Ruins, forts & history tours: ship vs independent, port by port
Carnival charges a median $104 and NCL charges a median $148 per adult for ruins / history excursions, against $60 per person for independent versions (60 ports, November 2026). Booking independently is cheaper in 85% of the 26 ports with both prices.
Ruins, forts & history tours in 60 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 85% of the 26 ports where we have both prices.
| Port | Carnival | NCL | Independent | Best saving for 4 | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MazatlanMexican Riviera | $129 | $276 | $53 | $891 | 5/5 |
| CuracaoSouthern Caribbean | $67 | $296 | $79 | $869 | 5/5 |
| San JuanEastern Caribbean | $83 | $217 | $54 | $652 | 5/5 |
| NaplesEurope | – | $319 | $164 | $622 | 3/5 |
| VallettaEurope | – | $138 | $45 | $370 | 5/5 |
| VictoriaAlaska | $118 | $138 | $50 | $353 | 5/5 |
| Costa MayaWestern Caribbean | $115 | $153 | $76 | $307 | 3/5 |
| AntiguaSouthern Caribbean | $103 | $177 | $103 | $300 | 5/5 |
| CorfuEurope | – | $158 | $84 | $296 | 5/5 |
| Zeebrugge (Bruges)Europe | – | $128 | $58 | $281 | 5/5 |
| IstanbulEurope | – | $128 | $64 | $256 | 5/5 |
| KonaHawaii | $105 | $197 | $138 | $237 | 4/5 |
| Colon (Panama Canal)Central and South America | $100 | $118 | $60 | $233 | 5/5 |
| DubrovnikEurope | – | $89 | $31 | $230 | 5/5 |
| CartagenaCentral and South America | $65 | $79 | $33 | $184 | 5/5 |
| JuneauAlaska | $117 | – | $75 | $170 | 5/5 |
| Key WestWestern Caribbean | $95 | – | $59 | $142 | 5/5 |
| SantoriniEurope | $130 | – | $95 | $141 | 4/5 |
| FalmouthWestern Caribbean | – | $148 | $115 | $132 | 5/5 |
| SplitEurope | – | $49 | $22 | $108 | 5/5 |
| Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)Eastern Caribbean | – | $78 | $53 | $98 | 5/5 |
| ProgresoWestern Caribbean | $113 | – | $108 | $21 | 3/5 |
| HonoluluHawaii | – | $138 | $156 | −$71 | 5/5 |
| Belize CityWestern Caribbean | $121 | $157 | $179 | −$89 | 2/5 |
| HalifaxCanada and New England | $38 | – | $78 | −$160 | 5/5 |
| Harvest CayeWestern Caribbean | – | $128 | $213 | −$337 | 5/5 |
| NassauBahamas | – | – | $110 | – | 5/5 |
| BarbadosSouthern Caribbean | – | – | $34 | – | 5/5 |
| ArubaSouthern Caribbean | – | – | $72 | – | 5/5 |
| Puerto LimonCentral and South America | – | – | $42 | – | 5/5 |
| BarcelonaEurope | – | – | $20 | – | 5/5 |
| Salerno (Amalfi Coast)Europe | – | – | $100 | – | 3/5 |
| MalagaEurope | – | – | $25 | – | 3/5 |
| Cadiz (Seville)Europe | – | – | $22 | – | 5/5 |
| Porto (Leixões)Europe | – | – | $31 | – | 5/5 |
| Messina (Taormina)Europe | – | – | $22 | – | 5/5 |
| TallinnEurope | – | – | $43 | – | 5/5 |
| CozumelWestern Caribbean | $143 | $207 | – | – | 3/5 |
| Montego BayWestern Caribbean | – | $158 | – | – | 5/5 |
| St. ThomasEastern Caribbean | $119 | $99 | – | – | 5/5 |
| St. MaartenEastern Caribbean | $62 | $69 | – | – | 5/5 |
| TortolaEastern Caribbean | – | $187 | – | – | 5/5 |
| St. CroixEastern Caribbean | $90 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| St. KittsSouthern Caribbean | $70 | $99 | – | – | 5/5 |
| St. LuciaSouthern Caribbean | $105 | $59 | – | – | 5/5 |
| MartiniqueSouthern Caribbean | $80 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| BonaireSouthern Caribbean | – | $79 | – | – | 5/5 |
| Puerto VallartaMexican Riviera | $100 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| EnsenadaMexican Riviera | $82 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| Catalina IslandMexican Riviera | $45 | – | – | – | 4/5 |
| KetchikanAlaska | $122 | – | – | – | 5/5 |
| SkagwayAlaska | – | $168 | – | – | 5/5 |
| SitkaAlaska | $115 | $113 | – | – | 5/5 |
| BermudaBermuda | – | $148 | – | – | 5/5 |
| Civitavecchia (Rome)Europe | $230 | $473 | – | – | 3/5 |
| Livorno (Florence and Pisa)Europe | – | $305 | – | – | 3/5 |
| ReykjavikEurope | – | $260 | – | – | 5/5 |
| Piraeus (Athens)Europe | – | $148 | – | – | 3/5 |
| Saint JohnCanada and New England | – | $207 | – | – | 5/5 |
| CharlottetownCanada and New England | – | $69 | – | – | 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.
Ruins trips differ most in how far they go: a nearby site and a full-day mainland trip both count here.
Questions
How much does a ruins / history excursion cost on a cruise?
Across the ports we track, the median ship price for this tour type is Carnival $104, NCL $148 per adult. Independent versions have a median of $60 per person.
Is it cheaper to book ruins / history tours independently?
In 85% of the 26 ports where we have both prices, the independent version is cheaper. The ship was cheaper in Honolulu, Belize City, Halifax, Harvest Caye.
Is it safe to book a ruins / history excursion on your own?
It depends on the port. 50 of 60 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
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