Caribbean Cruise
Shore Excursion Tips

Dunn's River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The Caribbean cruise shore excursion tips presented on this page are designed to help you. If you follow them closely, you are guaranteed to save money on your Caribbean cruise vacation.

Your cruise line does a great job of organizing and providing you with appealing shore excursions from which to choose. 

Whether you are traveling to Ocho Rios, Jamaica or St. Thomas, USVI, there is usually a long list of things to do ashore, under the guidance of the appointed tour or excursion guide.

You can also expect to find that shore excursions offered vary in prices – from what may appear to be reasonable to the extreme.

Must-Know Tips Before Buying A Caribbean Cruise Shore Excursion

Grand Cayman Beach

One main factor affecting the price of your shore excursion is the fact that there is a 3-way cut of the money you pay: the cruise line, the transportation service to/from, and the actual excursion provider.

There is a better way to enjoy fun activities ashore.  The following Caribbean cruise shore excursion tips will enlighten your eyes to how you can save some extra cash, without sacrificing a fun day on that beautiful Caribbean island.

Caribbean Cruise Shore Excursion
Tip #1

Other Companies Sell Similar Shore Excursions

While your cruise line does a fantastic job providing you with a list of fun-filled activities for each port of call, you should know that you can buy your excursions elsewhere.

Yes, you do not have to book your excursion at the ship's Shore Excursion Desk.

Simply search the Internet for the ports of call your cruise will visit and look for established companies offering shore excursions for Caribbean cruise passengers.

Two popular companies from which to book shore excursions are Expedia and Viator. You know those names and can trust them to deliver great excursions and competitive prices.

I guarantee that you will find similar activities for less.

My Family Arriving In Tortola, BWI

Caribbean Cruise Shore Excursion
Tip #2  

Book Your Shore Excursion
When You Get Off The Ship

Your cruise ship will try to impress on you that it is safer and more guaranteed to book your Caribbean cruise shore excursion on board the ship.

It is a given that there is a greater element of security surrounding activities organized by the ship. 

However, there are many legitimate and established tour companies found at every cruise port.

Get off the ship, check for an “Information Desk” (usually located right in the terminal yard) and seek out a registered and uniformed tour guide. Book your excursion with that company and you will pay less than what is charged on board the ship.

Remember to travel with others from your ship, or from other ships in the port.

Taxis in Nassau, Bahamas

Caribbean Cruise Shore Excursion
Tip #3 

Try a Taxi

If all you want to do in a particular port of call is to visit a popular attraction – like The Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas – or visit the beach – like Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman – a very cheap taxi ride will get you there.

The last time my family visited Nassau, the taxi ride to The Atlantis and the beach next door was only $6/person one way.  

We visited the Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman in 2011 and the taxi ride was $3-4 one way. It depended on where you chose to enter the beach. If you entered the beach via the private club, Royal Palm, the cost was $3. For those wishing to use the public entrance farther away from the pier, it was $4.

Fast forward to 2020 and the price for the taxi ride to the beach had increased by 30-person. 

It is now 2024, when everything costs a lot more, so that price might have gone up again.

Enjoying Beach On Paradise Island, Bahamas

Caribbean Cruise Shore Excursion
Tip #4

Talk With Past Cruise Passengers

My final Caribbean cruise shore excursion tip is simply this – talk with people who have cruised to where you are going and ask what they did.

If you know no one like that, visit popular sites like TripAdvisor.com and CruiseCritic.com and see what people have written about their cruise experience and things they did ashore. Doing so will give you a great starting point for how to plan your family’s cruise vacation land activities.

It has been my pleasure to bring you these Caribbean cruise shore excursion tips. As a family man, who's always looking for ways to save on our family vacations, I know that you have the same desire. 

Times are tough and every penny saved is worth it.

I hope that the tips I have provided on booking Caribbean cruise excursions will save your family some funds on your next cruise getaway.

Happy Sailing!

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