For many cruisers, shore excursions are the highlight of the trip.
They’re your chance to explore a new destination, experience something memorable, and make the most of a port stop that may only last a few hours.
But according to hundreds of experienced cruisers, some excursions sound much better in the brochure than they do in real life.
When people go on a cruise, they typically have a lot of expectations of what they’re going to do. Eat lots of (hopefully delicious) food. Perhaps drink a lot. See shows. Have fun. Relax and unwind.
For some people, shore excursions are another big part of cruising. After all, cruises include stopping in ports, often in places they’ve never visited. There’s obviously not enough time to see EVERYTHING, but if you go on an excursion, you can usually have an enjoyable experience and get to see a small part of the country, all at the same time (my husband and I use the experience to determine if we’d like to ever go back to explore the country on our own. Not everyone does that; it’s definitely a Your Mileage May Vary situation).
How people book excursions
There are several ways to book excursions, but two of the most common are through an independent tour marketplace or directly through the cruise line.
Viator
Viator is the world’s largest online marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions. It’s been in business for 30+ years, has lots of options, and is very trustworthy.
Ship-sponsored excursions
The ship will typically have several options for excursions – these are tours sold through the cruise line, typically using local operators selected by the cruise company. They also tend to cost much more than if you sign up for the same type of excursion from a place like Viator. However, if you book an excursion directly from the ship, they’re guaranteed to wait for you if you’re late (welllll, except when they don’t).
The 5 worst excursions
Of course, each excursion will be its own thing. It might be just an hour long, or several hours. It might include a long bus ride, a lot of walking, etc. It might be more of an “adventure” type of excursion, where you better have good travel insurance, just in case.
But some excursions, overall, are just…not good.
Matt Hochberg is the owner of the Royal Caribbean Blog, which he’s been writing for 17 years. Back in April, he asked his readers which shore excursions they had booked and later regretted. He got back over 500 responses. That’s obviously not scientific market research, but it does provide an idea of the types of excursions that disappointed respondents most often.
City tours & long bus tours
By far, bus tours were rated as the worst. Respondents complained about:
- Rarely having the opportunity to get out of the bus.
- No photo stops.
- Too much talking, plus it was uninteresting and difficult to hear.
It sounds like a Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus, but without the hopping.
Even when cruisers did have an opportunity to stop, get out of the bus and see something, there were problems:
- Everything felt too rushed – like you had to get your photo and then go back on the bus.
- Each stop was only 15 or 20 minutes.
Overcrowded, underwhelming beaches
There seem to be some beaches that are specifically for tourists, and those have their own set of problems:
- Overcrowding.
- Too expensive (one respondent said they could have gone to a public beach for much, much less).
- The beach doesn’t look like the photos.
Doesn’t sound like a fun day, does it? I’ve never been to Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel, but the photos I’ve seen make it sound exactly like this – lots of people, and a whole lot of money for not a whole lot.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling, of course, is partially dependent on the weather. If the seas have been particularly rough, you’re going to have murky water. The excursion company can’t control the weather or water conditions, but overcrowding at a snorkeling spot is another matter.
Snorkeling can also be decidedly NOT FUN for people who’ve never snorkeled before or don’t do it often. The first time I went snorkeling, I seriously thought I was going to die. I couldn’t coordinate my breathing, plus my arms and legs got really tired really fast. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s experienced that.
Swimming with dolphins
ANY sort of excursion that includes interacting with animals is often controversial, simply because of the questions of how these animals, who live in captivity, are treated (look up Orlando Sloth World for an example).
But even beyond the question of the quality of these animals’ lives, interactions, such as dolphin encounters, cost a lot but are a lot of waiting and very little “encountering.” So they feel like a waste of money.
Glass bottom boat tours
Glass bottom boat tours SOUND like fun. But then you get there and you have to deal with murky water and again, so many people squashed into the boat that you’re totally overcrowded.
Of course, one person’s worst excursion can be another person’s favorite vacation memory.
Some people love spending hours on a bus learning about local history. Others are perfectly happy paying for a crowded beach if it means they don’t have to think about transportation, food, drinks or logistics. And plenty of people snorkel, swim with dolphins or take glass-bottom boat tours and have an amazing time.
But what stood out from the responses was a common theme: expectations matter.
Many of the excursions cruisers regretted weren’t necessarily terrible. They just didn’t deliver what passengers thought they were paying for. The “city tour” turned out to be mostly sitting on a bus. The “beautiful beach day” turned out to be crowded and expensive. The “once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter” involved more waiting around than actual interaction.
That’s why it pays to do a little homework before booking. Read reviews. Look at recent photos. Check how long you’ll actually spend doing the activity versus traveling to and from it.
Because while there’s no such thing as a perfect shore excursion, there’s also no reason to spend part of your vacation wishing you’d stayed on the ship instead.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
