Images from my Shore excursion at Patong, Phuket, Thailand.

So you are all set to go on your first Cruise holiday and the first thing you are probably thinking is what you will be doing on the cruise and if you will be able to get off the ship for a while and come back after a short excursion? To be honest these are questions that every first-time cruiser has. On my first ever cruise courtesy Singapore Tourism Board and Tirun Travel Marketing, on the beautiful ship the Mariner of the Seas, I learnt so many new things that you can do aboard a ship and also about the very exciting shore excursions. Simply said these are breaks you can take and explore the destination where the ship docks. Just make sure you have a valid visa for the country and you can enhance your cruise experience several notches higher. So here are my top five reasons why you must take a shore excursion.

Discover a new country

When the ship first docked at Port Klang in Malaysia, I was looking out the balcony of my sea facing room and immediately thought I should have had a visa. However my wait was not too long as the next day, the ship docked in Phuket and a short boat ride (these run every few minutes) brought me to the shores of beautiful Patong. The first sight I saw was endless rows of boats and water scooters and I immediately knew this was the place to enjoy beach sports. So whether it is parasailing, jet skiing or banana boats it’s all here.

Organized tours 

Being in a new country can throw you off guard especially on what to see within the day you have. However, the cruise liner makes this easy when it offers an organized tour where you have a guide waiting for you and you are shown all the important sights on a bus tour. In Patong, I visited the beautiful Karong beach and Chalong Buddha temple that has a stunning architectural facade. I also visited a cashew factory and a gem factory as part of the tour. After a quick round of shopping at Jungceylon Mall, I finally saw a spectacular show at Simon cabaret by the unique Lady Boys of the beach town.

Take a break

The best part of the shore vacations is that they come like a good break while you are cruising. While there is a lot to see on a cruise ship, you may feel the need to be on land for a while and get back to cruising and these shore excursions offer just that. And the best part is that this break offers something new each time and you will love to come back and relax to the sound of the sea in your comfortable cruise room!

Experience local food

Food today has become a big part of understanding the local culture. While you are in a new country, keep an eye out for what the locals eat. In Patong, I actually ate a mango in early March! Try the Tom Yam Goong soup, Green curry vegetable, spicy red curry beef and fried rice shrimp – all local Thai dishes that will set your tastebuds zooming! Walk to the local food vendors and sample authentic Thai noodles and curries too.

Add value to your cruise experience

Finally, a cruise vacation is a one-of-its-kind holiday where there are so many new things to discover. And shore excursions add to the overall experiential factor by allowing you to explore a city over a day and hop to another the next. Cruising allows you to imbibe sights across different countries and that is a value add that is hard to ignore. So while you are on your next cruise holiday, plan to take in all the shore excursions – you never know what you will discover next!

This post was made possible due to Lonely Planet India who invited me to this experience.

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