1. Daily sailing & “at-sea” days: 
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 in-port Shore Excursion or an at-sea day of even more sailing.

You will likely rest 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.)

Free included diversions usually are 
   1) main dining room’s 3 meals & a 24/7 buffet’s casual dining,
   2) stage shows & performances, movies,
   3) swimming pools, hot tubs, & water slides (if available), 
   4) game rooms,
   5) shops,
   6) gambling options & even art auctions & 
   7) fitness centers & classes, and finally, 
   8) vast ocean panoramas seen from deck railings or a deck chair.
   9) engaging with others& exchanging grand kid & pet stories.

FREE included amenities & indulgences wear thin, tempting expensive Optional Activities & Perks abound depending on the ship. PIK  Often passengers tire of overeating at the free buffet PIK & main dining room & seek specialty dining options, aimlessly wandering the decks or reading a book they could have read at home pretending that they are enjoying their freedom as sea days become very boring.

This gnawing boredom may push you to search out Premium luxury & optional experiences: specialty cafe, casino’s siren call or a massage. PIK 

How long before you realize that sea days are a cruise company’s opportunity to fully exploit the opportunity to fleece you?  And you thought cruising was all about seeing great cities & sites.😃

2. In-port days:    
 After any long time at sea, you'll long for the freedom and novelty of your ship’s Shore Excursions.   Unlike rapid big bus tour schedules which leave you exhausted and relishing free time relaxation, the opposite is true of cruising.      You can’t wait for the diversion.

Ostensibly, a prime reason for cruising is the various Shore Excursions to notable cities & tourist sites & experiences your ship will visit. That freedom offers you 4 different options: 
   a) Relaxation’s personal time
   b) Ship’s Shore Exclusions: offered by your Cruise company’s
   c) Local Shore Excursions: researched & booked yourself 
   d) ‘Self-guided walking tour’ of port: researched, or not, & lunch.

   a) Rest & relaxation’s personal time:   Hour after hour of on/off-site walkabouts can be exhausting to some guests who will seek the solitude & relaxation of a ship's ‘quiet corner’ or great on-board in-port diversions for stay-aboards.

   b) Ship's Optional Shore Excursions:   Cruise companies offer an array of diverse historical & cultural sites & experience Shore Excursions to satisfy foreign travel’s  ‘learning & experiencing’ wishes.

Click link to go directly to FULL discussion of Cruise Ship’s Shore Excursions: [jlk:]

Guests enrich their overall cruise experience by choosing from a variety & curated Optional Shore Excursions. Most tourists choose their FINAL cruise package because of these Shore Excursions.

    PROs:
    1) well-curated for quality & guide skills. Check all Reviews. if any.
    2) ideally schedule & guarantee’ of ‘on-time -ship-return”
    3) good overall experience values
    4) maybe included in cruise packages: Viking Cruises: 888-703-
        2664/-888-703-2664 1 free shore excursion in each port of call.

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

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

    CONs:  
    1) Google may offer a greater variety of Local  Excursions 
    2) on-shore options may be less expensive.
    3) Pre-trip Google Search's Local Excursion research &
        booking almost as easy as booking with Cruise Operator.
    4) Usually includes all transport; maybe NOT meals or entry fees. 
    5) Cruise operators may ignore narrow interest most guests.

    c) Guest Booked Local Shore Excursions:   Most, if not all, cruise ship ports have Shore Excursions either via local guides, local tour companies or through national online booking companies (think Air BnB-like).        (see immediately below)

Local folks-turned-guides & local tour companies may have a highly developed knowledge of everything local and either offers specific Itineraries or will craft one for you.

Several online booking platforms offer site & experience tours/shore excursions worldwide: Vivator (TripAdvisor company), Get Your Guide. 

Note: after 15 minutes of online research & from personal experience:   
    Shore Excursion Group: mostly positive; On Time Ship Return
         guarantee PLUS $1,000 USD per customer for inconvenience of
         missing ship.
    Get Your Guide: mostly positive … 
    Tours by Locals: mostly positive except prepay requirement (which
         protects against cancellations) “… think Viator, but a lot better
         run…”, with both clients & guide support,
         & dispute resolution that works. Guides curated before listed. 

CRITICAL Guarantee: If late to boat … guarantee to, “ arrange & pay costs of overnight room & transport to your next feasible port-of-call.”

Trip Advisor & Viviator (TripAdvisor): AVOID, unreliable & overpriced

TIP: read a page or 2 of reviews on these organizations, BUT NOT reviews on their sites

    PROs: 
    1) Google Search makes Local Excursion research & booking
        almost as easy as booking through your cruise company.
    2) Google Search may disclose more numerous, varied & less
        expensive Shore Excursion options than cruise ship’s offerings. 
    3) Local Guides: deep expertise: sites, history, culture, & local
        stories 

Anecdote: Albania’s Petrelë fortress: original residential fortress
            area’s occupant/guide)

      ojhpohjpohjpuhopojhophohh .....

Anecdote: Albania’s Petrelë fortress: original residential fortress
               area’s occupant/guide)

      ojhpohjpohjpuhopojhophohh .....

Anecdote: Albania’s Petrelë fortress: original residential
                  fortress
            area’s occupant/guide)

      ojhpohjpohjpuhopojhophohh .....

    4) Maybe same guide/company as Ship’s, but less expensive
    5) Safety & Security: Safer, access to dicey sights/activities. 

Anecdote: St Petersburg’s Pink Palace gypsies: npoih

    6) VIP Access: private access: 

Anecdote: India’s Mandawa painted havelis:   ;ojn

    7) greater variety of ….:
        a) All Tier 1,2 & 3 tourist sites & experiences 
        b) Specialized Experiences: (French cooking class, hiking trails)
        c) Esoteric interests: (Edinburgh Penis Museum)

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

    CONs:
    a. may be difficult to define safety & quality beforehand
    b. may not offer or honor guarantee of “on-time-ship-return. 
    c. little recourse, if issues. — you & your ship move on.
    d. Shore Excursions: typically not included in cruise package
    e. can vary greatly in cost.

     My Suggested Research Strategy:  (Jarom: box around)
1. If you don’t already know, broadly research the continents, regions
    & countries that interest you 
2. Search, list & prioritize, sites & experiences in YOUR CHOSEN
    regions &/or countries of interest (Mediterranean: Spain & Italy; etc.)
3. Pre-trip research a cruise package's ports-of-call to discover sites
    & activities there or accessible from there. 

        Example: 
              In Cadiz, Spain is a main cruise ship port with some sites of interest: Old Town (El Pópulo) old city walls & gates, Cadiz Cathedral (Catedral de Cádiz), Plaza de San Juan de Dios, Roman Theatre, Museo de Cádiz, Tavira Watch Tower, & Santa Catalina Castle. 
              Accessible from Cadiz: Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, Ronda’s Puente Nuevo, Arcos de la Frontera, Gibraltar, Costa de la Luz, Tarifa, Roman Theater, and Museum of Cadiz.

4. Choose the cruise package that includes your top sites & experiences.  NOTE: maybe only 1 or 2 sites far from Cadiz because there may not be enough time for multiple sites & activities.

    d) Guest-designed ‘self-guided walking tour’  [jlk: Free time]

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 yourself easily & far less expensively.

    PROs:
    1. Freedom’s flexibility: pre-plan or just wander with whimsy.

Anecdote: Tallinn, Estonia: shopping, shopping, shopping!

    2. Greater Variety of sites & interests.
    3. Often less expensive
    4. Solitude in a foreign crowd: In Asia I often realized I was an
        invisible Caucasian amongst the Asian multitude
    5. Great! I'll be anxious to see photo.

    CONs: 
    1. May require your minimal pre-trip research & planning, or not.
    2. you take full responsibility for price & flexible experience.
    3. fully responsible for ‘return-to-ship-on-time.’ 

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Factors:  using Cadiz, Spain port as an example: 

Planning: Pre-trip or on-board internet (Elon’s Starlink) & guidebooks, etc to map out a route. Websites and apps like GPSmyCity smart phone apps, generally positive reviews praising cost-effectiveness, organization, & offline functionality, offer self-guided walking tours for Cadiz & many others, which can be downloaded to a smartphone.

Starting Point: Ideally, a loop from ship to key sites & back, but 2nd alternative is taxi to farthest point and wander back (CAUTION: double check your timing).

Cadiz: head to nearby Monumento a la Constitución de 1812 then wander thru history & beautiful architecture. Cadiz's compact size makes it walkable,

Key Attractions: Whatever sites, est. your researched exposed that will fit limited time.

Cadiz: Cádiz Cathedral, Roman Theatre, Plaza de las Flores, Parks and Gardens: Alameda Apodaca or Genovés Park, Santa Catalina Castle, & maybe local lunch.

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

Cadiz: allow for fun of being occasionally ‘lost.’

Local Culture and Cuisine: explore local markets, antique shops, 

Cadiz:  try traditional tapas or brunch on a park bench & watch world pass.

Return to Port: CRITICAL CAUTION: don’t be late - expensive to catch up. 

Cadiz: Cadiz’s compressed layout reduces this concern.

Miscellaneous: pedestrian-friendly comfort shoes, hat, sun glasses, of course, IMPORTANT TIP: always carry USD & local currency for snacks, water, entry fees & the unforeseen.

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: It was hard to wander Florence, Italy’s old downtown area one evening without reveling in Roman architectural remnants poking out of new buildings, balsamic vinegar tasting in one of San Lorenzo Market’s (Mercato di San Lorenzo) many shops, before being seduced into a genuine old world pizza shop. Ah, that aroma!

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

Most mass market Cruise packages ’s offer multiple priced levels of rooms, dining options and miscellaneous amenities and activities. e.g.: Inside Cabins, Oceanview Cabins, Balcony Cabins, Suite Cabins & Specialty Suites or Villas. 

Show up on time with your luggage, etc, a some pocket change and you are good to go. 1^st time traveler’s easiest option.  They do all the rest.