Shore Excursions – ‘the unofficial guide’……….. Part Two

Organised Shore Excursions……..
Unless you are familiar with your port of call, you are probably better joining an organised shore excursion, offered by all the cruise lines. These are organised and vetted by the cruise line. You will be accompanied by ship staff.

Some cruise lines, particularly Fred Olsen, will advise you about the difficulty, or otherwise, of an excursion, so you can guage whether it would be suitable for you – steps involved, gradients, distances, duration, that sort of thing, which is helpful if you are not very mobile or will be taking a pushchair or wheelchair.
Only take essentials with you. Leave valuables on the ship (pickpockets love tourists!), and remember to take your embarkation card so that you can get back onto the ship!
Some of the 6* cruise lines offer private excursions that are tailored to your specific requirements. Having said that some of the other cruise lines i.e. NCL also offer a Freestyle Private Touring programme.
If there is an excursion that you really want to do but it is already fully booked, remember, there are always last minute cancellations, so check for last minute availability.

Remember, shore excursions are put together for general interest. City excursions are quite superficial, but are good for covering a lot of ground quickly. In some locations, like the Caribbean, many tours cover the same ground whichever cruise line you go with.
I think that one of the big bonuses of organised excursions is that they allow you to meet with fellow passengers who have similar interests. Remember, life long friendships are made on cruises!