Sightseeing excursions provide tours of the port. All major cruise lines offer sightseeing excursions. These tours may be overviews of the port or tours of specific destinations. Sightseeing excursions may include bus tours, sailing tours, and walking tours. These tours require minimal to moderate activity. Sightseeing tours are often described as "Discover..." of "The Best of..." Some tours combine walking and riding such as Norwegian Cruise Line's "Discover St. Maarten Dutch and French." This tour provides an overview of the island and time walking through the markets and cafes.
More adventurous cruisers have numerous options for shore excursions. Snorkeling and scuba diving excursions are available with all major cruise lines and are especially popular in the warm, clear waters in the Caribbean. Other options include parasailing, ziplining, 4x4 vehicle tours and horseback riding. Carnival Cruise Line offers a cave tubing excursion in Belize that lets passengers explore caves via inner tubes. Both Carnival and Norwegian have popular excursions that let passengers swim with stingrays and dolphins in several ports including the Cayman Islands, Belize and Cozumel.
Passengers seeking more leisurely activities can also find numerous shore excursions. For many travelers, a leisurely shore excursion means time at the beach. All major cruise lines have options for "beach breaks" in all major ports. Some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, even own private islands for this purpose. Beach break excursions typically involve spending several hours at an exclusive beach. Amenities included in this type of excursion may include food, drinks, beach chairs and access to water sports. Another popular leisurely excursion is the pub crawl. This is available in Key West.
For eco-minded tourists, there are specific eco tour excursions. This type of excursion usually involves at least a moderate level of activity. Eco tours include opportunities to observe wildlife such as howler monkeys, sea lions, and various birds. Tours include boating adventures, hiking and snorkeling. The options for eco tours vary by port and cruise line.
