Take a cruise ship excursion or go on your own
Hand feeding hummingbird at Rocklands Bird Sanctuary Jamaica
Something we have stressed when we began writing this blog is that we want to find a cruise experience that is right for our client. It is not just cruises we sell. In fact we believe that your cruise is merely the starting point for your entire vacation experience. Now that you have booked your cruise, your next decision you will want to think about is should you take a cruise ship excursion or go on your own.
One of the best ways to enhance your cruise experience is to participate in shore excursions at the various ports your cruise ship will visit. When we conduct a pre-booking interview with our clients, we really get to know their likes and dislikes. We find out what sort of risk is comfortable to them. Not risk in a dangerous way (though our client’s who like to bungee jump do something we would NEVER do!), but are our client’s comfortable going of on their own or would they be more comfortable taking organized tours with ship sponsored vendors. Some people worry about a vendor not being properly vetted or worry about getting back to the ship on time. Despite what you may have read, the ship is not always going to wait even if you are late coming back from a ship sponsored tour. They do have thousands of other guests to consider as well as requirements of the port authorities.
We have a network of contacts and vendors around the world that we recommend to our clients. Some will be offered through the cruiseline at a higher expense and some will be more costly because you are not traveling with a large group. However many of the excursions we recommend will be ones not offered by your cruiseline. In the picture above, we took an independent tour in Jamaica. We were taken to a house up a long bumpy hill that is now a bird sanctuary. Upon our arrival and our stay of over 90 minutes, we were able to spend our time in absolutely serenity hand bottle feeding hummingbirds. This was experienced by just my family and was not available on any shore excursion brochure.
When you use a professional, we can also assist you with transfers to and from the airport to the seaport. We know the ports where a private taxi is going to be less expensive than a cruise line transfer (which always charges per person) and we also know when a cruise ship transfer makes sense.
Whether you decide to take a cruise ship excursion or go on your own, use the services of a professional cruise consultant. It will make the difference between just another vacation and one where true memories are made.
Chuck and Laura Flagg own The Flagg Agency in Canton, GA
We are fee-based cruise consultants and our specialty is the selecting,
planning, marketing and administering cruises for groups of all sizes.
We help people find a cruise experience that matches both their wants AND their needs.
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