An alternative for cruise excursions

One question that lots of people planning a cruise ask is whether they should book the cruise line’s excursions, or go it alone.

Going with the excursions offered gives a certain surety of getting back to the ship.

Setting off alone gives the feeling of “breaking away” from the other passengers, and being footloose. But have you ever sat in traffic in a taxi in a strange city knowing your ship’s about to leave?

There is a middle ground, with professional shore excursion companies, which may offer tours more your taste.

And Shore Excursions Group, for example, has taken more than 5 million guests on excursions. And their excursions may be less expensive than others offered by a cruise company.

A spokesperson for the Shore Excursions Group tells me this is the world’s largest shore excursion company.

“Since 2008, we’ve provided cruise passengers with higher-quality, lower-priced, and smaller group shore excursions from a portfolio of nearly 4000 tours in over 300 ports,” says the spokesperson.

“Over the last 16 years, we’ve delivered more than 5.5 million excursions with a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from more than 54,800 reviews.”

the NITTY GRITTY

+ Their good website search function makes booking easy by displaying the excursions guaranteed to work for a ship’s scheduled arrival and departure into each port of call.

+ There are also multi-port packages with the top-rated excursion for each port bundled together at an additional discount.

+ Group sizes average 12 guests per departure.

the TOUR STYLES

Scenic tours The natural environment, from glaciers in Alaska to reefs in the Caribbean.

Cultural tours Local customs, entertainment and culinary experiences, from tribal dances in Alaska to a local meal in Santorini, Greece.

Active tours From kayaking to hiking and cycling through villages in France.

City tours Highlights of great cities, with special insights by expert guides.

shoreexcursionsgroup.com

my PICK

Saxman Native Village and Ketchikan City Tour in Alaska, from US$90 ($128) per person. A Ketchikan excursion to visit a Saxman Native Village and see its totem collection, and learn about the local lifestyles and history of this beautiful little town.