Ah, the shore excursions! Where you get to experience first hand the sounds, smells and delights of a particular city or location of interest. There are many choices available to you, but all are not created equal. And certainly all are not for the mobility challenged! A couple of recent experiences have made me wiser and therefore, less stressed. An “easy” walk can be exhausting, even with the promise of less stairs and smoother walking surfaces. Cruise excursion shuttle buses can only get you so close, the rest is walking, sometimes for as much as 20 minutes. And that’s for a person without mobility concerns! (I find I tend to double the suggested walking time!) A recent river cruise excursion left me alone, with my daughter, as not one of our groups, but two of our groups passed us by. We had only a passing notion of where the buses were located. It was dark. In a foreign country. Lesson learned! Connect with your tour guide and ask them to secure a taxi from the meeting point back to the buses. Trust me on this. It’s worth the cost. I had several people tell me that I had the right idea as they boarded the bus, out of breath from their ‘power walk’. Often times, someone else will be willing to share the ride, making this idea even more cost efficient. (We never paid more than $12.) Don’t attempt to hail a cab on your own, though. The tour guide knows exactly where the buses are located and can convey that information to the taxi driver, using the local language.
Next, check out the shore excursions. There should be a description of the excursion, the length of time, a cost and probably more importantly, the level of activity needed to participate. But that’s not all you should be checking. Check the reviews from past passengers who completed the excursion. Does it sound like something you want to really see? To really do? Ok, now here’s where it may get a bit tricky. What if you didn’t book an excursion from the cruise line? Why put yourself in a large group of people when you could have a much better experience on a private or semi-private tour? Yes, it’s possible and often for the same amount the cruise lines charge or even less! BUT! Don’t just go with any excursion company. Yes, it’s homework time again! Check out their reviews on TripAdvisor or Cruise Critic, for example. Those of us who post reviews are very honest about our experiences. But keep in mind that we all have different expectations and experiences. Two different people, posting a review from the same excursion could have had an entirely different experience. You just have to weigh what they are saying and make your own decision. Personally, we like to see a 4 star or better overall rating.
A very special note: If you do decide to arrange a private excursion, be sure that you know the correct time to be back on the ship. Be sure to take into consideration the time zone change. Don’t cut it so close that you may be left standing on the pier waving goodbye to your ship as it pulls out of port! Think this doesn’t happen? Think again. The ship will not wait for you! They have a schedule to keep for the comfort of all aboard.
Tip: When leaving for your trip, set your watch to the time it will be when you arrive. It really helps! When you are on ship time, you’ll never have to worry about missing the boat…unless you don’t look at your watch!
Twenty Steps at a Time 