A little advance planning may save
a lot of time and money.

Caribbean Shore Excursions Tips

Planning what to do ashore and how you'll see it is the best way to build enthusiasm for your cruise.

Start by price comparing these non-cruise line shore excursions.

Some Tips

Decide exactly what you want to do/see on each island. If it's mostly beaching and shopping, you can do that cheaper on your own. Stores almost always are within walking distance of the dock.

Split the cost of a cab ride to the beach with others you meet on the ship. There will be plenty of cabs at the dock to take you anywhere.

Count on it.

For other activities , investigate the shore excursions offered online. Most cruise lines have them posted. See what the tours cost , how long they last and how much time is allotted for each activity.

Full day tours normally include lunch and snacks.

Some tours will be scheduled for half a day yet your ship may be in port for 10 hours.

In putting together your itinerary, do this:

Read all you can before departing

Every island is different. See what makes it unique. GuidetoCaribbeanVacations.com (GTCV.com, for short) is designed to show you the highlights of each.

Book a rental car ahead of time

This almost always is the least expensive method for a full day of sightseeing. The rental car company should pick you up at the ship. Be prepared to drive on the left. And to pay for the extra accident (CDW) insurance coverage. If something happens, you don't want to be delayed by legal hassles.

 Book through local operators
ahead of time

Want to dive with Captain Don's Habitat on Bonaire? Arrange it beforehand. You can book almost any activity, anywhere, well in advance.

Book the best shore excursions
before departure.

High demand activities fill up fast. Then you go to a waiting list. Don't take the risk. Book shore excursions you know you want when you make cruise reservations. You can always cancel them later, subject to the cruise line's policy.

Usually you can wait until the day before you arrive at a destination to cancel a shore excursion without penalty; but make certain.

Stay flexible

Talk to the ship's crew about where they go, what they see when they're in a particular port. They visit these places every week. They may come up with something you haven't thought of.

Return to: Shore Excursions Part 1

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