Iam going on cruise on msc in August .is it ok to schedule excursions through my credit card .and not the ones on cruise.or other choices.suggestions appreciated have issues with long walks on uneven terrain.most of them say long walks.
Posted by
Cloud
415 posts
It is too hot to do long walks in Spain in August. Your options depend on what city in Spain
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7908 posts
Just remember that if going on a non MSC excursion and you’re late returning to the ship, it will NOT wait for you. The ship will wait if one of its excursions is late getting back. There’s nothing wrong with going off on your own. Just plan to get back in plenty of time.
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
3249 posts
... it'd be useful to know which cities you'll be visiting? Which interests do you have? Otherwise, your questions are very vague.
Also, if you’re a somewhat minimally experienced traveller, keep in mind you’re visiting a part of the world that’s really well set up for tourism. There's plenty of information everywhere, and you can VERY easily plan and do everything on your own — at your own pace, based on what you’re actually interested in, when and where it suits you. No need to rely on a pre-packaged tour, following a crowd like sheep through packed streets.
Posted by
Lake District, England
10270 posts
No main stream cruise line has the capacity for all it's guests to take ship excursions. It is fully expected that a significant proportion will explore independently so of course it is all right to do your own thing.
Posted by
OP
8 posts
i will be going to barcelona,marseille,genoa,messina and valleta .would like to where know to look for excursions outside of msc .cruise linethat are reputable .thank you
Posted by
Reston VA
460 posts
.is it ok to schedule excursions through my credit card
Not necessarily "through" your credit card, but surely fine to use your CC to pay for private (non-cruiseline) excursions in each port.
As with any travel, the key is doing some research ahead of time, knowing when you will be in port/town so you can choose appropriate options, and being aware of what the excursion/tour includes.
In lots of places, for folks with walking challenges, there are "bus" tours for general sightseeing from a vehicle, or there are options for a service to take you to/from a specific site of interest (to reduce walking) or even cabbies happy to offer a flat rate tour for x hours. There are resources for finding those "other" tours not sold by the cruise line - viator is popular for guides, and venture ashore or shore excursions group for ideas (among others).
Ports are built around having options for the thousands of passengers who will be on the ship(s) each day. It is common for folks to get off the ship, browse the options from the local vendors, and pick according to how they feel at that time. Your comfort level for pre-planning vs flexibility come into that decision.
Keep in mind, the EASIEST method is through the cruise line which is why folks use them but also why there is a premium price. Also, depending upon your physical needs (and just bad luck), a cruise line excursion offers one extra layer of "protection" in case of a fall/injury that is not automatic with private tours (but probably reasonably expected).
Posted by
Chicagoland
1113 posts
Based on your previous posts it sounds like you are a novice traveler to Europe. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Have you taken other cruises before and successfully booked excursions outside of the cruise line?
As mentioned, when booking excursions Independently of your ship, it is your responsibility to be back on the ship at the designated time. They will leave without you.
Take a good look at the choices offered by your cruise line. There are usually several tours offered that do not require a lot of walking but still give you a good overview of the place.
If you do elect to book an excursion on your own, please read the company's terms so you understand exactly what you are buying.
Posted by
9162 posts
We don't cruise much anymore, but have done 21 ocean cruises.
I learned that we only did ship's excursions when it was too risky to miss the boat, like long travel from the port was involved.
We largely took private tours. They are always cheaper and you usually have fewer in the tour group.
You need to research for these tours well in advance of your cruise.
https://www.ventureashore.com
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
2664 posts
hey hey annabelladtorres
i've been on a few cruises, in fact MSC once. traveling during month of august will be HOT. have you booked any excursions yet at the ports you're planning to see? i did our research with friends for private tours off of ship and they took cash euros at end of tour.
we were also very adament about getting back to ship way before departing which was always superb. look at what tour offers, email them with your wants and needs, long walks/uneven terrain you don't want.
where does cruise start and end?
cruisemapper.com
useful site about cruise ships. click port, type in port, scroll down to august 2025 to see how many ships will be in port that day and how many thousands cruisers will be in port
cruisecritic.com
free registration, find cruise, roll calls, ship & date. you'll find posts or you post if wanting to share a tour (we kept it at 6 people), they agreed to terms (share cost, what to see, if they wanted to add, all agreed. we usually left it up to driver/guide to pick route will stops for photo ops, visit a shop/tasting room, etc good luck and enjoy
aloha