Although one of the biggest reasons to take a cruise as for the actual ship, it is doubtful that you want to stay on board the ship for the duration of your vacation. Most passengers choose to get off the ship at each port of call and you will probably be no different. This brings us to one of the most important questions that each cruiser will have to answer, what to do  when you leave the ship. Some of the more adventurous passengers choose to go it alone while others choose an organized activity more often referred to as a shore excursion.

All cruise lines have gone to great lengths to select a number of tours and activities that passengers can enjoy. Onboard each cruise ship is a shore excursion desk or someplace you can sign up for a shore excursion. Most cruise lines even give you the option of booking your excursion before your ship even sets sail. Another great convenience the cruise lines offer is the ability to book your cruise excursions from the comfort of your cabin. In short they make booking your shore excursion as convenient as possible. The question is the cruise line’s excursions your best option.

The other choice we as cruisers have is booking an independent shore excursion. If you’re up for doing a little bit of research often times this will provide you with the best bang for your buck and a superior experience. While there are a few caveats to booking your shore excursion independently, a well researched independent shore excursion will usually get you a better tour or activity than the cruise lines can provide. The reason for this is simple, the cruise lines design their excursions to appeal to the widest range of passengers possible while an independent shore excursion can be tailored to suit your personal style.

Pros and cons of booking an excursion through the cruise line:

• Pro – it doesn’t get any easier than booking your excursion from your cabin or suite
• Pro – if you’re excursion is running late the cruise ship will wait for you
• Pro – many of the other participants in your shore excursion will be from your cruise ship
• Pro – cruise line excursions have great insurance in case of an injury
• Con – cruise line excursions are typically more expensive
• Con – cruise line excursions usually travel in large packs
• Con – cruise line excursions have a pretty rigid itinerary

Pros and cons of booking an independent shore excursion:

• Pro – independent shore excursions usually are cheaper or if the same price offer you a more robust experience
• Pro – independent shore excursions can be customized to fit your personal needs
• Pro – independent shore excursions usually provide smaller groups and a more intimate experience
• Pro – independent shore excursions sometimes offer more exotic choices
• Con – if your independent shore excursion is late, the ship will leave without you
• Con – you will need to do all the research it takes to find a reputable company
• Con – if you are injured on an independent shore excursion the providers insurance may not be up to your standards
• Con – you will need to book your independent shore excursion prior to boarding the ship
• Con – some of the better known independent excursions have only a few slots that fill up quickly

As you can see both ship sponsored an independent shore excursions have pros and cons. While I have never experienced missing the ship due to a late shore excursion, one must be advised that it is a very real possibility. However, most reputable independent providers have an excellent track record of both safety and efficiency. The trick is to do adequate research in order to find out which providers are indeed reputable. The absolute best way to find a reputable shore excursion provider is through referrals from past customers, however if you are not connected to a fairly large group of avid cruisers this may not be possible. If this is the case I would suggest you join one of the large cruise centered message boards. The more adventurous cruisers can usually find a great independent tour provider by using the Internet for research and then contacting the provider via the phone or e-mail. Once you get a good feel for whether or not the provider is someone you can trust, I would advise you to spend 20 or 30 minutes searching through Google to see how others have enjoyed their experience, don’t trust the testimonials on their websites.

Wow, that does seem like a lot to think about. I guess it never really thought about the actual process one uses to decide which options is best. In all reality, it all blows down to your personal comfort zone. Both of these options have advantages as well as drawbacks. Depending on what type of cruiser you are most likely one will fill to you more than the other. My advice to you is to just go with what feels right.