5 Things I Hate About Cruise Line Excursions (And What I Do Instead)

I’ve done loads of cruise line excursions over the years. Some have been great, but often, I end up feeling disappointed.

They aren’t cheap, and it doesn’t always seem like you are getting good value for your money.

Really, I prefer to do my own thing whenever possible.

I understand this is my own personal preference, and for some people, excursions are perfect. For me though, I find the negatives often outweigh the positives.

Here’s why:

#1. The Big Group Problem

I am not fond of being herded around in massive groups.

There is always someone who turns up late and keeps everyone else waiting around.

As someone who is always punctual, I don’t like the people who don’t return to the meeting points on time!

Then there is all that counting of heads, and slow boarding of buses. Everything seems to take far longer than necessary.

It can feel a bit like being on a school trip!

Smaller group tours are fine, but if you take a cruiseline excursion, you are most likely to find yourself on a bus or a coach.

If cruise ship excursions were in minibuses rather than full-sized coaches, that would fix this problem completely.

That would be more expensive for the cruise line and excursion companies though, so they are not going to do that…

#2. Everything Is So Rigid (Including “Free Time”)

Everything is scheduled down to the minute.

They will tell you, “You now have 45 minutes of free time,” – but it might be cold and raining.

The last thing I want to be doing is hanging about, I would rather go back to the ship.

You find something to do for 45 minutes, keep clock-watching and return to the bus on time. Then you hang about, waiting for those latecomers again…

I end up worrying about the time, instead of enjoying the place I am visiting.

If I am exploring independently, I can do it at my own pace and not worry about what everyone else wants to do.

I took a very wet cycle tour when cruising with Marella. I was absolutely soaked to the skin, and freezing cold – but, as scheduled, they dropped us in the centre of Tallinn for “Free time”.

That was the last thing I wanted to do, I just wanted to get back to the ship, and out of my wet clothes…

#3. The Random Shopping Stops (Carpet Shops, Jewellery, etc.)

Often, excursions take you shopping to places I would never choose to visit!

Carpet factories, Aloa Vera farms, jewellery shops, macadamia nut processing plants, cigar factories, lace factories – I’ve been to them all.

Excursion companies often receive a commission on sales when they take tourists to these places. You are a captive audience, and it’s just awkward, like you’re expected to buy something.

I very rarely bring gifts or souvenirs back from my travels. I certainly don’t want a carpet or an expensive piece of jewellery; I would only worry about losing it.

This is one of my biggest frustrations. I go on an excursion because there is something I particularly want to see or experience – and that certainly isn’t shopping.

#4. The Early Morning Starts

Excursions often start really early, I have to set an alarm, and make sure I have time to go up to the buffet and have something to eat before meeting at the designated place, at the designated time.

I am not really a morning person, I prefer to take things easy and get up in my own good time, not be on a tight schedule.

It feels a bit brutal to be rushing off the ship at 8 am on holiday. I will do it if there is something I really want to see or do – but I prefer not to.

When I cruised with the luxury line Viking, excursions were included in the cruise fare.

Unfortunately, because I booked the cheapest cabin, I was the last to book spaces on the included excursions.

In reality, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Everyone else had picked morning tours. I could relax on the quiet ship in the mornings, and go on excursions later in the afternoons.

Find out more about that amazing luxury cruise here:

#5. The Walking Tours Are Sooooo Slow

Walking tours are more of a gentle amble – there is a continual stop-start pace, and you are often waiting for everyone to catch up.

I want to either properly explore or properly relax – not shuffle along, hanging about for those who have disappeared into a shop to buy postcards, or stopped for an ice cream.

When I took a cruise ship walking tour in Monaco, we had Vox boxes so we could hear the guide directly into our earpieces.

She managed to lose half of the group before we had even exited the underground car park. We could hear her, but we couldn’t work out where she had gone, and she couldn’t find us!

Later, she tried leading us through the old town, but one guest had walking difficulties and used a walker. We all stopped to help this lady get down some steps, and the guide went off and left us!

Because of the high walls of the old town, there was no signal, so we could no longer hear her talking, and had no clue where to go.

It took her ages to find us all again, and she seemed quite irritated that we hadn’t kept up.

It was like something out of a comedy film. A very amusing and memorable experience, but I certainly didn’t feel like I learned much about Monaco!

I could have learned far more about Monaco by doing some research and exploring at my own pace – without the bad-tempered guide!

They’re Not All Bad…

It is important to say that not all are bad. I have been on some really good excursions.

I have had some really unique experiences, visited some hard-to-reach places, and had some really interesting expert guides.

I’m not anti-excursion, I am just far more selective about the trips I choose now.

When cruising in Alaska, I took some great cruiseline excursions. Alaska is not easy to explore on your own. I found that out on my first trip to Alaska, where we just stayed in the towns we had docked at.

The incredible trip on the White Pass Railway was one of my favourite excursions ever.

Have a look at that, and some of the other wonderful excursions I took in Alaska in the video below:

What I Do Instead

I usually explore independently, if that is an option.

If i am in Europe, I am happy to take public transport to visit places of interest, the public transport in Europe is usually cheap and reliable.

I like the flexibility of being able to see what interests me, while saving money along the way.

Sometimes I book smaller private tours, or just wander off and walk around the interesting ports.

Catching a hop-on, hop-off bus also works well for me. They often stop right outside the cruise terminal.

I would recommend doing some research on each port before you leave home to see what interests you and whether a hop-on, hop-off bus is an option.

You might not have internet access to check once you are travelling.

If you use our wonderful Cruise Globe app, you can add your future cruises, and you can find information about independent excursions at the ports you are visiting.

Because the app knows when the ship is in each port, it will suggest excursions for the right days. It is all very clever! Simply add your cruise, and click on “find deals on Shore Excursions” to see what is available.

Find out more about the free Cruise Globe app below:

Excursions can be great for some people. If you are a nervous or first-time traveller, or if you have onboard credit to use up, an excursion might suit you well.

If you value having flexibility, going at your own pace, and avoiding carpet shops… you might want to do your own thing in port instead!

Have a look at the five cruise line excursions that were my favourites in the article below. I am so glad I didn’t miss these wonderful experiences….

5 Cruise Excursions I’ll Never Forget (For Totally Different Reasons!)

For other great hints and tips about cruising, watch my comprehensive cruise guide below:

Before You Go

Some cruise ports are right in the centre of all the action, and you would be mad to waste money on a cruise line excursion. Find out more about that here:

32 Cruise Ports Where You Can Walk Straight Off Into Town

Find out the reasons people get left behind by the cruise ship below – it isn’t to do with not buying cruise line excursions.

3 Reasons Why People Get Left Behind By Cruise Ships At The Port (It’s Not To Do With Not Buying Cruise Line Excursions)