My Cruise Adventures

Excursions

Check the daily newsletter in the evening to find out what time the ship expects to arrive in port. In many cases it arrives a little before the stated time. If you want to take photos of the arrival, plan to be on deck well before arrival.

Some ports have docks for cruise ships, while others do not. If there is no dock, you'll need to take a 'tender' ashore. Since there may be several thousand other passengers on board, tendering ashore could take a while since each tender can take a maximum of 150 passengers or so per trip. Find out from the front desk where to get 'tender tickets' that assign you a place in line.

If you have a shore excursion booked through the ship, you will have priority on the tender. Once ashore, look for someone with a sign for your shore excursion.

You can buy shore excursions from the ship, from vendors at the port, or in advance from vendors web sites. Ship's excursions may cost more but have one advantage - if your shore excursion is late returning to the ship, they will hold the ship for you.

This proved to be an advantage one one excursion my wife and daughters took. when a tour boat ran aground. If you are not on a ship's tour, you may get back late to see the ship leaving without you. In this case, it helps to have cash, your passport, credit cards, and a camera (they say a ship leaving port makes for a good photo).

You can book ship's excursions in advance after you complete the online check-in, which is useful if you have a must-do excursion that may fill up early. Otherwise, you can also book them onboard.

Tipping is expected on most shore excursions (but not in New Zealand). This can range from a few dollars to $20 per person, depending on the excursion and what was done for you.