CRUISING (Ocean & River)

Incredible amenities designed for varied passengers.

Table of Contents

I. Intro

II. The Ocean Cruising Description

  1. On-board Initial Experience

III. General Ocean Cruising Factors

  1. Traveler's Anxiety:
  2. Loneliness:
  3. Guests & Crew numbers
  4. Guest Age:
  5. New Friendships:
  6. Wardrobe:
  7. Luggage:
  8. Planning & Logistics:
  9. Cabins:
  10. Food & Restaurants:
  11. Perks:
  12. Amenities:
  13. Where Cruise Ships Can Go?:
  14. Seasonal Dates:
  15. Actual Travel Days vs. Advertised:
  16. Cruise Length:
  17. Excursion "Shop Steering":
  18. Tier 1, 2, & 3 Sites & Activities:
  19. Sensible Itinerary:
  20. Tailored Specialty Cruises:
  21. Company Reputation:
  22. Price & Extras:
  23. Cruise Book Agreement:
  24. Eco Friendly:

IV. On-board Cruising Options:   
    A. Self-entertainment:
    B. Ship's Perks/Diversions:

V. In-port Shore Experiences:

A. Introduction:

B. General In-port Factors:

C. 3rd Party Local Shore Excursions

1. Guest's Booked Alternative Shore Excursions FACTORs
2. My review research of world-wide booking platforms

D. 4 In-port Options:
1. Relaxation On Board a Half-empty Ship
2. Ship's Optional Shore Excursions:
a. Ship's Due Diligence Factors:
b. Ship's Shore Excursion Factors:

3. Guest Booked Local Shore Excursions:

a. Guest's Booked Alternative Shore Excursions FACTORS:

b. How to Choose Your Ideal Shore Excursions:

VI. Guest Designed "Self Guided Walking Tour" of Ship's Port Sights & Activities.

  1. Self-guided Walking Tour FACTORS:

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Cruising is divided into
Ocean Cruising & River Cruising

Ocean Cruises

 

I. Introduction:

Ocean Cruise ships are enormous ocean liners with  1000’s of fellow passengers & crew .… sailing the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea & other major waters for days, months or even years (onboard retirement plans).  

A brief extravagant lifestyle experience most passengers seldom experience in their real lives.

Whether your first Cruise or one of many, IT should be one of your life’s highlights. It's important that it be a most fulfilling experience possible for the money you budget. The following information should help you choose a Cruise Package at your ideal quality vs. price.

For many cruising tourists or ‘cruisers’, cruising is an escape from the humdrum monotony or grinding pressure of their daily lives AND a reward for sacrifices they have made for their children & family over decades. For others, perhaps the thrill of living a millionaire movie star’s life for a few days. 

The most important attribute of cruising to most folks, particularly, 1st-time tourists, is that a cruise can be worry-free, well planned & organized, & professionally guided to fulfill your travel dreams for the energy & budget you have.  

Couched midst a mind-boggling array of amenities & activities appealing to all ages & fitness levels, priced from relatively inexpensive to luxury.

Show up on time with luggage, some pocket change & you are off.
Your Cruise Company does all the rest … if you wish.

Back to Table of Contents

II. The Ocean Cruising experience/Description:
Ocean Cruising is a mix of 2 totally different experiences:    
      A. ocean or big sea sailing AND B. in-port sightseeing options.  

  A.  Daily Ocean sailing & “at-sea” days: 

   ➥ On-board Initial Experience:

Once settled into your cabin, unpacked & relaxing from long flights & ship’s boarding process, you’ll then strikeout on a wandering walkabout of your vast ship, marveling at its colossal size, modern sophisticated design & construction. 

Awed by seemingly endless amenities, activities & attractions appealing to all ages & fitness levels, priced from relatively inexpensive to luxury. Soon you lean at the ship’s railings gazing at the watery world surrounding you.

Within hours your ship puts out to sea en route to your next port.

Cruise ships invariably depart port in late afternoon sailing all night to arrive at the next port and its Shore Excursions. Often, however, a cruise ship spends more than a full day at sea i.e. a ‘sea-day’ usually far from land with only endless ocean vistas ….

sailing to the next port-of-call.
                            

(VID Embed: from Scand Cruise: early morning port entry) Can I convert dv clips to emebedded mp4 or ???

Eventually, you’ll settle into a deck chair with a cool drink savoring the expansive ocean views you have dreamt of, then, …. fall into conversation with a few of the 1000’s of other passengers.    

Life is good!                                                      

Depending on your cruise package’s itinerary, your next day may be either a sea-day or sightseeing your next port of call.

A sea-day is a minimum 24 hrs at sea usually far from anything interesting to see other than sea birds and the occasional seal.  Unfortunately, your endless ship wandering exploration, endless unlimited buffet dining, or deck chair lounging pretending you are enjoying a book you could have read at home devolves into an ever-increasing boredom desperately hoping for diversion. 

Boredom may kick in prompting you to abandon the freebie amenities & indulgences and seek out the ship’s more tempting Premium options which abound depending on the ship.  Good or ill, your diversions will come from the innumerable included & Premium cost options. 

 

   B. in-port sightseeing options           (jump link)

Back to Table of Contents

III. General Ocean Cruising FACTORs: 

NOTE: Some Cruise Factors may have one or more links taking you deeper into that Factor’s content making you even better informed. 

1.Traveler’s anxiety: IMO, all travelers (me) suffer some anxiety, but ocean cruisers justifiably suffer much less once safely onboard their giant ship & acclimated a bit.

Dig Deeper.

Traveler’s Anxiety 

Life & travel are very much a balance between dangers we perceive, & the knowledge & experience that reduces those danger’s risks. 

Foreign travel means leaving the comfortable, confident security of our  home for something often very unfamiliar: different streets, language, rules, mannerisms, foods, clothing, etc.  

Yet, ocean cruising is perhaps the most worry, risk-free, mode of travel once you are on board ship because your on-board ship experience is a luxurious, pampered catered version of ‘home’ with a mix of free and premium experiences not readily available elsewhere. More like a Las Vegas vacation: endless free food, gambling & stage shows. 😀 Dig Deeper. [close]

My Anxiety-reduction’ Strategy

My ‘anxiety-reduction’ Strategy: history, novels, & cash

A. Your Pre-trip Responsibilities:    
    1. Understand my Cruise Factors: enough to wisely choose your ideal cruise package. 
    2. Book flights: to & from cruise ship unless traveling further.
    3. Book lodging: the night before & after unless unnecessary.

   On Board: Your Cruise company intentionally tries to eliminate any unnerving circumstances. K10 cruise ship crew

B. My pre-trip history & culture immersion
The more you can learn about a country’s history & culture…. the richer your travel experiences & lifetime memories will be…. AND .… the less ‘travel anxiety’ I can almost guarantee you will have.

    1. Study Country & Sites: After choosing your cruise package based , in part on the Shore Excursion’s tourist sites & experiences you want,  briefly Google Search a) country’s history & b) your desired tourist sites offered by the cruise package you are considering so you can better anticipate & appreciate this foreign culture.

Anecdote: 5000 years of Chinese History” video: I watched & outlined Professor Ken Hammond’s, entire. “From Yao to Mao: 5000 years of Chinese History” 18 part video lecture series before my 3 month solo independent trip throughout China: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWVlOaO8gr0&list=PL-zm2mrr9onY5hrGya2DhgBn_-xUk51p3

YT VID: great wall. or terra-cotta army

    2) Read Country’s or Site’s Classic Novels: A country’s classic novels often reflect the country’s respect & love for its history & culture, kinda-like America’s “Gone with the Wind”. Such novels are a traveler’s fascinating insight into a culture & history. 

Anecdote(s): Japan: Shimazaki Toson’s Before the Dawn including the Nakasendo Road.   AND read 1 or 2 more classical novels 
Australia: Tom Cole’s “Hell West & Crooked” about an early 1900’s ‘outback life & walkabouts’
Poland: Robert Michener’s “Poland”, 
Florence, Italy’s Filippo Brunelleschi-built cathedral dome competition. YT VID: climbing  thru Brunelessci's Dome

TIP: ALWAYS carry Ship’s Name, port location and Ship’s phone number AND cash hidden carefully on your person. [pplk: Safety: Soft Crime ]  

Ancedote: Really 'lost' in Rome: On my student trip to Rome, I temporarily got separated from my guide & group in a main square.
I panicked until after a while I looked far down a road leading from the square & saw them going away. Later I reflected I didn’t know our hostel's name or how to find it.
I still have bi-monthly dreams of being lost in a foreign with no cash & no idea how to find my lodgings.

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2. Loneliness: is our mind’s feeling of being unattached or unwanted, but Cruise ships mix you with 1000s of others. You have to TRY HARD to be alone.    

     Dig Deeper.

Loneliness

Many single folks fear domestic or foreign travel because they may have no significant other or friend to share their travels with. They fear the loneliness of traveling alone. ‘Loneliness’ is the mind’s self-perceived emotional feeling of isolation, lack of companionship or being “unwanted”.

 Not an idle concern. Human bonding has been fundamental to man’s evolution, survival and civilized advancement. We seek bonding in our personal, familial, and casual lives.

The fear of traveling alone is real. Avoidance of Loneliness is 3rd in Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs.

Anecdote: At 28 I won the Dating Game TV show(s): with an all-expense paid stay & personal tour guide at exclusive Villa d'Este Hotel on Lake Como, Italy which I then extended with 2 weeks of solo independent travel to other nearby countries.    Yet, I came home early because I felt lonely without a romantic partner to share.            

A Cruising experience is the complete opposite of “alone’s loneliness”. Rather, it is a crowded, jam-packed melting pot embraced in a huge cruise ship of between 1000 to 10,000 humans* in close physical proximity of fellow travelers for several days or weeks.      
* Royal Caribbean Intl’s Icon of the Seas: 7600 guests & 2350 crew

Most tourists relish the new relationships & viewpoints this close mixing facilitates. Each guest seeks to be known by others as humans have for hundreds of thousands of years. A fundamental human instinct.

Ironically, a single person on a Cruise ship would have to consciously work hard NOT to meet other guests at meals, during activities or when just roaming the decks.  

Most travelers appreciate the camaraderie, particularly of new relationships; recounting the day’s excitements with their new friends.  You may even share ‘free-time’ excursions or self-guided walking tours.  [close]

3. Guests & Crew numbers: range between 100s to ~9000. Dig Deeper.

Passengers/Crew for Different-Sized Ships

Large Ship: great many amenities, diverse fun, but crowded with less service.
Medium Ship: intimate balance between amenities & personalized service, 
Small Ship: intimate, personalized service, or where adventurous  destinations & interaction are key. Dig Deeper.

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Deeper Dive into Ship Size Differences

a. Large Cruise Ships: (2,000 - 7600 guests+ crew).   
    PROs:

  1. Cost: lower cost/night because spread across many guests.
  2. Amenities: much more: many pools, water parks, ice rinks, stage shows, specialty cafes & dining, shopping malls.
  3. Activities: widest variety for all ages; casinos, spa, gyms, & classes.
  4. Stability: More so in rough seas due to size.
  5. Events & Shows: Big grand theaters grad productions, celebrity artists.
  6. Diverse Crowd: many guest’s greater diversity & social interactions.

    CONs:
    1. Crowded Ship: especially at peak activities: dining, pools, etc.
    2. Long Lines: Longer check-in lines for excursions, dining, &
        entertainment.
    3. Impersonal: less spontaneous staff & guest interaction.
    4. Environmental Impact: Large ship’s big fuel use &
         environmental footprint.
    5. Port Congestion: large ship’s docking priority & BBTs leads to
        crowded ports.
    6. Packed Tier 1& 2 sites: multi cruise & bus tour passengers pack
         sites.
    7. Quasi 'shop steering': may take you to open market of
        restaurants & souvenir stalls

ANECDOTE: Estonia cruise stop: take tourists directly to main square packed with stalls & restaurants, occasionally a side trip to even more shops.  Bangkok tailor shop (respectful).

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4. Guest Age: All ages; unless age-tailored (adults only). Guest age may not seem relevant, but it actually is. An elderly couple’s calm, relaxing cruise vision might sorely conflict with a cruise ship dominated by partying youth & young families. Not an indictment of either; merely a practical consideration. Dig Deeper

Age Tailored Cruises:

  • Adults-Only Cruises: some entire ships dedicated to kid-free adults only focused on relaxation, nightlife, or intellectual pursuits.    EX: Virgin Voyages: adult-oriented: tattoo shops, unique ‘fun’ options.
  • Senior or Retirement Cruises: Not explicitly marketed as  such, but designed to appeal to older folks' desire for quiet ambiance, lectures, and bridge tournaments.
  • Minimum Age Requirements: Most cruise lines have a minimum age: 6mo to 1 year or higher for exotic cruises.
  • Legal Age for Certain Activities: Alcohol, bars & casino age limits; varies by departure country or port call.
  • Family-Oriented vs. Adult-Focused: Disney’s kid/family-oriented cruise vs caters heavily to families with children, while Holland America attracts older, more relaxed folks, inherently creating an environment less suitable or appealing to younger passengers.
  • Specialty Cruises: some cruise agendas are age-related by focus: music festivals at sea, educational cruises, wellness
  • Vaccination and Health Restrictions: not directly age-related, but requiring vaccinations for 12 and older indirectly affects age mix.
  • Dig Deeper:

Travel Statistics by Age Group:
 travelstatistics
Condor: TRAVEL TRENDS BY GENERATION:
https://www.condorferries.co.uk/travel-statistics-by-age-group#:~

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5. New Friendships: Thousands of exuberant strangers of various ages & cultural backgrounds mix together in dining & many other activities  If someone is boring you have several 1000 more guests yet to meet., You must be an "Introvertus maximus” not to make new friends. 😃 Dig Deeper.

New Friendships

Making new cruising friends is rewarding like discovering gold nuggets in a Yukon stream. All types of people — singles, couples, groups; all ages, genders, nationalities, cultural backgrounds — book cruises for probably the same reasons you do — an exciting alternative to their usual life, exciting new diversions, and `life long memories.’

Part of those memories may be the conversations & experiences shared with other cruise passengers.  With thousands of passengers jam-packed in a huge cruise ship, participating in activities & Shore Excursions, …. you would have to ‘hide’ in your cabin to avoid making new friends.

Even during in-port ‘free times’ you & your new friends may embark on a Shore Excursion or just do a self-guided walking tour together exploring a port town's sites & cafes.  Such friendships enrich your travel experience and may stretch into lifetime friends & memories. [close]

 

6. Wardrobe: Casual dress: ideal woman’s ”capsule wardrobe.” & men’s smart casual PLUS  more formal wear for formal dinners if required. Dig Deeper.

Wardrobe

For many cruising is more about the once-in-a-lifetime diversion, fantasy, or escape from their normal lives. For a few days or weeks, they can relax in catered plush surroundings, a variety of dining options, an array of novel experiences & new acquaintances, & interesting shore excursions.      A lifestyle they don’t normally enjoy.

    a. How stylish must your wardrobe be?
        1) An overly-fashion conscious tourist may sense a social need to make multiple clothing changes each day, every day,    

Anecdote: MY solo traveler's perspective: Resist the belief that others gauge your travel skills or character & status based on your luggage & wardrobe. I never dwelt on others. If they dwelt on mine, it was none of my business & I didn’t care. I doubt anyone, but pickpockets do care.

       2) BEST STRATEGY: be a Fashion Clever Traveler: with a ”capsule wardrobe.”: a mixable minimalist, interchangeable wardrobe of essential, versatile clothing items that can be mixed & matched, …. creating a variety of outfits characterized by:
    a) Versatility: Each piece mixed with multiple other items
    b) Quality Over Quantity: that lasts longer and maintains their look.
    c) Timelessness: not trendy, but simply indefinitely stylish.
    d) Neutrals with Pops: neutral color base & variety of accent items.

 

Nordstrom: “WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE?”

https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/content/blog/capsule-wardrobe

 

The more travel experienced you become, the more you whittle down & refine
what you carry to the bare essentials.

Quotes
“Take half the stuff and twice the money”, Susan Heller.
“Avoid superfluous wardrobe redundancy, fashion is fatuous.” (me)

Anecdote: Hiking the Camino de Santiago: over the Pyrenees into Spain, I passed a powerful young man, perhaps 30 years younger than I dressed like a WWII soldier with a large rucksack …. 2 to 3 times as large as my day pack. Terribly overloaded.

I said, “Hello” as I passed, and he responded with a simple nod.      The next day I passed him again, saying, “Hello”, and his response was an UNfriendly look, a curt nod & grunt.       I never saw him again.

     b. What special or semi-formal activities, if any
Many may cruise to fantasize themselves a part of the wealthy & celebrity lifestyle. They may want to live, albeit briefly, in late 19th C to mid-20th C’s "Golden Age of Ocean Liners" crossing oceans epitomized by the ill-fated Titanic’s zenith of elegant pampered luxury.

Most cruise ships allow you to avoid business or formal attire by simply avoiding the activities that have dress codes e.g. casual dining venues & off-peak casino times, etc.

However, a more formal cruise ship lifestyle does require a larger wardrobe of formal ensembles for several reasons. Dig Deeper.

Formal or semi-formal Events

Formal Nights: some designated formal or semi-formal/biz exec events (men’s suit or tux, women’s evening gown or cocktail; gala dinners, captain's receptions, or themed balls.

High-end Specialty Dining: may enforce formal dress code; check package description.

Main Theater Performances: ship's main theater shows: smart casual or elegant attire; check package requirements.

High Tea: attire leans towards more ‘traditional’ formal or smart casual.

VIP Events & Private Dining: Exclusive events: business casual to black tie depending on event's theme or guest's status.

Casino Evenings: daytime casual, but ‘more’ if high-stakes or contest.

Gala Events or Themed Parties: elaborate or period-specific attire.

Welcome & Farewell Receptions: smart casual or semi-formal
 

Onboard Weddings, Ceremonies: depends on wedding's formality.

Captain's Cocktail Party: formal or semi-formal to ship's captain meet.

To be bluntly honest, these kinds of dress-up fantasies are so alien to my nature & persona, that I cannot treat such ‘pretend games’ seriously, …. but you might.

3) Specialized Clothing & Equipment. Dig Deeper.

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Specialized Clothing & Equipment

Water Activities (if not provided): PDF (life jackets), (snorkeling/diving
     mask, snorkel, fins, ‘reef’ shoes; fast-dry clothing & swimwear)
Adventure and Sports: (climbing walls, zip lines, surfing simulators):
     non-restrictive clothing, non-marking shoes. Check package
     requirements.
Fitness and Exercise:  (gym, yoga, spin classes): 
    Clothing: moisture-wicking, layered shirt/vest/jackets (rain), hiking
        boots (broken-in for comfort), long sleeve shirt, lotion & hat.
     Equipment: whatever enhances your workout.
Spa & Wellness: (saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs): 
    Bathing suits:  but NOT OK in saunas/steam rooms. Use towel
    Flip-flops/spa shoes: to protect feet from hot surfaces.
Shore Excursions: (e.g., hiking, biking, cultural visits):
    Clothing: layered shirt/vest/jackets (rain), hiking boots (broken-in
         comfort), long sleeve shirt, lotion & hat.
    Equipment: daypack, water, insect stuff, sunscreen, & trekking
         poles.
Themed Nights: (even if informal): costumes, etc.,

My solo travel practices: 
     (The following text is a succinct version of the following link:  [pplk: SIT Wadrobe & Equipment]

WADR, I have little regard for other people’s opinions of my dress style. Rather I choose wardrobe items that are 1) culturally respectful, & 2) whatever adds to my safety, comfort & ease of solo travel.

In all my travels, NO ONE ever seemed to notice or care. My ‘old-guy, foreigner’s’ persona was, perhaps, of far greater interest.

Remember, you are one of the millions traveling the world ostensibly to discover other cultures, etc. WADR, you or I, are not Queen Elizabeth on her world Cruise of the colonies.😀

     My solo traveler's practical wardrobe considerations:   OK, at 80, its not a pretty image, but it worked for 20+ years.
    a. safety: modified to hide lots of money
    b. comfort: all kinds of weather & climate
    c. culturally respectful: NO ONE ever voiced concern.
    d. necessity: truly necessary & Might Become Necessary:
    e. washing ease & quick drying: overnight
    f. all around utility: Cargo shorts/pant’s multiple pockets, belt
       w/ cash, hand sanitizer, compass, & a mini-flashlight.
    g. all weather conditions: layered shirts, vest jacket (rain/snow) 

Anecdote: 3 seasons CdeS trek wardrobe: My late summer early Fall CdeS trek had to anticipate August’s central Spain’s rainy/foggy rolling-hilled vineyards PIK: cloudy vineyards TO the Meseta Plateau’s chilly September early morning starts (6 am) & blistering hot treeless afternoons TO the west’s high plateau’s cold Fall mornings & lovely middays.  [ytlk: CdeS ]

    h. anticipated activities: hiking trekking poles. 

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7. Luggage: most suggest 1 suitcase/peep for 3-5 days; 2 max for longer trips. Tip crew!! Benefit: carry on & off only once. Dig Deeper.

Luggage

The ancient steamer trunk was today's suitcase, but larger & more cumbersome for your man-servant to handle.  It carried the bulk of what you were taking.

 

Todays suitcase is usually smaller with efficiency-packing compartments and mobility features: rolling wheels, extendable handles and top/bottom 'grab handles.'

Most are prettier than mine (at right) which has been dragged down innumerable dirt roads, over rough cobble-stone streets, tossed on train & bus luggage racks all over the world for 20+ years, AND modified & repaired several times.

 

The day-pack is your suitcase's 'little brother or sister ' companion; a useful airline carry-on AND for carrying your Shore Excursions essentials.

   

Everything should be in those TWO

except for special function bags: waterproof
containers, camera bags, etc.  

 I will focus only on 1 suitcase & 1 daypack. 

Anecdote: Camino de Santiago: for my 600-mile trek across north-central Spain,  I purposely carried only a medium-sized day pack of essentials relying on albergues (refugios, nunneries & monasteries, etc, restaurants & cafes along the way/ 

 

 

Resist the belief that others gauge your travel skills or character & status based on the newness, cost, or flashy look of your luggage. I never dwelt onothers' luggage. If they dwelt on mine, it was none of my business & I didn’t care. I doubt anyone, but thieves do care; fancier bags attract thieves.

Please Note: Unlike big bus tours which require you to often drag ALL your luggage a block or so, &  then upstairs each evening & morning, cruiser guests merely have to get their luggage to the ship & ship’s crew gets luggage to your cabin.

A. So, Luggage has 4 parameters: 1) type, 2) size big, 3) number, & 4) durability. 

Some haul a couple of suitcases, a handbag/briefcase with other bags dangling off their arms. I have often seen those extra dangling bags left behind on a plane’s overhead, bus seat or hostel dorm floor.

Quote: “Take half the stuff and twice the money”, Susan Heller. 

1. Type of luggage?: my basic ideal combination: a suitcase & a  
          daypack. 

2. Size: suitcase & day pack?

Anecdote: Jim & Mary’s cruise luggage: 3 giant suitcases: on my only big cruise ship experience my friends had 3 giant suitcases that Joe could barely lift. I vividly recall his overweight face,  bulging red with exertion as he pushed, shoved, & dragged each one separately up 2 flights of stairs. (Note: they should have only needed one in their room, other 2 left downstairs) 

 

 

 

3. Number of pieces?  Clever Traveler’s designed ”capsule wardrobe.”

Anecdote: Jim & Mary's cruse luggage: 3 giant suitcases: (immediately above) 

    BEST Strategy: be a Fashion Clever Traveler by designing a ”capsule wardrobe.”: See a complete explanation immediately above under the “Wardrobe” section.      [jlk: Wardrobe]

Anecdote: MY solo independent traveler’s (SIT) perspective: Resist the belief that others gauge your travel skills, character or status based on your luggage & wardrobe. 

I never dwelt on others. If they dwelt on mine, it was none of my business & I didn’t care. I doubt anyone, but pickpockets do care.

4. Durability: most tech’s synthetics are essentially bombproof.

 Dig Deeper. [close]

Deeper Luggage insights:

1. Type of luggage?   I will not delve deeply into the entire World of Luggage. Instead, I’ll focus on my basic ideal combination: 1 suitcase & 1 daypack. 

2. Size:
      a. Suitcase: Yes, the bigger the suitcase, the more ’stuff’ you can pack in it.   You should be able to carry it in a pinch, even though once at cruise ship’s check-in,  crew may haul it to your room. Tip ...Yes!!!

Anecdote: Jim & Mary’s 3 giant suitcases: on my only big cruise ship experience my friend-couple had 3 giant suitcases that Joe could barely lift. I vividly recall his overweight face,  bulging red with exertion as he pushed, shoved, & dragged each 1 separately up 2 flights of stairs. (Note: they should have only needed one in their room, other 2 left downstairs)

     b. Daypack: a small daypack for Shore Excursions essentials:  medications, travel docs, etc.... for:
         1) airline Carry-on and
         2) 4-7 hour Shore Excursions [pplk: Safety: Soft Crime],
         3) clothes change while waiting a few hours for your luggage
               to be delivered to your cabin.

Remember it should be small & comfortable to carry around for few hours.                         You are not overnight camping. 😄

Anecdote: Camino de Santiago: for my 600-mile trek across north-central Spain, I purposely carried only a medium-sized day pack of essentials. 

3. Number of?:  Cruise ships usually recommend, but seldom enforce:
     a. Number of Bags: suggest 1/person for 3-5 nights cruises, and 2 bags for 6 day+ cruises. KEY: is cabin space.   
     b. Size & Weight: more likely airline limitations will apply.

CAUTION: Overly-fashion-conscious tourist’s may sense a social need to make multiple clothing changes each day, every day,  translating into “more stuff.” & maybe more suitcases.

Anecdote: Jim & Mary: 3 giant suitcases: (immediately above)

      BEST Strategy: be a Fashion Clever Traveler by designing a ”capsule wardrobe.”: See a complete explanation under  “Wardrobe” section immediately above.[jlk: Wardrobe]

Anecdote: MY solo traveler’s perspective: Resist the belief that other’s gauge your travel skills or character & status based on your luggage & wardrobe. 

I never dwelt on others. If they dwelt on mine, it was none of my business & I didn’t care. I doubt anyone, but pickpockets do care.

4. Durability: In the "Golden Age of Ocean Liners” the wealthy, as they do, packed many steamer trunks with everything their elite social status demanded, carried by servants etc.

The metal & wood banded trunks were close to bomb-proof which is why they are a popular American antique at the ends of beds to hold blankets. They lasted.

New technology’s synthetic fabrics & plastic structure or aluminum make most luggage essentially bombproof.

Solo independent traveler’s perspective: 
Independent travelers opt for high mobility, low volume & weight luggage because we have to transport it in a variety of vehicles, up & down stairs, long airport concourses, city streets, & rural villages, soft wheel -grabbing sand ,etc.PIK: luggage in desert;   PIK: my rolling
  PIK: my daypack 

Anecdote: daypack & medium rolling soft bag: I have traveled the world as a SIT (solo independent traveler) [jlk: SIT - below]  for 20 years with the same soft, but rugged, medium size rolling bag dragging it down endless rough cobbled lanes & 3rd world dirt streets; my daypack on my back. 

Over time it looked worse & worse, occasionally needing repair, but presumably a less likely target of thieves. Ironically, it was so ratty that TSA frequently ‘randomly’ (LOL) inspected it AFTER I checked it. 😄. (TSA leaves a little note each time.)

Oh, & my wardrobe & ‘stuff’ always fit because it was designed to.

Legendary novice tourist mistake:  Too much stuff …. including me 25 years ago for several reasons:
    1) Older we get the more ‘necessities’ we require e.g. my dozen prescript drugs & vitamins. [pplk: Health: ]

    2) fashion-conscious tourists may sense a social mandate to ‘compete’ with other passengers’ large stylish wardrobes AND THUS, need large, multiple suitcases to carry it all. 

In fact, the fashion-clever traveler creates a "capsule wardrobe.” significantly reducing volume of wardrobe needing to be packed.  

An assortment of clothing, shoes and handbags.

Nordstrom: “WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE?”

https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/content/blog/capsule-wardrobe

    3) try to anticipate every possible minor & major need that might ‘possibly ‘ arise. Look closely at my Inventory list and you will see my examples of this.   [pplk” Resource: INV list]

Anecdote: Skopje, Macedonia’s hostel’s dull knives: kitchen knives were too dull for salads. So, I sharpened the knife on a brick wall outside the kitchen. Thereafter, I carried a tiny sharpening stone 3” x ¾”. Tiny, but useful. to make salads easily. also carried a very tiny emergency can opener cuz I once needed one. pik. I

Note: If a minor crisis your guide can help. Not their 1st rodeo. 😃. 

Anecdote: CdeS: walking 300+ (?) miles a woman carried a separate toiletries bag with multiple forms of soap: hand, hair, body lotion, etc. I carried a couple of small hotel soap bars.

My Independent Traveler's Inventory List (of stuff):

Over time, I developed an exhaustive (obsessive) Inventory List [pplk: Resources: INV] that detailed every single item, it's quantity & its specific location in various individual compartments & pockets of both my day pack & rolling luggage.

My Inventory List was useful for several reasons:
    1. I knew exactly where each item was & could fast & easily find it.
    2. I could easily add necessary items or subtract unnecessary
        items based on each new trip’s climate, etc. (think So Mexico
        vs Antarctica)
    3. I could easily amend my last Inventory List for each future trips, 

A cruiser can do the same.[close]

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

8. Planning & Logistics: Very little required once you have CAREFULLY chosen your ideal cruise package based on your knowledge of all these Cruise Factor. YOU just book your flights, before & after hotels (if needed) & pack. 

Research & planning are logically required if you will independently travel before or after the cruise. Dig Deeper.  

Cruise Type Shortcut: 

Luxury Cruises:   
    Regent Seven Seas Cruises:    all-inclusive luxury,
    Crystal Cruises:                        historically synonymous with luxury. 

Premium Cruises:  
    Celebrity Cruises: a blend of modernity with luxury, younger clientele,
        high-end amenities: spas & fine dining.
    Princess Cruises: aka "Love Boat" line, all ages but tends to older
        adults and families, a step down in luxury but still high service standards and
        varied fun.

Adventure and Expedition Cruises:    
    Aqua Expeditions: small-ship cruises focused on: biodiversity & culture,
        intimate & educational experience, very immersive experiences; NOT  typical
        cruise activities.

Mainstream/Family-Friendly Cruises:   
    Carnival Cruise: aka "fun ships”: lively & party focus, young, families.
    Royal Caribbean: innovative activity features: water slides, ice skating rinks,
        & surf simulators; families..

Service and Atmosphere:  
     Holland America Line: classic elegance, older, many enrichment programs
         & focused on:  classical music, & onboard music, etc..

Value for Money:   
    Norwegian Cruise Line: good mid-tier option,  'freestyle' cruising: flexible
         dining times etc.;  a blend of luxury & freedom.

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9. Cabins:  Well appointed; but variable upgrade charges for views, balcony, and suites. Dig Deeper.

Features of Different Cabins

1. Inside Cabins: most affordable; NO windows or balconies. 
     Pros: 
         Least expensive, basic amenities, 
         Located centrally: less seasick motion.

     Cons:    
         Smallest rooms available
         No windows or views 
         Basic adequate furnishings: desk & chair, safe, & mini-fridge.
         No natural light.

2. Oceanview Cabins: view /natural light
   

     Pros:
        Ocean-facing windows or portholes 
        Natural light & views

    Cons:   
        Basic Inside room amenities
        Obstructed Oceanview: possibly lifeboats or structure
             partial blocks.

3. Balcony Cabins (Veranda or Balcony Staterooms)
    Pros: 
        Private walk-out balconies,
        Balcony use at your whim
        180-degree sea views or port activities
        Rooms larger than Oceanview Rooms
        Amenities: may be upgraded: bedding, & storage space

    Cons:  
        More expensive than inside or ocean view ONLY cabins.

4. Suites Cabins: Five suite Categories: Junior, Standard,
         Mini-Suites, Luxury, Owner's Suites or multi-room Penthouses.    
         If you want more info, please contact cruise line or Grok. 
    Pros: 

  • Larger living areas
  • Separate bedrooms
  • Larger balconies
  • Luxury bathrooms, w/bathtubs, high-end toiletries, 
  • Concierge service
  • Priority dining reservations, 
  • Often exclusive lounges
  • Perks: free minibar or premium drinks.
  • Additional exclusive perks: private dining, butler service, and in-suite spa treatments.
  • For Example: Royal Suites/Penthouses: the most luxurious, with all amenities 

    Cons: 
        Expensive

5. Miscellaneous Options & Considerations:
    a) Connected Cabins: jointly booked rooms with adjoining
        privacy doors.
    b) Solo Cabins: smaller single rooms priced for single travelers.
    c) Interior's Virtual Balcony: live TV feed of exterior; balcony-like
    d) Location-based Differences:

Deck Location: 
    Higher decks: less motion, closer to pool & dining amenities, but more expensive. 
    Lower decks: Pros: cheaper, & less motion; Cons: close to noisy engine room.

Location on the Ship: Aft or forward cabins: more unique views, but more motion.
             Mid-ship is the most stable.

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10. Food & Restaurants: Main dining room locally authentic meals AND 24/7 endless buffet OR a variety of extra-cost specialty dining options AND in-port self-guided walking tour’s local options.                                                        Dig Deeper.

Large to Small Ship Dining Options

A. Large Cruise-Medium Ship’s dining options:  
    PROs:
        1. decent quality & variety in main dining room & 24/7 buffet.    PIK K11 buffet
        2. Specialty & cultural specific cafes: greater variety &
            gourmet quality.

    CONs:
        1. Specialty & cultural specific cafes; premium extra costs
        2. congested at peak dining times
        3. may be culturally Americanized. 
        4. may get tiring on longer cruises

B. Small Cruise Ship’s meals: more relaxed sit-down atmosphere with engaged staff, more culturally authentic, even locally grown foods.
     PROs:
        1. More locally authentic or traditional dishes:
        2. Better guest to crew service & engagement.
        3. Better special needs options

    CONs:  ???

C. “Port Call’ options: [Jump [LINK below]
    1. Perhaps a Shore Excursions gourmet ‘traditional’ cooking class &
             dining experience.
    2. Self-guide walking tour or taxi to guide/crew suggested on-shore restaurant.

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11. Perks: Loyalty programs, booking incentives, upgraded or luxury packages: room level, dining specialties, unique activities. 

12. Amenities: VP Boarding, Seating, access, Food and Beverage Packages, Special Events or Shows, Merchandise or Souvenirs, Extended Hours or Night Cruises, Photo/Video Services, & large or excess luggage handling. Dig Deeper.

Amenities by Ship Size

a. Large Ship’s: a range of free & premium cabins, dining, amenities, entertainment & activities in a colossal extravagant cruise ship. …. offer a mix of basic to suite cabins, main dining room/buffet to premium dining cafes, an array of free amenities (pools, exercise room, etc.) to exclusive, premium or pre-arranged amenities or activity access (massages, special entertainments, etc) usually available to all at a Premium add-on cost PIK K11 massage.   

b. Mid-range Ships: (500-2000 guests): More expensive, fewer amenities but more upscale, generally a quality notch sophisticated above large ship’s amenities, camaraderie, intimacy, service, amongst fewer guests, greater itinerary flexibility and small port accessibility deeper engagement.

     Pros:

  1. Better value: each Cruise Factor may be a notch above. 
  2. Balanced: a good middle ground between a range of amenities & intimacy.
  3. Service: More personalized, with staff often recognizing guests.
  4. Less Crowded: reducing chaos & wait times for amenities & activities.
  5. Guest to guest bonds: more intimate & relaxed sharing;
  6. Better amenities:  better, but fewer amenities & extra options
  7. Flexibility: visits more, less busy & unique ports, sites & activities.
  8. Port Access: go where larger ships can’t or fit, so less chaos at sites.

     Cons:

  1. Cost: higher cost/night cuz fewer people & less economy of scale.
  2. Fewer Amenities: but upscale
  3. Activities: Less variety of activities, yet substantial.
  4. Guest to guest: Less diversity, but deeper engagement

c. Very small ships/boats: (? to 100 +): all small boat Cruise Factors strongly depend on the ship’s mission: super luxury & comfort, scientific, sports, adventure, educational; trending to shorter trips. Greater port/shore accessibility, fewer guests, intimate purposeful focus, more cultural immersion, & Friendly.

Whatever you imagine that can be bought.

Pros:

  1. Boat Size: small cruise ships to intimate sailing yachts.
       a. Current Trend: high quality, less crowded smaller boats, less chaotic sites of, intellectually worthwhile, experiential experiences.  PIK K11 family on sailboat
       b. Windstar Cruises intimate sailings & snorkeling in pristine lagoons.
  2.  Destinations: access to tight harbors & more shallow bays, & sites. Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, or remote Arctic regions(Antarctica) & less crowded ports with unique itineraries.
           Windstar Cruises intimate sailings & snorkeling in pristine lagoons
  3. Cruise Length: varies but trending to shorter 4-10 days or tailored
  4. Accessibility: narrow passages, shallow bays & ports than biggies, & dock at small, picturesque ports

Anecdote: Drake’s Passage from Ushuaia, ARG to Valparaiso, Chile: a small cruising boat’s inflatable dinghy went ahead a ½ mi to continually check depth.  

 

  
  1. Guest #s: range from just a few to 100, less site waiting time, VIP access, especially in popular tourist areas.
  2. Personalized Service: high crew/guest ratio, more excellent service VIP site access
  3. Camaraderie: More intimate, boutique experience & common focus.
  4. Amenities: high-end amenities with flourishes, all-suite cabins, gourmet dining & high staff-to-guest ratio.
           Windstar Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Seabourns’:
  5. Gourmet dining: gourmet, localized dishes,
  6. Cultural Immersion: smaller boats, longer port stays & fewer people, can facilitate deeper cultural experiences: local foods & unique off-beaten path sites & interactions with local communities
  7. Expedition: niche focused on adventure, exploration, & often hand-on learning in remote & ecologically significant areas: polar regions, remote islands, deep fjords, or dense rainforests.
  8. Adventure & Sports: kayaking, hiking, or scuba diving in remote locations.
  9. Educational:  Biological diversity & natural history, Amazon Rainforest (river cruises), Remote Islands & Archipelagos, AUS’s  Kimberley or Papua New Guinea islands, ever more often it new harsh environment, yet luxury ….  designed expedition ship’s deep-sea exploration and marine biology focus.
  • Seabourn, Silversea, & Viking: unparalleled comfort (diving drones)
  1. Design your own: Exclusive, you tailor own cruise, if money no object.
  2. Small Shore Excursion group benefit:
  3. Eco-Friendly: low carbon footprint; less noise & obstruction

Cons:

  1. Cost: Usually higher cost/night cuz LESS economy of scale, matches values.
  2. Limited Amenities: adequate, but quality, intimacy & experience trumps.
  3. Dining /Activity Variety: depends on cruise vaues.
  4. Motion: Bad in rough seas for seasick-prone.
  5. Limited Capacity: may book fast requiring very advanced booking; CON for solo independent travelers.
  6. Privacy: less solitude except in cabin.
  7. Limited Luggage & Personal Space: pack accordingly [pplk: packing

But, higher end amenities vary with mission, seasick motion, limited luggage & privacy.

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Back to Table of Contents

13 Where Cruise ships can go?: Cruise ships can navigate to virtually any connected navigable body of water around the globe; every continent including Antarctica.

This freedom gives access to haunting Antarctica, Caribbean’s islands warm beaches, Mediterranean’s classical historic ports of Italy, Greece, Spain, France etc.; USA: Alaska’s natural beauty: glaciers, fjords, & wildlife; Northern Europe (Baltics); Asia-Pacific’s Japan, Australia, and SE Asian/South Pacific countries & islands: Tahiti and Fiji. 

14. Seasonal Dates: select season & schedule matching your goals. Dig Deeper.

Seasonal Anecdotes

Anecdote: Southern Mexico van travel’s high 90°s: My van had A/C, but I decided that if I once started using it, I would be addicted & afraid to leave the van. I opted to just accept it. I owned 6 Roadtrek RV vans and never used A/C.

Anecdote: Yangon, Myanmar temps: Got off the plane from US via China, at midnight and high 70°s & high humidity. It hit me like a warm wet blanket. Next day, even hotter. I complained to myself & then said, “You knew it would be hot, so quit bitching and ignore it like locals do.   My attitude throughout South America and Asia

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15. Actual’ travel days vs advertised: 1st & last days are usually short arrival & departure days, so don’t think of them as FULL days. Dig Deeper.

Travel Days are 2 days LESS than advertised!

A cruise package’s actual ‘full day’ travel days are usually 2 days LESS than the number a Cruise package advertises because:
     1) 1st Day's actually a chaotic, arrival day often beginning in late afternoon with very little, if any, actual sailing.
     2) The last Day is often “breakfast only” departure day to get you ‘going home.” or traveling on elsewhere. 

         IOW, an 8-day Advertised Cruise will only be
                        ‘6 actual’ days of cruising. 

CAUTION: Plan your rooms & meal costs before/after your cruise, particularly if staying over & traveling onward.

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16. Cruise Length: average is 4 to 21 days (although trending shorter), YET
          Royal Caribbean’s 274 days, 150 destinations in 65 countries. Wow!

      Cruise Lengths depend on several factors:    
          a.  your travel motivation & intensity.
          b. what you want to see & do, 
          c. and how much energy you have
          d. your time & money budget

Dig Deeper.

Why cruise lengths vary.

Cruise lengths vary a great deal because cruise operators must appeal to a broad range of people & diverse travel preferences, but Cruise length is generally between 4 & 21 days. 

NOTE: August 2023, travelers could book a Cruise of 12,000 km over 56 days: starting in Istanbul & ending in London (22 European countries.       Wow! & Yikes!   😃.

a.  Your travel motivation & intensity?
Most cruisers just want a magnificent mix of luxurious surroundings & amenities with a sprinkling of Shore Excursions to foreign tourist sites, but some seem driven to max the ‘bang-for-the-buck’, the ‘bragging rights’ of having visited as many countries, cities, sites & experiences as possible at lowest cost …. with selfies to prove it.
                           The longer the list the happier they are!

Anecdote: My friend's reactions to all my 1½ to 3-month trips on my return: each time I returned from a 2-3-month foreign trip my BEST friend would, without my prompt, ask, “How was your trip?” I would respond simply, “Great trip", and that was IT. No further discussion; no curiosity. 

I suppose I expected to be welcomed back as the great adventurer. At first, I was annoyed & mystified until I accepted the reality that others have no duty to be enthused with my travels.

My expectation was a misplaced fantasy because cruising is mainly about a ship’s on-board lifestyle & activities punctuated by occasional Shore Excursions. X's (formerly Twitter) Grok (‘Xs AI) suggests a cruiser spends less than 25% of a trip’s total time actually traveling to & visiting on-shore sites compared to average big bus tour’s 60-70% time traveling to & visiting. 

In contrast, true independent travelers seek the constant search for a site’s Charisma of Place … hoping to be awed & thrilled by its historical & cultural significance ... day after day.

NOTE: Cruisers might achieve their ambition with expensive long duration cruises, but not the norm. 

Anecdote: My Videos: I shot my domestic & foreign travel videos for 30 years including my voice-over commentary of my observations & reflections … so that I could revisit those unique life moments and earlier observations again when too infirm to travel. (now—cancer).

Only recently did I realize that YouTube provided the free technology allowing me to publish my 1400+ edited videos for others [atscottsolotravels.com]

True independent self-guided traveler’s seek the quality of experience, NOT the braggadocio of mere visitation.

Anecdote: Places I NEVER visited: as years drifted by after my trips, frequently the media surprises me with places I never knew existed & I wish I had known of. 

True travelers seek a site’s Charisma of Place expecting to be awed & thrilled by its historical & cultural significance. They relish their guide’s deeper insights. They thrill at their new knowledge & intriguing on-site questions imagining even deeper insights when they return home to scour the internet’s documentaries etc.      

 True travelers seek the quality of experience.        
 NOT the braggadocio of quantity

b. What you want to see & do,  
    FIRST, Please review:  
        1) [jlk: B. Cruise Factors: suggested research method:]. ???
        2) [jlk; My Approach: make a Shore Excursion checklist:]

True travelers seek a deeper connection to Tier 1 or 2 sites that they have always dreamed of (Rome’s coliseum etc) or sites their current research exposes that excites their curiosity (Rome’s catacombs.)

Anecdote: 1st to arrive at Michelangelo’s “David” statue: in Florence’s Accademia Museum, I stood alone for many long minutes contemplating the work itself, but even more so, his effort. I tried to imagine myself 5 centuries earlier, sitting quietly watching Michelangelo’s intense concentration as he ‘chipped here & there, sanding roughness into smoothness, trying to imagine what his thoughts were then.               Charisma of statute & artist. 

“Charisma of Place”: is an old National Geographic Magazine’s geography term that describes the eerie emotional admiration inherent in a thing, person or place. Your tourist site visit should give you that feeling.

Anecdote: When a Cadet at the US Air Force Academy: President Eisenhower, former 5 star General, —- the man who shepherded the WWII Allies to the Nazi defeat’  — ‘passed in review ‘ right before me.   A humbling awe.
                                       Charisma of person.

Anecdote: Rummaging amongst the German cannon bunkers: (aka pill boxes) at Normandy's Pointe du Hoc’s cliff-edge I tried to visualize heroic WWII U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion climbing & dying to take those steep cliffs. I was emotionally reverent & humbled at the memory of those courageous moments.        
                                 Charisma of Place & Persons! 

Charisma of Place makes a travel site special, not just to the tourist, but to the culture it sprung from. Your Shore Excursion choice should add to your knowledge and intellectual appreciation enhancing your Quality of Life a smidgeon and building lifelong memories. 

ADVICE:  Don’t try to pack in too many sites etc. ------- go deeper into fewer.

Anecdote: Caesar's Cremation site: One rainy morning in Rome’s Forum I stood alone under the canopy that protected the spot where Caesar’s body had been cremated. I fantasized that my spirit was somehow connecting with his across time’s invisible barrier. [ytlk: Eng & France - time stamp].  Moments later I walked the nearby Appian Way imagining that I was walking on the very stones that once felt the weight of Julius Caesar. [ytlk: Eng & France - time stamp]

Anecdote: The Balkans: In grade school, I remembered creating a map of the Balkans which I apparently took pride in. Six decades later I remembered ‘that’ map, researched the Balkans & spent 2½ months SIT traveling thru Southern Balkans & 2 years later, another 2 ½ months thru Northern Balkan countries discovering sites & experiences I’d never imagined before. [ytlk: E EU 1 time stamp]

NOW finally, choose one Shore Excursions for each port-of-call.
   Please review, if not already done so: 
       1) [jlk: B. Cruise Factors: suggested research method:]
       2) [d. My Approach: make a Shore Excursion checklist:]

FYI: Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:
          Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                     Paris’ Eiffel Tower,
                     Peru’s Machu Picchu &
                     Beijing China’s Forbidden City….  

          Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country:  
                     Italy’s Herculaneum buried at same time as Pompei
                     Esoteric Rekjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really?
                                                                            Really!!! 😀)

          Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche
& not worth average cruisers time & money. 

Wise travelers seek the history, the humanity, the emotional & sensory Charisma of Places of sites the world has long revered or that they learned about somewhere.  

True travelers seek a deeper connection to Tier 1 or 2 sites they have always dreamed of (Rome’s coliseum etc) or sites their current research exposes that excite their curiosity (Rome’s catacombs.)

We only live once! Don’t squander your only opportunity. 

c. How much energy do you have? Most tours are designed for the reasonably mobile. Maybe options for the more infirm.

Unlike the great energy drain of a high-speed ‘jumping jack’ big bus tour with its luggage-humping in & out of hotels each night   [plk: BBT], cruisers have a luxurious, quality on-board lifestyle that leaves you well rested & prepared for a Shore Excursion UNESS you have some infirmity in which case choose your Shore Excursion appropriately. 

d. How much time & money do you want to spend?   Whatever is comfortable for you.

??? Today’s Cruise Marketplace Update: (1/1/2024)
Shorter Cruises: affordable premium luxury for 3 to 4 nights are trending.

Most cruisers determine cruise length based on how long they feel comfortable being away from family, work etc. 

Anecdote: My 3 +/- months MAX:  just because 3 seemed sufficient FOR ME. OTOH, some cruisers do back-to-back cruises or live permanently on board.

Wise travelers calculate their entire cruise budget including:
    a) the base package cost and 
    b) an estimate for the extra-cost Shore Excursions they have planned for. 
    c) a wise traveler always carries a little bit more. 😇 
                  Quote: “Take half the stuff and twice the money”, Susan Heller. 

Today’s Cruise Marketplace Update: (1/1/2024)
Recently shorter Cruises have been trending; premium luxury surge for 3 to 4-night affordable escapes.
     Affordability: budget-friendly, especially with promo deals.
     Convenience: fits limited vacation time.
     Accessibility: more manageable & less daunting: 1st-timers or families

Examples:
      Royal Caribbean: Allure of the Seas’ short cruises from Florida,
                  LA to Ensenada & Cabo San Lucas.
      Norwegian Cruise Line: Florida to sun-soaked Bahamas
                  getaways.
      Celebrity Cruises: luxury 3>4 nites, Port Everglades to
                  Caribbean
      Trend: jam-packed ‘experiential economy’s broader
                  cultural shift to time flexibility & experiences.

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17. Excursion’s “Shop steering’: are undisclosed or dubious time-wasting, impromptu Excursion stops at retail shops or factory sites, but unlikely cuz because Cruise companies curate well. Dig Deeper.

Fraudulent Shop-steering” visits.

Shop-steering” visits are undisclosed or dubious time-wasting, impromptu Cruise stops usually at retail shops or factory sites that make & sell goods tourists goods: souvenirs, diamonds; leather/silk clothing, diamonds, & even occasionally illegal or immoral options. 

YT clip: Vietnam factory

Dishonest companies or guides gets kickbacks on your purchases, but often visits just waste your time or worse.

Anecdote:  Estonia cruise ships: immediately transported we guests directly to main square packed with shops & restaurants, then a pseudo Shore Excursion to even more shops.

Anecdote: Bangkok tailor shop:  I agreed to visit out of curiosity. Friendly, no pressure.

Anecdote: Pristina, Kosovo: One gracious young man whose invite to his restaurant I accepted. Another guy, so literally in my face, I finally yelled at him & physically shoved him aside. Foolish tout & owner. 

Anecdote:  Bangkok tuk tuk driver suggested silk suit shop: I knew he was ‘shop steering’ me, but I wanted the experience. I was curious. It was not high-pressure and I in a silk suit would be the proverbial ‘overdressed pig.’

NOTE: If you REALLY want to buy a silk suit, blouse etc, Google search where they are commonly sold & visit several shops bargaining for your best price. [pplk: Safe: Soft - Bargaining]

Cruise Company’s careful examination of Shore Excursions will have undoubtedly eliminated this possibility. If not complain & report.

Beware of Shop Steering [jlk: shop steering] [plpk: sub-pil” xyz Kinds of (B) Guides)

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18. Tier1 ,2, & 3 Sites & activities: choose a country or city that has your most desired Tier 1 sites & activities. Dig Deeper.

 Site & Experience Classification    

FYI: Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:

    Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                     Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Peru’s Machu Picchu
                     Beijing China’s Forbidden City….

    Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country:
                     Italy’s Herculaneum, buried at same time as Pompei
                     Esoteric Reykjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum!   (Really?     Really!!! 😀)    PIK K11 Herculeaum

    Tier 3: IMO, uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth average traveler's time & money. 

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19. Sensible Itinerary: Your cruise experience will be mostly on-the-ship punctuated by occasional shore excursions & driving to very busy tourist sites. Cruise ships usually are limited to each port's allotted dock times. Dig Deeper.

Limited Sensible Itinerary

Cruise companies promote countries & historical sites, but your main experience is ‘The Ship’ itself at sea. So, choose your shore excursions to maximize your travel experience at your most desired site.

A ship’s port arrival & departures are rigidly set, which in turn rigidly constricts the available time a Shore Excursion's time on-site.  Even big bus tours offer longer & deeper site experiences.

Example: Civitavecchia is the cruise ship port for Rome Shore Excursions. It is 80 km i.e. 2 to 2 1/2 hour round trip of super rushed drives with severely limited time on-sites.

SO, if foreign sites & experiences are your TRUE priority, then, you SHOULD consider big bus tours or even better, 'independent self-guided travel.' [pplk; BBTouring] [Solo Travel: jlk]

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20. Tailored Specialty Cruises: Themed, Luxury & Boutique Cruises, Adventure & Expedition, Age or Lifestyle, and Educational & Cultural Cruises: Dig Deeper.

Tailored Specialty Cruises

Specialty Cruises are usually small, highly personal & with tailored agendas, ....  except for larger nature & educational cruise packages. Many companies offer or can tailor specialty cruises.

Relationship Cruises (Family, etc) ; Adults only or All-women / All-men; Sports Focus: on board & off; Expedition Cruises; Activity Specialty: Hobbies etc; Eco & sustainability; Luxury Boutique; Age or Lifestyle Specific; Special Occasion Cruises; Educational & Cultural; Volunteering;  & Specialty or Narrow Focus: Religious, Shopping, Gastronomic (food), Genealogy, Christmas Markets Getting-Back-To-Your-Roots; Curious, esoteric, or silly trips; Themed Cruises Dig Deeper.

Kinds of Specialty Cruises

    A. Relationship Cruises: 

  • Family, Siblings, or Friends-Only: to re-new old intimacies, heal old wounds & share new stories.
  • Adults only: avoid family/kid mayhem by enjoying “adults-only” stuff.
  • Wedding: I am a bachelor, so, haven’t a clue.?😀 
  • All-women / All-men: Girlie things vs guy stuff.    NOTE: These are NOT the European style “I’m free!” raucous bachelorettes or bachelor bacchanals which many hostels outlaw.

    B. Sports Cruises: Any sport you can imagine from medium fitness to high intensity either on-board ship or off.
    (1) Onboard ship:
         Snorkeling and Scuba Diving: if stops at coral reefs or marine parks,    
              often with certification courses.
         Rock Climbing: onboard climbing walls.
         Extreme Sports: paragliding, bungee jumps, or extreme water sports
         Ice Skating: on some ships: Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships.
         Mini Golf: with scenic or themed courses.

    (2) Onboard ship or in-port: often varies with ship size 
         Jet Skiing/Wave Runners/ sailing/windsurfing: ship’s marine platform
         Zip-lining: some ships: Royal Caribbean's zip-line from ship's mast.
         Marathons or Runs: Some cruises organize runs or even marathons.
         Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer:
         Golf: golf simulators onboard.

    (3) In-port:
         Kayaking & Paddleboarding: at scenic or wildlife-rich locations.
         ATVs & Mountain Biking: if terrain allows, Shore Excursions.
         Gym, Fitness & Training Classes: well-equipped, yoga, spinning, or boot
              camps: at varying fitness levels.
         Golf:  arrange tee times at ports.  PIK K11 Golf

     C. Expedition Cruises: tailored for explorers, visiting remote or ecologically significant areas: Galápagos, or Antarctica, etc. with education components.
         Survival Skills: survival techniques demos & classes: basic first
              aid to wilderness navigation.

    D. Activity Specialty: Hobbies & Interests: art & architecture, cooking, music, history, science, birding.          Artisans of Leisure:
           https://www.artisansofleisure.com/Cruise/Arts_tours_luxury_travel.html),

    E. Eco & sustainability: range from ESG, environmentally focused activities to Nat’l Geo~ Cruises  & Rick Steves’. 

    F. Luxury Boutique: Silversea Line’s small ship’s all-inclusive luxury: personal service, exclusivity, & high-end amenities focus. 

   G. Special Occasion Cruises: Christmas, New Year’s etc.

   H. Educational & Cultural Cruises: Often in partnership with universities. museums, theaters, libraries, art galleries, National Geographic, Cultural Centers: (British Council), Music & Dance Companies: (Royal Ballet), Film Institutes (Sundance Institute), Cultural Heritage Sites: (UNESCO  Sites), Conservation Societies.

     I. Volunteering: Some Cruise operators promote volunteer experiences & pro-active sustainability travel (eco lodgings, etc) all over the world. Some Volunteer opportunities are for a few days or weeks to months. Curiously, some often charge a weekly fee; $180 > 3000/week or you work for basics: food, tools, experiences. Huh?
                                  International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ:                       
                          https://www.volunteerhq.org/destinations/

    J. Specialty or Narrow Focus: Religious, Shopping, Gastronomic (food), Genealogy, Christmas Markets Getting-Back-To-Your-Roots.
        1) Trafalgra Cruises: Japan’s “Cherry Blossoms” Cruises,
        2) Vivator: Top Europe Ghost Cruises:
   https://www.viator.com/Europe-Cruises/Ghost-&-Vampire-Cruises/d6-g4-c118 

    K. Curious, esoteric, contrived, silly Trips:
        1) Single, Yet Ready-To-Mingle Trip:      Huh?
        2) Do-Nothing-At-All Trip: go to Motel 6 & watch TV; save money & hassle

    L. Themed Cruises: Total theme immersion:
         Music Cruises: rock, country, decades (80s or 90s); live shows, themed parties, with celebrity
              meet-&-greets.
         Pop Culture Cruises: Star Trek to Harry Potter, etc with activities, talks, & stars/creators meet-ups 
         Culinary & Wine Cruises: celebrity chefs, wine tastings, & exclusive dining’s special menus
         Fitness & Wellness: yoga retreats, wellness seminars, or spa-focused.
         Holidays, etc: Christmas, New Year's, Super Bowl:  etc.

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21.  Company Reputation:  I can’t find many cruise company reviews.

22.  Price & extras: usually based on “What is included in price?”: Inclusive (all inclusive) vs partially inclusive vs exclusive; but research ‘hidden costs’ Dig Deeper.

Your best Price with extras.

BEST: The cruise package price you are willing to pay for should reflect your very wise summary valuation of all my Ocean Cruise Factors you are now reading thru.   

Your choice of tour price is, of course, based on your intelligent evaluation of individual Tour Factors & their overall importance to you. Only you can place your value on a cruise ship’s cabin level, dining experience, Shore Excursion guide expertise, eco-friendliness, etc. Only you know how much you are willing to pay.

Your human brain is superb at amassing this kind of knowledge and reducing it down to a simple decision.
So trust in yourself. Dig Deeper.

Discussion of '3 Price Levels'

Typically Ocean Cruise packages are divided into 3 kinds: Inclusive (all inclusive) vs partially inclusive vs exclusive with the 1st — all Inclusive (all inclusive) — being the most complete, rigid AND expensive.  Please read this earlier discussion again because these terms are confusing     [jlk:  ???

Usually, as in most purchases, the higher the cost, the greater the quality, but CAUTION, sometimes lower price merely disguises lower quality.  

Again, your ONLY guarantee of tour quality vs cost is the thoroughness of your understanding & evaluation of the Tour Factors I have offered you.

A. Quick Look: (Please read closely because terms are subtly confusing)
    1. Inclusive (all inclusive): Covers most or all expenses; offers simplicity & convenience, but little ‘free time’ flexibility. 
    2. Partial Inclusive: Some expenses, but not all covered so guest must control their budget AND do their own ‘free time’ planning
    3. All Exclusive (All-Inclusive): Everything is included for a completely worry-free trip, but with higher costs and less flexibility & choice.

B. A Deeper Look:
    1. “Inclusive (All-inclusive)” cruises: (means same)
          Definition: These cruises cover almost all expenses at a single price. 
          BEST deal: if eat, drink, & participate a lot. 

Generally, as in most purchases, the greater the quality & diversity of perks & experiences … the higher the cost.

PROs: 

  1. Price: Single upfront price, but ‘good deal’ if you take full advantage of what's offered.  No ‘final surprise bill’ ….!
  2. Price/Quality Options: Many deeply curated levels of quality & price. 
    a. Carol Walton’s Expedition’s private jet skips high-rollers between African safari sites. 
    b. Some specialty tours (not Carol’s) can cost $100, 000.
  3. Research, planning & logistics: done for you.
  4. Transportation: included, maybe transfers to/from airports
  5. Lodging: Included
  6. Meals: often all meals, maybe snacks beverages & alcohol)
  7. Activities: included a wide range of activities, excursions, or fun.
  8. All planning: …. site, activity & logistics done for you.
  9. Extras: may be included; tips, hotel & local taxes, service charges, to/from airport, transfers, food, snacks, alcohol (premium brands, 24/7); wifi & cell on bus, hotel taxes,
  10. Non-tour expenses: maybe Local Entry & Departure Tax (Costa Rica, cash only), on-arrival visas, Currency exchange & ATM Fees.
  11. Worry-free: because rigid & comprehensive.
  12. Predictable cost budgeting: because all costs are known upfront & included …. reducing the need to spend more. 
  13. Less cash to carry: supposedly because initial price covers all, but …..

TIP: Be wise. Always carry cash or cc/dc; you just never know.

CONs: 
    1. Near-zero flexibility: rigid site/activities/meal schedules, & little ‘free time’.
    2. Less value for $: if you don't use all the included services.

    2. “Partially Inclusive” Cruise: (middle ground between ‘inclusive (all inclusive)’ & ‘exclusive’ tours.
           Definition: Includes some, but not all, expenses in the package price.
PROs:

  1. Price: less initial budget cost, but often budget-busting add-on optional costs. must carefully budget extras.
  2. Better Value for Money: particularly if you highly value “Free Time” independent travel opportunities.
  3. Flexibility: some “free time” options for independent travelers: local meals, local Excursions or self-guided walking tours.
  4. Transportation: maybe to/from airport transfers. 
  5. Lodging: for specified tour nights
  6. Meals: Varies: some or none.  This can vary. Must ask.
  7. Activities: maybe major attractions/specific activities, but not optional activities.
  8. Guides: guided tours for the entire tour.
  9. Entry fees: maybe for some attractions/activities
  10. ’Free time’ options: within tour’s structure.

Rick Steves Tours seem to go out of their way to insure you have all the pre-booking info you need. https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/comparing-tours

CONs: 
    1. ‘Free time’ opportunities: require pre-trip research, planning, & booking.
    2. More ‘free-time’ budgeting: excursions, restaurants, Uber etc.
    3. Flights: often not included, unless specified: “air-inclusive"
    4. Meals: most not covered, but varies.  Please ask.
    5. Personal Expenses: Not covered: souvenirs, alcoholic, tips, bottled water.
    6. Optional Excursions: NOT covered, often over priced; may book locally.
    7. Contract & Promo’s Fine Print: Guest’s responsibility to avoid surprises & dissatisfaction.
    8. Travel Insurance: I always bought.

    3. “Exclusive” Cruise: (most basic & least expensive initial cost) 
                           (Not to be confused with ‘all-inclusive')
           Definition: usually ONLY includes basic published tour features.
                NOTE:” Generally “all-Exclusive” means
                      1) some amenities are always included,
                      2) some seldom included and
                      3) other amenities depend on the tour.

                CAUTION: Term "exclusive" is often duplicitously used to suggest
                          ‘exclusivity’ i.e. "high quality", but not necessarily so.

PROs: 
    1. BEST PRO: much ‘free time’ self-guided travel options: unique cafes,
        intimate neighborhood walkabouts.
    2. Cost: least costly, …. if you avoid costly add-on services, etc.
    3. Tour's Published Basics ONLY: lodging, meals, sites/activities
    4. Transportation: unlikely to/from airport transfers
    5. Food & Lodging: minimal basics
    6. Attraction Entry Fees: yes, for most package-specific attractions  
    7. Perks: limited, if any: snacks, beverages.
    8. Internet ‘free time’ research & planning:   “Believe it or not …”, can be
        exciting.
    9. Budget ‘free time’ additional costs, if any: local excursions, dinners. etc.
            NOTE: self-guided walking tours are free & worthwhile.

CONs: 
    1. Cost: may exceed budget, if you fall prey to add-on services. Must
        exercise restraint. 🥴
    2. Free Time’s options: may add cost. Estimate & budget. 
    3. Attraction Entry Fees: for some package attractions. Ask?  
    4. Hidden extra expenses: know what is not included in price. Ask !!!
    5. Optional’ excursions: not covered, often overpriced 
    6. Food & Drink: usually NOT covered: alcohol,
    7. Lodging: not included: hotel services (usually very expensive:
        laundry, pressing, etc), if available
    8. Single supplement fee: single-person lodging extra fee
    9. Fine Print: ALWAYS check fine print, and reviews or ask about hidden costs.
    10. Guest perks: some included, but, others extra: tips, spa work,
          high-end activities & luxury services.
    11. Personal Expenses: Snacks, non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages:
          limited, if at all.
    12. Flexibility: Less flexibility because highly structured with specific
          included optionals,
               ---- YET, often much & many ’free time’ options for
                      independent travelers.
    13. Free time is usually significant (Rick Steve's’ Tour : 36% of
          morning, afternoon, night segments.
    14. ‘free time’ expenses: Uber, food, souvenirs, excursions, tips

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23. Cruise Book Agreement: most publish own versions of such agreements, tailored to them, but generally the same broad themes. [plpk: sub-pil” xyz Kinds of (B):  Dig Deeper.

Cruise Booking Agreement 

What are a Cruise company's cancellations, refunds, and trip interruption/cancellation insurance policies? Most passengers probably seldom read these Agreements until an issue arises, because issues often don’t arise.

BEST: Everything Firmly locked in … rather than,   the company’s “right to increase Cruise price” based on the final # of travelers and/or currency fluctuations

  1. Booking Details: Cruise date, route, ticket type (e.g., 1-day, 2-day), and any special offer add-ons.
  2. Payment Terms: how much & when (deposit vs. ~, payment methods; refunds; cancellation. Price changes?
  3. Rights & Duties: customer expectations (transport, guides, etc.); Ship's expectations of you (behavior, rules).
  4. Liability & Insurance: cruise company liability, insurance & exemptions for: Act of God cancellations accident, weather, mechanical failures, or geopolitical events, port & itinerary changes.
  5. Health & Safety: your medical conditions disclosure, Ship's health or safety concerns; emergency response.
  6. Personal Information Policy: data use, storage, and protection
  7. Special Conditions: Any unique conditions: age, physical requirements, or specific dress codes.
  8. Operator Contact Information: for all issues.
  9. Non-Transferability of Tickets: security, anti-ticket scalping, fraud avoidance
  10. Deposits and Full Payments: full payment in advance or … 
  11. Customer Expectations: rigid or flexible policies: booking changes, refunds, potential or unexpected costs, 
  12. Service Guarantees: inherent promise of service quality, professional guide commentary.
  13. Legal Jurisdiction: where cruise company is based or cruise embarkation.

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24 Eco-friendly: huge cruise ships have a great detrimental ecological impact on ocean waters, coastlines & ports of call caused by belching diesel, polluting waters, AND over-running resources, infrastructure & Tier 1 tourist sites.

In response to critical public concerns, cruise companies have been pursuing various mitigating initiatives.  
BEWARE: Greenwashing! Dig Deeper.

 Eco-friendly Initiatives

Most, if not all, cruise ships & boats historically belch diesel fumes, dump fuel & waste AND their passengers increasingly overrun ports-of-call and their tourist facilities & sites.

Anecdote: Tallinn, Estonia: but many taking positive steps to reduce eco-impact. 

Euro News (02/14/24):  “Where-will-ships-stop-instead?”  

Venice was forced to ban cruise ships from its center in 2021 after lagoon damage AND UNESCO threatened “ endangered list” status unless ships were prohibited. Experts say … large boats pollute & erode city foundations exacerbating regular flooding.   Feb 14, 2024

In response to regulatory pressures, environmentalists, local citizenry, customer demand, & public at large cruise industry presumably seeks to truly mitigate the negative eco-impacts of cruising. Dig Deeper.

Cruise Industry's Eco-mitigation Initiatives.

A. Harmful Emissions Reduction: Transition from heavy fuel oils TO: 
    1. LNG usage:  which significantly reduces oxides (SOx, NOx) & greenhouse gases. 
    2. Electric or Hybrid Boats: with solar panels/batteries or more efficient engines (China’s Li River
            quiet & exhaust-free bamboo boats); .Green methanol or hydrogen fuels.

Anecdote: Li River (Lijiang), China: Tourist promotional images show quiet gorgeous river scenes, but my reality: --- a constant flotilla of roaring diesel-engined tourist boats. Note: best way to watch my Li River footage is to turn off volume because I purposely tried to avoid filming other boats, but not totally possible. Also, watch Edward Norton's gorgeous movie,  "Painted Veil" filmed in Li River area.   [ytlk: Li River, China ]

    3. Operational Practices: 
        a) slower speeds or with current reducing fuel & aquatic disturbance, 
        b) strict recycling, single-use plastics reduction, & sewage treatment (AWTS), 
        c) innovative hull designs reducing drag & fuel consumption
        d) energy management systems

B. Energy Efficiency:  LED lighting, HVAC systems.

C. Local Engagement and Eco-Tourism:
    1. Local community's engagement:    conservation efforts, local supply sourcing.
    2. Certifications:    Green Globe-like adherence to sustainability practices.
    3. Corporate Transparency:   BEWARE of fraudulent Greenwashing.

D. Waste Management:  
    1. Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems (AWTS): high standard sewage treatment
         cleaner than local systems before discharge.
    2. Zero Waste Initiatives: Some ships aim to recycle or repurpose close to 100% of their
         waste, reducing what ends up in the ocean or landfills.

E. Air Pollution Control:
    1. Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) or Scrubbers: 
    2. Use Shore Power: so can shut down engines reducing emissions.
    3. Water Conservation: low-flow fixtures, recycling systems.
    4. Biodiversity & Marine Life Protection:
    5. Underwater Noise Reduction: to reduce impact on marine life (whales).
    6. Ballast Water Management: kill invasive species,
    7. Sustainable Shore Excursions: eco-focused, local sustainability, less tourist impact
          on delicate ecosystems.
    8. Corporate Responsibility & Transparency: forced accountability
    9. Innovative Tech: to solve festering issues

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IV. On-board Ocean Cruising Factors:

On-board ship days can be divided into two broad realms: 1) self-entertainment AND ship’s free & Premium diversions.

Cruise ships invariably depart port in afternoon sailing all night to arrive at the next port and its sundry Shore Excursions. Often a cruise ship will sail 24 hours between ports-of-call usually far from land with only endless ocean vistas.

Once settled in your cabin, within hours your ship puts out to sea to your next port. Depending on its itinerary, your next day may be either an at-sea day of even more sailing, OR an in-port Shore Excursion.

You will likely relax in your cabin for a few minutes and then strike out to explore your cruise ship with a wandering walkabout of the vast ship,  marveling at its colossal size, extravagant lighting, modern design & construction, and seemingly endless amenities, activities & attractions. Soon you lean at the ship’s railings gazing at the watery world surrounding you, searching for animals & birds.

Eventually, tho, your wandering search slowly devolves into an ever-increasing boredom desperately hoping for diversion. Fortunately, your diversions will come from the innumerable included & extra-cost options. 

Diversion comes from a seemingly unlimited array of free facilities and paid-for experiences; lounging in deck chairs, the sea breeze on your face, soaking in various pools, exercising in weight rooms, or attending art auctions (you don’t have to buy.)

A. Self- entertainment:
    1. Ship Exploration:
        a.  Walk the decks & interiors for views.
        b.  Engine Room tours: Occasionally Premium Inner Ship tours for $100 -$150 with brief look ART inside of extremely noisy and potentially dangerous engine room.  PIK K12
        c. Interior Lounges & libraries
        d. Deck lounge chairs: 

    2. Room: 
        a. Ocean views, if exterior window or balcony.
        b. Relax, Read, etc.
        c. Strolling or
        d. Starlink’s internet universal access —free, like air

B. Ships’s Perks/Diversions:
    1. Free: 24hr buffet. PIK K11

    2. Premium: 
        a. Themed or specialty cafes
        b. Premium alcohol, coffee & wine packages
        c. Off hours Room Service
        d. More elaborate dishes,
        e. Cooking classes, wine tastings

    3. Exercise Room:
        a. Free: machines etc, 
        b. Premium: fitness trainer & classes: advanced
                or specialized. PIK K12

    4. Spa:
        a. Free: steam room,
        b. Premium: massage, facials, & salon services

    5. Specialty Activities: 
        a. Art auctions, etc.
            Free: attend
            Premium: purchase
       b.  Novel Athletics: generally free
            Rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, or water parks

    6. Shopping:
        a. Free: window shopping 
        b. Premium: if buy something 😀

    7. Stage shows/Performances:
        a. Free: nightly 
        b. Premium: special shows etc.

    8. Miscellaneous:
        a. Professional photos: 
        b. Casino Play losses: (Note: Ship eventually wins (LOL), PIK K12
        c. Retail Purchases: obviously, 
        d. Room Upgrade Fees: 
        e. Laundry Services: 
                 

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V. In-port Shore Experiences:

A. Introduction:

After much time at sea you will look forward to the freedom and novelty of your ship’s port visits and Shore Excursions to the notable foreign cities & sites you have dreamed of.

Realistically, cruising is mainly an on-board ship lifestyle & activities punctuated by Shore Excursions whenever your ship puts into port. Less than 25% of a cruise’s total time is in-port Shore Excursions to & at tourist sites. 

FYI, in contrast, Big Bust Tours tourists spend 1) 30-40% of their total tour time at tourist sites & experiences, AND 2) 40-50% of their total time on related travel time: (long & short drives between tourist sights sites. Just so you recognize the difference.

Shore Excursions allow you to visit foreign sights & activities without long & frequent bus rides AND without the intense pre-trip research & planning that I do as a solo independent traveler. 

Your 1st true exposure to a foreign culture comes on your 1st in-port day’s Shore Excursion, curated by your Cruise Company for its worthwhileness, quality, safety & reliability.

Your Shore Excursions will travel safely thru the countryside or city to some famous Roman or Greek site or an authentic local cooking class, etc. Your choices are limited only by ship’s in-port hours.

Cruise companies AND private tour companies design their Shore Excursions packages to include a variety of sights & experiences that historically appeal to most cruiser’s diverse wants & budgets. 

Shore Excursions design focuses on quality, safety, guide expertise, site & experience variety & all-passenger access (handicapped, infirm). 

 

1. Ship’s Port Arrival & Departure: Cruise Ship’s MUST dock on time & MUST depart on time defined by on several factors including regulations, tides, weather, econ & eco concerns, security & safety. Dig Deeper.

       Ship’s Port Arrival & Departure Limitations

Unfortunately, your in-port experience is constrained by a cruise ship’s arrival & departure ‘port call’ * schedule for each port. (e.g.: busy ports, like Nassau, with MAX “port call’ of 8 hrs & some even less’
                                              * “Port call” means the time a ship is docked in port.

    a. Port Authorities and Regulations: own schedule regs based on adequate space, cruise line's
        itinerary, port capacity, berths availability & local regs on vessel size, eco-impact, & safety.

    b. Cruise Line Itineraries: planned years ahead including negotiated dock times, in-port stay
        balance between shore time & ship's schedule.

    c. Econ Considerations: Both ports & cruise lines have economic interests: ports:
         max ship & guest  #s, while ships: optimize costs & guest satisfaction. Trend is reversing
         as ports reject inundation & local quality of life.

    d. Eco-Restrictions: Some ports (Amsterdam & Venice) restrict dock times & even some ships. 

    e. Tide, Weather & Boat Draft: can influence docking safety & access,

    f. Security & Safety Protocols: can influence port-of-call times: security checks, customs
       process, & compliance.

   g. Passenger & Crew Logistics: time required for: passenger’s disembark/reboard, crew changes,
        supply & maintenance

   h. International Agreements & Laws: safety and environmental standards (International
         Maritime Organization (IMO) [close]

2. Ship’s Limited ‘Berth Time’: restricts both ship & private Shore Excursions and guest’s self-guided walking tours…. on-site visit time & worthwhileness, particularly if long travel distance. Often docked 8-9 hr between 7 AM to 9 AM & departing around 4 PM to 5 PM. Some may stay overnight or remain only 4-5 hr. Confirm Berth Time relative to Shore Excursions ambitions.

    Example: Civitavecchia is the cruise ship port for Rome Shore Excursions. It is 80 km from Rome requiring bus’s ½ hr round trip bus ride which may severely limit your available on-site times. Dig Deeper.

                  Examples of Cruiser’s options for
                        Rome Shore Excursions

A summary of a few actual cruisers’ opinions PLUS my suggestions

    a. Time Management: ‘Too many sites, too little time; rather focus on 1 or 2 key sites or activities: Colosseum, Pantheon), Vatican Art Museums.     Opt for advance ticket booking or skip-line access.

    b. Highlights and Recommendations:
        Tier 1 Sites: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican City (including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel), Piazza Navona.
        Foodie Experience: authentic Roman cuisine, tasting tours or dining away from tourist traps are favored for authenticity.
        Local Interaction: local authentic cooking classes, and local artisans.

    c. Ship’s Shore Excursions Alternatives:
        Private Tours: Ideal flexibility (Cruising Rome: offers customizable Tier 2 experiences & skipped line access. 
        Hop-On Hop-Off Buses: Excellent version/alternative ‘self-guide walking tour’ for overview.
        Walking Tours: Student-guided ‘free’ walking tour

    d. Competitive pricing with more personalized experiences thru:   RomeCabs or Shore Excursions Group (e.g.: Stefano’s RomeCabs: focused on max site & experience time at less crowded Tier 2 time sites avoiding long waits & chaos.

    e. Logistics from Civitavecchia (Rome’s cruise ship port):
1 hr to Rome; public transport options exist, but easier pre-arranged transfers or tours AND Guaranteed return to ship on time (cruise ship Shore Excursions’s significant advantage.)

My Advice: If you really want to explore major cities sites, either Big Bus Tour or independent self-guided travel. [close]

3. Available Start & End Shore Excursions Times: Limited Ship’s ‘Berth Time’ defines & rigidly limits Shore Excursions time: Dig Deeper.

Typical Berth Times

    a. Morning Excursions: 8 AM to 10 AM or ASAP after ship docks, ending by early afternoon to allow boarding from 12 PM to 2 PM.

    b. Afternoon Excursions: Uncommon because 2 PM MAX is usual return & final boarding times, but if offered: 1 PM to 4 PM, ensuring passengers on-time return for ship's late afternoon or early evening departure. (*e.g. Rome Shore Excursions)

    c. Duration: Most Shore Excursions: 2 to 4 hrs, but can be longer depending on ship’s time in port.  4 hr is adequate for city tours, cultural experiences, or brief major landmark visits, but not enough for Shore Excursions a long distance from port. [close]

4. Late “Return to Ship” DANGER: If you miss your ship’s mandatory Departure Time, very expensive to catch up at next port.[LINK] YT Cruise grp clips ??? ].       Major Risk: Late ship return: 

    Suggestion: Don’t book more than 1 Shore Excursions/ day unless positive you have plenty of time to return to ship on time.

5. Safety & Security: Safer, more secure access to dicey sights/activities. 

Anecdote: St Petersburg’s “The Cheese Cake Palace (Catherine’s Palace) GYPSY benign assault: On a Baltic Cruise, but for some reason without a guide, we were standing as a group of 8 fellow travelers waiting outside for it to open when we were assaulted by a family of gypsies poking & grabbing at us. I immediately warned everyone to be CAUTIOUS. One person touched me and I intuitively karate-chopped his arm away and he backed off.

6. Shore Excursion CAUTIONS:  Your 1st true exposure to a foreign culture comes on your 1st in-port day’s Shore Excursions, curated by your Cruise Company for its worthwhileness, quality, safety & reliability.

Your Shore Excursions will travel safely thru the countryside or city to some famous Roman or Greek site or an authentic local cooking class, etc. Your choices are limited only by ship’s in-port hours. 

    a. Rushed shore excursions:  Too little time for too many sites equals a tiring, rushed superficial experience AND risk of ‘late return’. 

    b. Distracting Guide Commentary: large, rushed tour group’s guide commentary at chaotic crowded Tier 1 sites may be boringly ‘canned’, distracts from your reflections, and may not be easily heard UNLESS Tour Earphone System is used. Small group Guides can be more intimate & flexible.

    c. Crowded Tier 1 & 2 tourist sites: long entry wait times & jammed with multiple large, noisy, jostling tourist groups.

7. ’Shop-steering” visits: Unlikely for ship’s Shore Excursions, but possible if self-booked. Confirm with on-shore booking company.

8. Authentic Local Culture Visits: May be your 1st true exposure to a foreign culture, but often faux, Americanized unless Shore Excursions or self-guided walking tour.

9. Local Guides: with deep site expertise: history, culture, & local stories may have greater expertise & insight. Can be highly motivated & respected experts on their local turf.  Cruise  operators may consistently use a tested local private guide to complement your tour guide.

10. “support local economy’: cruise ships inject massive income into ports-of-call: tourist’s local purchases, all sector job creation, port fees & taxes, good local infrastructure. 

11. Eco-friendly: huge cruise ships have a great eco-impact on local areas belching diesel, polluting waters, overrunning resources, infrastructure & Tier 1  tourist sites …despite recent pro-eco agendas                      
BEWARE: Greenwashing:   [jlk: eco-friendly)

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C. 3rd Party Local Shore Excursions:

Most cruise ship ports, if not all, offer Shore Excursions either by local guides, local tour companies or through national online booking companies (think Air BnB-like). (see below) 

40-50% of cruisers might engage in independent activities, which include tours not organized by the cruise company.

Often, in-port local Shore Excursions providers AND local guides offer more numerous, diverse, special focus & less expensive Shore Excursions.

1. Guest’s Booked  Alternative Shore Excursions FACTORs:  [plpk: sub-pil” xyz Kinds of ]    
    a. Pre-trip Google Search: makes Local Excursion research & booking almost as easy as booking thru your cruise company.

    b. Convenience: Less convenience than Ship’s Shore Excursions, BUT greater variety & lower price; sometimes same tour & guide. CAUTION: Late Return issue

    c. Greater Site/Experience Variety: 3rd Party Shore Excursions companies may offer greater variety &/or lower costs, (ShoreExcursions.com Dig Deeper.

Greater Site/Experience Variety

a. All Tier 1,2 & 3 tourist Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:
        Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                      - Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Peru’s Machu Picchu & Beijing China’s Forbidden City….

        Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions  
                  or country:
                      - Italy’s Herculaneum buried at same time as Pompei
                      - Esoteric Reykjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really? Really!!! 😀) 

        Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth the
                  average cruisers time & money. 

b. Specialized Experiences: (French cooking class, hiking trails)

c. Esoteric interests: (Edinburgh Penis Museum)

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    4. Authentic Local Culture: unlikely, unless Shore Excursion is specifically designed OR your self-guided walking tour.

Anecdote: Albania’s Kruja’s Castle: Arriving early before tourists I roamed the castle grounds and,  then,  entered the original preserved residential area. Soon I was met by a gracious young man who ... uninvited ... accompanied me … tossing out tidbits of local history. He & his aged mother actually lived there. Don’t get much more authentic.!

    5. Group Size: Super high cruising demand & Tier 1 & 2 site popularity equals large tour group size.

    TIP: purposely select small or private-guide tours with: 1) priority access tickets, 2) nimble movement, & 3) silent/private Tour Guide Audio System …. or immediately jump-ship on landing, grab a taxi & get to a Tier 1 site before others.

    6. Booking Tips: book through reputable local in-port companies or use independent booking platforms like Viator which can offer both quality, safety & savings, …. BUT MUST GUARANTEE: 
        a. NO Shop Steering
        b.’on-time ship return.” Ship’s don’t normally wait for late non-ship Shore
             Excursion’s late passengers.

2. My Review Research of world-wide booking platforms: Note: My Review research after ONLY 15 minutes of online research & from personal experience:  
        1. Shore Excursion Group: mostly positive; On Time Ship Rerturn guarantee PLUS $1,000 USD per customer for inconvenience of missing ship.
        2. Get Your Guide: mostly positive  
        3. Tours by Locals: mostly positive except for full group prepay requirement; “… think
                Viator, but a lot better run…”, with both clients & guide support, & dispute
                 resolution service that works. Guides are curated before being listed. 

CRITICAL Guarantee: If late to boat … guarantee to, “ arrange for and cover the costs of overnight accommodation and transportation to your next feasible port-of-call.”


       4. Trip Advisor & Viviator (TripAdvisor company): AVOID, unreliable & overpriced.
           TIP: read a page or 2 of reviews on these organizations, BUT NOT reviews on their site

    7. Late Return: Reputable 3rd Party Shore Excursions operators usually guarantee “on-time return”.  Check all Reviews. Dig Deeper.

Captain’s Discretion controls: 
     a) priority to Ship’s Shore Excursion passengers
     b) all other: may be based on …: 
         1) # late, 
         2) how far away (in time), 
         3) wait costs ( ship’s dock fees, extra fuel), 
         4) next port arrival schedule, 
         5) weather etc, 6) tug/harbor pilot availability.  [close]

    8. Price: Pricing Strategy: Often competitively lower price to compete with Cruise Ship’s similar or identical offers, perhaps greater booking convenience AND most important: Ship’s Late Return guarantee.

    9. Local Guides: Local folks-turned-guides & local tour companies may have a highly developed knowledge of everything local — sites, history, culture, & local stories & can offer specific & unique Itineraries or will craft one for you. May also guide cruise ship’s shore excursions

    10. VIP Site Access: private access: 

Anecdote: Mandawa, India’s painted Havelis (homes): Jumping on the back of my Nawalgarh guide's motorcycle for a 60-mile loop to Mandawa, Fatephur & other small town's to visit the many remaining beautifully painted exterior & interior old residences of wealthy Silk Road merchants.  Even more exciting were welcomes into private living quarters of several of these havelis.  PIK.     ytembed

    11. Safety & Security: More reliably safe than solo access to dicey sights/activities. 

    12. Dining: included if necessary (e.g.: lunch on 6 hr excursion)

    13. Peer-to-peer local private host & guide:  Peer-to-peer is a relatively new option rapidly growing as travel demand has shifted from ‘destination’ to ‘experiential’ based vacations. 
                                    Reuters Events:  destination to experience-led vacations,    Dig Deeper.

Tens of thousands of private hosts in 30 cities across Asia and Europe & expanding to more cities, local hosts and local sites & experiences; often language tailored i.e. English for Brits, American, Aussies & Kiwis, etc. 

 

Private host’s unique, personalized itineraries, sites & activities offered directly to passion-driven traveller’s at an affordable cost, but focused on off the beaten path experiences: actual local events, family dinners etc. sites & activities. 

 

Typical peer to peer 3rd party operators:

a. Withlocals.com and heal2go.com.

b. Reuter Events - Travel: https://www.reutersevents.com/travel/social-media-and-marketing/bye-bye-mass-tourism-hello-healing-touch

c. Crunchbase: 1,200 fully customizable, 100% private Cruises & activities led by 900 local hosts in dozens of international cities.

d. Tours by Locals: Slowlife Family Farm: Cooking Experience:  https://www.toursbylocals.com/tours/italy/siracusa/tour-details/slowlife-family-farm-cooking-experience-664d242717832fdc0dbb5afd

 

CAUTIONS:

1. Shore Excursions Ship ‘Return on-time’ Guarantee.

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D. 4 in-port options:.

 

1. Relaxation on board a half-empty ship:  to relish relative solitude, better amenity & special activities access (pool), and more staff engagement (cool!)  Hour after hour of on/off-site walkabouts can be exhausting to some guests who will seek the solitude & relaxation of a ‘quiet corner.’    Dig Deeper.

On-board Diversions

Ships often offer great on-board diversions to those who remain on board.
    a. Easier Access to Amenities: pools, spa services, dining, fun venues, gym, particularly on high-end cruises.
    b. Slower Paced: Crew can engage more; tailored services
    c. Special Activities: engine room tours, cooking classes, workshops; high-tech demos, wine tastings, gourmet cooking demos.
    d. Dining Experience: more intimate, private, w/ unique dishes, leisurely.
    e. Ship Photography: minimal people.  [close]

2. Ship’s Optional Shore Excursions: Ostensibly, a prime reason for Cruising is to visit notable foreign countries, cities & sites. Ship’s offered Shore Excursions are your prime vehicle for doing that.  

Shore Excursions allow you to visit foreign sights & activities without long & frequent bus rides AND without the intense pre-trip research & planning and full responsibility of the solo independent traveler.

Here are your insights —-
    Cruise company’s offer an array of diverse historical & cultural sites & experiential Shore Excursions to satisfy foreign traveler’s ambition to visit foreign cities & their tourist sites. 

    While most Cruise operators don’t usually create their Shore Excursions, they do meticulously curate them for safety, worthiness, guide experience & overall guest satisfaction … because Shore Excursions are a customer’s prime booking consideration.       

    Guest reviews seem to endorse Shore Excursions as the “icing on the …’ extravagant luxurious cruising lifestyle.  Dig Deeper.

Ship’s Due Diligence AND Shore Excursion FACTORS: 

A. Ship’s Due Diligence Factors:
    1. Professional Excursion Operator Evaluation: operators meticulously curate their Shore Excursions offerings for:
        a. safety standards,
        b.  service,
        c. safety, &
        d. variety & worthiness of sights experience.

Shore Excursions selections are often based on the experiences that historically appeal to most cruiser’s diverse wants & budgets. all-passenger-access (handicapped, infirm).

        Royal Caribbean: wide range of Shore Excursions tailored to various interests: adventure to cultural & curated local respected vendors.

    2. Feedback Mechanisms: extensive customer feedback loop after Shore Excursions to validate or eliminate Shore Excursions providers. Grok confirms X posters approve of most Shore Excursions. Great effort is expended on upgrading and innovating Shore Excursions packages.

    3. Excursions Standardization: consistency of guest experiences & satisfaction; guide’s knowledge & personalization, language fluency, & group size. But, Royal Caribbean: will customize Shore Excursions for small groups or individuals.

    4. Activity Mix: large variety of sites & activities: cultural tours, adventure sports, & relaxation options; something at a price for everyone. 

    5. Training & Quality Control: mandated guide & local company training & guidelines to ensure service standards. 

    6. Customer Experience Management Teams: constantly developing new Shore Excursions, enhanced customer service, and prompt issue resolution to improve future offerings.

    7. Insurance & Safety Measures: all activities covered by insurance; strict safety guidelines protect company & guests.

    8. Shop Steering: Ships Shore Excursions: unlikely cuz well-curated,

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B. Ship’s Shore Excursion FACTORS:  
    1. Start & End Times:
        a. Morning Excursions: 8 AM to 10 AM or ASAP after ship docks, ending by early afternoon to allow boarding 12 PM to 2 PM.
        b. Afternoon Excursions: Uncommon because 2 PM MAX return & final boarding times, but if offered: 1 PM to 4 PM, ensuring passengers on-time return for the ship's late afternoon or early evening departure. (*e.g. Rome Shore Excursions)

    2. Variety availability: wide variety of well-curated excursion, but Local In-port Options may be greater & different

    3. Marketing thoroughness, & transparency: that clearly aligns with & validates guest expectations.

    4. Specialty Options: e.g. National Geographic Lindblad Expedition’s Alaska cruises offers expedition cruises focused on education, eccology, and adventure. 

    5. Customization: Royal Caribbean’s great variety of exclusive, personalized & customized Shore Excursions tailored to various interests: adventure to cultural & curated local respected vendors. for small groups or individuals. 

   6. Specialization: educational, environmental, adventure, & more serious cruises (Nat’l Geo’s Lindblad Expeditions 

   7. Habitually late Excursions guests: 
        a): inconsiderate boors reduce everyone’s on-site visits.
        b) late ship return is very expensive ‘catch up” ($1000s)

    8. Exclusive Access: Shore Excursions’s negotiated exclusive access to sites or services, not publicly available. 

Anecdote:  Canavasry visit & All Saints Church London, Cairo Mosque

  1. Authentic Local Culture: unlikely, unless Shore Excursions intentionally focus or …. your self-guided walking tour. 

    10. Pricing Strategy: Fairly priced compared to similar /identical On-Shore Excursions, activity uniqueness & service level, site access exclusivity, amenities, group size & dining options.

    11. Back-to-ship guarantee: e.g.:  Royal Caribbean's promise: back-to-ship guarantee AND authentic cultural immersion

    12. Extra Costs: entry fees, meals, other transport, etc. etc. etc.

    13. Price-match Policy: against local Shore Excursion operators' prices to reassure Guest’s booking ship’s Shore Excursion.

    14. Quality Assurance: Royal Caribbean: promises immersive & accessibility experiences AND a ‘back-to-ship’ guarantee indicating a focus on quality, safety, and inclusivity.

    15. Guide: professional, trained, screened, trained expert guide handles everything: logistics, your needs & personalized commentary.  Dig Deeper.

Guide's Professional Responsibilities & Skills

A. Logistics: 1) Transportation, & 2) Food 
   1. Transportation: Shore Excursions vehicles range from very large touring bus to various appropriate smaller vehicles and when appropriate other conveyances : boats, electric rickshaws, etc.

Anecdote:  My Mekong Delta multi-day excursion: included 1) large tour van, 2) ferry, 3) large wooden river cruising boat-hotel with overnight room & meals, and 4) a native’s swamp canoe. 

YT Embed: Mekong Delta canoe footage

    2. Food: Most long (4-7 hours) Cruise Shore Excursions may provide dining options, or if a cultural Shore Excursions, authentic local dishes. 

B. Guest’s care/special needs/concerns: 1) monitors guest constantly, 2) bonds with guests, 3) resolves guest issues

SEE [pplk: TRAV KINDs B for detailed ‘big bus Cruise’ vs ‘small bus Cruise’ differences for each of these factors.

Your Shore Excursions guide is trained & experienced to: 
    1. monitor constantly your safety & security ever alert to pickpockets, lurking thieves, bogus vendors, a broken step or a nasty dog.

    2. bond with guests & encouraging a group camaraderie; perhaps even searching out those introverts in the shadows.

    3. solve guest issues & questions: 1) guest needs: if pre-arranged & agreed to in advance, and 2) unforeseen issues: emergencies, illness, accidents.

    NOTE: Cruise & local Shore Excursions companies should disclose standard of guest fitness etc required before you book, particularly if a demanding, unusual activity to ensure a worthwhile trip for all.

Anecdote: Florence Cathedral’s double dome: The climb up between Brunelleschi’s famously designed Florence Cathedral’s double dome involves 463 steps, through winding staircases, sometimes steep, & narrow corridors. No elevator. Demands fitness & agility. [ytlk: Italy: Dome climb]

    NOTE: Not ethical to complain on Shore Excursions when you ignored ‘physical ability’ warning advice. You must solve YOUR issue, perhaps, by staying on bus or wandering the surrounding area’s shops etc.

SEE [pplk: TRAV KINDs B for detailed ‘big bus Cruise’ vs ‘small bus Cruise’ differences for each of these factors.

C. Guide’s Commentary Quality: Your guide’s goal to expose a site’s Charisma of Place.

Charisma of Place, is a term implying a compelling emotional admiration inherent in a tourist site or person that the world has long revered or that you learned about in school. [jlk: Charisma of Place]

Anecdote: Standing in the drizzling rain in the ancient Roman Forum: I saw, “…. a small mound which was the altar, a few bits of the walls, and not much more, covered by a modern roof.” (Trip Advisor) — one of billions of nondescript mounds in the world, BUT, this is the site of Julius Cesar’s cremation.

I was emotionally overwhelmed by its Charisma of Place. The emotional awareness of standing so near to Caesar absent the transparent glass of ‘time passed.” The vague 1000 yr Roman history somehow, Caesar’s Imperial power and his assassination felt very real.           Not religious, but spiritual.

Your Shore Excursions guide’s narration hopefully will re-ignite your research-inspired, pent-up excitement by summarizing a sight’s cultural importance, exposing its unique history & today’s relevance with bristling exciting & intriguing insights adding to your original curiosity & anticipation. 

Presumably, you are visiting a site because you researched it or have been intrigued since school, a movie or a book you read.  Something about this ‘travel bud’ [jlk] tickled your imagination AND now you are REALLY here. 

        Smaller-sized Shore Excursions Guide’s commentary:
PROs:
    1. Personalized, intimate
    2. Mix of humor & confidence with entertaining insights.
    3. Tailored info to guest’s interests 
    4. Greater depth & detail of information
    5. Encourages guest-guide interactive discussion.
    6. Usually guest’s language although English often added

CONs:
    1. May distract from your contemplation, but probably tour so relaxed you roam a bit with guide’s approval.

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Optional Excursion’s Pros/Cons & Examples:

Variably priced Optional Shore Excursions (group discounts ?) allow guests to enrich their overall cruise experience by choosing from a variety of curated Optional Excursions. Of course, many tourists will have chosen their cruise package because of these sites & experiences.
PROs:
    1. Well curated for quality & guide skills. Check all Reviews. if any.
    2. Ideally scheduled’ for ‘on-time-return.’
    3. Overall experience values
    4. Guarantee ‘on-time -ship-return”
    5. Occasionally, included in cruise packages:
                       Viking Cruises: 888-703-2664/-888-703-2664 1 complimentary
                                                shore excursion in each port of call.

        Typical example of Ship Shore Excursions offerings:                    
                          Norwegian Cruise Lines: 800 657 5773.

 

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I did some simple research (10/1/2024) of 3 cruise companies: 
    1. Celebrity Cruises: exuberantly promotes individual short excursions, BUT without much detail, including price, 
    2. Viking Cruises:  offers “One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call.” but gives no further complimentary Shore Excursions or paid for alternatives details. 
    3. Norwegian Cruise Lines: gives limited detail, total time & price 

CAUTION: Do your due diligence when searching a cruise package’s Shore Excursions.

CONs:  
    1. Pre-trip Google Search may offer a greater variety of Local Shore Excursions 
    2. On-shore options may be less expensive.
    3. Pre-trip Google Search makes Local Excursion research & booking almost as easy as booking with Tour Operator.
    4. Usually includes all necessary transportation, but may NOT include meals or site entry fees. Enquire before booking.
   5. Cruise operators may ignore more narrow focus options of limited interest to most guests.

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3. Guest Booked 3rd Party Local Shore Excursions:

Most cruise ship ports, if not all, offer Shore Excursions either by local guides, local tour companies or through national online booking companies (think Air BnB-like).(see below) 

40-50% of cruisers might engage in independent activities, which includes tours not organized by the cruise company.

Often, in-port local Shore Excursions providers AND local guides offer more numerous, diverse, special focus & less expensive Shore Excursions.

A. Guest’s Booked  Alternative Shore Excursions FACTORs:     [plpk: sub-pil” xyz Kinds of ] ???    
    1. Pre-trip Google Search: makes Local Excursion research & booking almost as easy as booking thru your cruise company.

    2. Convenience: Less convenience than Ship’s Shore Excursions, BUT greater variety & lower price; sometimes same tour & guide. CAUTION: Late Return issue

    3. Greater Site/Experience Variety: 3rd Party Shore Excursions companies may offer greater variety &/or lower costs,(ShoreExcursions.com

a. All Tier 1,2 & 3 tourist sites & experiences    Dig Deeper.

     FYI: Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:
            Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                        Paris’ Eiffel Tower,
                        Peru’s Machu Picchu
                        Beijing China’s Forbidden City….

            Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country:
                         Italy’s Herculaneum buried at same time as Pompei
                         Esoteric Rekjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really? Really!!! 😀) 

            Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth average cruisers
                        time & money. 

        b. Specialized Experiences: (French cooking class, hiking trails)

        c. Esoteric interests: (Edinburgh Penis Museum)

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    4. Authentic Local Culture: unlikely, unless Shore Excursion specifically designed OR your self-guided walking tour.

Anecdote: Albania’s Kruja’s Castle: Arriving early before tourists I roamed the castle grounds and then entered the original preserved residential area. Soon I was met by a gracious young man who, uninvited, accompanied me … tossing out tidbits of local history. He & his aged mother actually lived there. Don’t get much more authentic.!

    5. Group Size: Super high cruising demand & Tier 1 & 2 site popularity equals large tour group size.

           TIP: purposely select small or private-guide tours with: 1) priority access tickets,
                   2) nimble movement, & 3) silent/private Tour Guide Audio System …. or
                   immediately jump-ship on landing, grab a taxi & get to top Tier 1 before others.

    6. Booking Tips: book through reputable local in-port companies or use independent booking platforms like Viator which can offer both quality, safety & savings, …. BUT MUST GUARANTEE: 
        a. NO Shop Steering
        b.’on-time ship return.” Ship’s don’t normally wait for late non-ship Shore Excursion’s late passengers.  Dig Deeper.

My Review Research of World wide booking platforms:

NOTE: My Review research after 15 minutes of online research & from personal experience:  

1. Shore Excursion Group: mostly positive; On Time Ship Rerturn guarantee PLUS $1,000 USD
       per customer for inconvenience of missing ship.

2. Your Guide: mostly positive … 

3. Tours by Locals: mostly positive except for full group prepay requirement;
           “… think Viator, but a lot better run…”, with both clients & guide support, &
          dispute resolution service that works. Guides curated before being listed. 

CRITICAL Guarantee: If late to boat … guarantee to, “ arrange for and cover the costs of overnight accommodation and transportation to your next feasible port-of-call.”

4. Trip Advisor & Viviator (TripAdvisor company): AVOID, unreliable & overpriced.
            TIP: read a page or 2 of reviews on these organizations, BUT NOT reviews on their site

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7. Late Return: Reputable 3rd Party Shore Excursions operators usually guarantee “on-time return”.
            Check all Reviews.  Dig Deeper.

Captain’s Discretion controls Ship's Departure Flexibility 

        a) priority to Ship’s Shore Excursion passengers

        b) all other: may be based on …: 
               1) # late, 
               2) how far away (in time), 
               3) wait costs ( ship’s dock fees, extra fuel), 
               4) next port arrival schedule, 
               5) weather etc, 6) tug/harbor pilot availability.                                          Dig Deeper

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8. Price: Pricing Strategy: Often competitively lower price to compete with Cruise Ship’s similar or identical offers, perhaps greater booking convenience, AND most importantly: Ship’s Late Return guarantee.

9. Local Guides: Local folks-turned-guides & local tour companies may have a highly developed knowledge of everything local — sites, history, culture, & local stories & can offer specific & unique Itineraries or will craft one for you. May also guide cruise ship’s shore excursions

10. VIP Site Access: private access: 

Anecdote: Mandawa, India’s painted havelis (homes): Jumping on my Nawalghar private guide's motorcycle for a 60 mile loop to Mandala, Fatehpur and other small towns to visit exquisitely exterior & interior-painted ancient residences of wealthy Silk Road merchants, ....ultimately welcoming my guide & I into a few still occupied private residences.  A real treat.

11. Safety & Security: Safer than solo access to dicey sights/activities. 

12. Dining: included if necessary (e.g.: lunch on 6 hr excursion)

13. Peer-to-peer local private host & guide:     Peer-to-peer is a relatively new option rapidly
      growing as travel demand has shifted from ‘destination’ to ‘experiential’ based vacations. 
                                  Reuters Events:  destination to experience-led vacations,    Dig Deeper.

Peer-to-peer local private host & guide

Tens of thousands of private hosts in 30 cities across Asia and Europe & expanding to more cities, local hosts, and local sites & experiences; often language tailored i.e. English for Brits, Americans, Aussies & Kiwis, etc. 

Private hosts’ unique, personalized itineraries, sites & activities are offered directly to passion-driven travelers at an affordable cost but focused on off-the-beaten-path experiences: actual local events, family dinners, etc. sites & activities. 

Typical peer to peer 3rd party operators:

    a. Withlocals.com and heal2go.com.

    b. Reuter Events - Travel: https://www.reutersevents.com/travel/social-media-and-marketing/bye-bye-mass-tourism-hello-healing-touch

    c. Crunchbase: 1,200 fully customizable, 100% private Cruises & activities led by 900 local hosts in dozens of international cities.

    d. Tours by Locals: Slowlife Family Farm: Cooking Experience:  https://www.toursbylocals.com/tours/italy/siracusa/tour-details/slowlife-family-farm-cooking-experience-664d242717832fdc0dbb5afd

CAUTION:    Shore Excursions Ship ‘Return on-time’ Guarantee.

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B. How to choose your ideal Shore Excursions:  

I chose many of my travel sites from a lifetime of education, public media, reading, videos, & even the news. Each tiny bit of interesting travel site or activity info was what I now call ‘Travel Buds’. 

Like tiny rose buds, this near-infinite numbered ‘Travel Buds’ were potential travel ideas lying asleep in my mind 'under the snow' waiting for me to turn them into Spring’s travel targets. Same is true for you!

So how can you resurrect those Travel Buds? This can be an exciting personal research adventure in itself.

Very few Travel Buds that you can’t safely visit. You only have to discover them & decide how & when to make your travels a “genuine probability rather than just a mere day-dream fantasy”

Please re-read “2. Ship’s Optional Shore Excursions: "  above          jlk ??

1. My simple 7 step process  :               (2nd Level) (3rd Level).  (I should provide links to existing text
List your desired travel sites, Google Search for more, prioritize and match to your ship’s port-of-calls that can access your site(s).                                                                        Dig Deeper

                   2nd Level: 

My simple 7 step process

1. If you already know what Country region or city you want, then skip to 3) below

2. If you DON’T already know what continent, regions, countries or cities you want, follow these suggestions:
    a) Create a simple Potential Site LIST, written or computer , with 3 columns: See Resources: Docs
         1) region or country, 
         2) cities,
         3) the Travel Bud sites or experiences you have always dreamed of.
                 Your mind is filled with your own Travel Buds, if you look for them.
                                           [pplk; Resources: “Future Travel” document ] [pplk: Future Travel list] 
                 Throughout our lives each of us have been exposed to Travel Buds. 

Anecdote:  some of my Travel Buds:
      Audrey Hepburn’s “Two for the Road’ romantic European travel movie; European travels. 
      Russel Crowe’s “Gladiator's Coliseum; my Rome visits.
      Brad Pitt’s “Seven Years in Tibet.”; triggered 3 months in China .
      Art History class: exposed Athen’s Parthenon's intentional optical illusion of slightly
              bowed steps & bulging columns. 

    b) Watch some TV or Netflix travel shows:    
          “50 of the Best Travel-ish Shows to Watch”: https://www.going.com/guides/best-travel-shows

    c) Explore some Travel blogs. (Don’t search “Travel websites” yet cuz mostly Cruise
           company advertisements)
               “FeedSpot”: ”100 Best Travel Blogs To Read”: https://travel.feedspot.com/travel_blogs/

As you build your list, some country, region, city, sites & activities
will truly speak to your interest.
It will happen. Trust me.

3. Confirm your continuing interest of your lists’s Travel Buds with Google Search your list to. You may have changed your opinions. eliminating those that you have less interest in.

4. Google Search your desired countries & cities for all tourist sights & experiences that you didn’t know about … that excite you enough to add to your list.

5. Prioritize your FULL ‘List’s of most desired sights & activities (maybe with colored circled numbers next to site or activity.

     TIP: I use a different color, often making circled numbers to left of list items. Examples: 

     Tier 1: (1) Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, (2) Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps.

     Tier 2: Baths of Caracalla, Trastevere neighborhood, Galleria Borghese museum, (3) Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Basilica di San Clemente and so on.

You NOW have a condensed checklist for screening through Cruise company internet Shore Excursions offerings

6. Search usual cruise ship ports to discover sites & activities there or accessible from there.
    Example: 
        Cadiz, Spain is a main cruise ship port with a few sites of interest: 1) Old Town (El Pópulo)
            , 2) old city walls and gates, 3) Cadiz Cathedral (Catedral de Cádiz), 4) Plaza de San
            Juan de Dios, 5) Roman Theatre, 6) Museo de Cádiz, 7) Tavira Watch Tower, &
            8) Santa Catalina Castle. 

        Accessible from Cadiz: 1) Seville, 2) Jerez de la Frontera, 3) Ronda’s Puente Nuevo,
            4) Arcos de la Frontera, 5) Gibraltar, 6) Costa de la Luz, 7) Tarifa, 8) Roman Theater,
            and 9) Museum of Cadiz.

7. Choose your ideal Cruise Company quality level & style the cruise package that includes your top available sites & experiences.  Note: maybe only 1 or 2 sites far from Cadiz because usually not enough time for multiple sites & activities unless close together. 

Cruise Categories: Luxury levels to Adventure, etc.

Before you wade into the gargantuan pool of all available cruise packages, select the cruise company style that most suits you and, THEN, focus 1st on their Shore Excursions offerings.  Dig Deeper.

Cruise Categories

1. Luxury Cruises:    
    - Regent Seven Seas Cruises: all-inclusive luxury, 
    - Crystal Cruises: synonymous with luxury, recently refurbished.

2. Premium Cruises:  
    - Celebrity Cruises: modern & luxury blend, younger clientele, high-end amenities:
         spas & fine dining.
    - Princess Cruises: aka "Love Boat" line, age mix, tends to older adults  & families, a
         luxury step down, but still high standards & fun.

3. Adventure and Expedition Cruises:    
    - Aqua Expeditions: small-ship cruises focused on:
          - biodiversity & culture, intimate & educational experience, very immersive;
             NOT  typical cruise activities.

4. Mainstream/Family-Friendly Cruises: 
    - Carnival Cruise Line: aka "fun ships”: party-oriented, young, families,& lively.
    - Royal Caribbean: innovative activity features: water slides, ice skating rinks, &
          surf simulators; families.

5. Service and Atmosphere:
    - Holland America Line: classic elegance, older, extensive enrichment programs:
          classical music, & onboard music programs.

6. Value for Money:  
    - Norwegian Cruise Line: good mid-tier option,  'freestyle' cruising: flexible dining
          times etc.;luxury & freedom blend.

7. NOW, look for your highest priority Shore Excursions site for each port within your budget                            as you analyze each Cruise Shore Excursions package l

8. Shore Excursions Packages: NOW start combing thru the Shore Excursions packages of the Cruise Company Category you like. You may have so many exciting Shore Excursions options, it may be like “deciding’ which child you love the most.’ BUT YOU MUST.😃

FYI, Again! : Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:
    Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites:
                Paris’ Eiffel Tower
                Peru’s Machu Picchu
                Beijing China’s Forbidden City….

    Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country:
               Italy’s Herculaneum buried under volcanic flow at same time as Pompei
               Esoteric Reykjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really? Really!!! 😀) 

    Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth average cruisers time & money.

[close]

V. Guest designed ‘self-guided walking tour’ of port sights & activities. [jlk: Free time]
Your wandering, self-guided walkabout of discovery around an Old Town with a local cafe’s meal may be your most authentic engagement with a country or city’s actual culture.

Anecdote: Tallinn, Estonia: Bus or taxi can whisk you quickly from your cruise ship to Tallinn’s Old Town Square where you can either wallow in tourist kiosks or immediately start exploring surrounding streets for Tallinn's historical flavor & a local’s cafe.

Click link to go directly to FULL discussion of Local Shore Excursions: [jlk:].  ???

Guest-designed ‘free time’ opportunities can be the most rewarding, fulfilling & exciting Cruising experiences because you can shift into your independent travel mode by visiting a port’s sites easily & far less expensively on your own.

A. Self-guided Walking Tour FACTORS:  
    1. Freedom’s flexibility: pre-plan itinerary or just wander with whimsy.

Anecdote: Tallinn, Estonia: Bus or taxi can whisk you quickly from your cruise ship to Tallinn’s Old Town Square where you can either wallow in tourist kiosks or immediately start exploring surrounding streets for Tallinn's historical flavor & a local’s cafe.

    2. Full personal responsibility:  as price for flexible freedom

    3. ‘On-time Ship Return’: ONLY you are fully responsible for On-time Ship Return; expensive catch-up. 

    4. Planning: Pre-trip/onboard internet (Elon’s Starlink) create a sequential site list of sites, etc. plotted
            on Google Maps, or not.

    5. Navigation: on smartphone use guidebook maps, GPSmyCity app or plot yourself on Google
            Maps/Apple Maps —

    6. Sites & activities: same Shore Excursion variety, but more logistically difficult to fit your limited time
            AND YOU MUST self-guarantee On-time 

    7. Local Cuisine: find a local’s non-tourist restaurant. 

    8. Route Strategies: 1) Best: a loop from ship & back, 2) taxi to farthest point & wander back taxi out,
            walk back, 3) "hop-on, hop-off" bus route; many buses run same route.

Anecdote: Yangon, Myanmar:

take taxi to farthest site & then walk back from site to site to ship

    9. Walking Tour Websites/apps: e.g. GPSmyCity smart phone apps,

    10. Less expensive: little, if any, necessary expense 

    11. Curious Cultural Immersion: In Asia I often realized I was an invisible Caucasian wandering amongst the Asian multitude’s buying dinner at local outdoor markets  & poking into antique shops, etc.        I relished that.

Anecdote: QinChina

    12. Miscellaneous: comfortable, broken-in shoes, hat, sun glasses, of course, 

Back to Table of Contents

    13. IMPORTANT TIP: always carry hidden emergency USD & local currency for snacks, etc..  pplk: money

Necessary:

 

My Suggested Cruise Factors research tutorial: 

This Research Tutorial will help you condense & analyze what you learn so you can make a wise package choice.

NOTE: I purposely introduce this research tutorial before the Expanded Cruise Factor discussion so you can anticipate the research process.  ???

 

1) Review my Succinct Cruise Factors to get a "feel" for Cruise package’s nuances. Make particular note of those Factors that resonate with you.

 

    NOTE: That each Succinct Cruise Factor’s title is actually a quick link to skip directly to that Cruise Factor’s expanded discussion.

 

2) Start a written or computer list of my “Expanded Cruise Factors” for recording details you deem important. (At 84 I don’t remember if I don’t write it down.😀 Your list will be critical to your hunting for an ideal Cruise package.

 

3) Read each Cruise Factor thoroughly noting what's important to you and rejecting the rest.   

 

If you initially skipped around to different Cruise Factors that caught your attention, I strongly urge you to go back through the entire expanded list for the factors you missed. Those missed factors may well have key information you have not thought of that may be valuable to you.

 

4) Now you are quite knowledgable about Cruise Factors, Your ONLY reasonable guarantee of wisely choosing your Cruise Package of quality vs cost is the thoroughness of your understanding of my Cruise Factors. [Jump LK]

 

NOTE: Your ideal Cruise package choice will be based upon the collective value YOU place on your evaluation of my Cruise Factors.  Your summary opinion will guide you toward your ideal Cruise package.

 

5) Finally condense your rough list into a final checklist you can refer to when screening through Cruise package offerings

 

NOW, your knowledge of these Cruise Factors coupled with your Google research & prudence, makes you REALLY ready to choose your ideal package Cruise. 

 

 

 

NOW start combing thru the Shore Excursions packages of the Cruise Company(s) whose style you like. You may have so many exciting Shore Excursions options, it may be like “deciding’ which child you love the most.’ BUT YOU MUST.😃

 

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Save

7) Shore Excursions Packages:

FYI: Site & Experience Classification: The travel industry often classifies travel sites & experiences as:

Tier 1: …. usually globally recognized & revered sites: Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Peru’s Machu Picchu & Beijing China’s’s Forbidden City….

 

Tier 2: …. lack the global prestige, but are nevertheless significant sites in their regions or country: Italy’s Herculaneum buried at same time as Pompei or esoteric Rekjavik, Iceland’s Penis Museum (really? Really!!! 😀) 

 

Tier 3: IMO, are either uninteresting, very minor or very niche & not worth average cruisers time & money. 

 

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This is the end everything else is somehow extra and redundant. Plow through and remove what's not necessary.

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