Cruise ship experts warned the vacation manager that “90%” of cruise passengers were making the same mistake when booking an excursion. According to Lucy Sauderton, who worked on cruise ships for 10 years, passengers were able to find themselves unnecessarily at their own expense. Lucy explains that she often sees passengers paying more when they board the ship.
So, instead of waiting to book an excursion during your holiday, Lucy suggests talking to a travel agent before departure or using the cruise line app. She says that booking in advance could potentially reduce the price.
On Cruising as a Crew YouTube channel, Lucy said: “If you have researched the port and decided that it was the right thing for you to do a cruise ship excursion, don't wait until you are on board to book this excursion.
“One thing is, you're trapped in a mammothkeew, because if you're cruise before you know that your excursion desk is only open at certain times during the day, obviously no one wants to spend their precious and limited time with them.
“At least, I don't want to do that, and I've seen many people miss one time on a lifetime field trip because the field trips are sold out so quickly.
Lucy says many passengers assume that the excursions offered by the cruise line are the best in the port they are visiting. But she says the reality is that companies rely on travel agencies with “available capacity.”
She explains:
Instead of simply booking outings recommended by cruise companies, Lucy suggests looking around the port to see what is available. She says that passengers often save “a lot of money” by booking excursions with independent travel operators.
But one thing she warns is a trip to your boat. Lucy says one of the issues with booking third-party field trips is that it may not be covered if something happens on a journey to the ship.
She explained: “When I spend the day I wonder, 'I'm still coming back to allow the train to be late?' It's just not worth it.
