Can you find and pay for activities on a port without paying for shore excursions in the cruise?

Show all answers

MomSezNo

Definitely. The big caveat is that you get back to the ship on time, because they can and will leave without you if you don't and you are not on a ship-sponsored tour. You need to allow plenty of time in case something goes wrong, and you need to research the options before you go, unless you like totally winging it and can deal with the risk.

Some ports are easier than others to do on your own. Grand Cayman, Cozumel and St. Thomas, among others, are very easy and safe. Jamaica and others are not.

For lots of information and recommendations [very reliable], go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Boards", then "Ports of Call". There, past cruisers give their experiences and pros and cons about all the cruise ports.

IloveNeville

I just got back from a cruise, and there was a place at the port that you could pay for activities that were a lot cheaper than the shore excursions on the cruise. I would recommend seeing what they have to offer at the port.

woodsacre

Sure you can. But, you run the risk of missing the ship if you get back late or something happens. The cruise line has no idea where you are. I have seen people left at the pier as we've departed. I wouldn't do it in a foreign country.

In Hawaii, it's good to rent a car on your own and travel around. You're probably safe in Alaska to book your own or just wander around on your own.

ocean.denis

Depends a lot on which ports.
Distance from port to city for example...
Depends if you eat shoreside or onboard.
Copenhagen for example it's a 40 dollar cab ride into the city, Nassau you walk, Amsterdam you walk, St Petersburg is an excursion must, Stockholm, Oslo, Tallin, Helsinki... walk walk walk... Caribbean most ports are reasonable to walk.
South America depends...
Same goes for the US.
Email your destinations, if possible I'll let you know

abcd

Excursions on your own are slightly cheaper. Cruiseships always have a commission when you book through them. You can get great tips on cruise-chat.com

If you plan it well you'll save and maybe see more. Only catch, especially in some caribbean countries and Mexico is that if you don't fix the fare beforehand you'll be ripped off.

stan l

I almost always do. On our last cruise we stopped at 8 ports and only did one activity through the ship.

Nicki H

On our last cruise we mostly did the shore excursions organized by the cruise, because they are organized for you, reliable, and the cruise ship won't leave without you if you are late. And the cruise always knows the best places to go and see in the country you are in...

You're own excursions would probably be fine as long as you don't go to far away from the port and make sure you have an extra hour up you sleeve to get back to the ship in case something goes wrong and you're late.

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

You are not required to book any ship's tours. So, YES, you can go on your own and you should study the excursions and activities offered by the cruise lines carefully because some of them are lame. They have a great writeup about the tour, but when you go on it you find that its not "all that" at all.

I have been on many cruises and my theory is if I am going to a country or city that I have not been to before I will book the cheapest tour that will give me some highlights for 2 or 3 hours. Then after the tour I go do my own thing. Some places I do not even book a tour but with just a little research find the 3 or 4 best things to see and/or do, and just get off the ship, map in hand, and go on my own. Some places all you want or need to do is just browse around the port city.

Some places, especially in the Caribbean, you can get off the ship and find the same island tour for half the price. The taxi and van drivers will be right on the pier waiting.

The one thing that you MUST do is know exactly when you need to be back on ship and plan to get back at least an hour before that time.

ap21ril

You can, but I have read from several people on here that it is not a good idea. The cruise line is much safer and of course, you need to be back at the ship in time.

fishlakeguy

Aside from missing the boat, Cruise line booked excursions are also safer for tourists. The cruise lines are the bread and butter for these small local excursions, and they make sure you don't meander off into a bad part of town. Most cruise sponsored excursions are checked out to make sure of legitamacy.
I have some friends that went off on there own in the Gulf, took a tour that was offered at the pier, and ended up mugged in an alley by a so called tour guide.

Cruise lines want a very diverse list of activities to make everyone happy, so if an activity isn't sponsored by the ship, it is probably for a very good reason.

karkee07

You can. But for your own personal saftey the cruise companys, myself and other people will not advise you to do so. Your better off just going with the excursions though the ship. They are also the safest, and best excursions becuase at least with Royal Caribbean they review and test everything.

have fun

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: