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| One of the highlights of your port call is the opportunities to engage in fun, adventurous and/or unique activities on the island. It’s almost impossible to have a bad time on these excursions. For the most part, just participating in an excursion is enough of a plus. For example, if you’ve never been snorkeling, then any snorkeling you do in the beautiful clear waters of the Caribbean will be wonderful, even breathtaking. The important point about shore excursions is to get hooked up with a reliable vendor, pay a reasonable price and minimize the likelihood of hassles. |
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| Should You Book Your Excursion On Board? |
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| The people who deliver the shore excursions are all business people, and their business is providing desirable experiences to tourists. There are many vendors who provide these experiences, and, of course, some are better than others. The cruise lines seek out vendors that provide the right combination of experience and value and these are the vendors they promote through their Shore Excursion packages. |
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| In addition to the vendors offered on the ships, there are numerous other vendors you can hire once you get ashore. An excellent resource that we highly recommend, regardless of who you ultimately book your excursion with, is the local tour vendors and local message boards that exist online for virtually every port of call you will visit. There are two benefits of doing this: |
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You find out about excursions that you wouldn’t otherwise know about, and |
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The cost of the excursion will likely be less if you book directly with the vendor rather than going through a “middle man”, i.e., the cruise line. |
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| A downside is that you have less leverage in getting refunds or other compensation for unacceptable service when you are dealing directly with shore-based vendors. Even though every cruise ship’s stated policy is that they don’t give refunds for shore excursions, that’s not entirely the case. It may be a bit difficult getting your money back, but there are other ways that they can work with you if a vendor really blows it. |
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| The best way you can protect yourself with regards to shore excursions is to do some pre-search. Before you buy, find out EXACTLY what the excursion includes and DOES NOT. Usually, the folks at the Shore Excursion Desk on board know what they are talking about. But also ask around and see what you can find out from passengers. If you go online to sites like Cruisecritics.com or CruiseReview.com you can often find reviews of specific shore excursions. |
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| If you know for sure which excursion you want to do, you can book it on-line before you go and save a little money. But don’t count on getting extensive info from the cruise line phone operators. Most of them are sitting in front of a computer screen in Idaho or some such place, have never taken the excursion (many have never taken a cruise), and have no idea what the excursion entails. They are only allowed to give you the “official” answer to any questions you ask, which is basically the same information you can get on the cruise ship’s website. |
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| Most shore excursions are just great and you’ll be happy you went. But do some presearch and you’ll be glad you did. |
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Lower Your Standards (?) |
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Okay, not really. But let’s be honest here. It should come as no surprise that cruise line advertising folks possess the ability to describe each and every shore excursion as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Part of the mental prep for your shore excursion should be to settle on a realistic expectation of what you are going to get. If you stay flexible and keep in mind that even a bad day in the Caribbean is still a good day, you won’t be too shocked if you find that the “colorful coral reefs teaming with tropical fish” are really kind of brownish and the fish are hard to find. Or your exotic peaceful day at the beach is really as crowded as the pool deck. In the end, it’s all good, even if it’s not perfect. |
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The business environment in Caribbean ports of call is distinctly different than it is in most parts of the US. More accurately, the customer service environment is different. Local business people are not always appreciative of the demanding attitude that Americans have gotten used to at home. Make no mistake, your local waiter or guide is a delightful and hardworking person, but they might not be inclined to provide service at the level you’ll get on board your ship. Consequently, what may seem like a lack of commitment to you as a customer, can seem completely normal to a local provider. |
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So, relax your standards a bit when traveling ashore. The further away from the port or resort areas you get, the more likely you are to encounter local customs and behaviors and the less likely you are to be dealing with people who appreciate the economic boon of tourists. When you are dealing with vendors that have been selected by the cruise ship, you bridge this gap to a large extent. Be aware and you’ll be fine. |
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Liability |
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In the same vein, if something goes wrong that results in some injury, you have less legal recourse if you are dealing with local vendors. These island businesses are governed by local law which is different than US law. If you are going to pursue a claim in a Bahamian court, for example, you must have representation in the Bahamas, a foreign country.
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As a general rule, if you are cruising for the first time and if you are experiencing a particular excursion experience for the first time, you’re usually better off using one of the ships vendors. It’s less hassle, they are set up to deal with first-timers, and you have some protection and recourse if you are unhappy with the experience. On the other hand, if you are an experienced snorkel-er, for example, you could do just fine seeking out a local vendor and making your own deal.
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If you decide to book your own excursion once you get ashore, keep this in mind. |
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Should something unforeseen happen and you are delayed getting back to the ship on time,
the ship has no obligation to wait for you and will leave you behind. On the other hand,
if you book your excursion through the ship, regardless of what delays occur, the ship
will be responsible for getting you back aboard. |
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| Prescription Sun Glasses |
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Articles we've written about
Cruising In The Caribbean |
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Ten Mistakes When Taking A Cruise - It’s a shame to lay out
$250 - $2,500 on a dreamy
cruise vacation only to encounter unnecessary mishaps and
inconveniences. So, in an effort
to minimize the likelihood of a
bump in the road to your perfect
vacation, here are some common
potholes that can tarnish your
experience.
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Eleven Expert Cruising Tips - Some useful,relevant tips and
ideas, and other neat stuff you
can use to make their cruising
experience better.
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Hooked On Cruising (And I Like It!) - It's official! I have a
condition, a disorder by some
people's assessment. It's called
"Caribbean Obsession Disorder",
and there really is such a thing.
Imagine that!
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