PortTrip data · checked 9 November 2026
Shore Excursion Price Index 2026
What cruise lines charge for a shore excursion, against what the same day costs on your own. Every line price is copied from the line's own excursion page. Every do-it-yourself cost comes from our checked port guides.
14.3×
The biggest gap: Holland America's Juneau tour at US$129 against about US$9 on your own.
12.6×
Carnival's Rome coach, US$129.99, sells one thing: the ride. The return train is €9.20.
77–92%
What children paid of the adult price on the tours we checked. Many sights are free for them on your own.
Ship price against the same day on your own
Adult prices. Euro costs converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 November 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1214 USD). The multiple is the ship's adult price divided by the do-it-yourself cost.
| Port | Line and tour | Ship, adult | On your own | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | Holland America, Mendenhall Glacier & Glacier Gardens, about 4 h Cheaper on your own, but up to 3 hours of travel. Gardens not included. | US$129 | US$9 City bus $2 each way plus $5 visitor centre fee | 14.3× |
| Ketchikan | Norwegian, Scenic Trolley & Southeast Discovery Center, 1.5 h The narrated trolley ride is the extra. The centre is a block from the docks. | US$69.99 child US$59.99 | US$5 Walk a block, Discovery Center entry (2025 rate) | 14.0× |
| Rome (Civitavecchia) | Carnival, Explore Rome on Your Own: a coach seat each way and a map. No guide, no entry fees. Same journey, same city. The coach only sells the ride. | US$129.99 child US$114.99 | €9.20 (about US$10.32) FL5 regional train, return | 12.6× |
| Barcelona | Norwegian, Attraction Pass with Sagrada Família, 8 h The pass covers more sights; the main one costs €26 booked direct. | US$309.99 child US$249 | €37 (about US$41.49) Cruise Bus, two metro rides, Sagrada Família | 7.5× |
| Dubrovnik | Carnival, Walking the City Ramparts, 4 h, guided The ship adds a guide. You choose your own hour on the walls. | US$119.99 child US$109.99 | €40 (about US$44.86) Dubrovnik Pass: City Walls, Fort Lovrijenac and 24 h of buses | 2.7× |
Download the table as CSV · Free to use with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).
Where the ship is the better buy
Not every tour is a mark-up. These we checked but give no multiple, because the cheap version carries a risk the price does not show, or is not the same thing.
Tortola, Carnival, The Baths at Virgin Gorda, 4.5 h
US$114.99 adult, park entry included
Ferry about US$30 return, a taxi on Virgin Gorda and US$3 entry. The day hangs on a ferry between two islands: the ship's tour is often the safer buy.
Nassau, Carnival, Atlantis Aquaventure
US$229.99 adult, US$139.99 child
A day pass bought direct varies by date and is not sold at the door. On busy dates the ship may be the only way in.
Mazatlán, Carnival, Panoramic Hike to El Faro Lighthouse, 3 h
US$46.99 adult, US$35.99 child
The trail is free. The tour adds a truck ride and a guide.
Stockholm (Nynäshamn), Carnival, Stockholm Sights & Vasa Museum, 5 h
From US$169.99
Train 43 kr each way plus Vasa Museum 240 kr in summer. Different currency, guided coach: we do not quote a multiple.
St Thomas, Holland America, Skyride to Paradise Point On Your Own
From US$34
The same cable car ticket, sold at the base station a 10–15 minute walk from Havensight.
What the ship's price really buys
One thing, mostly: if the ship's own tour is late, the ship waits. If your train is late, it does not. That promise is worth a lot on a 70 km day with one rail line back, and almost nothing when the town starts at the pier.
So price the return first. Work back from all-aboard to the last safe train, bus or tender, then compare the two prices. Our return time check does that sum for any port, and the full price comparison, port by port, is in how much cruise excursions cost.
Method
- Line prices: copied from Carnival, Norwegian and Holland America's public excursion pages on 9 November 2026, adult and child where shown. Prices change by ship, date and season; these are the listed prices on that day.
- Do-it-yourself costs: transport plus the main paid sight the tour covers, from PortTrip's port guides, each checked against the operator or an official source. Food is excluded.
- Currency: euro amounts converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 10 November 2026, 1 EUR = 1.1214 USD.
- We give no average. The sample is small and named on purpose, so every figure can be checked.
For journalists and bloggers
Use the figures and the table freely with a link to this page. For a quote, a port-specific figure or the source page for any price, write to hello@porttrip.com.
Common questions
How much more do cruise excursions cost than doing it yourself?
+
In our sample of named tours checked on the cruise lines' own pages on 9 November 2026, the ship's adult price was 2.7 to 14.3 times what the same destination costs on your own. The biggest gaps are tours that mainly sell transport, such as Carnival's Rome coach at US$129.99 against a €9.20 return train.
Why are cruise excursions so expensive?
+
Part of the price is transport, a guide or bundled tickets. Part is a guarantee: if the ship's own tour runs late, the ship waits. If your train is late, it does not. Where the return is long or depends on one ferry or train line, that guarantee is worth paying for.
Do children pay less on cruise excursions?
+
A little. On the tours we checked, children paid 77–92% of the adult price. Many sights are free for children when you go on your own, including Pompeii for under-18s.
Where do the figures come from?
+
Cruise line prices are copied from the lines' public excursion pages on 9 November 2026. Do-it-yourself costs come from PortTrip's port guides, checked against operators and official sites. Euro amounts are converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 November 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1214 USD).
Can I use this data?
+
Yes. Quote it, chart it or republish the table with a link to porttrip.com/shore-excursion-price-index. The CSV is free to download.