Celebrity Shore Tours - How strenuous is "Strenuous"?

[mrjoshua]

Hi All

 

As per the title really; when a shore tour is marked as "Strenuous", does that really mean it'll be hard going (for an able-bodied but mildly overweight person in their mid-30's), or is it marked that way for less able-bodied or older guests?

 

I'm not really into hiking etc, but enjoy short walks (3 miles comfortably).

 

I just want to be sure that if we sign up to a tour, we're going to enjoy it, rather than worrying it'll be too tiring.

 

Thanks!

 

Josh

[Keith1010]

From time to time people sign up for excursions without reading nor thinking through all of the details and at times makes the wrong decision such as signing up to walk three miles when they can't and then end up complaining about the excursion. If only, they read the details.

 

The key is to read the details of the description. The word strenuous just highlights this as a flag to folks to carefully review the description to see if the person is up to the excursion.

 

In the end, only you can be the best judge as to whether or not you can take the excursion or not.

 

Keith

[kat228]

We took 3 tours that were marked as strenuous. I have a heart murmur so I don't have the strongest heart which usually means I'm on the sidelines waiting for my heart rate to get under control again. I didn't really have a problem with any of the tours we took. It was just a lot of walking around ruins, which means that it's not wheelchair accessible, there will be hills, and you need to watch your step. I never had a problem on the tours we took. Maybe once or twice I had to drop to the back of the group and slow down a bit, but by the time I did that, we were stopping to discuss something.

 

As a PP mentioned, just look at the description. If it says that it's just a lot of walking, you'll be fine.

[mrjoshua]

Thank you Keith and Kat, much appreciated.

 

I think I'll be OK - I will read the notes against each activity (I didn't realise there was more info for each :roll eyes: ) - From the brief description of the trips, it wasn't clear how much effort would be required.

 

Thanks again!

 

Josh

[Gremlin1]

Celebrities definition of strenuous in there shore excursion brochure reads :

“To fully participate may require extended periods of physical exertion, extensive walking, climbing, or biking. There may be

numerous steps, inclines, cobblestones, and other rough terrain throughout the excursion. These excursions are the most active and

have been designed for participants in excellent health and very good physical condition.”

[Keith1010]

Jeff,you are very welcome.

 

Keith

[phoenix_dream]

If you are unsure, wait until you are onboard and then just talk to the shore excursion personnel. They know exactly (or they should!) what the tour is all about and why it is rated as strenuous. Based on what they say, you can make your decision. You may also want to consider where the tour is taking place and if there are opt out options for strenuous parts of the tour. Meaning, if you are taking a strenuous tour in a very undeveloped island/country, you may be more concerned about getting the help you need should you have a physical problem with the tour. As to the 'opt out' what i mean is that on some tours, you may be able to sit out and avoid strenuous options. For example, we have taken our elderly relatives on tours marked moderate because they had quite a bit of walking up and down hilly, cobblestone streets. On that particular part of the tour, our aunts just waited onboard the bus for the 30 minutes or so that was more strenuous. This allowed them to enjoy the entire remainder of the tour. This is of course not always an option - it depends on the type of tour.

[Lsimon]

You can also look for reviews of specific tours, or similar ones, on the Cruise Critic port of call boards.

 

In general, my experience is that if you can walk a few miles with no issues then you'll have no problems with the excursions. I've been on quite a few marked strenuous and they're fine for someone in decent health who is fully mobile and can get around OK. It's usually (if not always) applied to excursions that involve snorkeling or where you'll do a fair amount of walking. As others have said a bit of common sense in interpreting the tour name and description is a pretty good indicator.