City, island & sightseeing tours: ship vs independent, port by port
Carnival charges a median $77 and NCL charges a median $123 per adult for city / island tour excursions, against $68 per person for independent versions (75 ports, November 2026). Booking independently is cheaper in 78% of the 59 ports with both prices.
City, island & sightseeing tours in 75 cruise ports, with the cruise line's own price next to the median of the top independent tours of the same type. Booking independently was cheaper in 78% of the 59 ports where we have both prices.
| Port | Carnival | NCL | Independent | Best saving for 4 | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MalagaEurope | – | $271 | $33 | $949 | 3/5 |
| Salerno (Amalfi Coast)Europe | – | $296 | $73 | $893 | 3/5 |
| DubrovnikEurope | – | $237 | $22 | $857 | 5/5 |
| Cadiz (Seville)Europe | – | $212 | $32 | $719 | 3/5 |
| VallettaEurope | – | $197 | $22 | $700 | 3/5 |
| SantoriniEurope | – | $217 | $56 | $645 | 4/5 |
| SkagwayAlaska | $235 | $143 | $75 | $640 | 5/5 |
| HalifaxCanada and New England | $85 | $212 | $57 | $621 | 5/5 |
| Palma de MallorcaEurope | – | $187 | $37 | $602 | 5/5 |
| Civitavecchia (Rome)Europe | $145 | $276 | $133 | $573 | 3/5 |
| Maui (Kahului)Hawaii | $200 | $394 | $282 | $451 | 3/5 |
| Porto (Leixões)Europe | – | $133 | $22 | $443 | 5/5 |
| CorfuEurope | – | $148 | $39 | $435 | 5/5 |
| KotorEurope | – | $133 | $33 | $399 | 4/5 |
| San JuanEastern Caribbean | $71 | $123 | $30 | $373 | 5/5 |
| Messina (Taormina)Europe | – | $148 | $56 | $368 | 5/5 |
| TallinnEurope | – | $128 | $39 | $356 | 5/5 |
| SplitEurope | – | $113 | $25 | $353 | 5/5 |
| IstanbulEurope | – | $113 | $28 | $343 | 5/5 |
| Piraeus (Athens)Europe | – | $133 | $50 | $332 | 5/5 |
| CartagenaCentral and South America | $70 | $113 | $33 | $322 | 5/5 |
| AntiguaSouthern Caribbean | $127 | $148 | $68 | $322 | 5/5 |
| Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)Eastern Caribbean | $75 | $123 | $45 | $313 | 5/5 |
| CharlottetownCanada and New England | – | $133 | $57 | $304 | 5/5 |
| NaplesEurope | – | $172 | $100 | $285 | 5/5 |
| MykonosEurope | $130 | $108 | $61 | $274 | 5/5 |
| Colon (Panama Canal)Central and South America | $150 | $158 | $89 | $274 | 3/5 |
| Puerto LimonCentral and South America | $125 | – | $72 | $212 | 3/5 |
| St. MaartenEastern Caribbean | $62 | $108 | $57 | $203 | 5/5 |
| CuracaoSouthern Caribbean | $57 | $74 | $26 | $193 | 5/5 |
| HuatulcoMexican Riviera | $80 | – | $32 | $192 | 5/5 |
| HonoluluHawaii | $114 | $89 | $69 | $182 | 5/5 |
| Key WestWestern Caribbean | $70 | $84 | $50 | $135 | 5/5 |
| Grand CaymanWestern Caribbean | – | $197 | $166 | $124 | 4/5 |
| ArubaSouthern Caribbean | $71 | $84 | $55 | $115 | 5/5 |
| RoatanWestern Caribbean | $79 | $108 | $80 | $114 | 5/5 |
| St. KittsSouthern Caribbean | $102 | $108 | $80 | $114 | 5/5 |
| La Spezia (Cinque Terre)Europe | – | $108 | $80 | $112 | 5/5 |
| SitkaAlaska | $132 | $128 | $105 | $108 | 5/5 |
| MazatlanMexican Riviera | $71 | $69 | $50 | $85 | 5/5 |
| BermudaBermuda | $108 | $128 | $108 | $82 | 5/5 |
| BonaireSouthern Caribbean | $60 | $84 | $65 | $75 | 5/5 |
| Montego BayWestern Caribbean | $65 | $99 | $80 | $74 | 5/5 |
| BarbadosSouthern Caribbean | $80 | $99 | $80 | $74 | 5/5 |
| MartiniqueSouthern Caribbean | $105 | – | $89 | $63 | 5/5 |
| Puerto VallartaMexican Riviera | – | $59 | $48 | $45 | 5/5 |
| St. ThomasEastern Caribbean | $74 | $79 | $79 | −$1 | 5/5 |
| NassauBahamas | $52 | $98 | $99 | −$6 | 5/5 |
| Cabo San LucasMexican Riviera | $71 | $79 | $82 | −$12 | 4/5 |
| PuntarenasCentral and South America | – | $103 | $110 | −$28 | 5/5 |
| Belize CityWestern Caribbean | $74 | $103 | $111 | −$34 | 4/5 |
| KetchikanAlaska | $100 | $207 | $218 | −$44 | 5/5 |
| St. LuciaSouthern Caribbean | $100 | $123 | $145 | −$87 | 5/5 |
| EnsenadaMexican Riviera | $77 | $43 | $99 | −$90 | 5/5 |
| Ocho RiosWestern Caribbean | $40 | $79 | $104 | −$99 | 5/5 |
| JuneauAlaska | – | $69 | $100 | −$124 | 5/5 |
| ProgresoWestern Caribbean | $57 | – | $98 | −$165 | 3/5 |
| FalmouthWestern Caribbean | – | $108 | $175 | −$266 | 5/5 |
| DominicaSouthern Caribbean | – | $58 | $143 | −$337 | 5/5 |
| La RomanaEastern Caribbean | – | – | $85 | – | 5/5 |
| HiloHawaii | – | – | $352 | – | 5/5 |
| BarcelonaEurope | – | – | $25 | – | 5/5 |
| ReykjavikEurope | – | – | $51 | – | 5/5 |
| Zeebrugge (Bruges)Europe | – | – | $33 | – | 3/5 |
| CozumelWestern Caribbean | $57 | $128 | – | – | 5/5 |
| BiminiBahamas | $95 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| Grand TurkEastern Caribbean | $60 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| TortolaEastern Caribbean | $64 | $247 | – | – | 5/5 |
| GrenadaSouthern Caribbean | $50 | $73 | – | – | 5/5 |
| Catalina IslandMexican Riviera | $65 | – | – | – | 4/5 |
| Icy Strait PointAlaska | $108 | $128 | – | – | 5/5 |
| VictoriaAlaska | $90 | $108 | – | – | 5/5 |
| KonaHawaii | – | $306 | – | – | 4/5 |
| Livorno (Florence and Pisa)Europe | – | $182 | – | – | 3/5 |
| Saint JohnCanada and New England | – | $99 | – | – | 5/5 |
Ship prices: median adult "starting at" price of that line's excursions of this type (NCL converted from euros). Independent: median per-person price of the top GetYourGuide matches. Methodology.
City and island tours vary from short trolley loops to full-day drives, so compare durations too.
Questions
How much does a city / island tour excursion cost on a cruise?
Across the ports we track, the median ship price for this tour type is Carnival $77, NCL $123 per adult. Independent versions have a median of $68 per person.
Is it cheaper to book city / island tour tours independently?
In 78% of the 59 ports where we have both prices, the independent version is cheaper. The ship was cheaper in St. Thomas, Nassau, Cabo San Lucas, Puntarenas, Belize City.
Is it safe to book a city / island tour excursion on your own?
It depends on the port. 64 of 75 ports score 4 or 5 out of 5 for this tour type; tender ports and long transfers score lower. Always finish at least an hour before all-aboard.
Other tour types
Dolphin & marine encounter Submarine / glass-bottom Scuba / helmet dive Whale watching Flightseeing Dog sledding Fishing Party / sunset cruise Catamaran / sail & snorkel Kayak / paddle Zipline ATV / buggy / jeep Snorkel tour Ruins / history Food & tasting Beach break / beach club Nature / waterfall / park