While shore excursions can be a great way to see a new port of call, there are a few places I think you're better off without one.
To be clear, I'm not a shore excursion hater. Some people never book tours, but I think tours are helpful in many situations, especially when traveling any significant distance from where the ship docks.
However, I've visited a few ports where I regretted booking a tour and realized later I would have been fine venturing out on my own.
I understand that new cruisers may be intimidated by the idea of touring a place independently because of the advantages a cruise line excursion offers. But with a little bit of planning and the right approach, I think it's very easy to give it a go.
Before you purchase an excursion, I'd recommend going it alone in these three places Royal Caribbean ships visit.
Tours around European cities always disappoint me
Regardless if I'm cruising with Royal Caribbean or Silversea, group excursions in Europe tend to leave me disappointed.
In fact, I politely informed my tour guide in Malaga and Alicante, Spain that I would be leaving the group because I wanted to tour on my own.
When your cruise ship docks in many European cities, you arrive in the city center. It's easy enough to get off the ship, turn on Google Maps, and find your way around to the major sights.
Bus tours around these cities are always mentioned as the worst shore excursions by our readers, and rightfully so. Their pace is slow, and it never feels like you got to experience any of it in meaningful way.
I believe you should immerse yourself in these cities by exploring them as you see fit. Group tours have uneven timings, and any insight I gain from the guide is offset by the inability to deviate from the tight turn around.
Thanks to mass transportation, I find it quite easy to get around European cities on your own. Every one I've been to has a tap to pay approach to hopping on a bus or metro.
I think you're much better off doing a little bit of pre-cruise planning and identify three or four places you want to see and then come up with a walking tour. Heck, I used AI to make the tour for me and it worked fairly well.
The exception to this rule is if you want to go well beyond the city limits and more than an hour from where your cruise ship docks.
Cities like Bordeaux, France; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy; and Paris (Le Harve), France should all be booked through the cruise line because you don't want a travel delay getting back to result in missing your ship.
It's so easy to explore Old San Juan on your own
If there's one Caribbean port I think you can skip tours, it's a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Similar to Europe, your ship will drop you off right in the middle of Old San Juan, and there's enough here for most people.
The history of Puerto Rico is perfectly encapsulated by what you will find in Old San Juan. It's all walkable and not a very long distance to any of the popular spots from where your ship docks.
For Americans, your cell phone coverage works in Puerto Rico. This means you can use Google Maps to find your way around. Or just meander and see where the path takes you.
Considering the other ports of call on your cruise will be primarily beach days, I recommend skipping the beaches in San Juan and sticking to the city as a means of mixing up your itinerary. Too many beach days can feel monotonous after a bit.
Royal Caribbean's private island is so good, I don't think a tour makes any sense
Royal Caribbean sells a few excursions that go beyond its private island, but I really can't say I'd recommend any of them.
Perfect Day at CocoCay is a victim of its own success, because it's been designed so well and with so much to do that I really don't see any need to venture out.
There aren't many tours offered, but I'd argue almost all of them are better done at other ports. For example, the snorkeling and scuba isn't very impressive at CocoCay. And I think swimming with the pigs is a waste of money.
Instead, focus your day on what you can do around the island. Much of it is included in your cruise fare at no additional cost!
In addition, there are extra cost exclusive areas you could buy into that can be worth it.
Of all the places in this article, I think Perfect Day at CocoCay is the least important place to ever consider booking an excursion. It's very easy to find lots to do around the island.
Do your research and you should find great DIY options
The caveat to this entire article is to do a little bit of pre-planning so you have an idea of how you'll get around any of these places.
In each case, I would look up the popular things to see and do and make your own plans to see them.
Yes, there are risks with going on your own and certain advantages of booking a tour with Royal Caribbean. But that's why it's important to have a plan for visiting any of them. I don't think the planning process for coming up with your own tour will take much effort.
To borrow an old Royal Caribbean marketing slogan, get out there and embrace a sense of adventure and see how much you find.
