Thoroughly research your options prior to cruising. You will most likely only get one day in each port, and you want to make the most of it. Check your cruise line's website for a list of options you can purchase directly through them, but remember those are not your only choices. If you have daydreamed of parasailing over the turquoise Caribbean sea but that option is not listed with your cruise line, you can book from an independent contractor. Also be aware of your activity comfort level. Some shore excursions require excessive amounts of walking, biking, and other physically challenging activities. Make sure you will be able to handle it. If not, ask your travel agent to suggest a shore excursion that requires minimal physical challenges. There are even shore excursions available with wheelchair access on most cruise lines.
Price several options and vendors before you travel. If you want to take a tour of any given city, your cruise line may have a trip set up for $50 per person which might only be $20 per person for a similar tour purchased in town. However you must be very conscious of time--if you book a shore trip through an independent contractor and they return back to port late, your ship will not wait for you. If you have an overnight layover in your port, this is less of a concern.
Understand that reputation matters. If you choose an independent tour operator for your shore excursion, check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) if it's a U.S. based company to see if anyone has had bad experiences with them in the past. The BBB website can alert you to any possible problems. If it is a foreign based company, check travel websites online to get feedback from previous clients. This also works well in reverse, if you want to do a tour of a glacier in Alaska, go online to a travel site and ask people to recommend a good tour operator. Word-of-mouth from fellow travelers is one of the best ways to get unbiased advice on tour vendors because they have no stake in the sale.
Book a shore excursion directly through your cruise line. Your cruise line has been doing this a long time. The activities expert has whittled down the good experiences from the bad ones to save you the legwork. If you have no certain agenda at any given port, or no exotic activities the cruise line doesn't handle, simply pick a tour off the cruise line's menu of choices if only to get off the ship and see the city. Booking a shore excursion directly through your cruise line means they will guarantee you get back in time to catch the ship. The cruise line vendors are pre-screened and are reputable. To feel absolutely safe, choose this option.
