This time for whale watching in Juneau, I was prepared. The words, “Don’t forget to grab a large plastic bag” popped into my head just before I closed the door to my stateroom. This was my second whale-watching shore excursion from Juneau, but the first time I brought along a real camera. On my first […] Read more…
The first time booking your own shore excursion can be daunting… Whether it’s your first visit to a new port or maybe your third or fourth, chances are you’ll want to leave the ship to see and explore your destination. There could be a zillion reasons why people choose to not buy a cruise ship […] Read more…
For many cruisers, a stop at this beautiful private island means a day to kick-back at the beach. For me, Half Moon Cay means a cruise excursion to go horseback riding in the ocean. Half Moon Cay is Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. It’s located halfway between Cat Island and Eleuthra, about 100 […] Read more…
Attention curious cruisers who prefer to travel in the lap of luxury. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, yes, it’s the ultra-luxe cruise line that started complimentary shore excursions, has added two new shore excursion concepts. Called “Go Local Tours” and “Regent Choice small group tours” as you can guess, you don’t travel with a motor coach full […] Read more…
MSC Cruises World Cruise delves deep into land-locked destinations. The countdown has begun for the first MSC Cruises World Cruise departure date. The 119-day world cruise will head out from Genoa, Italy on January 5, 2019 aboard MSC Magnifica. The nearly four-month voyage around the world will visit 32 different countries and offers extended stays in […] Read more…
I’m not one to always follow the crowd. Many times in port, I forego the cruise line shore excursion and explore the downtown or city center on my own. Sometimes it’s with the help of a local shuttle into town when we’re docked in an industrial area. Other times, I’ll have done pre-cruise research and […] Read more…
A little advance planning before you book a cruise, helps ensure the perfect cruise vacation. Every cruise line repeats the benefits of cruising; meals, entertainment and accommodations wrapped into one reasonable rate. It’s true. Cruising really is a convenient and affordable vacation option. Cruises offer stimulating onboard enrichment programs, unique culinary experiences and immersive and […] Read more…
Best Price Guarantee covers thousands of Holland America shore excursions. There’s a lot of competition out there. Holland America wants their guests to book shore excursions through the cruise line, of course. But with other tour operators offering very similar shore excursions, Holland America is offering a guarantee. Guests who pre-book Holland America shore excursions, […] Read more…
In case you didn’t know, I’m not a huge fan of cruise line shore excursions. Whenever I can, I either wander on my own with a mission in mind (like a museum or landmark) or find a local food tour. When I read that the Panama Canal cruise I was on aboard Crystal Serenity had […] Read more…
Holland America delves deeper into destination experiences. What better way to cultivate new cruisers and keep dedicated Holland America Mariners coming back for more than to create a unique destination immersion program; Explorations Central, or EXC. Located on the top deck, in an area affectionately known on many Holland America ships as the Crow’s Nest, Exploration Central will be […] Read more…
With so much outside competition for your shore excursion dollars, Princess Cruises wants to be fair, competitively priced and accommodate those who really want to join the excursion. To accomplish this, Princess Cruises shore excursion reservation procedures are being revamped with two new policies. Effective December 5, 2016, a Best Price Guarantee goes into effect. […] Read more…
Viator’s Nassau rum and food walking tour hits the spot. Rum. It’s the drink of the Caribbean. Sometime in the 1600’s, someone discovered that when the molasses from sugarcane was fermented, it gave quite a kick. And it still does. For me, a repeat cruise to Nassau usually means one of two things: Stay aboard ship […] Read more…