How to Save Money on Cruise Excursions: A Personal Guide

Cruise excursions can double the cost of a cruise. Spend less for a better experience. Here’s how.

Planning a cruise is always thrilling, and there are lots of great ways to save money when booking a cruise. Once you finalize the booking, realizing you’ve saved hundreds – maybe even thousands – just by being smart, you feel smug, satisfied and fiscally responsible. However, then you start planning your activities in port (arguably the reason you are there!), and, as you later find, the cost of shore excursions can be shockingly high.

We’ve done lots of cruises and taken lots of tours over the years. And while some of these excursions have been enjoyable, valuable and totally worth the money, many of them felt like a straight-up rip-off. Spending hours on a packed bus to see one sight for 45 minutes, and then being forced to stop at a carpet factory where they lock the door and expect you to buy a rug… sound familiar? Not so fun.

There are better ways to do cruise excursions, and they are surprisingly affordable. As someone who has sailed on over 45 cruises, I’ve learned a few tricks to save money on shore excursions and I’m excited to share these insights with you so you can enjoy more – for less – on your days in port.

Cruise Shore Excursions vs. DIY Adventures: Navigating the Seas of Choice

Understanding Shore Excursion Costs

Recently, we were on a 14-day Japanese intensive cruise aboard the Azamara Journey (a small destination-driven cruise line), where we docked daily without a break. I quickly realized how shore excursion costs can accumulate. Typically, cruise lines charge about $125 to $200 per person per day for organized tours. In some cases, this can double your overall vacation spending. Let that sink in. If I were to book a daily shore excursion, that would have been almost $4,000!

I’m faced with the same dilemma on an upcoming cruise from Royal Caribbean and another on Princess. Booking your excursions through the ship is definitely easier – and that’s exactly what the cruise line is counting on.

The good news? There’s simply no reason you have to go broke on shore excursions. And even if you don’t mind the expense, there are ways to have far more personal and enjoyable experiences in port.

I would still book a cruise-sponsored shore excursion. We still do it at the right time and place. But now, I only do that when it makes the most sense, such as when there is difficult transportation to a location or perhaps when there are safety concerns in an area.

Alternative Ways to Book Excursions

Here’s how I manage to explore more without overspending:

Do It Yourself:

Leveraging Local Transport: On our recent cruise stop in Japan, every city we visited had a shuttle bus service to central areas, making it easy and cheap to explore on our own. This saved us significantly compared to the organized tours offered on board.
Walking and Local Taxis: In smaller ports, we often walked or caught local taxis to nearby attractions, which was economical and allowed us to interact more with the local culture.
Personal Research: Before our stops, I spend time on forums like CruiseCritic and used Google Maps to plan our visits. Although it takes some effort, the savings are substantial.

Third-Party Booking Sites:

I’ve used sites like Viator and GetYourGuide to book excursions. These platforms often provide more varied and less expensive options than those available through the cruise line. Sometimes they are the exact same tour, but without the markup.

Leverage Technology with A.I. – My Biggest Gamechanger:

ChatGPT for Planning: I used ChatGPT to craft an excursion plan during a stop in Kobe, Japan. I told it, “Give me a plan for spending five hours in Kobe,” it provided a detailed itinerary, including a Kobe beef lunch and a visit to the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway—spots we loved.

The problem with this? It will output a fairly standard, generic plan. The secret is to personalize your plan. You basically have a conversation with the A.I.

Step-by-Step Guide Using ChatGPT for Excursions

Here’s a detailed example of how I use A.I. to enhance our travels:

Basic Information: I start by inputting our next destination, say, Kobe, Japan, including our port arrival time and the length of our stay. This is the amount of time you have to work with.
Refine Based on Interests: I then adjusted its recommendations by asking for specific interests, such as avoiding museums and adding more culinary stops, to tailor the day to our preferences.
Logistical Adjustments: If a suggested sight is too far, I ask for closer alternatives or public transportation options, ensuring our day remains relaxed and enjoyable.
Final Touches: I request local dining recommendations, specifying types of cuisine or dietary preferences to ensure every meal is a delight.

I “Programmed” My Own Personal Shore Excursion Planner

You can watch our YouTube video here, where I share how you can create your personalized shore excursion planner. And even better? You can actually use this on any trip/vacation you go on.

Feel free to use mine (you’ll need a ChatGPT subscription):

https://chat.openai.com/g/g-wpox5sVbq-shore-explorer

Conclusion: Personalize Your Experience

Each of these tips saves money and enriches your cruise experience by allowing you to explore at your own pace and according to your interests. For example, instead of joining a pricey guided tour on one of our recent cruises, we planned our day in Kobe using ChatGPT. We had one of the best experiences of our trip—highlighted by an unforgettable Kobe steak lunch.

Here’s to making your next cruise adventure both more personal and cost-effective. Take those savings and book yourself a new cruise 🙂 (and do it onboard to save on your next cruise!)

Let us know your own experiences or tips in the comments. Every port is a new adventure waiting to be discovered your way. Happy cruising!