Booking with Venture Ashore will ensure you get more out of your travel experience! We offer a larger variety of tours than you will find through your cruise line and our tours operate with fewer people while still offering a higher quality experience. In addition, we offer tours at multiple price-points and believe you will find our tours offer better value than what you would find through the cruise line. Each of our tour partners are hand-picked based on the quality of their product and reputation. Lastly – our wonderful team has a wide knowledge base and can assist you in finding the best tours for your travel experience! They are experts on excursions and have personally taken many of the tours we offer. Contact us to see how we can impress you.

We recommend booking your excursions as early as possible! Our most popular excursions often sell out quickly, so we would suggest you book your space early to give you the best chance of reserving your first choice in each destination.

Subject to availability – but generally up to 7 days prior to the tour date. If you desire to book within 3 days of the tour date (or are currently on board a cruise ship), we may be able to help – but we ask that you please call our experienced sales team to request those bookings. Late booking requests often result in limited availability.

We advise giving as much notice as possible to get your shore excursion vouchers to you. Your shore excursion vouchers will give you the meeting location and start time of all your tours – so it is important you take these with you or, in most cases - show on your mobile device.

At time of booking, you will enter your payment information which will be authenticated via our secure payment gateway. You will be charged for your reservation when your booking is confirmed. Your link for your shore excursion voucher will be emailed to you. This voucher will include important information which will give you details of your tour and where to meet the representative.

Additionally, if you are making your booking with at least 60 days notice – you will be presented with an option to secure your booking with a 25% deposit. The balance will be charged 60 days before your vacation date. The balance will automatically be charged to the same credit card you used for deposit. Your link for your shore excursion voucher will be emailed to you once the balance is received. This voucher will include important information which will give you details of your tour and where to meet the representative.

We offer the ability for you to select between US Dollars, Great British Pounds, Canadian Dollars, Euro and Australian Dollars. We offer you the ability to use the default currency displayed to you when you arrive on our home page or select one of the other currencies as you desire. During the checkout process, the currency you have selected will be displayed again before your card is charged.

Once you have made a booking, you will receive an email notifying you of your booking request. You will then receive a second email confirming your reservation which includes a link to your shore excursion voucher. In the event your request cannot be confirmed – our expert team will be in contact with you.

If you booked with a deposit - your link for your shore excursion voucher will be emailed to you once the balance is received (approximately 60 days before your vacation). This voucher will include important information which will give you details of your tour and where to meet the representative.

Each excursion listing will have a general physical activity level. Some may also display minimum ages, minimum heights, maximum weights, etc. Please ensure you meet those requirements and restrictions before purchasing. PLEASE NOTE: Activity levels listed on each tour are a guideline only. Items such as physical activity level, minimum age, etc. are subject to change. Please contact us or check your tour voucher for the most up-to-date information.

Please contact our sales team if any of the following apply to your travel party; an unaccompanied minor, anyone traveling with a wheelchair/scooter or anyone with concerning physical or mental restrictions.

Please contact our operations team at operations@ventureashore.com after you have made your booking. Special requests may include: requesting the front seat of a van/bus, notification of a special occasion like birthday or anniversary, requesting a special meal, etc. We will do our best to accommodate your requests where possible.

Please note: These are to be considered requests only and not guaranteed.

Your tour vouchers will have the meeting time and location clearly listed. The link to your shore excursion vouchers will be emailed to you on confirmation of your tour (or when final balance has been received). Alternatively, if you have created an account – you can login to the portal to view your vouchers online. If you have followed the meeting instructions on the voucher and are still having difficulty or are running late – please call the local phone numbers listed on your voucher for assistance.

Please note: Many tours cannot wait if you are late so please pay very close attention to the time and the instructions on your voucher.

Tips and/or gratuities are not included in your tour costs and are always optional. However, if you had an exceptional experience a tip/gratuity is a way of saying ‘Thank You’ to your guide and/or driver.

We generally suggest tipping in local currency – however US Dollar, Great British Pounds, Canadian Dollar and Euro are all widely accepted.

As each excursion is unique and will list any dress code requirements or special items to bring with you on the day of the tour. Please refer to your tour voucher for specific information.

Our Travel Agent/ Travel Advisor partners can manage clients’ bookings directly through our agent portal. This portal allows you to see all of your client’s bookings and itineraries and even manage large groups. Log in to the portal here.

Venture Ashore specializes in group travel. If you are traveling in a group of 8 or more people – please visit our Group page on the website or contact our expert group sales team at groups@ventureashore.com.

8 or more passengers is considered a group. Consider Venture Ashore your go-to experts for group excursions. Regardless if you have 8 or 800 people, our team of group experts are at your service.

With Venture Ashore, a group leader may travel free through our Group Leader Travels Free* program for groups of 20 or more booked through the Venture Ashore Groups Department. For information on our Group Incentives – submit an inquiry on our groups page . Full Terms and Conditions can be found on our group page.

In CERTAIN destinations there are CERTAIN cruise ships that will sometimes use the time zone that the cruise departed from for the entire duration of the cruise. This is despite the ship sailing to different time zones and/or destinations that do not observe daylight savings time. All VentureAshore excursions will operate in the local port time. If you are concerned about what time you should select for your tour – please contact our sales team for expert advice. If you are onboard the ship and unsure what time zone you are in – please see your cruise ships concierge desk. Also pay special attention to ship-board announcements, evening newsletters left in your cabin and any notices the cruise line may display as you exit the ship.

These are tours that operate in conjunction with a transfer. So if you are disembarking a cruise ship and flying home later that day. Or you are disembarking the ship and staying at a hotel that evening. Same applies for the opposite directions. Since many cruise ships and hotels do not allow you to check-in before 3pm – these are great ways to spend the time gap between your early flight/ship arrival and check-in time.

We offer a selection of “on your own” tours for customers who don’t require a guide and just want to do their own thing! We provide transportation from the cruise ship to a convenient drop-off point in the city and back. Full information on the agreed pick-up point and time for the return journey will be supplied on your voucher.

These are generally found throughout Europe and cater to different price categories based on the amount of people you are willing to travel with. Essential Collection tours generally take 20-40 people (averaging about 30 people). Value Shared tours generally take 10-20 people. Premium Shared tours generally take 4-8 people.