07/10/2024
Once you've booked your cabin on board the Victoria Majestic, you'll need to make a few other important decisions, such as whether to book - these excursions at the ports, and if so independently or directly with Victoria Cruises Line.
Unless you're a "get off at port and wander around on your own" type of person, you should think ahead and plan what you're going to do on the days the ship is in port.
It will be extremely helpful to follow the shore excursion brochure at https://victoria.cruises/destinations/.
Read our travel blog, where we not only show you the cities, but also give you tips the shore excursion: https://blog.victoria.cruises/
Choosing the right approach
First, you need to decide if the excursion is necessary, because not every port requires you to spend money. There are ports where there are many good free options or interesting things to do in the port. If you are interested in more than that, you should book a trip. Now all you have to do is decide whether you want to book through the Cruise Line or through an independent tour operator. Here are the pros and cons of both options:
Booking through Cruise Line:
one of the most obvious ways to book a shore excursion is to do it directly with the Cruise-Line, either in advance or while on board.
Advantages: direct booking is the easiest method not only in terms of booking, but also in terms of actually participating in the excursion. When you disembark at the port, you will meet the organizer at a designated place …..and you are good to go!
Another advantage is that you get priority disembarkation on port day, which is important in port where disembarking from the ship can be slow. The real advantage is that you are guaranteed not to miss the departure of the ship, since the cruise line takes responsibility for the sponsored tour, and if the group is late returning to the ship because the excursion is delayed, the ship will wait for you
Cons: the most popular excursions fill up quickly, for example if you wait to book an excursion and only book it when you are on the ship, you may not be able to reserve a place. Another disadvantage is that they are a bit more expensive than independent tours
Book an independent excursion
Now that you know the benefits of booking a cruise directly through Cruise Line, you may wonder why anyone would want to do otherwise. There are some definite advantages to booking a self-guided tour, namely cost savings.
Advantages: finding your own trips gives you freedom and flexibility, and you can choose from a much wider variety of programs.
Cons: There is one negative to this booking, but it's a very big one - the boat won't wait for you if the tour is late
Both choices have significant advantages as well as some major disadvantages and even potential risks. What you choose depends on your circumstances, budget, risk tolerance and time management skills.
Author: VCL Team
07/10/2024
