Shore Experiences

All Shore Experiences booked in My Cunard must be paid for at the time of booking. You can do this with a valid credit or debit card. You can also book Shore Experiences on board, and these will be charged to your on board account, which you’ll be asked to settle at the end of your holiday.

Please keep in mind that your preferred Shore Experiences may no longer be available once you get on board, and that the cost will be at least 10% higher than if you book in advance in My Cunard*.

You can browse and book Shore Experiences here in My Cunard up until three days before you set sail on your holiday.

*Savings are when compared to the on-board price and apply to selected Shore Experiences in My Cunard up until three days before the cruise departure date. See T&Cs. 

Different parts of the world may have different requirements for disembarking the ship, whether you are on your own or on a booked Shore Experience.

During your voyage it is your responsibility to meet all the entry requirements for that country at the time of sailing. Please check the government website of the country you are travelling to and ensure you are aware of the most up-to-date country requirements, as we can’t accept responsibility if you are denied entry to a country because you don’t meet the entry requirements.

You may cancel or amend the majority of reserved experiences at no cost online through My Cunard or by phoning our customer contact centre up to 3 days in advance of sailing. There may, however, be Shore Experiences that are non-refundable or incur a cancellation penalty or have an earlier cancellation deadline; details of this will be contained in the tour description.

Once on board, if you wish to cancel your Shore Experiences before the cancellation deadline (generally 48 hours prior to the arrival in port) a 10% cancellation fee will be applied to your onboard account and the full amount paid will be refunded to your original credit / debit card.

As the pioneers of world voyages, no one knows the world as well as us. Our Shore Experiences are tried and tested, and hand-crafted to maximise your time ashore. 

Peace of mind

If the weather prevents us from docking, or operating Shore Experiences, the full price of your Cunard Shore Experience will be refunded (provided the excursion didn’t start). Additionally, if your Cunard tour is running late, your ship will not depart without you.

Your Shore Experiences team

With a dedicated team on board, you can book, or discuss, Shore Experiences throughout your voyage. Knowledgeable and well-experienced, they can recommend tours, answer questions, and take care of all the details for you.

Local expert guides

All Cunard guides possess a wealth of local knowledge. By sharing their expert insights, you’ll get a more thorough understanding of the destinations you visit, and find your experiences more rewarding and inspiring.

Booking online

Shore Experiences will be available to book on My Cunard from approximately one year prior to departure and will be paid for in full at the time of booking. This method of booking gives you the best chance at getting your first choice of experiences before spaces run out.

Booking on board

You may book Shore Experiences on board, which will be charged to your on board account, to be settled at the end of your voyage.

The price of a Shore Experience depends on several factors, such as the type of experience you take, duration, and whether it includes lunch or refreshments, To see the full range of experiences available on your itinerary, with prices, please log in to My Cunard with your booking reference.

We are currently working on a new Shore Experience programme with a variety of options, to ensure that we have experiences available for all guests to travel ashore and experience the destination as they choose.

Prices are subject to change without notice and may increase before departure. Experiences have limited availability, so it's worth booking early.

Book early to secure your space and enjoy a 10% saving when you book in My Cunard compared to when you book on board*. 

Shore Experiences give you the opportunity to see places you have always dreamt of and try things you have never done before. Experiences vary in length so you can opt for a brief introductory tour, a half-day highlight or an in-depth, full-day exploration.

Log in to My Cunard with your booking reference to browse our Experiences, using the filters (including duration) to help find the perfect one to fit your plans.

The time the ship will be in port will vary from cruise to cruise, and port to port. Time in port variations include:

• Half day (approximately 5 - 7 hours)
• Full day (approximately 7.5 - 11 hours)
• Evening. Some of our longer voyages have evening departures from port. These usually follow a full day in port, and the ship will depart at or after 9pm local time. Examples include Cape Town, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Please note that the timings above are based on the ship's arrival and departure times, not the length of time you have ashore.

If you require any further information that is not available on My Cunard or our FAQ page (Going ashore section) for Shore Experiences, please call our Contact Centre on 0344 338 8641.

Before booking any activity Shore Experience we strongly recommend that you ensure your travel insurance extends to cover the specified activity. It is your responsibility to obtain adequate insurance.

Standards of transport vary considerably throughout the world. Air-conditioned coaches are not available in some countries, whilst in others local buses are the best that can be provided. Please also bear in mind that cars, taxis or mini-buses may also be used at some ports where coaches are not available, or are limited. Guests are asked to take care when boarding and disembarking vehicles particularly bearing in mind that some vehicles have high steps. 

Guests wishing to travel together should all meet for the experience together as this will help the Shore Experience team allocate places in the same vehicle.

We are unable to confirm any specific dietary arrangements prior to sailing for Shore Experiences. Once on board, please contact the Shore Experience desk and advise them of your dietary requirement. The Shore Experience team will then contact the tour operator to see if they are able to accommodate your request.

You may book as many as you like – however we recommend allowing 1 hour between departures. If you miss a Shore Experience due to a delay on the previous experience, you will receive a full refund.

We do not recommend that guests take a Shore Experience on embarkation/disembarkation day due to time constraints and onward travel arrangements.

You may notice that a Shore Experience is offered in a port of call where the ship remains overnight or for two/more days, however these are offered to those guests who are taking the longer cruise where the choice of 7/14 nights was available (for example, World Cruises or 7/14 night cruises on Queen Elizabeth).

If you wish to take a Shore Experience on embarkation/disembarkation day then we strongly advise you ensure that the tour times do not clash with your travel arrangements.

Any Shore Experiences offered on embarkation/disembarkation day will be shown via My Cunard where available.

Occasionally Shore Experiences are arranged on disembarkation day and include a transfer to the airport, however you should still ensure that this fits with your check in or flight time.

If you wish to arrange a private tour for your final day, then it may be possible to arrange this on board (taxi to a chosen destination) however, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the process involving taking luggage off the ship.

In some ports, it is necessary to anchor offshore rather than alongside. When this is the case, we use a tender to take you ashore. A tender is a small vessel with a capacity of around 100 people. The tenders are usually our own, manned by our crew, but sometimes they are chartered through a trusted external provider.

There will be crew members there to guide and steady you as you embark, but they cannot support, carry or lift guests on board the tender for safety reasons. Please wear appropriate, flat, and securely attached footwear, when embarking and disembarking the tender.

If you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, please note that you or your travelling companion are responsible for assembling and disassembling your wheelchair/mobility scooter. The crew will endeavour to assist where practical and safe to do so, providing that no individual part weighs more than 20kg/40 lb.