- 1). Read your cruise itinerary, studying the shore excursions offered as part of your vacation package. Some may have a different port of call for nearly every day. For example, a 7-day cruise between Rome and Barcelona has seven opportunities for DIY excursions. Some of the ports of call may already be famous, such as Monte Carlo, Monaco or St. Tropez, France. But there are also Italian towns with names like Livorno and Portofino that sound as if they would be ideal opportunities to have an independent adventure.
- 2). Select one or two locations you would particularly like to experience apart from the group. Don't try to arrange DIY excursions for every shore visit. You'll be exhausted and you won't get to know any of your group, since shore excursions are often when strangers bond and friendships develop. Plan your DIY excursion for the midpoint of the cruise, if you can, when you anticipate needing some time alone for yourself or with your sweetheart or family. If you have young children, it will be particularly important for them to have your full attention during shore excursions, for safety's sake as well as making memories.
- 3). Arrange as many of the details as possible in advance, in order to save time and money on the day of the excursion. If you have never been to that country and/or don't speak the language, check with one of the shore excursion specialty groups that claim to offer higher quality and lower prices than most cruise packages. You may get some ideas from their excursions for how to do your own at even greater savings and still be independent.
- 4). Keep it simple. Most shore visits range from six to ten hours, so don't plan elaborate excursions taking you more than a couple of hours from where your ship is docked. Allow for weather emergencies and other unforeseen circumstances such as flat tires and traffic jams. If you take a train trip, make sure you have an alternate plan if you miss the return trip or it is cancelled or delayed. If you decide to go kayaking in Alaska or island-hopping in Hawaii, let your guide or pilot arrange the logistics so that you can enjoy your excursion.
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