OldBoot

Our best splurge was a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier in Juneau, where the dog sledding camp was. Not only did we get a sightseeing flight over the glaciers, we landed at the dog sled camp and got to ride the sleds and pet the dogs. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This was a ship-sponsored excursion from Princess and there were only about six people on the tour.

 

While you should definitely research all of your options, don't write off ship excursions right away. I know here on CC ship excursions are not popular, but we have not had a single excursion that was not absolutely fantastic. We usually try to pick unusual, less popular excursions, so we have never, ever had a crammed bus full of people or any of the other horror stories you read about.

 

Other memorable ship excursions have been: a hike through the rainforest in Hawaii that visited several waterfalls and over a stream, giving us time to swim and take lots of pictures of all the different flowers. There were about 8 of us on this excursion--it was a moderately strenuous hike. The guide was amazing.

Another Hawaii excursion was a hike across a volcanic crater. This was a pretty strenuous hike, but again our guide was amazing. It was a group of about 8 as well. She drove us in a comfortable van and took us to a black sand beach that was not on the official tour agenda just so we could say we saw it. She was just awesome!

 

In Key West, we did a ship's excursion that was a kayaking tour through the mangrove forests. So fun, the guides were superb, and it was very relaxing. In Cozumel, we booked a ship's excursion to a private beach house--it wasn't nearly as expensive as the Alaska helicopter but it was a splurge compared to the other excursions offered. Our time there was amazing and all of the guides made us feel like family! Neither of these excursions were crowded or unpleasant in any way.

 

We've also done some ports of call on our own--booked a helicopter tour in Kauai, rented a car and drove around Maui, etc. I'd have to say that my most memorable experiences from our 3 cruises come back to the ship excursions we have booked. Not a single bad experience so far. Don't automatically write them off based on what you read here!

I love all excursions that make memories! So glad to hear you've had such wonderful experiences. I'd love to try that kayaking trip although I've never been in a kayak. ^_^ It just sounds so serene.

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It was an excursion from Juneau that included transportation to a helicopter facility, a lengthy flight over several glaciers which ended in us being landed on a glacier where there was a summer camp to train Iditerod Sled dogs. We were then permitted to drive a dog sled and also ride in one of the sleds...as we moved around the glacier. We got very lucky with the weather and had a gorgeous day with a bright blue sky...and pretty hot sun. We had our doubts when we booked that excursion...but afterwards thought it was worth every penny.

 

To this day our philosophy is to only consider a cruise line excursion that does something that we cannot possibly do on our own...or with a private tour. This particular excursion fit those criteria.

 

Hank

You have the cruising experience to definitely know what you are talking about Hank! I think your philosophy is right on target. And it sure steered you in the right direction for a glorious day on the glaciers! :cool:

We splurged on a helicopter ride over a volcano in Hawaii. AMAZING experience. Don't regret it a bit!

Cheers to that DCLCrazy! What a rush and a forever memory for sure. :D

It was amazing and I don't regret it.

Big Splurge:

Excursion with flight to Tikal Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Booked via the cruise line, everything taken care of including 12 passenger charter planes.

St. Petersburg:

Private tour for our 4 family members. More expensive than joining a larger group. I didn't actually compare the price to the tours offered by the cruise line, but we could have saved money by joining another family group. We met them on a short boat ride through the canals and were glad we had opted for our own tour guide and itinerary.

 

On both cruises, we offset the cost by doing our own thing in 2 other ports without a tour at all - walking around, public transportation. You need to select carefully what is really important to you. Somebody else might not have thought the Mayan ruins important at all. For us, they were the focus of the cruise and we wanted to avoid a long land trip to get there.

The "everything-taken-care-of" by the cruise line is a BIG selling feature--especially when there are 12 charter flights! Both these excursions sound well worthwhile.

I should have mentioned, we also book pre and post cruise city hotels and tours on our own. If you are flying overseas, it is worthwhile to visit the places where the cruise starts and ends: Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong, Hamburg, Buenos Aires, Papeete ... After all, the flights are long. We have also added a land tour to a cruise, different companies, but the timing worked out.

So true. We did that once, so far, when we spent time in Alaska prior to embarkation. Love to do that again sometime. (y)

You only regret the things you don't do. :)

Most of the time! ;p

Doors-off helicopter over the volcano on the Big Island! Small helicopter, with seating for two in the back. Hubby and I each got our own door-less door for a really spectacular flight.

Whee! What a feeling! Sounds great. :cool:(y)

We didn't splurge, but should have. Trip to Tierra del Fuega, we did it privately, radiator in van booked, driver poured cold water into it!!! We eventually limped back to port, but stress levels were high. At one stage I was contemplating standing on the highway and flagging down the ship's tour busses by waving my Celebrity boarding pass. Lol

You won't ever forget that excursion! Thanks for sharing. ^_^

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Hi Lila,

 

I don't know of a private message feature here, and I don't have apps, plus I am out of town until next Thursday.

 

Nevertheless, I'd be glad to share my information, and I'm wondering if it would be better to start a new thread like "Questions for Around the Horn", so we don't hijack Tammy's thread.

 

It was a wonderful cruise, and I'm sure you will love it as much as we did!

 

Barbara

Wonderful idea. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

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Happy 4th of July Tammy. Thank you for the trip report and for sharing your photos. I am enjoying reading about your adventures!

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We did your cruise in reverse (from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso) in March, 2016 on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. It was one of our best cruises ever. That's why we decided to book the NCL Sun cruise next February boarding in Valparaiso, going through the Panama Canal, and ending in Miami to sort of "complete" our South America cruise experience.

 

Therefore, it occurs to me that I might have information that would be helpful to you. Although we did not take any excursions (either from the ship or private), we had an absolutely wonderful time, and thought it was one of our best cruises ever.

 

If you think of any questions, please ask! I am really enjoying your review and wishing you an amazing cruise. Glad to hear you now have smooth sailing.

 

Barbara

Hi Barbara. Not sure if there is a private message feature on this app, but we are doing that sailing in a few months with HAL. Would love to hear about your port experiences.

Lila

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Last year in Juneau, we did a seaplane glacier tour. It was absolutely stunning and a wonderful adventure! But in Haifa on another cruise, we opted for a full day tour to Jerusalem. There was traffic, and it was a long three hour bus drive each way, leaving us very little time in the city itself. Though we were certainly glad to see the amazing sites of the old city, the rest of the day---including a relatively inedible lunch---was a long, hot grind. We're not senior citizens, but even for us it was an endless, exhausting day. We now stay away from the full day, 12 hour excursions that involve hours and hours on a bus or train.

 

 

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The seaplane glacier tour sounds so beautiful. What a happy memory.

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I often don't know what I'm talking about. Lol Thanks for the correction. ^_^

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She has you down under Dec 1, 2018.

Oh oh. :-) I'm sailing in 2017.

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You missed me. December 1, ms Zaandam, 14 days, departing Buenos Aires sailing to Valparaiso.

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Alaska Post-Cruise Excursion Splurge:

Drove rented car to Fairbanks and boarded Alaska Air flight (737 half-cargo / half-passenger) for tour package to Barrow on the Arctic Ocean. Included overnight at the Top of the World hotel and lunch that day (at Pepe's North of the Border Mexican Restaurant) as well as bus (old school bus) tour of the town and out to Point Barrow - about as far north as you can get on mainland North America. Since it was just a few days past the Summer solstice I went out to the beach at 1am to take a picture of the sun high in the sky straight in the north over the sea ice - one of the few places and times this is possible. A bunch of little kids were playing in the nearby playground. The sun would not be going down for another month. Barrow is a surreal place - about how I would imagine a colony on Mars to be like. The North Slope is very flat with zillions of little pothole lakes and almost no vegetation. No roads so everything comes by air or seasonal barge. Steak is cheaper than a lettuce salad (steak freezes OK, lettuce doesn't). A very educational and enlightening trip and well worth the $400 pp.

Great timing to be there near the summer Solstice. Once in a lifetime experience!

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We've done a couple of port call tours - but nothing I'd call a splurge. We splurge pre- or post-cruise -- a week or so in Rome, Tuscany, England, Provence, Istanbul, Paris - combining a land trip with a cruise as long as we are flying that way

I love this tip! :-)

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We took a helicopter tour in Kauai. Very expensive for our family of four and sooooooooooo worth it. We all still talk about it years later.

 

In Juneau we did the Taku Lodge flight and feast (whatever it's called). That was another day to remember - it was awesome seeing all the glaciers from above, the salmon lunch was the best salmon we've ever had, we saw a bear at the grill, we did a nature walk with a guide - another awesome day we'll never forget.

 

We don't do the most expensive things there are to do everywhere we go, but if it's something you really want to do or see, or if you can't do or see it without spending some money, then you should go for it. No regrets.

It's good to choose wisely. We try for moderation most of the time. Those splurges are extra special when they happen. [emoji322]

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The most expensive excursion we've ever taken was from Civitavecchia to Rome. It was our first European cruise DIY on all excursions but had to bite the bullet on the imperial Rome tour.

We saw more than I could of imagined and had a 3 course lunch included. We saw Trevi fountain, and bypass the line access to the forum, colosseum, and St. Peter's Bassilica.

We each threw our 3 coins in the fountain and are finally returning to Rome 9 years later this October. 10 friends and family are tagging along so it'll be a special trip.

What a great memory. Sometimes a splurge really pays off. Hope your planned trip with family and friends is just as wonderful.

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Since the South American and Europe excursions I reported on up-thread, last year we took six members of my family on the 7-day Vancouver RT Alaska cruise. I wanted to give them the best of what we had experienced on a longer ship-and-shore trip to AK some years ago, and I wanted everything to be smooth, so I picked from ship's ShoreX only and "shot the wad" at Juneau with a 3-part Mendenhall glacier/whale-watch/salmon-bake excursion. It was all I hoped for and everyone is ready to go back for a 14-day cruise next year!

Wow! So nice you were able to treat your family. Sounds wonderful. Hope you get to do it again soon. [emoji295]

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When we travel in Europe, I research the ports to see which ones we can see on our own and which are better served by an excursion.

 

Usually, I will book about three excursions or so depending on the length of the cruise.

 

All of them have been terrific. But, one of the stand outs was an all-day affair during our port stop in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

 

We began with a bus drive to Cannes, France where we spent an hour and a half walking around and enjoying a giant Boeuf and frommage or a cheese burger.

 

Next stop up to Grasse, perfume factory. Then a wonderful drive through the beautiful south of France countryside to reach the medieval mountain village St. Paul de Vence.

 

We finished off with a marvelous dinner at a typically French bistro type restaurant for a delicious meal before heading back to the ms Noordam awaiting us in port.

 

There have been other great tours, but, that was one of our favorite.

 

Jonathan

I loved the Monaco port stop, but we didn't venture out as you did. What a lovely day! :-)

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It wasn’t while we were on a cruisebut we were in Cozumel last Christmas and did a private plane tour over toMayan ruins at Chichen Itza. It was about an hour flight there with just my DW and I andtwo pilots. When we got there we had an arial tour of the site before landing at the local airport. We had a private driver and private tour of thesite. We got there well before the crowds who took tour buses so we got to seea lot more of the site. and left before it got too crowded (and it got crowded!) The other bonus was that we were back on the beach by3pm. The bus tours got back around 9pm.

That sounds fantastic. I can almost see

your smile as you post this memory. ^_^

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I'm considering an excursion splurge on an upcoming cruise. I'm wondering if other cruisers would be willing to share a story about a time when you chose to splurge big on an excursion? Was it amazing or did you regret it?

 

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I'm bumping this thread. It's been awhile AND we have just booked another cruise, so am in planning mode again. This was a fun thread before and I thought it might be fun again. Can't wait to hear about your favorite excursion splurge!

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Just booked a Buenos Aires to Valparaiso cruise for this December. Considering taking the ships overland your to the falls. Pricey, but offers peace of mind. Has anyone else done this HAL tour?

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December 1, 2018 ms Zaandam 14 days Buenos Aires to Valparaiso

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How fun to be looking forward and planning. We visited Singapore at the end if February and had the most comprehensive tour from Bethel Box tours with guide Tony. It was fun, it was educational, it was a whirlwind. :-) I learned so much about the city, it's history and enjoyed some great eats along the way.

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Ahoy there!

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Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego on the Statendam -Loved it!

Us too! Loved the experience. Great trip.

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