surrounding countryside, and had very relaxing days. Is it possible that with the growth of the number of people cruising, do-it-yourself excursions that were sensible in the past are no longer so?
nice 👍 good videos •• 😅😊