While all cruises have excursions, these experiences come at an extra cost and are not every cruiser’s favorite way to explore ports.
One soon-to-be first-time cruiser took to Reddit to seek advice about excursions, wondering if it would be worth it to book any for an upcoming MSC Cruise.
“We booked a 7-day MSC cruise for a nice price to the Caribbean in the fall,” the poster said, adding, “but looking into the MSC app, all ports have some excursions that look fun but are not in our budget. Are the excursions necessary for a good time?
The Redditor also asked if it was possible to simply just walk around the ports, seeking out unique adventures and taking up the opportunity to explore more of the local cultures and cuisines.
At the end of the post, it was shared that the cruise would be calling on ports in Nassau and Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, Cozumel in Mexico, and Roatan in Honduras.
Seasoned cruisers were quick to reply to the post, but the feedback was extremely mixed on how worthwhile excursions were.
“What ports? Some yes, some no,” one person commented, adding, “that being said, the best time to enjoy the ship is when it’s in port. No lines, no crowds.”
The original poster replied with the ports, to which the commenter replied that those particular destinations were mostly bars, shops, and restaurants — but if one were seeking to go on an excursion, it would be cheaper to book one through a local company rather than through the cruise line.
Read Also: 12 Ways to Get the Best Out of Your First Cruise
However, the theme of actually staying on the ship while at port became a common one throughout the replies to the post.
“I cruise for the ship and not the ports. I usually don’t get off, if I do, only once,” added one person.
“My family and I did our first cruise in January. We could barely afford the cruise, let alone the excursions, so we didn’t do any. It was fun just exploring the ship, relaxing, trying all the food, and wandering the ports,” replied another.
One of the other commenters shared that when cruising in Alaska, their family booked their own excursions — but in doing so had to make sure they had enough time to get back to the ship, which was stressful but saved them a lot of money.
The general consensus was that excursions could add to the fun at some of the more lackluster ports, such as Nassau, but that they did not need to be through the cruise line and were not necessary to enjoy the cruise.
What it all comes down to is both the cost and the comfort level, as not booking through the cruise line can create more anxiety but also more freedom.
Self-Planned and Independently Booked Excursions Can Lead to the Dreaded Pier Run
When planning excursions separately from the cruise line, the biggest thing to be aware of is giving yourself enough time to get back to the ship before it departs.
Recently, TikToker Ali Smith shared her experience when she almost missed the departure time while cruising on the 4,905-passenger Anthem of the Seas.
In the now viral video, Ali could be seen taking a full-day self-planned excursion around Ho Chi Minh City, but her lack of planning led her to become a pier runner, just narrowly avoiding missing the ship.
However, self-planned excursions are not always to blame, as a family onboard the 4,004-passenger Norwegian Encore learned the hard way in 2024.
The Gaults were on a cruise to celebrate a family reunion when, while on an excursion, their local tour operator caused them to miss the ship, leaving all nine of them stranded in Ketchikan, Alaska.
The family was ultimately left with a $9,000 bill that took some time to rectify with the cruise line, as the tour operator was ultimately at fault for the situation.
While situations as severe as the Gaults are not common, ones like Ali’s happen all the time — and are an excellent reminder that planning excursions requires excellent time management.
Take it from someone who has watched the cruise ship sail away from the dock without them, timing is everything.
To book excursions or not to book excursions, that is the question. The answer is simple: do what feels comfortable and will make your cruise the best one possible.
After all, a cruise is a cruise. Enjoy it!
