Cruise Tours Or Do It Yourself?

Weighing Port Shore Excursions Against Going It Alone

A lot of people prefer the convenience of a ship sponsored tour, and there’s a lot to be said about what you get using professional guides and dedicated transportation.

If you’re not a “guided tour” enthusiast we completely understand. First and foremost you can save a fair amount of money by touring on your own and you get to pick what you’re interested in seeing and for how long.

From our point of view the biggest problem with guided tours is that you become a prisoner of the tour. It isn’t uncommon to get stuck visiting some place that you just aren’t interested in. It just doesn’t seem right spending forty-five minutes at a chocolate factory or a nut packer or souvenir outlet on a tour you paid to join? Unfortunately it’s all to common for tour operators to be paid to deliver people to that business. The other case is visiting a location where you could spend hours and are informed you have to be back on the bus in a half hour. Going it on your own eliminates those problems.

There is also the issue of cost. If you understand your options, often you will see that the ships shore excursion will cost you significantly more money than if you went off on your own.

Consider a few examples to illustrate this point:

A Day At The Beach

Cruises in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean often offer shore excursions focused on a day at the beach. While convenient you will more than likely be paying a premium for that beach excursion. Consider these examples:

Barbados – There are many beautiful beaches in Barbados but the easiest one to get to is Boatyard Beach on Carlisle Bay. It is a great beach with white sand and tropical turquoise water. It’s only about a 20 minute walk along a seaside sidewalk from the cruise terminal or an inexpensive taxi ride. An admission fee of US$20.00 is charged to use the facilities which includes a beach chair, shared umbrella, one cocktail, free WIFI and complimentary transport back to your ship.

Cozumel Chankanaab National Park – When you get down to it, this is a day at the beach. The park is equipped with bars, restaurant, along with beach and snorkel rental options. A taxi ride will cost between US$10 and US$20 each way (make sure you have plenty of singles as drivers don’t offer change) and park admission is about US$21. A recent tour booked through the cruise ship cost $69 per person. That’s $138 for what would have cost $62 for two people going on their own.

Easy And Popular Attractions To Do On Your Own

Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier Alaska – This is a national park outside of Juneau Alaska. The park is serviced by a public bus route from the historic downtown area near the cruise docks with round-trip fare being $31. Add to that the admission to the park (NPS standard fees) $20 which totals $51 ($31 if you have a NPS Golden Eagle Senior Park Pass). The basic cruise tours usually start around $75 and if they add in a salmon bake it can cost an extra $20 to $30. For more on Mendenhall CLICK HERE.

Rome from the Port of Civitavecchia – If your cruise has Rome as a port of call there usually is a tour named something like “Rome On Your Own” for around $100 per person which includes a bus ride from Civitavecchia in to central Rome (usually St. Peters) and back to the ship. Only six blocks from the Civitavecchia seaport is the town’s train station and for as little as US$12 you can get a round-trip ticket to the St. Peters station in Rome with trains running about every half hour. For two that’s a savings of $172 and the trip in and back on the train is actually significantly faster than the tour bus (no traffic). Just be sure and schedule your return to allow plenty of extra time.

For more on visiting Rome from Civitavecchia CLICK HERE and for our eight hour tour of Rome on your own CLICK HERE.

Monte Carlo From Villefranche-sur-Mer

Another interesting tour comparison is a trip into Monte Carlo from the popular port of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Most cruise sponsored tours start at $75 per person. Monte Carlo is a beautiful but compact city and going on your own simply requires walking seven or eight blocks from the cruise tender dock to the train station and buying a US$12 round trip ticket. It’s only a short twenty minute train trip with trains running every half hour. In Monte Carlo near the station you can buy a Hop-On-Hop-Off Monte Carlo bus tour for under US$30.

In order to head off on your own and save money you do have to be a bit adventurous. We are pretty independent and are usually comfortable using local buses and trains as we travel. Our biggest fear is missing the ships departure so we always build in a good time allowance as we make our plans. We are also good at doing research on our destinations and have a good idea of what we want to see and how to do it before we even leave on a trip.

A Few Ship Sponsored Tours That Are A Must

On the other side of the equation are examples of ship excursions that are well worth the cost:

The Golden Triangle Iceland – This tour is a bit pricy but so are the local tour companies. Often the reason this tour is better is often ships dock in the afternoon and sail shortly after noon the next day, disqualifying local tours as an option. While you can consider renting a car there is the issue of time. The tour itself probably travels over a hundred miles and takes you to geo-thermal fields, waterfalls(!!) and Icelands rift valley where the earths crust is pulling apart. No shopping stops or misspent time. If you are going to Iceland don’t miss the Golden Triangle.

Ephesus

Ephesus Turkey – The ancient city of Ephesus, located near the Aegean Sea in modern day Turkey, was one of the great cities of the Greeks and later the Romans in Asia Minor. It’s home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, the ruins of Ephesus are a major attraction located some distance from the port. Again not inexpensive but a great experience (it usually does include a stop at a rug showroom). You might be adventurous but think hard before renting a car for half a day in Turkey.

Seeing Bangkok

Bangkok’s port is Laem Chabang and it’s well over an hour drive from the city. Attempting to use public buses is a serious challenge, especially on a tight time schedule. If this is a first visit to Thailand do not pass up a trip into Bangkok, it is an experience not to be missed. If your ship is staying overnight in Laem Chabang one option is to consider booking a two day tour with a major tour company and stay the night in Bangkok. But for a single day the ships tour is probably the best option.

Wine & Food Tours

Wine and food tours are a staple of ship sponsored excursions and often are some of the more reasonably priced tours. Taking advantage of these at times provides a good way to see a city or the countryside and sample local fare.

A Wine & Tapas Tour in Palma – This one usually isn’t very expensive and includes stops at several different tapas bars and free time in town for shopping on your own. The drive back to the pier can include brief stops at the castle overlook above town and a nice drive along the coast. A good answer to filling an afternoon in Mallorca.  For more information CLICK HERE.

Jerusalem – Regardless of where your ship docks, Jerusalem is at least an hours trip away. The city is also huge with streets and alleys that present as a never ending maze. To really see Jerusalem in a day or two, a guide is almost a must. The convenience and the time you save makes a ships shore excursion worth the cost.

Ports With Great Public Transportation For Exploring On Your Own

Another thing to pay attention to is the port of calls public transportation. There are dozens of cities with great and inexpensive public transportation. Most have ticket vending machines with instructions in English along with great system maps. Before you travel check out your ports and if the offer tourist tickets.

Singapore – While there are several cruise docks in Singapore, the nearest Metro Station is only a few blocks walk from each. The Singapore Metro system is clean, well marked and best of all the signage is in English. CLICK HERE for specific information.

Amsterdam – The center of Amsterdam is focused on the Central Train Station that can be reached in a short seven to ten block walk from the ships pier. A series of tram routes fan out from the train station and The Amsterdam City Card allows you to travel on Amsterdam’s GVB-trams, buses, and metros. This popular one-, two-, three or four day pass also provides free or discounted access to many of the city’s museums and attractions. A one-hour canal cruise by boat is also included with the pass.

Sydney – Cruise ships dock at a pier next to Sydney’s historic Rocks area with only a short walk to Circular Quay where you can catch ferries around the harbour, pick up a bus or a light rail. Ask about the Opal Card which gives you easy system access for a very reasonable price. MORE HERE.

Hong Kong – Like Singapore, Hong Kong has a very modern and inexpensive metro system with easy to use ticket vending machines and route information in English. It is also common for there to be free bus service that will take you from the cruise pier to a number of destinations. MORE HERE.

Athens – Piraeus is the seaport for the city of Athens and while a bit out of the city, the cruise ships dock less than a mile from a metro station. Easy to get to by just following the water front. Fare is only a couple of Euros and the Thissio stop on the green line from Piraeus is only a short walk to the Temple of Hephaestus and the Acropolis even has its own stop. An easy trip on your own that represents a major saving.

Cruising And Seeing The World

One of the biggest issues involving cruising is you usually have less than one day to see a new city. That’s barely enough time to see even the major highlights. We actually consider this an advantage of sorts. Cruising to us is a good way to sample a number of new places while on a trip and if we’re taken with a place we usually make plans to return and spend more time. In a similar way a friend of ours likes to take Hop-On-Hop-Off buses to quickly familiarize himself with a location and that helps him decide what he wants to focus on later.

In closing there are can be tours and situations where the cost is just too good to ignore. Sometimes that is because you’ve got onboard credits that you just need to spend and other times it can be a perk offered by the cruise or your travel company.

Cruise Port of Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras – The Other Caribbean

Most everyone is familiar with at least a few Caribbean islands like Sint Maarten, the Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Grand Cayman but there are a number of lesser known tropical islands that share that same Caribbean Sea.

Roatan is the largest of the Honduran Bay Islands in the Caribbean and is becoming a popular cruise itinerary destination. Like many Caribbean destinations it is recognized for its beautiful beaches, water sports, including premier scuba and skin diving, and modern resorts. It also has a growing number of American and Canadian ex-patriots and seasonal residents attracted by its beauty and low cost of living. To accommodate more cruise ships the Honduras government and Carnival Cruise Line developed Mahogany Bay with modern cruise ship docks, a well equipped duty free shopping village and a beautiful beach recreation area with great facilities and water sports.

Sailing into Mahogany Bay

Where You Dock

Mahogany Bay shopping village
Mahogany Bay pier

Most Cruise ships are now docking at the Mahogany Bay facility on the southwest coast.

Mahogany Bay was built by Carnival Corporation with a man-made beach nearby, water-sport rental, snorkeling from that beach, a zipline canopy tour and several bars and restaurants at the beach area. In the village are all the standard shops including Diamonds International, Tanzanite International, a Harley Davidson store, pharmacy, and a number of local gift shops and stalls.

In addition to Mahogany Bay there is also the Port of Roatan located a bit farther west past Barrio Loma Linda where occasionally cruise ships may still dock. It is about five miles between the two port facilities.

The Port of Roatan

Transportation

The best way to get around Roatan is by hired taxi or a rental car. Taxi’s are inexpensive and drivers are eager to negotiate an island tour at a good price (share with other passengers and save more). Rental cars are readily available as low as US$11 per day (Expedia examples HERE) with a couple of offices near Mahogany Bay.

Money

The local currency is the Honduras Lempira with one being worth about US 5¢. US Dollars are usually welcome and most major credit cards are accepted.

Mahogany Bay beach area

Attractions

Outdoor recreation is the focus on this Caribbean island with sandy beaches and clear, warm water being the central attraction. There are also several zip line facilities on the island and a dolphin encounter at Anthony’s Key Resort that’s very popular.

If your ship docks at Mahogany Bay you can spend the day right at the ports beautiful beach. It’s equipped with water sports equipment, beach loungers and umbrellas with a number of excursions leaving right from the cruise port.

A little over a mile from Mahogany Bay is the town of Barrio Loma Linda. It is not a resort area but a typical small Honduran town with stores and restaurants along with a couple of crafts shops working in leather and wood.

Port Of Call Rhodes Greece

The Island of Rhodes Greece – Crossroads of the Eastern Mediterranean

Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος, romanized: Ródos [ˈroðos]) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is also the island group’s capital.

The island was the site of the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. It was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, constructed to celebrate Rhodes’ victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus. According to most descriptions, the Colossus stood approximately 108 feet high, about the height of the modern Statue of Liberty. It collapsed and was destroyed during the earthquake of 226 BC.

When the knights of Saint-John arrived on the island in 1309, they built an impressive citadel city. The two and a half mile long fortified walls, with a number of strongholds and towers remain extremely well-preserved even today.

There are only walking streets inside the walls of the old city with an occasional motor bike or scooter permitted. Wander through paved medieval streets and alleys while visiting historical monuments. The winding streets are lined with many taverns, restaurants, galleries and shops.

Where Your Ship Docks

The island of Rhodes is about forty miles in length and cruise ships dock at the far north end only a short walk from the Medieval City of Rhodes. The medieval city is far and away the island’s major attraction and became a UNESCO World Heritage site as the largest and best preserved medieval fortified city in Europe! The pier is situated to be convenient to the medieval city with a nice seaside walkway public facilities just inside

Transportation

For a day visit to the Medieval City o­f Rhodes a leisurely walk is all that’s needed. If you would like to get out and see the island there are a number of rental car agencies right at the pier and there are taxis available also but be sure and negotiate fare before starting out.

Currency

Rhodes is part of Greece and the local currency is the Euro. Generally US and Canadian Dollars are not taken but credit cards are widely used and there are numerous ATM’s available.

Attractions

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes: one of the first castles built by the knights. Inside, you will discover a museum dedicated to Rhodes’ History and the Grand Master’s apartment, with its magnificent mosaic floors.

The Street of the Knights: there, each of the languages had its own inn (also called “auberge” or “palatial residence”). You will discover the Inn of the Tongue of France, or the Inn of the Tongue of England for example.

The Archaeological Museum of Rhodes is located in the medieval Hospital of the Knights. There, you will find many ancient objects found in Rhodes and the other Dodecanese Islands.

The Roloi Clock Tower, features beautiful views of the Old City from the top.

The Byzantine Art Museum displays many frescoes and icons from the Byzantine period.

Church of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Erected sometime between the late 15th and early 16th century this church is situated on Leonidou Rodiou square. Some of the original frescoes that once decorated its interior have been preserved

Agia Aikaterini, originally St. Catherine’s Cathedral it was built in the 14th century, and converted to a Moslem mosque when the Ottomans captured Rhodes in1522. It’s said to be the first Christian church to be converted to a mosque. Süleyman the Magnificent prayed at this mosque after he conquered Rhodes.

The Suleyman Mosque, built during the Turkish occupation of Rhodes.

In the modern city of Rhodes, you will find vestiges of the Rhodes’ Acropolis, located about a mile from the medieval city, on Monte Smith. There, you can see the remains of the Stadium, the Theatre and the Pythian Temple of Apollo. This archaeological site is small, but admission is free.

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Rome’s Enotecas / Wine Bars

After a long day walking thru the sights of Rome with maybe a late lunch on the Via Veneto what would be better than finding a wine bar for happy hour – just the perfect finish to a great Roman day.

Italian wine bars are called Enoteche, an Italian word derived from a Greek word which literally means “wine repository”. The word is used to describe a particular type of local or regional wine shop that originated in Italy long ago and recently has spread to some other European countries.

A genuine enoteca is intended to give locals, visitors and even tourists the opportunity to taste wines at a reasonable price before buying the bottle. Regionally an enoteca is often run in collaboration with local wineries and tourism organizations in an area. They were created as a source of information on local wines rather than as regular retail outlet.

There are a number of these wine bars in Rome with many serving snacks and light dishes. If you are not looking for a full meal these are good choices. Four highly rated enotecas in Rome neighborhoods are:

Trimani Enoteca

One especially good choice would be the highly rated Trimani Enoteca which genuinely deserves the praise it gets. Trimani has been a name in Rome for a very long time, with its founding family selling wine for over 175 years. It is one of the best known enotecas in Rome. It features wines from all over the world at remarkably fair prices.

The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. Plan on spending a while over some good glasses of wine, maybe a generous cheese plate and a small bite or two off the menu.

Trimani Enoteca
Trimani Enoteca

Trimani Enoteca is located at via Goito 20, Rome, Italy not far from the Termini.

Enoteca Regionale Palatium

Located across the Tiber from the Vatican and south of Villa Borghese is Entoca Regionale Palatium. Highlighting regional quality is at the heart of this enoteca, located only steps from Piazza di Spagna. Because it’s a true regional enoteca it focuses on the wines and tastes of Lazio. All the best of local producers of both food and wine are showcased at Palatium, making it a must visit for every wine loving tourist spending time in Rome.

Enoteca Regionale Palatium via Frattina 94, Rome, Italy

Enoteca del Frate

Located in one of Rome’s Prati neighborhoods north of the Vatican, Enoteca del Frate is an historical wine bar and enoteca which is a meeting point for local and foreign wine lovers. With continuous efforts to bring only the very best to Roman customers at discounted prices, and with offers ranging from wine to liquors, this enoteca, along with the nearby wine bar, will have something for every palate and every occasion. On the menu there are a series of appetizers to accompany the wine as well as other more elaborate dishes for those who are seeking a great meal.

Enoteca del Frate via degli Scipioni 118-122, Rome, Italy

Advice On Tipping • Contrary to Roman custom it is expected to leave a tip at wine bars in Rome. Not sure how this began but normally people in Rome are not in the habit of tipping and it usually is not customary. In recent years, in Rome, more and more service people are expecting foreigners to leave a tip. The custom has always been that you don’t need to tip in Italy as you’re probably already paying a supplement through the servizio (service charge) on your restaurant bill and/or a coperto (cover charge), and sometimes both. At this point I am not sure what Fodor is saying but I would appreciate any thoughts on this?

Bryce Canyon National Park

As summer approaches maybe it’s time to explore America’s incredible national parks again. A great place to start would be the national and state parks of Utah.

Bryce Canyon Amphitheater and the hoodoos

On any trip to the Parks of Utah one of the highlights has to be a visit to Bryce Canyon National Park. The park itself encompasses a flat, high plateau featuring incredible overlooks, miles of canyons with incredible geological features called hoodoos, a number of fantastic hiking trails, campsites and a historic lodge.

The man we owe for the creation Bryce Canyon National Park was U. S. Forest Service Supervisor J. W. Humphrey who was transferred to Panguitch, Utah in 1915. Upon visiting the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, at the point now known as Sunset Point he famously commented “You can perhaps imagine my surprise at the indescribable beauty that greeted us, and it was sundown before I could be dragged from the canyon view. You may be sure that I went back the next morning to see the canyon once more, and to plan in my mind how this attraction could be made accessible to the public.”

Rainbow Point

By 1919, tourists from Salt Lake City began visiting Bryce Canyon. The growing popularity caught the attention of some business leaders and Gilbert Underwood was hired by the Union Pacific Railroad to design a lodge near Sunset Point. The original main building was finished by May 1925. Additions were made and the final configuration completed by 1927. The standard and deluxe cabins near the lodge were constructed between 1925 and 1929.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon is one of the park’s most iconic structures. The Lodge and its surrounding cabins are located a short walk from the park’s Bryce Amphitheater, and offer 114 rooms including lodge suites, motel rooms, and cabins. Reservations are a must. The dining room at Bryce Canyon Lodge is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there’s a nice gift shop in the Lodge.

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon

President Harding proclaimed Bryce Canyon a national monument on June 8, 1923 and on June 7, 1924, Congress passed a bill to establish Utah National Park, land was acquired and the name was restored to Bryce Canyon in 1928 when it officially became a national park.

One of the most spectacular features of the park is Bryce Canyon Amphitheater located just yards from the lodge. It comprises a section of canyon dropping from the plateau that’s covered in spires called hoodoos. These formations reveal a long geologic history of sedimentation and erosion in a colorful sequence of layers in the rocks. The area exposes the faulting, uplift and erosion and gives access to the discovery of fossils from plant and animal life in the region millions of years ago.

Traveling through the park you come to where the road ends near Rainbow Point. The views are spectacular and beautifully illustrate the geology where the terrain drops off from the parks high plateau.

Outside the Park

Trail into Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

If visiting Bryce Canyon during the Summer high season often there are serious restrictions to driving in. There is a park bus system with the main pickup stop just outside the park in Bryce Canyon City. The buses run a complete route throughout the National Park on a frequent schedule.

To find more lodging, dining, and recreation opportunities, Bryce Canyon City is only a short distance from the parks entrance. The small commercial areas focus is on visitors to the park and there is are gift shops and a couple of food options. A park shuttle stop is right in the middle of town.

For additional options in the area visit Garfield County Tourism’s website HERE.

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