However, the process of choosing and booking tours can be overwhelming for new cruisers. Some excursions may require hiking on steep trails, kayaking for longer periods of time, etc. On top of being overly expensive when booked through a cruise line, its hard to really immerse yourself in a city and experience the tour when youre more concerned about maneuvering and avoiding potholes in the sidewalk. 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion, What to do if Royal Caribbeans shore excursions are sold out, Visiting Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, Greece, Guide to picking the perfect Royal Caribbean shore excursion, 12 must have Royal Caribbean tips & tricks for families, Best travel clothes for women on shore excursions. The tour required a 1-hour bus journey across the island to reach the boat. cruzgryphon, February 8, 2017 in Royal Caribbean International, Just wondering if anyone has been able to download shore excursion brochures from the following link: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/shoreExcursions/downloadBrochure/. Search Now I'm still struggling to view any shore excursion brochures despite having tried on multiple devices! They will be all too happy to inform you of great shopping locations. From there, you can narrow down the results based on the port, interests, time of day, activity level, age, wheelchair accessibility and more. Do you know about when you'd like to sail? CC Help Jenn My parents are going on a luxury Regent Seven Seas cruise, and they said that even waiting until the next morning to book tours meant that some of their choices were sold out. A. If you read the fine print, youll find that many of these mistakes (transportation logistics, cancellation policies, etc.) Shore excursions can run anywhere from $50 to well over $500. Segways are a lot of fun, and they are still fairly popular after all these years. Start planning your next cruise vacation by selecting a destination and departure port. It's a fact: There's nothing like a Caribbean cruise for chilling out, kicking back, and leaving real life behind for a bit, and it's also a fact that booking Caribbean shore excursions is the perfect way to exponentially increase the chill factor.. On every port of call in the Caribbean, cruise excursions offer luxury options for amazing experiences: Choose beach breaks at private . If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. 1 Book early to maximise your chance of securing a spot . You may cancel purchase(s) made via Cruise Planner up to forty-eight hours prior to the cruise departure date. For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Lastly, because when you book a Shore Excursion you have priority. Follow along on this incredible voyage! Select the excursion you are interested in, select how many people will be participating and pay the price and that is it. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. The excursions and guided tours designed to take your getaway to the next level from locally taught culinary classes and land tours infused with culture and history, to adrenaline-amping outdoor thrills and off-the-grid exploration. . I tried to download several different ones yesterday and each time it said "there is no voyage for this ship and sailing date". No luck! Our team personally tests every tour in a destination to select only the best shore excursions for your Royal Caribbean cruise adventure. I once saved hundreds of dollars organizing a group to go on an overnight, independently operated excursion to see the Pyramids of Giza from Cairo; the ships tours were incredibly marked up. Related: Visiting Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, Greece. What you can do if your cruise cancels port calls? DEBUTING MAY 2019. As a side note, many cities have free museums you can enjoy as well if youre cruising on a budget. Another reason not to book multiple excursions in one port is that shore excursions can be tiring. Independent tours, on the other hand, can be cheaper than cruise ship tours. A relatively new and lesser-known option is Private Journeys, which offers private tours that are organized by Royal Caribbean. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. The easiest way to book a shore excursion is to do so before the cruise on Royal Caribbean's website. Download a Shore Excursions Brochure. Our new interactive brochure will make it easy to view all of our cruises to Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska and Asia. Lastly, because when you book a Shore Excursion, you have priority. Horseback riding excursions. . Try selecting the print option from the website and when your printers dialog box comes up change it from your default printer to 'print to pdf'. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. Local Cruises 2017 - 2019. This is one of the first things I did in Barcelona and it was fantastic. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. You also want to check reviews before booking a tour. Started August 27, 2021, By 10 Most Overrated Cruise Ship Shore Excursions. Instead of booking multiple tours, consider booking a tour in the morning and exploring the port freely in the afternoon. Alternatively, you can wait to book shore excursions onboard the ship. Departs From Sydney, Australia. Wherever your journey takes you, these experiences will make every moment memorable. Shore excursions can help you discover even more at each incredible destination. The forthcoming Icon of the Seas is poised to be its greatest creation yet promising bolder-than-ever onboard . But no reply from them yet either over a week! I might get some heat for this one, but hear me out. Sharing with family and friends is easy, so you can get ready to sail! 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Contrary to some TikTok videos you might have seen, they are easy for most people to handle. Currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean are not allowing unvaccinated guests - mainly children under age 12 - to go ashore in many ports unless they're on a specific ship-sponsored shore excursion deemed a "bubble tour." These are special tours with extra precautions taken to protect unvaccinated travelers from the local population, and vice versa. In Juneau, Alaska, a 3.5-hour tour to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center costs $50 per person. Keep in mind that theexcursion desk onboard the ship is commonly busy with other guests who are trying to book excursions, or asking questions, and this can leadto long lines. View All Cruises Select your itinerary below to see shore excursions for that cruise sailing, or call: 1-866-578-7508 or 1-954-449-6309 between 9-5 Eastern time for expert advice to help select the best excursions for you. Brave the depths and venture down to the ocean floor, or scope out the reefs as you snorkel along the surface of the sea. Horseback riding, mountain biking, parasailing, rain forest hiking, and 4x4 off-roading are just a few examples of what you can do. In Sicily, you can bike across the rim of Mount Etna, which the ancient Greeks believed was home to the legendary Cyclops. Some of the best shore excursions you will see on a cruise lines website or app may be quite a distance from the port. I did not ask any questions about transportation logistics before purchasing the tour, though, so you can imagine my surprise when we boarded a bus instead of a boat! In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Just let us know the ship and sail date you're interested in and the brochure will include detailed information about all of the excursions that are available. Explore every shore your way with excursions and guided shore trips designed to thrill all kinds of traveller, from couples craving a little extra romance to families looking to bond over bucket list moments. From USD*. Theres nothing like the feeling of flying high above the beach on a parasailing excursion. Simply log into Royal Caribbean's site, find your cruise booking and purchase your tour before the sailing begins. The cruise line coordinates with trusted, local guides and private transport to build the day around the ships own schedule. Bumping heads with someone on a crowded boat as we tried to squint and see if it was a fish or rock we saw was also not ideal. Related: What you can do if your cruise cancels port calls? Reading the fine print is a surefire way to ensure you wont encounter any surprises on the excursion. Alternatively, you can wait until youre on the ship and book your excursion in person at the shore excursions desk. Free Brochures Learn About Cruising. I have many blurry photos on my hard drive from bus tours, as I tried to grab a quick shot from a bus driving by a point of interest at 40 miles-per-hour. Our team personally tests every tour in a destination to select only the best shore excursions for your Royal Caribbean cruise adventure. Need help? Dive deep below the surface of the sea with a certified expert and weave through brilliant coral colonies, scour centuries-old shipwrecks and come face-to-face with exotic aquatic critters. By FR926, June 24, 2006 in Royal Caribbean International. If you're having trouble, you can complete our e-mail form and one of our representatives will contact you. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Barefoot Beach Cabanas on Royal Caribbean's Labadee, Why booking my cruise shore excursions in Europe with the cruise line was the best decision. Royal Caribbean allows guests to book their excursions up to a few prior to the beginning of the sailing. I was interested in taking the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau, and found that the cost for the exact same experience was $59.99 when offered by Royal Caribbean and $45 to book directly on the Goldbelt Trams website! Allow me to take you through the basics of cruise shore excursions, so you can learn to have the most fun no matter what your budget is. One of the things I really enjoyed during my trip to Barcelona, Spain was how many free tours are offered around the city. CC Help Jenn Others may require a minimum level of fitness and are not suitable for everyone. Some excursions are only 3-4 hours long, meaning that sometimes you can technically fit two excursions in one day if the times line up correctly. World's Best Shore Excursions - Perfect for Cruise and Land-Based Travelers, PISA, GUIDED FLORENCE & A TASTE OF CHIANTIa PREMIUM Shared Van Tour, View All ALASKA & PACIFIC NORTHWEST Excursions, PRIVATE: TOUR THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, View All UNITED STATES LOWER FORTY-EIGHT Excursions.