Surprises on vacation can be fun, but seeing what your cruise ship looks like as it sails away without you onboard isn't something any of us want to experience.  While we've got a lot of practice cruising, there's still a little part of us that worries about missing the ship in port, but if you do these five things you can almost certainly make it back onboard with just enough time to shower before realizing that you forgot about your dinner reservations.

The Beach Club at Bimini is a resort-style destination with soft and beautiful beaches, nice pools, and great food.  When Virgin Voyages is in port, it becomes a specialized and exclusive destination only for Virgin sailors, and takes on some qualities and very much make it feel like a continuation of the shipboard experience.  On this tour, we discuss the amenities, logistics, activities, and what we love and don't...

Costa Maya, Mexico is beautiful - but what should you do when your cruise ship stops there? Maya Chan Beach Resort is owned and run by a family of cruisers. They set out to make the kind of day resort they wished existed. We visit frequently, and have no doubt that it is the best and most relaxing shore excursion in Costa Maya...

St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, is a popular vacation destination offering picturesque beaches and gorgeous views from its lush tropical mountains. If you want to get out on the water and enjoy the salt air though, then there may be no better way than on a catamaran ride to the neighboring island of St John...

When cruising resumed in Europe last year, cruise lines restricted guests from going ashore unless they were on an excursion booked through the cruise line.  At least one major cruise line will resume cruising in North America without this requirement...

Whether cruising the Caribbean, Alaska, or Europe, make sure you consider these five things before picking a shore excursion...

Sometimes we cruise for the destinations, like the beautiful sights in Alaska or the clear waters of the Caribbean - other times we cruise for the onboard experiences available on mega-ships, or the unparalleled service offered on luxury lines.  No matter why you're taking a particular cruise though, there may be ports of call that are less interesting to you than others, and if that happens, you have options.  We'll address some common questions below, but make sure to check out some examples of cruise activity schedules at the bottom of this post.

The Cayman Islands are gorgeous with a lot to offer, including the famous Seven Mile Beach.  Getting around any new town can be intimidating, but luckily, Georgetown Grand Cayman has a public bus system that is quick, inexpensive, and easy to use.  We've been to Grand Cayman many times over the years, and in addition to it's gorgeous beaches, great diving, and peaceful atmosphere, it also offers high prices on many things, including cabs and tours.  If you know where you want to go through, such as Seven Mile Beach, Hell (mail a post card, leave, tell your friends), West Bay Beach, or maybe one of the great restaurants in town, you can be there as quick as any private car, and for only $2.50...

If you're enjoying your cruise and want it to last just a little bit longer, we found a new (to us at least) option that let's you stay onboard in Ft Lauderdale at the end of your sailing, have lunch, enjoy the pool, and yes, your drink package...