Cruise guest shares advice for booking excursions

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On a cruise holiday, most passengers will visit a range of destinations. They will have the option to book tours with their cruise company or make their own plans.

A guest warned on Reddit: “Don’t pay for something that’s just a beach excursion, unless for some reason the beaches are really hard to get to and you don’t trust your ability to get back to the ship in time.

“Nine times out of 10, you’ll be brought to the beach with three dozen aggressive trinket vendors who will not leave you in peace for a minute.

“The beach that no locals would be caught dead going to. Instead do a bit of research beforehand and grab a taxi to a good beach where you can relax for a while.”

Cruise companies may take passengers to beaches in destinations such as the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

According to the passenger, the company may take guests to the busiest or most touristy beach.

Guests could do their own research to find a quieter or more peaceful beach without souvenir sellers.

However, guests will need to make sure the beach is accessible from the port within the time they have.

Another guest said: “Book yourself as long as you use a reputable service. Though I’d stick to simple things if you book last minute, once you get off the boat.

“A lot of tour and excursion sellers hustle and can be ripoffs so that’s dangerous.”

It may be a better idea for passengers to book their excursions online before arriving at the port.

They may get ripped off if they book with companies at the port or in the worst case they could even miss the ship.

Passengers that are late for departure time will have to travel themselves to meet the ship at its next destination.

Although the majority of excursion companies will ensure guests are back at the ship on time, this can’t be guaranteed.

Online reviews from other cruise passengers should help guests to find a reputable tour company.

Another guest said: “Do it yourself, it’s quite easy, don’t be afraid of finding something you can only book yourself.”

If a guest wants to do a specialist activity such as hiking or a historical tour, they may need to book it themselves.

Passengers will need to check public transportation to make sure they can reach their tour from the port.

One passenger advised guests to factor in some time to relax on the days when they didn’t have excursions.

They said:“Don’t be afraid to sleep in and relax, especially on sea days. A cruise is a vacation, but I always find myself trying to cram as much fun stuff as I can into my day.

“I sometimes have to remember it’s okay if I don’t do one event and just relax somewhere with a drink.”

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