Can I create my own itinerary if I don't like the shore excursions offered by a cruise ship?

Answer:
The answer depends on the individual cruise line's

excursion policy and the laws of the port country. A responsible adult should have the right to create his or her own travel itinerary, but you must also remember you are a guest in a foreign land. A planned shore excursion with experienced guides may be a better option than an improvised trip on your own.

A shore excursion does not necessarily mean a "cattle call" situation where guests are whisked from site to site at a whirlwind pace and then hustled back onto the ship. Many cruise ships offer customized excursion packages with smaller groups and more free time for individual exploration. The fees charged for such excursions help arrange for local transportation and the services of experienced tour guides. Some of these amenities and services may be difficult for an individual passenger to obtain on his or her own.

For many cruise lines, planned shore excursions are the best and safest ways to get a significant number of passengers off the ship while in port. There is a guaranteed departure time and a guaranteed return time. Allowing individual passengers to go off on unplanned excursions may become problematic, since there may be no way to guarantee their safety or enforce a mandatory time of departure. An individual guest may find himself or herself in a high-crime area or become lost with no means of communication or transportation back to the ship.

In short, you may be able to plan your own itinerary while in port, but most cruise lines would advise against it for safety and liability reasons. If the ship's own excursion packages do not interest you at all, you could shop around online or through a travel agency for private excursion packages offered by local tourism organizations.


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