As I cruise the more I experiment with shore excursions. With over the 30+ cruises under my belt I have defined a few cardinal rules for shore excursions. They may seem serious, you will find that they will help you have more fun on your amazing cruise.
Dress appropriately – Respect local customs while on shore excursions require a little more effort when it comes to dressing appropriately. Dress for the activity and the weather. Always wear comfortable shoes for walking, or bring a shawl or pashmina to be respectful if visiting churches and mosques. There is no need for wearing valuable jewellery you are signing up for the pain of loss or theft.
Bring your government issued photo identification – I always recommend that you carry a minimum of a driver’s license on you at all times. Unless your port requires a passport, leave yours on the ship. The last thing you want is to lose the most important document you own. Always carry you on-board ships Cruise Card and your shore excursion ticket.
Carry cash – Always carry a small amount of cash for shopping, tips and emergencies. Unless you plan to buy something specific leave the large amount of cash on board. I usually carry about A$100 or equivalent in local currency or US dollars or Euro’s in small denominations and a credit card. I always carry them in two separate places, one being in my intimate apparel. If you need to get some cash, you may find that ATMs on land at banks and currency-conversion centres offer better exchange rates than on-board. As the majority of expenses on your cruise are captured on board the cruise ship, I try to be what I call an Ethical Tourist, I try to distribute my allocated A$100 spending money over a variety of stall holders or shops during the port visit. I try to purchase locally produced or sourced souvenirs, and try to resist anything made in China.
Do not forget essentials – Shore excursions take you away from all your belongings on the ship, so always remember to pack sunscreen, sunglasses, headache or essential meds, water bottle, a hat and a day pack.
Do not show up late – You are starting a day with your new best friends. I would not recommend that you start the day on bad note, so turn up on time. Turning up on time means every time you need to regroup and get back onto the bus. Being given time to stroll or shop and take those magic photos, start to get back to the meeting point before the scheduled time. You don’t want to be the rude person keeping everyone waiting. So do not give the tour guide extra grief as has the responsibility get everyone back to the ship on time. Go to the bathroom before the gathering time. Have all your party with you ready to leave for the excursion meeting point. I cannot stress enough, always be prompt when returning to the bus, you are not on this world alone, and other people shouldn’t have their holiday spoilt with your selfishness. You will get a reputation very quickly, you don’t want it to be a bad one.
Research your port – a big mistake is not to do your research before you leave home! It may give you an opportunity to book an independent excursion if you feel comfortable. It could give you an insight into the local culture, dress standards etc. It always nice to learn a few common words or phrases, like “Hello,” “Thank you” and “Cheers!”
Listen to the safety briefing – If you are required to attend a safety briefing (scuba diving, zip lining, ATV etc.) that have rules to prevent injury. You could end up hurting yourself or someone else, either minor or catastrophic injuries, so listen up. If you are not paying attention you may lose out on some insider tips.
Read the fine print – Make sure to read about all the inclusions or exclusions of the shore excursion. You need to understand the meeting time and location, the length of the excursion and activity level. You don’t want to find out too late that you have an hour at a beach or pool and not bring along your swimming costume. A long shore excursion may leave your evening plans a bit tight, so build in a time buffer.
Do not overdo the activities – This is a holiday, don’t push yourself to the point you get dehydrated, hurt or injured on a shore excursion. Take your time, don’t do anything too strenuous, it will ruin your cruise. As much as you can go at your own pace.
DO NOT lose track of time – Its five o’clock somewhere, thanks to Jimmy Buffet, when you are relaxing (or overindulging) at shore bar, the ship will leave without you. If you are wandering on your own time, make sure your watch is on ship’s time (or even a little ahead). Missing you’re the boat is bad, but the walk (run) of shame as everyone watches you heading down the pier to be the last person to board the boat, is humiliating. I can remember listening to my neighbour narrating on passengers stagger down the pier as we laid bets that he wouldn’t make it, a crew member ended up going to him with a wheelchair (now, that is service). Tender ports are different again, you need to add an additional time buffer so you are not on the last tender.
Well what a great tips those where, I can’t wait to hear from you to tell me if you have any more tips I could share. Pack you bags your next adventure awaits, Happy Cruising!
