Europe shore excursions: ship vs independent
Carnival excursions in the Europe cost +79% compared with independent tours of the same type (typical saving $76 per person); NCL excursions in the Europe cost +188% compared with independent tours of the same type (typical saving $127 per person). 2 of 23 ports are tender ports. Prices checked November 2026.
23 Europe ports, with each cruise line's excursion markup over independent tours of the same type and how safe it is to go on your own.
| Port | Carnival markup | NCL markup | Avg safety | Tender? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BarcelonaSpain | – | – | 5.0/5 | No |
| Civitavecchia (Rome)Italy | +65% | +229% | 3.7/5 | No |
| NaplesItaly | – | +111% | 4.3/5 | No |
| SantoriniGreece | +74% | +73% | 4.0/5 | Yes |
| MykonosGreece | +99% | +72% | 5.0/5 | No |
| DubrovnikCroatia | – | +208% | 5.0/5 | No |
| Livorno (Florence and Pisa)Italy | – | +243% | 4.0/5 | No |
| Palma de MallorcaSpain | – | +284% | 4.7/5 | No |
| ReykjavikIceland | – | +114% | 4.4/5 | No |
| SplitCroatia | – | +183% | 4.7/5 | No |
| Piraeus (Athens)Greece | – | +183% | 5.0/5 | No |
| Salerno (Amalfi Coast)Italy | – | +120% | 4.2/5 | No |
| MalagaSpain | – | +193% | 4.4/5 | No |
| IstanbulTurkey | – | +150% | 5.0/5 | No |
| CorfuGreece | – | +95% | 5.0/5 | No |
| KotorMontenegro | – | +81% | 4.0/5 | Yes |
| VallettaMalta | – | +442% | 4.5/5 | No |
| Cadiz (Seville)Spain | – | +555% | 4.6/5 | No |
| Zeebrugge (Bruges)Belgium | – | +227% | 4.3/5 | No |
| Porto (Leixões)Portugal | – | +206% | 4.7/5 | No |
| La Spezia (Cinque Terre)Italy | – | +35% | 5.0/5 | No |
| Messina (Taormina)Italy | – | +107% | 5.0/5 | No |
| TallinnEstonia | – | +228% | 5.0/5 | No |
Biggest savings in Europe
| Port | Line | Tour type | Ship | Independent | Saving for 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik | NCL | ATV / buggy / jeep | $680 | $242 | $1,753 |
| Reykjavik | NCL | Nature / waterfall / park | $542 | $138 | $1,616 |
| Civitavecchia (Rome) | NCL | Food & tasting | $492 | $100 | $1,566 |
| Dubrovnik | NCL | Nature / waterfall / park | $374 | $33 | $1,363 |
| Malaga | NCL | City / island tour | $271 | $33 | $949 |
| Salerno (Amalfi Coast) | NCL | City / island tour | $296 | $73 | $893 |
| Dubrovnik | NCL | City / island tour | $237 | $22 | $857 |
| Split | NCL | Nature / waterfall / park | $236 | $39 | $788 |
| Cadiz (Seville) | NCL | City / island tour | $212 | $32 | $719 |
| Valletta | NCL | City / island tour | $197 | $22 | $700 |
Questions
Are Europe cruise excursions worth booking through the ship?
On price, usually not: across Europe ports the ship charges +79% on Carnival and +188% on NCL compared with independent tours of the same type, a typical per-person saving of $76 on Carnival and $127 on NCL.
Which Europe ports are tender ports?
Santorini, Kotor. Leave at least 90 minutes before departure to get back to the ship in a tender port.
Where do Europe excursions need extra time?
Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Santorini, Livorno (Florence and Pisa), Palma de Mallorca, Reykjavik, Split, Piraeus (Athens), Salerno (Amalfi Coast), Malaga, Valletta, Cadiz (Seville), Zeebrugge (Bruges), Porto (Leixões), Messina (Taormina) have popular tours with long transfers or ferries, so pick tours that finish well before all-aboard.
Other regions: Western Caribbean Bahamas Eastern Caribbean Southern Caribbean Central and South America Mexican Riviera Alaska Bermuda Hawaii Canada and New England