Why some Excursions can only be booked through the Cruiseship?🚢 

When cruise passengers decide to book their activities through an independent tour company (and not their cruiseship) to save some $$$ they often find themselves asking why some activities can only be booked through their cruiseship? its very simple the tour operator of that activity has a contract with your cruiseline. What does this mean? it means that the only way that you can book that activity is through the cruiseship. This will also apply to other ports like Cozumel, Mazatlan, Cabo or La Paz. 

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Knowing this information their next questions is, What if I call them and I tell them that I am staying in a hotel? sorry but that will not work. But why? How will they know I am not a hotel guest? its very simple the tour companies know the day that the ship will be in port and if they have "that type" of contract with this cruiseship they will not accept any reservation from NOBODY else, only from that specific cruiseship. (no hotels, no checkins, no nothing). What about if the cruiseship has that activity fully booked? even if the cruiseship has no more spaces the companies cannot sell that excursion to you because of the contract.

 

Why do some excursions have different starting and ending time compared to the "regular tour", example: there is a popular "dinner-show" that its normally during the night however it is offered to cruise passengers to take it during the day, How can that be? its very simple because the cruiseline has an agreement with that tour operator to "open that excursion" tailor made just for their cruise passengers and thats also why the cruise excursions are more expensive because they are "customized".