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Creating the ultimate shore excursion is a careful balancing act. Not only does it have to appeal to cruise passengers, but it has to meet the stringent demands of cruise line operators too.
According to Avenice Thompson from St Kitts Tourism Authority, there are three key ingredients to success. “The first is appeal and authenticity,” Thompson says. “The tour has to first be something that the visitor actually wants to do, not just something that the tour operator thinks they want to do. It is important to stop and listen to the customer in order to find out the difference.”
Thompson says that safety is also paramount. “Guests must feel that the tour takes their safety as a number one priority. This applies to all tours. Guests will not feel comfortable taking a tour where their lives may be at risk. A tour is successful when guests can enjoy their experience and be safe while doing so.
The third ingredient to success is value. “Value is defined by the quality of experience received in exchange for the currency paid. Guests must see themselves as the winning party because the experience they pay for is perceived as being worth more than the money that was paid for it.”
For Thompson, value comes from delivering something unique. “Guests that visit our region show interest in the history and traditions of the Norwegian people, as well as the spectacular nature surrounding us. Well-functioning infrastructure, good facilities and informed and enthusiastic guides and are also essential ingredients in creating a successful excursion.
“It’s important to remember that the appeal of tours will differ depending on the location. For example, the highest performing tours in St. Kitts include the Scenic Railway Tour (by train and bus), and the Rail & Sail Tour (by train and catamaran). “Other popular excursions include the Wingfield Estate zip line experience, the island tour, tours that include visits to Brimstone Hill Fortress, and the dolphin encounter experience.”
Meanwhile, in the midst of the Norwegian fjords, surrounded by steep mountains, the most popular excursions include Atlantic road, the Rauma Railway, Trollstigen road, and the city tour of Molde with stops at Varden viewpoint and Romsdal folk museum. “The fjords are a virtual playground for outdoor activities and tourists that visit our region enjoy participating in outdoor adventures,” says Søvik. “We believe we will see more and more outdoor activities for cruise passengers in the future.”
In Bermuda, Simas says that soft adventure tours are proving to be most popular. “Full island drive and pink sand beach tours are the most consistently high performing tours in the region,” he explains.
Ultimately, however, success boils down to effective collaboration. “It’s so important that shorex companies, tourist boards and cruise lines work together,” explains Joseph Simas, vice president of marine operations at Meyer Agencies.
Jorid Søvik from the Port of Molde & Aandalsnes agrees: “Working together ensures a better experience for all parties involved and enables us to give the customer the best end product. We all have the same goal: happy and satisfied tourists. To achieve that, every aspect of the journey plays a central role in creating the final package. This is best done by pulling in the same direction. A close collaboration also allows us to continually offer each other feedback and improve ourselves.”