Updated January 5, 2004 -- If a tree falls in the forest but the excursion to see it is sold out, does it really fall? Who knows, but to help assure that that doesn't happen, cruise lines are offering prebooking and pre-reserve programs for decisive passengers. But how do you choose which excursion to do? Read here for the answers, Grasshopper...
At some ports -- especially fun-in-the-sun ports like you find in the Caribbean -- it's best to just head off and explore on your own, hitting the beaches and then cooling off in some little tiki bar. Even if the best beach is on the other side of the island, there's never a shortage of taxis to take you there.
But in ports where the best things to see are sometimes hours away -- say, the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, about 45 minutes by air from the port of Cozumel, Mexico -- shore excursions are definitely your best option. Remember, in most cases you'll only have eight or ten hours in port, and if you're on an excursion that's delayed, your ship will know about it and wait for you. If you're on your own, you're on your own.
When you book your cruise, you'll receive a booklet describing shore excursion options in the ports you'll be visiting. Take a look, then delve deeper. Some of those excursions may look fantastic -- hey! a tram ride to the top of Mount Roberts in Juneau! -- but are actually things you could do just as easily, and sometimes even cheaper, on your own. Other excursions, especially bus tours, aren't worth the money unless you have mobility problems and just need to get off the ship.
Do your homework. Pick up a travel guide. Sure, you're reading this on a website associated with a travel guide publisher, but it's true: The twenty bucks you spend will save you standing in front of some unbelievably historic monument saying "Wonder what that is? Looks old." It'll also help you orient yourself to the destination and choose what's really best to do with your limited port time.
Another thing to consider is cost, and here's where we get into a little more Zen. Some of those better excursions aren't cheap: That Chichen Itza excursion will probably cost you $250 per person, for instance, as did the helicopter trip I took in June, up the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, landing right on the glacial ice and spending an hour walking around in the primordial white. What you're probably thinking right now is, "Those both sound cool, but yow! That's almost half what I paid for my whole cruise." But that's exactly the point. With cruise prices so low, this might well be the best time to take what seems like an extravagant shore excursion. You need to look for balance. If the decision is between signing up for a really great excursion or buying yourself three cruise line polo shirts and a carved faux-African walking stick on one of the islands, you've got to think: Which will provide the better memories? For my part, that glacier trip is going to stay with me a long time.
Because the better excursions -- especially ones with limited capacity, like seaplane or helicopter trips -- often sell out fast, it's best to book as early as possible. Currently, Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com), Celebrity (www.celebrity.com), and Princess Cruises (www.princess.com) offer real-time prebooking on their websites or via the forms you receive with your tickets. Disney (www.disneycruise.com), Norwegian (www.ncl.com), and Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (www.rssc.com) allow guests to pre-reserve, meaning you can fill out an online form (in NCL's case) or fax or phone in your requests (Disney and Radisson), which must then be processed by the line's excursion staff.
If you can't book ahead, be sure to sign up on the first day of your cruise. If the excursion you want is booked up, there's still a chance you'll be able to book it independently in port, since multiple operators may be offering the same tour. Just be sure they'll get you back to your ship before it sails.