Shore Excursions

"Shore Things" is Virgin Voyages' word for shore excursions, and the system is well-built — app-based booking, ship-wait guarantee (if a Shore Thing runs late, the ship waits), transparent pricing, and decent operators. The catch is that the best Shore Things sell out fast — sometimes within hours of booking opening. We're Joel and Erin, and we've done a lot of Shore Things across the fleet. Here's the strategy.

Book in the Sailor app the day reservations open. Reservations typically open 45 days before sailing for standard fares, earlier for some promotional fares and RockStar. Set a calendar reminder. The minute the app shows availability, log in and book the Shore Things you actually want. The most popular ones — Stingray City, Mendenhall Glacier helicopter, sea turtle swims, Sagrada Família tours — go in the first day, sometimes the first few hours, on full sailings.

The Shore Things that sell out first (based on our experience):

1) Stingray City (Grand Cayman) — small group operators, limited daily capacity, iconic experience.

2) Sea turtle swim (Barbados) — same dynamic, small-group boat tours with limited slots.

3) Mendenhall Glacier helicopter + ice walk (Juneau) — weather-dependent but the slots themselves sell out instantly.

4) Misty Fjords floatplane (Ketchikan) — fixed daily capacity, the most photogenic excursion in Alaska.

5) White Pass Railway (Skagway) — limited cabin capacity on the historic railroad.

6) Panama Railroad transit (Colón, Panama Canal sailings) — the train ride across the isthmus.

7) Whale watching (Juneau, Icy Strait, Sitka) — small-boat operators only.

8) Sagrada Família entry (Barcelona) — Gaudí's basilica has timed entry; VV tours include the ticket.

9) Pompeii archaeological tour (Naples) — multiple operators, but the best small-group ones go first.

10) Santorini wine tasting / Oia sunset — limited transit slots from Fira.

Sailor Loot works on Shore Things, and this is where the math of stacking promotions pays off. If you booked your voyage through a First Mate with bonus Sailor Loot, you can apply that credit directly to expensive Shore Things — effectively making them free. A $400 helicopter excursion on $400 of Sailor Loot is the kind of stack that makes the First Mate booking advantage obvious.

The Shore Things That Sell Out First — Book These Immediately

The list above is sequenced by sell-out speed in our experience. If your sailing includes any of those ports, those Shore Things should be the first thing you click when booking opens. The fastest-selling four are universally: Stingray City, the Barbados sea turtle swim, the Mendenhall Glacier helicopter, and the Misty Fjords floatplane. Build your day around them — the rest of the port day can be planned later.

Independent booking vs VV-booked Shore Things: Some Sailors prefer to book independently with local operators to save money. We get it — sometimes you save 30-50%. But the trade-off is the ship-wait guarantee. If you're on a VV-booked Shore Thing and the bus has traffic, the ship waits. If you booked independently and got stuck in traffic, the ship leaves without you and you're flying to the next port at your own expense. For the high-stakes excursions (helicopters, long-distance tours, anything requiring tight return timing), book through VV. For the simple stuff (taxi to a beach in Cozumel, a short Old San Juan walking tour), independent is fine.

One more move: if you're not sure about a Shore Thing, book it. Cancellation windows are generous (usually free up to 48 hours before the port call), so you can hold a slot and decide later. Holding a Shore Thing you might not use is better than not having a slot in the first place.

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