Should I book a shore excursion?

with thousands of people in the middle of the ocean, with nothing to do’,’’ Jardine says.

‘‘You’re on a seven-day itinerary, eating three meals a day – you could experience a different restaurant for every meal.’’

It’s no surprise then that many people will book a cruise solely for the ship – they don’t even care where it’s going.

‘‘We have so many clients who will do three or four cruises a year,’’ Elgar says. ‘‘They know the ships inside out. They won’t even book a shore excursion.’’

Cruising allows you to see places you might never have dreamed of, Jardine says.

‘‘On a two-week cruise around the Eastern Mediterranean, you could visit eight different countries and stop at a different port every single day. You cannot do that on a self-drive holiday.’’

About 40 per cent of cruisers end up returning to places they first discovered on a cruise holiday for longer, land-based stays, Jardine says. It’s a great way to get a taste of a destination.

So, what’s the best way to explore? You’re perfectly entitled to hop off the ship and do your own thing. But Jardine’s recommendation would be to go with one of the cruise line’s organised shore excursions.

‘‘If you’re on an organised tour and the bus breaks down, the cruise ship will wait for you. If you’re out there on your own and miss the embarkation time, it won’t wait for you. It’s up to you to get yourself to the next port.’’