Shore Excursions Can Eat Up Cruise Savings

David Fowler gets a thumbs-up as cruise director--from his kids, anyway.

Fowler has shepherded his wife, Nancy, and children, Andy and Heather, to Caribbean beaches, Russian palaces, Greek temples, Alaskan glaciers and dozens of other ports on 13 cruises in the past decade.

“You never know what’s going to work or what’s going to get an ‘Oh, Dad,’ groan from the kids, but you can’t be afraid to try,” Fowler said from his Denver office.

Fowler’s family uses multiple strategies: exploring on their own, taking organized shore excursions and hiring private guides. “The point is to explore new places with the kids,” he said.

That’s if the family can agree on where they want to go and what they do when they leave the ship. Peter Romanoff’s gang couldn’t. “It was a scheduling nightmare and expensive,” said the Virginia stockbroker, who took his wife, three teens and one of the kids’ friends on a Royal Caribbean cruise last summer. “Everyone wanted to go in different directions.”

There is no question that cruises can be a vacation bargain for families these days. “I’ve never seen prices this low,” notes Anne Campbell, editor of the online cruise magazine CruiseMates.com, which tracks the latest bargains. Some cruises this winter will cost as little as $600 per person for a week in the Caribbean, or $199 for three days, including your cabin, all the food you can eat and on-board activities.

Cruise lines clearly are scrambling to fill more than 35,000 more berths on 14 new ships this year, and there are 13 more new ships slated to sail in 2001, Cruise Lines International Assn. reports. No wonder cruise lines say they’ve never seen so many parents and kids--increasingly with grandparents--on cruise ships, even in less typical destinations such as Alaska and Europe.

But many bargain-minded families, especially first-time cruisers, get a rude shock when confronted with the costs of shore excursions. “Shore excursions can easily double the cost of a cruise,” says Kay Showker, author of “Caribbean Ports of Call” (Globe Pequot, $15.95). “It’s one of my pet peeves,” she says.

That’s why families need to do their homework ahead of time, using two good sources for determining what you want to see and do: your cruise line’s Web site and guidebooks.

Especially in the Caribbean, it can be more expedient and economical to tour on your own. “You don’t need to spend $20 per person on an excursion to go to the beach,” says Candyce Stapen, author of “Cruise Vacations With Kids” (Prima, $16). Instead, ask the crew to suggest a reputable cab company. Invariably there will be several taxis lined up at the port, competing for the chance to shuttle you to a beach or restaurant.

If you’re more comfortable leaving the details to others, the good news is that there have never been as many kinds of shore excursions--50 or more on every weeklong cruise--and the trend is to charge less for kids. Snorkel with the stingrays in Grand Cayman, kayak to a waterfall in Jamaica, dog sled on an Alaska glacier--shore excursions increasingly include vigorous activities.

“No one wants to sit on a bus anymore. People are looking for more adventures, something unique,” says Mico Cascais, who oversees shore excursions for Carnival Cruise Lines’ 2 million passengers a year, including 250,000 kids.

“The more exciting the better,” agrees David Leit, who manages shore excursions for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

Cruise lines also are working hard to eliminate the interminable lines to sign up for these trips. Princess, for example, permits passengers to pre-book their Alaska tours. On Celebrity and Royal Caribbean they can order their tour tickets right from their stateroom.

If you run into excursions that are surprisingly pricey, remember you are paying for the convenience of not having to organize a trip, with all of its details, in a place with which you are completely unfamiliar. You are also creating memories you hope your kids will carry their entire lives: flying in a bush plane, horseback riding on a pristine beach, rafting down a river.

The downside is that you’ll be tethered to the group and its schedule. You won’t have the opportunity for those unplanned adventures--and misadventures--that can make traveling fun. If the kids get bored and cranky, you might not be able to leave.

Don’t be afraid to let the family split up for the day, as the Romanoffs did. Teens may prefer to shop or hit a beach right near where the ship is docked, while others in the group opt for a tour. Grandparents may like a glass-bottom boat tour, while younger kids want to stay on board in camp programs with their newfound friends.

Some cruise lines now have special shore activities for kids and teens. Young Alaska cruisers on Holland America, Norwegian and Carnival, for example, might be able to hike a part of Alaska’s famed Chilkoot Trail or visit a bald eagle hospital. In the Caribbean, they may be invited to a private beach party or a kayak tour.

But these excursions, especially in Alaska, aren’t as popular as cruise lines expected. “Families want to experience the sights together,” says John Cook, manager of Holland America’s shore excursions.

To create a win-win situation, make sure the kids have a say in the itinerary.

For more information or brochures, contact a travel agent or the cruise line: Princess, telephone (800) 426-0442, Internet https://www.princesscruises.com; Royal Caribbean International, tel. (800) 659-7225, https://www.royalcaribbean.com; Carnival, tel. (800) CARNIVAL (227-6482), https://www.carnival.com; Celebrity, tel. (800) CELEBRITY (235-3274), https://www.celebrity-cruises.com.

Taking the Kids appears the first and third week of every month.