If Alan and I counted up the number of cruise excursions that we’ve experienced, it would total into the hundreds. Good, bad, not so good, the best—booked with the cruise line or independently—our cruise excursion reviews give you an idea of what to expect.
Since January 2008, we’ve shared our cruise excursion experiences with you. And there are a lot more to come!
What you'll learn about Cruise Excursions from this page
- How to choose the best cruise excursions for boomers
- Should you book cruise excursions with the cruise line
- First-hand cruise excursion reports
- Expedition shore excursions and experiences
How to choose the best cruise excursions for boomers
Cruise lines usually offer a selection of excursions in each port that will appeal to your interests and activity level. Alan and I like to choose shore excursions that are active so we look for walking tours, hikes, or snorkeling excursions. Long bus rides (read our tips for cruise bus excursions) are not our style, although if it’s an iconic destination that we might not see again, a 2-hour one-way bus ride is sometimes worth it.
It’s important to research your excursion before booking it. Look for activity level, length of time to reach the tour, and amount of shopping or free time the shore excursion includes. We are also particular about the length of the tour (4 hours is enough for us for typical city tours). When the tour begins and ends is important to us, too. We prefer morning excursions versus afternoon tours but that is just our personal preference.
When choosing an excursion, it’s important to be honest with yourself about your abilities and interests. If you aren’t capable of an excursion with lots of walking or stairs, choose something else.
If the excursion is not as active as you would like, don’t complain and ruin the group’s experience, you chose it. Non-shoppers should avoid shopping heavy shore excursions. If listening to a guide discuss the history of a place is not your thing, an independent tour might be your best choice.
Should you book shore excursions with the cruise line?
My answer is—that depends. There are some places in the world where I prefer that the cruise line be responsible for my tours, especially in third-world countries or off-the-beaten types of destinations.
In well-visited major ports, you may find a better deal by booking a tour on your own. Keep in mind that if you miss the ship, it’s your responsibility to get yourself to the next port.
If you prefer booking private shore excursions or group ones—but with a guide—we recommend checking out the shore excursions at Viator or the guided experiences at Get Your Guide. Both companies are good places to purchase skip-the-line tours if you are traveling independently.
Boomer Travel Tip
Visit this page often as we continue to publish shore excursion reviews. Or subscribe to the My Itchy Travel Feet Weekly Broadcast to be the first to know!
A First-Hand Look at Cruise Excursions
These shore excursion reports are based on our first-hand travel experiences—boomer travelers who’ve been there, or those of hand-picked guest writers. We find that reading an account from someone who’s been there and done that is the glimpse we need when choosing what to do in port. You will, too!
Mediterranean Cruise Excursions
Mediterranean Cruise Excursions have come a long way since Alan and I first began cruising on small luxury ships. Experiences have progressed from city/bus tours to hikes, four-wheel-drive adventures, cooking classes and beyond. Of course much of the choice expansion is directly related to cruise lines extending Mediterranean cruise itineraries to smaller, more off-the-beaten-path ports. […]
Best Alaska Cruise Excursions for Boomer Travelers
Are you looking for Alaska shore excursion ideas? We have them! Check out our personal experiences and those of guest writers. You’re sure to find active fun in Alaska.
The Best Hawaii Cruise Excursions
Hawaii cruise excursions offer everything from snorkeling to 4-wheel drive adventures and everything in between. Read our first-hand Hawaiian experiences, before choosing your shore excursions in Hawaii.
South Pacific cruise excursions
South Pacific cruise excursions mean azure blue waters, plentiful snorkeling opportunities and unique cultural experiences. Alan and I have crossed the South Pacific six times sampling what the region has to offer. It’s one of our favorite cruising itineraries. We KNOW active boomer fun in the South Pacific. Since cruising the South Pacific is our […]
Asia Cruise Excursions
The best Asia Cruise Excursions for boomer travelers Extremely popular with cruisers, Asia cruise itineraries offer glimpses of exotic cultures, steamy landscapes and unique wildlife watching opportunities. Our first-hand reviews of Asia cruise excursions will help make the most of your trip. Some of the links on this page are referral links. Read our Disclosure. […]
South America Cruise Excursions
On South America cruise excursions, you’ll discover the wonders of a vast continent. From the Carnival Museum in Rio de Janeiro to the colonial city of Cartagena, Colombia to the natural wonders of Chile and Argentina—there’s something for everyone. We have many more South America cruise excursion reviews to add. Subscribe to the My Itchy […]
Norway Cruise Excursions
Norway cruise excursions offer a scenic, historic look at this beautiful country. Of course you’ll find plenty of active boomer travel ideas, too. We have many more Norway shore excursion reviews to add. Subscribe to the My Itchy Travel Feet Weekly Broadcast so you’ll be the first to know when they’re published. Norway Cruise Excursions […]
Cruising to Namibia
Cruise ships don’t often stop in Walvis Bay, Namibia. But when they do, baby boomer travelers experience a very different landscape than what most of them see at home. Excursions usually involve desert adventures, a visit to the colonial town of Swakopmund, birding tours, township and diamond mine visits or flight-seeing along the Skeleton Coast […]
Stopping by St. Helena
There are some places in the world, you should see just once. So it is with St. Helena. Baby boomer travelers don’t exactly “stop by” in hopes of touring St. Helena. The rocky island fortress, once Napoleon’s prison, sits all alone in the South Atlantic. At the time Alan and I visited, there was no airport, […]
Mt Cargill Walk in Dunedin: A Hiking Cruise Excursion
On long cruises with lots of sea days, Alan and I are always happy to put our feet on the ground once the ship is in port. Booking a cruise excursion that includes time in nature is even better. And that’s exactly what we did when we chose a Mt Cargill walk in Dunedin while on a Silversea cruise around […]
Exploring Ulva Island on a Silversea Cruise Excursion
Besides an Antarctica cruise or a journey to the Arctic Ice, an Ulva Island guided walk may be the closest Alan and I will get to the end of the world. As we stand on the beach, gazing at the scenic Pacific Ocean view, the guide tells us that if the water sweeps us away, […]
Nine Tips for Surviving a Cruise Bus Excursion
Surviving a Cruise Bus Excursion Updated: 10.04.2017 If you’re a baby boomer who enjoys cruising, then sooner or later you’ll find yourself on a cruise bus excursion where group dynamics have turned an interesting trip into an ordeal. Alan and I have survived a few, like this cruise bus excursion in Norway where everything that could […]
Expedition Cruise Excursions and Experiences
The expedition cruises that we’ve traveled on include excursions and experiences at no additional cost with the exception of kayaking, which is an extra cost. Zodiac rides are doable for almost everyone on the ship. However hiking is usually divided into strenuous, less strenuous, or a short stroll on shore.
Ilulissat Icefjord Cruise Excursion: The Best Boat Tour
Is your expedition or classic cruise ship calling on Ilulissat on a Western Greenland cruise? While there are several active things to do here, an Ilulissat Icefjord cruise excursion is one of the best choices for seeing the giant icebergs that fill the Icefjord after calving from Jakobshavn Glacier. On our Seabourn expedition cruise through […]
Cruising to Hvalsey Church Ruins in Southern Greenland
When Alan and I explored Greenland on a Seabourn expedition ship, we were reminded of how fun it is to step back in time when we travel. And a visit to the Hvalsey Church ruins in Southern Greenland took us way back in time—all the way to the Norse settlements that thrived in the middle […]
Greenland Expedition Excursion: Iceberg Hunting in Scoresbysund
On a Greenland iceberg hunting excursion in Scoresbysund, Alan and I hit the photography jackpot. Along with other Silver Explorer guests, we were motoring near the whimsically shaped icy giants that fill the northern end of Scoresby Sund at Hall Bredning. Suddenly Silver Explorer appears in the arched opening of an iceberg. Wow! This boomer […]
Exploring the Iceberg Graveyard at Red Island
The iceberg graveyard at Red Island (Røde Ø) is a must-see on an Arctic cruise that includes Greenland on the itinerary. Expedition cruises visiting Red Island offer complimentary zodiac excursions, and also kayaking adventures, through the maze of icebergs that end up trapped by the island’s unique location. Red Island is located in the path […]
Facing My Travel Fears on 14th July Glacier
Do you ever push personal limits during a trip? It’s exhilarating, not to mention being good for our boomer brains, to try something new or to ratchet up the level of a favorite activity. That’s what happened to me when I hiked 14th July Glacier on a Silversea cruise excursion. Facing my travel fears During a Silver […]
Walrus Watching in the Arctic on Silver Explorer
Would you like to go walrus watching in the Arctic? It’s not an easy task. First, you need to travel on an Arctic expedition cruise to the Atlantic or Pacific. And then keep your fingers crossed that the expedition staff will make a sighting of a walrus on the ice or spot a herd hauled […]
Half Moon Island, Our Introduction to Antarctica
Some travel moments forever change who we are—listening to the sighs of dreaming lions as they sleep in the South African bush, feeling the gentle bump of a stingray against my leg in Moorea’s tropical waters, watching the sun’s first warm rays as it turns Mesa Arch into a fiery, orange glow of sandstone. Stepping […]
Cooper Island: A First Look at South Georgia
A fur seal lazily lifts his head to look at me as the zodiac approaches Cooper Island in South Georgia. More of his friends are scattered along the beach and into the mounds of tussock grass. King penguins waddle along the shore or trudge up the hillside to rookeries. Sea birds fly overhead, darting into […]
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