Vacation Tips: Cruise Excursions

Our recent vacation was a cruise.  I've been on several but we met many people on the ship who were cruising for the first time.  Most of them assumed you had to do an excursion through the cruise line.  In some instances I think this is fine but for the majority of excursions I suggest waiting until you get off the ship and seeing what is available.  

For instance, we knew we wanted to go to the beach at one port.  We asked the taxi drivers the price and then found someone to give us a tour of the island plus drop us off and pick us up for the same price the other drivers were giving us just for the beach.  Another family joined us so the driver was still making a good profit.


In another country we knew we wanted to go cavetubing and researched several companies online before setting sail.  Once there, we found some of the reputable companies and worked a deal.  The price we paid for two tickets was equal to what the cruise was selling one ticket for.  Also, while on the river the guide showed us where the cruises get out of the water, but we continued a bit further down the water and saw some beautiful scenery we would not have seen otherwise.

If you are going on a cruise or to a resort, I suggest checking it out online first and seeing what others recommend.  This way you will know if you should buy an excursion or seek out something on your own.