Cruise Excursions

One of our absolute favorite part about cruising is the excursions. Excursions are activities that you can participate in on the mainland. They range from historical island tours, visits to Mayan ruins, snorkeling, animal encounters, and cultural events.

I’m telling you, excursions will make your trip totally unforgettable! We have done some amazing things on excursions including; swimming with stingrays, swimming with sharks, visiting Mayan ruins, horseback riding, and sailing on a catamaran. Most of my favorite memories from cruises have come from excursions.

How much does excursions cost?

Depending on the cruise line, excursions can run you anywhere from $40 per person for a beach day or a historic island tour to hundreds of dollars for helicopter rides, golfing, and scuba diving.

When should I book my excursion?

If you are booking your excursion through the cruise line, I recommend doing it sooner, rather than later. I used to wait until I got on the ship to figure out what I wanted to do in each port. Those days are long gone. Now I always play it safe and book in advance. Some of the more popular tours can and will sell out- especially on Alaskan cruises.

Do I need to book an excursion in every port?

Absolutely not! There are some ports that the cruise lines have built up into the perfect hub for tourists. The developer’s goal was to create a haven for tourists so that they wouldn’t have to leave the port area. There is plenty to do at these ports including pools, shops, restaurants, and bars. Some of these ports even have private beaches where you can do water activities.

In ports like Grand Turk, Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay (Roatan), Half Moon Cay, and Amber Cove you can definitely get away without booking an excursion.

We’re working on a breakdown of whether or not you need to book an excursion in each port, and including a list of our favorite options.

Do I need to book an excursion in…

• …Amber Cove?
• …Aruba?
• …Belize?
• …Bonaire?
  
• …Cozumel?
• …Grand Cayman?
• …Grand Turk?
• …Half Moon Cay?
• …Mahogany Bay?
• …Nassau?

Can I book an excursion outside of the cruise line?

Sure! When we are in Mahogany Bay/Roatan, we book a day trip to Little French Key which isn’t offered through the cruise lines. There are risks, however. One of the biggest perks of booking through the cruise line is that the ship will remain in port until all guests are back in port– that is… if you’ve booked an excursion with them. If you booked a private excursion and your van breaks down on the way back to port, you could be shit out of luck.

Posts About Excursions