Planning your cruise trip usually contains the age-old debate of whether or not or not you must e book excursions by means of the cruise line.
If you arrive to a cruise port, you usually have three decisions for how you can spend your day:
- Discover the port by yourself
- Ebook a tour by means of the cruise line
- Select a third-party tour firm
In the case of cruising, I firmly imagine there’s a time and place for every of those choices. Relying in your funds and size of time within the port, it may be very cost-effective to e book a third-party vendor.
There’s additionally been occasions on European cruises the place I wish to go to someplace that isn’t on the tour checklist. Typically, it’s manner too costly to e book excursions by means of the cruise line after I can get the identical expertise for a lot much less with an unbiased tour firm.Â
I additionally recognize exploring ports by foot at any time when attainable. Some ports are inherently simpler to discover by yourself; for instance, some ports enable cruise ships to dock proper within the metropolis middle the place you’ll be able to simply stroll round or take a taxi.
Normally, I’ve discovered that European cruise ports are very pedestrian-friendly so we regularly select to do our personal factor at any time when attainable. This lets you have flexibility to spend your day precisely the way you need and I like exploring a metropolis by foot.
Nevertheless, on a current 12-night European cruise to Israel onboard Odyssey of the Seas, we booked 4 excursions by means of the cruise line – and it was the very best resolution we may have made.
Right here’s why I haven’t got any regrets about reserving Royal Caribbean sponsored excursions on our Holy Land crusing.Â
Immigration Choice
First (and doubtless most significantly), the largest benefit of getting a shore tour by means of the cruise line was having precedence immigration once we arrived in Israel.
Though not widespread for European ports, Israel requires face-to-face immigration for all maritime vacationers. With almost 4,000 passengers onboard, each single individual was required to undergo this in-person immigration even when they weren’t planning to go ashore.
Initially, we had booked a third-party tour by means of Viator as a result of we had an in a single day in Ashdod and we weren’t fearful about returning to the port at a sure time.
Nevertheless, I made a decision to do a little analysis about immigration in Israel only a few months earlier than we sailed. I found that Royal Caribbean excursions would obtain immigration precedence and everybody on an unbiased tour would want to attend for all cruise line excursions to undergo immigration first.
Those who weren’t on a sponsored tour needed to get an immigration quantity previous to arrival; these got on a first-come, first-serve foundation.
Additionally, giant unbiased excursions that comprised of 30-50 cruisers onboard needed to coordinate getting related immigration numbers so everybody may undergo at related occasions.
I watched on-line as many scrambled to vary their tour plans and coordinate with their unbiased guides once they discovered concerning the immigration delay.
For bigger cruise ships, immigration in Israel can take 4 to 5 hours! We determined to cancel our third-party tour, watch the cruise portal, and e book a Royal Caribbean tour as quickly as a full-day tour opened up.
This was the very best resolution we made, as we have been in a position to undergo immigration promptly at 8:00am. As anticipated, those that didn’t have a Royal Caribbean tour needed to wait till 12pm-1pm to get off the ship.
A lot of the websites in Israel shut close to 4pm-5pm, so this actually doesn’t enable for a lot time to see every little thing town has to supply.
For us, Israel was the primary spotlight of the itinerary and we needed to optimize our 3 days there with full-day excursions. Dropping half of a day ready for immigration would have been not solely irritating, but additionally disappointing.
We heard tales of people that didn’t get by means of immigration fast sufficient and their unbiased excursions cancelled on them – or they have been left behind completely to fend for themselves. We met others who tried to discover the port on their very own after getting left behind, however discovered difficulties making an attempt to do issues with out a tour information.
Late Return Assure
Along with precedence immigration, one other main perk of reserving an tour although the cruise line was having the assure that the ship wouldn’t go away us behind.
After considering by means of our excursions, we realized that we had a whole lot of driving between all the websites we needed to see. For instance, visiting the Useless Sea and Masada was greater than 2 hours away from the Ashdod cruise port.
Since we needed to see locations that weren’t near the cruise port, it made sense to e book our excursions by means of the cruise line. We additionally discovered there to be a whole lot of visitors jams in Israel; our tour guides talked about that Israeli folks love having the posh automobiles, which congests the highway.
On our second day in Israel visiting Masada and the Useless Sea, we discovered ourselves greater than an hour delayed. There have been tons of tour buses visiting Masada on the similar time and just one individual was working the 2 cable vehicles that take folks as much as the mountain prime and again to the customer middle.
We waited in line for an hour with folks pushing and shoving their manner by means of the gang. Most have been doubtless terrified of being separated from their excursions and being caught 2 hours away from the cruise port.
With our Masada delay, we visited the Useless Sea nearly two hours later than anticipated on the schedule. As a substitute of stressing about getting again to the ship on time, we had a way of ease realizing the ship wouldn’t go away us as a result of we have been on a Royal Caribbean sponsored tour.
We loved our time floating within the Useless Sea as a substitute of skipping it completely as a result of we have been harassed about getting again to the ship on time.Â
There have been tons of excursions that returned late to the ship that night, so Odyssey of the Seas left three hours later than scheduled.
The identical factor occurred on our third day when the ship was docked in Haifa. As we have been shuffled from website to website, we have been about an hour delayed. This had us working late after which we hit visitors on the best way again to the cruise port.
Once more, the ship departed Israel later than anticipated as a result of there have been different excursions additionally delayed.
I can solely think about the panic that might have overwhelmed us if we had been on an unbiased tour throughout this time. Our tour information stated he had by no means seen the quantity of individuals we noticed when visiting Masada. You simply by no means know when issues may go amiss in these conditions.Â
We have been very grateful that we have been on Royal Caribbean sponsored excursions and didn’t need to stress about getting left behind in another country.
Precedence Tendering
Though Israel was the primary draw for us with this 12-night itinerary, we additionally had port stops in Greece and Cyprus.
Santorini is without doubt one of the hottest ports in Greece, together with being a well-liked vacation spot for vacationers everywhere in the world. Its beautiful volcanic, mountain panorama makes it a bucket-list vacation spot, but additionally a logistically difficult port for cruise ships.
Throughout our go to to Santorini, there have been 5 different ships docked throughout the identical time, so it was very busy. Santorini additionally requires tenders for these eager to go ashore to the island.
Those that select to independently get off the ship are tendered from a one finish of the ship whereas excursions by means of the cruise line launch from the opposite finish. These independently exploring are delivered to Skala, which is a small tender port close to Fira.
Because the city of Fira is positioned up the mountain, it’s a must to both trip a cable automotive, stroll the steps or trip a donkey (sure, actually!).
When you’re on a cruise line tour, you’re doubtless delivered to the Athinios port as a substitute the place you’ll be able to take busses all through the island.
I’ve been to Santorini twice earlier than. My first go to was on a land-visit throughout my examine overseas semester, so I knew the lay of the land. The second time I visited Santorini was on my honeymoon with my husband, by which we selected to independently tackle the island with a ferry to Oia and bus trip to Fira.
As young-20-something newlyweds, we didn’t thoughts the joys of working down the steps alongside the donkeys to get again to the tenders! If something, it was a enjoyable reminiscence for us after a beautiful day on our personal time.
Nevertheless, I knew my mother and father (of their early 60s) wouldn’t recognize the stress of driving a donkey, the bodily pressure of doing all of the steps, or the frustration of being crowded in a line ready for cable vehicles.
After weighing the choices, we selected to e book an tour by means of the cruise line for Santorini. We got precedence tendering to get off the ship and didn’t need to combat any crowds onboard.
The tender introduced us to the Athinios port and we have been bussed throughout the island to the Village of Oia, along with a cease at a vineyard and go to to Fira.
Not having to fret concerning the tendering scenario, together with the stress of how we might get again to the tender port from the mountaintop of Fira was an enormous aid.
We had a beautiful day exploring the island by bus and I used to be grateful that we didn’t expertise any logistical challengers, particularly contemplating what number of ships have been docked on the port on the similar time.
Total Security
Whereas Israel is usually thought-about to be very protected, we did see just a few headlines earlier than our cruise that gave us pause with the rising stress in that space of the world.
Talking broadly, cruise traces don’t wish to take any main, recognized dangers with their excursions; more often than not, these corporations are vetted completely for security.
When cruise traces market and promote excursions, they’re inherently accepting some sense of legal responsibility when one thing goes mistaken.
After all, issues can occur once you journey whether or not you’re on a cruise line tour, exploring a port by yourself or touring with an unbiased tour firm. There’ll proceed to be dangers with touring that you just settle for once you select to pack your luggage and head out to see the world.
For this itinerary, we felt reserving excursions by means of the cruise line was the very best resolution we may make for our security. Since we had not traveled to this space of the world earlier than and we weren’t aware of the port or the nation, it felt like essentially the most knowledgeable resolution we may make.
We knew we have been paying a premium for reserving excursions by means of the cruise line; but, it felt like the cash was price it to have peace of thoughts for our time in Israel.
Basic Comfort
One of many largest attracts of reserving a cruise brief tour with the cruise line is the overall comfort you’ll have, particularly in the case of logistics.
It’s so good to simply get up, have breakfast and meet at a chosen spot onboard. There’s little or no planning, coordinating and stress concerned with sponsored shore excursions.
We additionally appreciated the pliability of reserving excursions by means of the cruise line. On this occasion, my mother wasn’t completely positive which days in Israel she needed to take excursions. She thought-about staying on the ship as a result of she didn’t understand how snug she felt getting off the ship.
Having our excursions booked with the cruise line gave us cancellation flexibility if she ended up altering her thoughts final minute and never wanting to hitch us on excursions; you merely stroll to the shore tour desk and the crew members provide help to from there.
There’s no coordinating with a tour firm on this occasion, which may be tough onboard when you’ve got web troubles or don’t wish to buy an web package deal.
On the finish of the day, we knew have been have been additionally paying a premium for the comfort offered; on this occasion, it was completely price it for us.
I would not change something concerning the shore excursions we booked by means of the cruise line throughout this European cruise to Israel – it was really the very best resolution we may make for our household.
