It might seem like a genius move, but booking two shore excursions on the same day is better idea than it really is in practice.
I received an email a week ago from a podcast listener who is headed on a Western Caribbean sailing and wanted to know if she should try to book two excursions on the same day.
"Is it possible to do two excursions from one day?" she asked. It seems like a good way to maximize time in a port, but there's more to a day ashore than I think some people consider.
I often joke that some tours sound better while you're sitting in air conditioning on your couch than in practice. As an example, that hike through the jungle sounds lovely until you realize it's going to be a hot and humid day to start with, along with bugs, and those shoes that weren't as comfortable as well as you thought.
A lot of vacationers go on a sailing that takes them to places they may only visit once, and they want to seek out the really fun activities that they can tell everyone at home about when they return.
While booking two shore excursions on the same day might seem like a good idea, I think it's actually a mistake waiting to happen for a few important reasons.
There isn't as much time in port as it seems
To begin, time management while on shore excursions is not straight forward.
In order to go on two shore excursions on the same day, you'll need to schedule them so that one ends before the next one begins without being late.
It's not unusual for a tour to run late, or for the meeting point to not be factored into the overall length of the excursion.
Plus, you may want extra time on the end of your first tour to do something else, like shop. Many excursions end in an area where there are many shops, or include photo opportunities.
You would not want to risk losing out on the other tour you have booked because you didn't make it there on time.
It's harder to know precisely when one tour would conclude with confidence so you could get to the next one.
What time your ship arrives and leaves is misleading
In my experience, you don't have as much time in port as you think you do.
Your itinerary lists what time your ship will be in each port of call, but those hours aren't when you actually be off the ship.
The arrival time you see is the estimated time the ship will pull into port. At that point it has to line up with the pier, tie its lines, and get cleared by local authorities to disembark passengers. Getting cleared is sometimes very quick, while other times can take a while. It all depends how thorough the local authorities want to be in investigating everything is as expected.
Then at the end of your day in port, the time listed is when the ship is scheduled to depart, which means you're expected to already be back onboard the ship.
Realistically, you'll want to be back on the ship much earlier than the all aboard time. So in practice, that shaves off an hour or two from your day in order to be back on the cruise ship with plenty of time to spare.
Both issues shave time off your total time in port, and that leaves you with less time to work in multiple shore excursions.
You're going to be more tired than you think
Assuming you have plenty of time for two excursions in one day, I think in reality you might not have the energy for both.
It's easy while at home to assume you can do it all, but tours are taxing, even basic ones.
When you're wet from rain in Alaska or under the hot Caribbean sun, the amount of energy you have is going to wane.
Buses are uncomfortable, walking on uneven pavement and cobblestone roads hurts, and you probably had to wake up early for the first tour.
Trying to do two excursions is going to be pretty darn tiring.
It can dilute the value of what you paid
One of the most common places I see people trying to work two tours into one day is at Royal Caribbean's private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Often guests will book admission to the Coco Beach Club or Hideaway Beach, and then also book a jet ski tour or zip line adventure.
I think the most egregious example are people that book a cabana and admission to Thrill Waterpark.
The issue here is you're taking away time from one activity that you paid for to go and do another, and I think that reduces the value of what you paid.
Avoid the temptation to double dip with activities and enjoy the primary one all day.
You'll have time for more activities
While I'm advocating not booking two shore excursions for the same port day, that doesn't mean you can't include something else before or after one tour.
Most tours leave you with time to work something else in, and in many cases, there is a natural fit related to the tour or where you're dropped off.
There might be a beautiful beach you could head to and unwind for the rest of the day. Or you might stay in the city or two to do some shopping or sightseeing.
In my experience, some tour operators will give their guests the choice of going back to the ship or being dropped off at a popular area.
And if you're spent after one tour, you can head right back to the ship for a well-deserved shower and nap.
With just one excursion booked, you have more flexibility to see how you're feeling, and include a DIY adventure.
Plan another port visit instead
If you really are tempted to try two excursions on the same day, that might be a sign you should plan another cruise.
Repeating the same itinerary isn't counterintuitive at all. It's actually a really good way to enjoy these amazing places and see more of them.
Of course that means you'll have to wait to come back again and there's the cost that comes with booking another vacation, but having another trip to look forward to is the best way to get over the post-cruise depression that comes when your vacation ends.
One tour is the best plan, but keep the option for exploring on your own
If you're someone that is thinking about doing two tours on the same day, I recommend sticking to just one tour and leaving your day open for additional exploring after.
I just don't think the logistics of working in both tours makes a lot of sense, especially x factors such as transportation, fatigue, and proper timing.
The anxiety and effort required to make it all work just isn't worth it.
If you do have plenty of extra time, I think you will find many options to consider on your own that give you peace of mind and flexibility to go with it.
