5 cruise excursions not worth your money
Scratch these shore excursions off your list.
1. Sightseeing by bus
It’s hard to get much of a feel for a place when you’re just looking out the window at the scenery flying by. Simple bus tours can be surprisingly expensive when booked through the cruise line, so it’s unlikely that you will get good value for money. As an alternative, do a little research and jump on a local bus. You’ll get a good look around and get to see how people really travel in the region.
2. Shopping tour
There’s nothing wrong with buying a few souvenirs, but organised shopping tours can quickly turn into a forced march through an endless parade of stores. At worst, you may even find that you feel pressured to buy something you aren’t really interested in. It’s easy enough to take a walk through the shops yourself or hit up a local market for a more authentic experience.
3. Day at the beach
Do you really need to pay at least $50 per person to go to the beach? Probably not. You can easily arrange a taxi or local bus to get to the beach, so you don’t need to take a shore excursion. You can also look for a different beach to the one listed in the brochure, so that you won’t be crowded in with all the other passengers.
4. Galleries and museums
The cost of a taxi and entry to an art gallery or museum will generally be less than the price of a shore excursion. While your excursion will be accompanied by a guide, it generally won’t be an expert who can enhance your experience at the museum. You would be better off saving your money and looking at a private guide once you’ve arrived.
5. Most volunteer programs
For a few years, ‘voluntourism’ was touted as a way to give back to the places we visit. The problem is, most of the volunteer programs don’t actually do much good – and some can actually do harm. Unless you are cruising with one of the few official volunteer lines (like Fathom) or have first hand knowledge of the area and project, stay well away.