Selling Cruises: Shore Excursions
by John Hawks

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Operated usually by independent companies vetted by the cruise lines, shore excursions are the pre-packaged side trips available to cruise passengers during the half-day or full-day stops in ports throughout the cruise itinerary.

Planning shore excursions for your clients is a tougher proposition these days. While some cruise lines now offer agents the ability to book shore excursions in advance, other lines still do not allow agents to pre-book these trips. Also, these trips have grown much more involved in recent years -- covering two days and including hotel stays, in the case of cruises with overnight port stops. Recent sightseeing plane accidents during shore excursions in Alaska have raised questions about the safety of these trips.

Keep these tips from other OSSN agents in mind as you deal with shore excursions this year:

1. Confirm all shore excursion details (including fees) in writing for your clients before they leave for their cruises. Also, check with the commission policies of your preferred cruise lines to learn the steps needed to claim credit for these bookings. (Don’t make the mistake of skipping this step, if your client’s line pays commission on these trips, and learning later that you can’t claim retroactive credit!)

2. Ask about the transit time involved in the trip. Many shore excursions operate via motorcoach, with 30 or 40 (or more) passengers taking the bus to the site or attraction that's the focal point of the shore excursion. Generally, you shouldn't pick a side trip during a half-day port stop that includes one hour at the attraction and three hours of round-trip bus rides! This is a big problem especially for new cruisers, who may underestimate the timing required and who may feel cheated afterwards.

3. The simplest shore excursions usually work the best. Sometimes, cruise passengers attempt to cram too many activities into a half-day or full-day visit in a given port. If your clients choose a side trip that is too "busy," they may find that they'll lose a great deal of time if a delay early in the trip (e.g., passengers who spend too much time in a gift shop) spills over into the rest of the schedule. Instead, pick shore excursions with simple schedules and lots of free time.

4. Think carefully about putting your clients on independently run excursions not endorsed by the cruise line. It’s more common nowadays to book independent excursions or to plan FIT-style excursions, especially for experienced, upscale clients. You’ll likely earn higher pay that way, and your longtime cruisers will appreciate the extra effort you’ve put into their trips. If you go this route, make sure you’ve checked your independent suppliers and ground operators thoroughly -- and try to get these trips covered under travel insurance, just in case. (Remember too that a cruise line’s endorsement of a shore excursion operation means the line checked the company’s background and records, but it’s no guarantee that nothing will go wrong on these trips.)

(Credit: Bermuda Department of Tourism; stock photos)