Shore Excursions Made Fun and Easy

Is cruising a regular part of your travels? Not surprisingly, a huge number of ToursByLocals travelers use us to find private guides in their ports of call. Experienced cruisers recognise that when you’ve only got an average of 8 or 9 hours in an unfamiliar place, a private tour makes the absolute best use of your day. There’s no time wasted waiting for strangers to keep up, and you have a guide whose only focus is on making sure you see exactly what interests you most. We loved this description of what it’s like to use private guides during a cruise, by Australian traveller Christobel Say:

“My experience with ToursByLocals was wonderful from start to finish. We saved ourselves a whole lot of groans by avoiding the bus tours that would otherwise have been our option; having all that choice in one place and not having to research 11 different ports and rely on the experience of a local was much better for us. I only wish we had booked more guides!”

With cruises cancelled for most of 2020 and 2021, demand for 2022 and 2023 sailings is exceptionally strong. Because so many cruisers are now booking multiple trips up to 2 years in advance, we’ve extended our booking window and opened up calendars so you can book shore excursions all the way up to March 2024. We’re also seeing a lot of interest in longer sailings, with itineraries stretching anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months! With such detailed itineraries, searching for tour options at every port can become a time consuming activity. We’re doing all we can to make it quicker and easier for you to find the tours you need, with our Shore Excursion Planner. With it, you can find shore excursions for all major cruiselines: Holland America, Seabourne, Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Disney, Silversea, Azamara, Norwegian, Crystal, Windstar and more.

Use our Shore Excursion Planner to Book Tours

From our home page, click on the little ship icon. You’ll be taken to the Shore Excursion Planner where you select your ship’s name and sailing date. On the left side of the screen, all your ports of call will appear, along with the date you will be there. Click on any port to see the shore excursions available on your arrival. Choose your favourite (or message any guide to request a customized itinerary) and book that tour! Every shore excursion booked on ToursByLocals comes with a ”No One Left Behind” Guarantee. Our guides’ priority is to get you back to your ship on time, every time. In the extremely unlikely event that you miss the boat, ToursByLocals will pay for your expenses to reach the next port, and any necessary accommodation. And if for any reason your ship fails to dock at any port, you will receive a full refund for your scheduled tour, under our force majeure provision. At the end of the day, we’re doing all we can to give you unique on-shore experiences, so you can bring fantastic travel stories back to the ship’s dinner table every night. Happy cruising!