Shore excursions, once an afterthought in cruising, have catapulted to a major attraction, even becoming a reason to cruise. It’s part of the ongoing revolution that is changing the concept of cruising from sedentary to active.
In the past, most of us set sail with only a vague idea of what we could do at the ports. We didn’t know what tours were available until we got onboard, and what we did ashore didn’t really matter that much.
The scene has changed dramatically. Now we can browse through tour options even before deciding on a cruise. We can pre-book tours before leaving home, and we’re not limited to what the cruise line offers. Independent companies now market tours for cruise passengers, catering to those who prefer smaller groups and more personalized service. And besides more adventurous options, there’s a much greater diversity in types of tours, with the current trend toward unique experiences.
In the one-upmanship game in cocktail and office cooler talk about vacations, “I took a cruise” used to trump most other getaways. Now those who cruise tack on tall tales of adventures ashore, like “I mushed a dog sled in Alaska.”
On excursions, passengers are harnessing themselves on cables to swing over rain forests like Tarzan, driving Harley-Davidson motorcycles on sightseeing tours and sipping Champagne at a private concert in Russia’s famed Hermitage Museum.
Three factors have revolutionized shore excursions: the Internet, larger cruise ships and younger, more active travelers with diverse interests who have discovered cruising.
For the consumer, the changes bring benefits, challenges and a wallop to the wallet, with some side trips adding up to a big-ticket item on top of the cost of the cruise. But for the budget-minded, there still are options, including do-it-yourself touring.
The Internet is proving a valuable planning tool, as browsing the tour options can help determine which cruise to take, prevent sticker shock onboard at tour prices and help independent travelers plan their own excursions.
Many cruise line Web sites list their shore excursions for each port, and most of them show the prices. So we can compare itineraries among the ships to determine which suits our activity interests and budgets best. Being able to make such comparisons is particularly helpful for cruising in the Caribbean and Alaska, where there are so many lines and ships.
A survey of more than 20 cruise lines serving North America shows that 13 have tour descriptions on their Web sites and allow prebooking of excursions. Several more lines are gearing up for online tour booking within the next year. Though most cruise lines are hesitant to say what percentage of passengers prebook tours, the number is growing. Early in 2005, one executive estimated about 40 to 45 percent of passengers on seven-day trips book ahead and up to 70 percent do on some European itineraries. Prebooking excursions is less common on shorter cruises.
For consumers, there are several caveats: Some lines require payment by credit card at the time you prebook tours, while others wait and charge the tours to your onboard account. Most lines have a cut-off date for prebookings, such as 5 to 10 days before sailing, and some charge a fee if you cancel a prebooked tour after this date. Nearly all cruise lines have a no-refund policy if you cancel after the onboard closing time for tours at each port; these deadlines are noted onboard and usually are the day before the port call. (See accompanying chart about shore excursion policies of lines.)
Larger ships, carrying 2,500 to 3,000 or more passengers, have made both cruise lines and passengers scurry for new tour options. Where once a ship may have had 10 to 12 tours at one port, today there may be 40 or more excursions. This year, Princess Cruises has 137 excursions in Alaska and more than 430 tours in Europe. In Caribbean ports where the water is the major attraction, lines have added such options as racing on sailboats that once vied for the America’s Cup and island adventures via kayak or individual powerboats.
As the megaships have begat larger tours, many passengers, particularly the more independent travelers, have balked at seeing sights with several busloads of people. Higher prices also have pushed some passengers to seek alternatives. While there are still tours in the $30 to $50 range, more are costing around $100, and the more adventurous or exclusive excursions range up to $400 or more, all per person.
In 2001, travel agents Julie Ansfield and Barry Karp in Glendale, Wis., heard rumblings of discontent among their clients about experiences on shore excursions. A group of five families booked a cruise with them and asked them to arrange all their shore activities so they could be together. They did it–and thus was born ShoreTrips (888-355-0220; www.shoretrips.com).
They started in the Caribbean, exploring the islands and plotting tours. They met with boat captains, guides and tour operators, many who no longer could handle the large numbers that cruise lines required them to take. Ansfield and Karp wanted dependable guides who could convey a good sense of the place in a short time. They know all their tour guides personally.
“Some people feel more comfortable on a bus with the ship, but we’re looking for the people who want to interact more [with the destination], travel in a smaller group, do something unique and go a little deeper,” says Ansfield. They also book tours for families to go by themselves, allowing flexible time at sights and usually saving money over ship tour costs.
“We create our own trips,” says Karp. Online ShoreTrips.com has detailed descriptions for tours at about 30 ports including the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii and the Pacific Coast, with the Mediterranean coming next year. The company also will custom-tailor tours for passengers.
A number of ShoreTrips tours are similar to those offered by the lines but operate with fewer people, says Ansfield. For instance, its snorkel trip to Stingray City on Grand Cayman Island uses cabin cruisers that hold 30 to 40 people, but they book a maximum of 22 passengers to give more room, Karp says. Many cruise ship tours are on large barge-type vessels carrying 100 or more passengers.
ShoreTrips prices are similar or often less than those of cruise line tours. For instance, its Stingray City trips start at $44, while Royal Caribbean International is $45, Carnival $47 and Princess $49. For the cave tubing trip, the ShoreTrips price is $79 with lunch while Carnival is $93 with lunch, Royal Caribbean $96 with lunch and Princess $99 without lunch.
Another company specializing in independent tours for cruise passengers is Florida-based Port Promotions & Services (800-929-4548; www.portpromotions.com). In business since 1991, its staff has extensive background running shore excursion desks for cruise lines. It does both general and customized tours.
Steve Leland, a former cruise director who heads Port Promotions, says business has increased the past few years, with passengers seeking alternatives from larger tour groups and higher prices on cruise lines.
“It has been a big season in Europe,” he says, noting people didn’t want to see major cities such as Rome from a large motor coach. Port Promotions’ tours have smaller groups and cost 10 percent to 20 percent less than similar ship tours, he says. The company has a select number of tours in Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe and Hawaii.
A Web search also turned up a Grand Cayman-based Island Marketing Ltd. in business since 2002, which offers shore excursions for cruise ship passengers in the Caymans, Belize, Cozumel and Costa Maya. Information is accessible at www.grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com.
With younger, more active travelers and families cruising, shore excursions have grown more adventurous. Now the trend is toward a greater diversity in activities to appeal to a wide scope of interests among passengers. Lines also are recognizing that many travelers want a small-group experience and have introduced more specialized tours.
“The amount of variety in shore excursions–the breadth of the offering–has really exploded,” says Jan Swartz, senior vice president of sales and customer service for Princess Cruises and Cunard Line. “There are more in-depth experiences and tours for all tastes–art, culture, music, nature, wildlife, bird-watching.” Despite the short amount of time ashore, more people want an “immersive excursion,” a closer snapshot or up-close experience of the destination, she says.
More passengers are reaching out for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, says Paul Goodwin, vice president of onboard revenue for Holland America Line. In Ketchikan, Alaska, this summer, the line introduced a Harley-Davidson tour, with guests driving motorcycles on a scenic tour led by a local biker. “We did it in response to the demand of guests to do something unique and different, not a motor-coach tour,” Goodwin says.
To accommodate the more independent and often upscale travelers now, larger lines are offering more intimate tours for some ports, similar to what has been available only on the smaller, luxury lines.
For instance, Holland America has 106 Medallion excursions with such unusual opportunities as climbing the famed “coat hanger” Sydney Harbor bridge in Australia. Its Signature Collection offers private cars or mini-vans with a driver to do custom tours.
Princess this year in Europe introduced its Elite Collection of tours by mini-bus with a small group, for instance, visiting a newly excavated area of the Ephesus ruins near Kusadasi, Turkey. Princess also will book private cars or mini-vans for tailor-made touring.
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises just launched a “travel concierge” program of exclusive group tours and customized sightseeing. Calling it “thinking out of the bus,” president Mark Conroy said it started at the request of guests.
Celebrity Cruises already has a concierge service to assist passengers with independent arrangements. Also this summer, Seabourn Cruise Line started Personal Shopper services in select cities with local experts leading excursions by private car to top specialty boutiques, galleries and shops.
Of course, passengers still have the option of touring on their own, which has pros and cons. With the Internet, it’s much easier to plan ahead, with a variety of information available about ports, attractions, visitor centers and local tour operators.
A good starting point online is the local or national tourism office for the destination, which usually has extensive information on attractions. Some visitor center Web sites also have links to tour operators. For instance, the Florida Keys & Key West tourism Web site, www.fla-keys.com, has explanations and links to tours suitable for port calls at Key West.
Local visitor centers also often have a booth at ports with maps for walking tours, information about sightseeing by local transportation and data on excursions.
There are downsides to do-it-yourself touring. It’s time-consuming to investigate options and make a game plan. Booking ahead with unknown operators can be risky. And if you wait until you arrive to choose a tour, what you want may not be available.
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A CHART FOR BOOKINGS
Find out now your cruise line’s rules for booking shore excursions. PAGE 9
