Tours offered by cruise lines and other platforms often include 75-100 travelers per group. Venture Ashore keeps shore excursions intentionally small with 10-25 travelers, offering a more authentic, intimate experience with local guides. Plus, our curated experiences often cost up to 40% less than similar tours booked through cruise lines, giving you more value while seeing and doing more at every port.

Venture Ashore is both a tour operator and a provider of independent cruise excursions. We are proud to operate our own small-group shore experiences and partner with licensed local guides to bring travelers unique, memorable cruise tours and excursions.

Venture Ashore excursions are designed for travelers either sailing on a cruise or traveling on land. If you aren’t arriving by cruise ship please enter your hotel or AirBnB details in the checkout for an easy pickup.

All Venture Ashore cruise excursions are backed by our Back-to-Ship Guarantee, ensuring you return to your ship on time. Our guides and partners carefully manage timing based on each cruise schedule, ensuring a guaranteed return to ship. In rare cases beyond our control, such as road closures or extreme weather, we’ll transport you to your next port at no additional cost. Operating cruise tours in over 500 destinations and serving millions of cruise guests, we are proud that none of our travelers have ever missed their ship.

Cruise itineraries can change for a variety of reasons. With Venture Ashore’s Don’t Port, Don’t Pay Guarantee, all cruise excursions are fully covered for last-minute changes, whether due to severe weather, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen events. You can choose a full refund or an alternative shore excursion at another port of your choice. The same policy applies if your ship arrives late and there isn’t enough time for your original tour.

Most of our cruise excursions include port pick-up and drop-off for a seamless experience. We carefully select tour partners whose vehicles and guides meet our high standards, ensuring every shore excursion is comfortable, safe, and on time.

Yes. All of our tour partners are licensed and insured, ensuring every cruise excursion delivers an exceptional traveler experience.

Our tour operators and guides monitor daily conditions for all cruise excursions. If a tour can’t run safely due to weather, closures, or other reasons, you’ll receive a full refund.

You can book any Venture Ashore cruise excursion using major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. During checkout, you can pay in full or secure your spot with a 25% deposit.

You can either pay in full or secure your spot with a 25% deposit for all eligible cruise excursions.

Yes. You can reserve Venture Ashore cruise excursions with a 25% deposit when booking 60 days in advance. This ensures your spot on our small-group tours that tend to sell out quickly, all while keeping flexibility for your plans.

You can choose to pay for any Venture Ashore cruise excursion in US Dollars, British Pounds, Canadian Dollars, Euros, or Australian Dollars. Your selected currency will be confirmed during checkout before your credit card is charged.

No. Gratuities are optional and left to your discretion based on the quality of service. We encourage you to check local gratuity customs for each destination.

If your plans change, you can cancel any Venture Ashore cruise excursion for a full refund up to 7 days before the tour date. You are fully covered for any last-minute itinerary changes with our Don’t Port, Don’t Pay Guarantee. If the ship skips the port, you skip the charge.

Venture Ashore offers a wide variety of cruise excursions for every interest, whether you’re cruising solo, with family, or in a group. Our small-group tours include adventure, water, culinary, cultural, and scenic experiences, all designed to showcase the best of each destination. We also offer private tours for groups of 1-500 travelers with port pick-up and drop-off, making each experience seamless and personalized.

Venture Ashore’s shared tours are small-group cruise excursions where you experience the itinerary with other travelers. Private tours are exclusively for your party, with private transportation and the flexibility to set your own pace and choose your preferred itinerary.

Pre- and post-cruise excursions take place before or after your cruise. Many travelers arrive early or stay later at their departure port, and enjoy exploring with Venture Ashore cruise excursions in a relaxed, seamless way.

Venture Ashore’s “On Your Own” excursions are self-guided shore excursions for travelers who prefer exploring independently. Roundtrip transportation from the cruise ship to a convenient drop-off point is included with these tours.

Yes. We offer a variety of accessible cruise excursions designed for travelers with limited mobility. Tours that are wheelchair-friendly or include minimal walking are marked as accessible, with full details provided for review before booking.

Our activity levels indicate a combination of walking distance, terrain, and physical effort required for each excursion, as well as any relevant health restrictions. They’re designed to help you choose experiences that best match your comfort level and mobility.

Customized tours are private cruise excursions created exclusively for your group, allowing you to explore each destination at your own pace and on your own schedule. These private cruise tours include personalized itineraries, private transportation directly from the cruise pier, and access to hidden gems for a more authentic experience.

Yes. We offer a variety of family-friendly cruise excursions suitable for all ages across every category. Where applicable, tour listings will indicate requirements such as minimum ages and height. If a listing doesn’t include this information, contact us at [email protected] for guidance and we will be happy to help.

While the majority of our shore excursions are conducted in English, private tours in many destinations are also available in preferred languages such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and more.

Yes. You can reserve all Venture Ashore excursions even before booking your cruise. Many of our cruise tours sell out early due to high demand. You can secure your spot with a 25% deposit and enjoy full flexibility, with free cancellation up to 7 days before the tour.

We recommend booking shore excursions as early as possible, especially popular cruise tours or private tours, since many experiences sell out quickly. You can reserve your spot with a 25% deposit and cancel for a full refund up to 7 days before the tour, giving you the flexibility if plans change.

Most shore excursions can be booked up to 7 days before the tour date, subject to availability. If you’re booking within 3 days of the tour or while onboard, contact us at [email protected] for availability, though options may be limited. It’s advised to book early to ensure you receive your vouchers, which include transportation information and start times.

Most Venture Ashore excursions include transportation with pick-up and drop-off right at the cruise pier. Some tours begin from a nearby meeting point or central city location within a short walk, or in destinations where safe and convenient taxi transportation is available. Each cruise excursion listing includes full details so you can choose the option that best fits your needs.

All Venture Ashore excursions are scheduled in the local time of the port. Your cruise ship may use a different “ship time,” which may not match the local time. It’s advised to always follow the tour’s local time. Our team carefully checks each reservation to ensure that you are scheduled at the correct time.

After booking a Venture ashore excursion, you’ll receive an email confirming your booking request, followed by an email with your voucher including all tour details. If you booked with a 25% deposit, the voucher is sent once the balance is paid (usually 60 days before your tour). If your request cannot be confirmed, our team will contact you.

After booking your shore excursion, contact our operations team at [email protected] to submit special requests, such as seating preferences, birthday or anniversary celebrations, or dietary needs. Requests are accommodated when possible but are not guaranteed.

Your shore excursion voucher includes the meeting time and location for your tour. You’ll receive the voucher by email after your booking request is confirmed. If you have an account, you can also view your vouchers online in our portal.

If you have trouble locating your guide or are running late, call the local phone number listed on your voucher for assistance. Many tours cannot wait, so it’s important to follow the meeting instructions and arrive on time.

Each shore excursion may have specific recommendations for dress or items to bring. Refer to the tour listing or voucher for details.

Some cruise excursions require identification, such as driving tours or tours that provide alcohol. Please bring a valid form of ID to show your guide if requested.

Yes. We offer private group excursions for parties of any size, including large groups of 8 or more travelers. These tours include private transportation and a customized itinerary to ensure your group enjoys the destination comfortably and at your own pace.

Yes. Through Venture Ashore’s Group Leader Travels Free program, group leaders can travel free on all private group tours of 20 or more travelers. For full details and terms, submit an inquiry on our group page.

Yes. Venture Ashore specializes in bespoke cruise excursions tailored to your group’s interests. We create private itineraries so you can focus on what you want to do rather than follow a pre-set schedule. Bespoke tour inquiries are complimentary, and are always available by contacting us at [email protected] or visiting our group page.