I emailed RC about it a month ago and no reply so I went onto their instant chat service. 13 Biggest Mistakes Made by Carnival Cruise Passengers [Carnival Tips], Carnival Bringing a Fourth Cruise Ship to Galveston, Texas, 10 Things You CAN Pack on a Cruise, But Shouldnt, 10 Biggest Cruise Tipping Mistakes You Can Make, 10 Biggest Differences Between Carnival and Royal Caribbean, These 5 Cruises to Europe Could Be Cheaper than Flying, What is the Best Cruise Line for Alaska in 2023? Alternatively, you can wait to book shore excursions onboard the ship. If you want to explore on your own, youll need to go do the paperwork and pay the fee to get a visa before your trip. Take your adventure underwater and discover a whole world thats teeming with life. Be sure to note the fitness level required and dont try to take on more than youre able to do. Related: 7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion. While reviews should always be taken with a grain of salt, if you notice any major red flags, its probably best to search for another excursion. Ready to revisit that bucket list? Depending on the excursion, transportation time can vary from ~5 minutes to over two hours! If your idea of an amazing day in port is lounging by the beach with a drink in hand but others in your group want to go zip lining, it can lead to tension during the cruise planning process. It means youre out the money in advance and it can be difficult to use onboard credit to cover the cost of excursions booked online. Tours involving flights, trains, special events, overnight stays, hotel stays and Private Journeys must be canceled 30 days prior to sailing to avoid cancellation penalties. What you can do if your cruise cancels port calls? One of the things I really enjoyed during my trip to Barcelona, Spain was how many free tours are offered around the city. If you book a whale watching tour in Alaska for $160 and later see the price dropped to $130, youre able to cancel and rebook the excursion at the lower price without penalty. However, the center is compact and has many highlights, including sights, restaurants and cafs within walking or cycling distance. When I was in St. Maarten I hired a taxi driver for a tour of the island and it was a wonderful experience. 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. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Who doesnt love a beach day while on a cruise, right? 20102023Regal Sea Media LLC. Started August 27, 2021, By But to any real horse enthusiast the experience is usually lack-luster. The top reasons to book a Shore Excursion are because it is convenient, it's a one stop-shop for all your planning. When browsing shore excursions in the Cruise Planner, you can filter tours by fitness level (mild, moderate, strenuous). Royal Caribbean offers the Swim with Turtles, Shipwrecks, Snorkel, and Beach excursion, during which visitors take a boat ride to Turtle Bay where they can observe sea turtles in their natural habitat. Does anyone have a working link to download a shore excursions brochure? This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. Dedicated pre-cruise and onboard specialists are available to assist you. Some of the most amazing memories you create on your cruise will happen at shore, so avoiding the overrated activities will not only save you time and money, it might just save your vacation. . And if by chance your excursion gets stuck in a traffic jam, the ship will wait for you. I find that the more I cruise, the less I take ship-sponsored shore excursions because they dont offer exactly what I want. Other lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, offer free or discounted tours as part of limited-time booking promotions. Here is what you need to know to book a Royal Caribbean shore excursion. If you read the fine print, youll find that many of these mistakes (transportation logistics, cancellation policies, etc.) At ShoreTrips we are committed to enhancing your shore excursions with small, creative and personal day tours and adventures. Get Cruise Savvy with our FREE Newsletter! Download from: Apple App Store. Just tried to go on to the Royal Caribbean main site and got the "Access Denied" message so I would say chalk it up to the funky IT that . The top reasons to book a Shore Excursion are because it is convenient, it's a one stop-shop for all your planning. I'm still struggling to view any shore excursion brochures despite having tried on multiple devices! Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Select your cruise date and learn about the unique adventures awaiting you. All you need to know is their last name and reservation number. Plus Ups are excluded. You can book tours for family and friends as well. If you do some research on a port of call and find a museum you want to see, go see it! . Royal Caribbean thoroughly reviews its tour operators, whether its the guide on a sightseeing tour or the one that provides proper equipment and ensure the safety of gear used on active excursions like scuba diving, quad riding, and zip lining. Royal Caribbean offers a wide selection of shore excursions that range from bicycle tours, wildlife watching and sightseeing trips to helicopter tours, 4x4 off-road drives and scuba adventures. Powered by Invision Community. While on a cruise to Greece earlier this year, for example, I booked a 5 hour tour to Shipwreck Beach, named one of the worlds most beautiful beaches. Each of our Shore & Land Excursion Brochures is customized to a specific itinerary. LauraS Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. We ensure The concept itself is pretty enticing. After the tour, feel free to grab lunch, have a few drinks, or shop before getting back onboard. LOOKING FOR AN ACCESSIBLE SHORE EXCURSION? Our team personally tests every tour in a destination to select only the best shore excursions for your Explorer of the Seas cruise . We guarantee we will always get you back to your ship on-time. Sometimes you also need an expert guide, such as in Pompeii, to know what youre seeing. Some of the best shore excursions you will see on a cruise lines website or app may be quite a distance from the port. Quote. Not every horseback riding experience is the same. Promotional. Dont book a shore excursion based solely on the title or pictures without researching what the excursion entails. From USD*. On one of our Stockholm shore trips, tour the awe-inspiring Royal Palace or shop in the fascinating old town of Gamla Stan. It may take some time to rebuild a complete shore excursion portfolio once cruising resumes. In Sicily, you can bike across the rim of Mount Etna, which the ancient Greeks believed was home to the legendary Cyclops. For example, if youre considering a bus tour, make sure you understand how much time will be spent sitting on the bus and how much time will be at the destination or attraction, whether you will be looking at or going inside key attractions and whether theres free time to explore. is a travel editor for TPG, with a focus on cruise travel. Love Cruise Fever?Sign Up to Our FREE Newsletter! TPG values it at $1,600. Your experience may be different than mine, but glass-bottom boat tours are overrated in my book. Found a favourite? Learn more. Other restrictions may apply. Do you have Cruise Fever too? Please check your email and click the link to confirm, and you're all set! + In the unlikely event that your tour is significantly delayed, well make all the arrangements for you to return to the ship at the earliest opportunity at no expense to you. Like what you see? You dont need permission or a shore excursion ticket to explore the many wonderful museums in the world. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Additionally, you wont get to see certain parts of a destination due to the limitation of Segways. What kind of shore excursion tours are offered on Royal Caribbean? Celebrating a special occasion, chasing a lifelong dream, or looking for ways to rediscover a favorite destination? At ShoreTrips we are committed to enhancing your shore excursions with small, creative and personal day tours and adventures. Our team personally tests every tour in a destination to select only the best shore excursions for your Royal Caribbean cruise adventure. After all, your cruise ship will take you to different ports of call toexplore on your own and you do not want to miss out all that you can do while in the area. Segways are a lot of fun, and they are still fairly popular after all these years. From there, you can narrow down the results based on the port, interests, time of day, activity level, age, wheelchair accessibility and more. Caribbean Europe Getaways (3-6 Days) . Perfect DaySM at CocoCay is our island for you to chill, thrill and unwind. $ 450. view 1 date. Youll be able to ask the staff there any questions you have about the tours, and the charges will be added to your final cruise bill. Buenos Aires, Argentina. convenient, it's a one stop-shop for all your planning. Im still struggling to view any shore excursion brochures despite having tried on multiple devices! Just like a group tour, these tour operators are vetted and organized by the cruise line. 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. Royal Caribbean International. No matter where your journey takes you, these experiences will make every moment memorable. If the tour takes place over lunchtime, check to see if a meal is included or if you have time to pick up something to eat. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. Lastly, because when you book a Shore Excursion, you have priority. Horseback riding, mountain biking, parasailing, rain forest hiking, and 4x4 off-roading are just a few examples of what you can do. Thanks for your reply - yes they sent me that email address too so I asked them and I was told the brochure isnt ready yet and to keep trying! For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. One of the most important things to do before booking a shore excursion is to research how much transportation is required to reach the destination from the ship. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Sharing with family and friends is easy, so you can get ready to sail! Not only was he full of useful knowledge of the history of St. Maarten but he allowed us to stop and enjoy a few sites along the way. Related: Visiting Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, Greece. The kind of excursions I'm calling overrated are the head . View All Cruises Ordoes anyone know a reason they are not making them available at present? The problem comes into play when you booked a parasailing excursion with a large group. Explore the possibilities for shore excursions on your next cruise below.