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Puerto Vallarta is a stunning resort town located on Mexico's Pacific coast in Jalisco state. Known for its spectacular beaches, marine life, water sports, and local resorts, Puerto Vallarta is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Connect to the world in ways you never imagined and embark on an excursion perfectly tailored to your interests. Finally, some ports are simply wonderful to walk around, popping into shops and local restaurants or bars, going where you will.
Avoid these 10 mistakes when booking cruise shore excursions
They also give you the opportunity to either pre-book your tours online on their websites, or wait and book them once you get on the ship. If you book something online and then you change your mind, you can cancel or rebook another tour onboard with 24 hours notice. Since the cruise line offers these conveniences, you may find that some tours may be more pricey than if you had purchased them on your own. This advice won't help you pick a good excursion -- but your feedback can help future cruisers have a better onshore experience.
Is there a customized brochure of shore excursions available for a specific cruise?
Most tour departure times complement the ship's meal service hours, so you can enjoy your meal aboard then go ashore. However, on some full day tours, or if you take more than one tour in a day, your return on board may not coincide with meal hours. In that case, the cruise line may provide a box lunch or full meal at a local restaurant. Fortunately, regardless of when you return, there is always a buffet or snack, and room service is available at all times.
Boutique-Style Tours:
Certain tours like scuba diving, white-water rafting and glacier trekking will provide the appropriate equipment, gear and clothing as part of the tour. Additionally, your shore excursion description will provide more clothing recommendations as well. If you've done your research and have decided that you want to do a specific excursion offered on your cruise, think carefully about whether to book in advance or onboard.
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Having small children should not prevent you from enjoying all the activities available to you on your cruise vacation. Some cruise lines do offer their kids programs while you are in port, giving you the opportunity to enjoy Shore Excursions, independent sight-seeing tours, or shopping off the ship. It depends on the excursion and your specific level of fitness and mobility. Most cruise lines strive to provide a variety of tour types, ranging from low-impact and relaxed to adrenaline-pumping and frenetic. Shore excursion departure times coincide with the ship’s schedule as well as other tours, enabling you to take multiple tours if desired with worry-free return to the ship.
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If you feel your tour guide went above and beyond to offer an exceptional experience, you can leave him or her a few dollars, but typically anything more than 20 percent is unnecessary. When it comes to available tours, only you know your children's limits, and what works for one child might not for another of the same age. When your group is called, you'll exit the ship together with the other tour participants and look for a crewmember holding a sign with the name (or number) of your tour on it. And with a little forethought and effort, you'll be exploring ports-of-call in the most efficient way available and by spending far less than your shipmates. Explore the best in every port with a select group of like-minded adventurers. Spend more one-on-one time with your guide, and develop a deeper appreciation of each destination you visit.
Shore excursions: What new cruisers need to know
If the ship decides to skip a port in which you've booked a ship-sponsored shore tour, your money will be refunded, but policies vary for privately booked shore excursions. Check with your provider before shelling out any money and be sure to get the cancellation policy in writing. In addition, make every effort to notify the provider of your cancellation as soon as you are aware of it. Shore excursions are a great way to make the most of your time in port, but you might get the most value out of a mix of guided tours and independent exploration. Choose the best option based on your budget and interests, and remember to look at both ship-sponsored and independent tour and activity options. And if you feel like staying on board one day while your ship is docked in a port that doesn't interest you, that's okay, too.
If I book a shore excursion and then change my mind, can I get a refund?
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Also, tipping the tour operator, guide, or driver is custom in many countries, especially when ground transportation is involved. Research the currency of the port you will be visiting, exchange enough cash through the onboard currency exchange, and then make sure there's an ATM at the port for backup if you need it. Most cruisers also have a travel budget and can't just book the most expensive tour in every port.
They are offered in almost all cruise ports and cities and are a great way to enhance your cruise experience by allowing you seeing more of the places you visit. Shore excursions highlight the best local attractions and sight-seeing opportunities, the best places to shop, and give the cruise passenger a chance to experience the local culture. They are the best way to enhance your cruise experience by allowing you see and do more in the places you visit.
Some river cruise lines offer walking tours in several fitness levels, including gentle or slow walking. If you've booked a shore excursion through your cruise line, tickets will either be delivered to your stateroom or picked up by you at the shore excursions desk onboard. You'll be instructed where to go on the day of your tour, sometimes on the ticket itself. Small to mid-sized ships may publish meet-up instructions in the daily cruise bulletin. If you think independent excursions are for you, you can research and book through third-party providers like Viator (a sister company to Cruise Critic) or ask for suggestions on the Cruise Critic message boards.
I find that the more I cruise, the less I take ship-sponsored shore excursions because they don't offer exactly what I want. Whether you're on a cruise line sponsored or independent shore excursion, a best practice is to tip your tour guides at the end of the tour. Exceptions are if tips are included in the price or if you're visiting a country with a non-tipping culture, where offering cash would be awkward. Most people organize these ahead of time through a tour operator or travel agent.
A commonly accepted guideline is $1 per person for a half-day and $2 per person for a full day.
There are instances when you might be limited to excursions provided by the ship. These usually are cases where local restrictions simply do not allow cruise passengers to freely wander the streets. Your cruise line will advise you in advance if this might be the case in any of your scheduled ports of call.
The cruise line will provide a full refund for any tour cancelled by the operators due to inclement weather conditions or in the unlikely event the ship does not visit a port of call. Shore Excursions that offer wildlife viewing opportunities are available in many destinations including Alaska, Canada / New England, Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands. Depending on your destination, you may have the opportunity to see whales, seals, penguins, turtles, sharks, bears, moose, and caribou, among other animals. However, no cruise line or tour operator can guarantee sightings, as animals follow their own schedule and may not always be visible. Don't let the romance of a tour description convince you to overlook your physical limitations. Overdo it, and you'll waste a vacation day feeling miserable — or, worse, end up with an injury.
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