Whether you’re taking your first cruise or your twentieth, sometimes Disney Cruise Line’s port excursions might not sound appealing. It could be a safety concern, financial reasons, or just boredom at the thought of another zip line.
But what can you do to fill your time in port if you don’t want to book a Disney port excursion?
1. Enjoy all that the ship has to offer.
Your ship already has so many great things to do onboard! Why not stay aboard and enjoy all of the activities in the relative quiet when almost everyone else is on shore?
I’ve heard of some amazingly short AquaDuck or AquaDunk lines on port days. Go ahead and try to set a record for most rides on the AquaDuck. If you think the pools are too crowded, I guarantee they won’t be on port days.
This could also be a great time to get some one on one time with characters.
You could have a movie day and enjoy the uncrowded movie theater.
Just check your Personal Navigator during your next cruise, as there are plenty of planned activities onboard during port days!
2. Explore the port on your own.
Many of the islands will offer a lot of shopping and restaurants within walking distance of the dock. If you don’t want to spend the money on an excursion, but still want to see what the islands have to offer, this could be a great way to do it.
If you’d like to go a bit farther from the dock, there are usually plenty of taxis available to take you anywhere you’d like to go. I did this on our Bonaire port day, and we were even able to ask the taxi to come back to the beach and pick us up after a few hours. Just be sure to keep the departure time in mind and leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship.
3. Check out excursions offered by non-Disney groups.
Let’s say you’ve been to Aruba ten times with Disney Cruise Line and you are bored to death with their excursions. It’s not a bad idea to check our excursions by non-Disney groups. Some of these are fantastic and can offer vastly different experiences than those that Disney offers.
When considering a non-Disney sponsored port excursion, be sure to read plenty of reviews online before booking. And also keep in mind that the ship will not wait for you if your non-Disney excursion is late. Be sure to leave plenty of time to make it back to the ship.
