Think back to 1989. The Berlin Wall has just fallen. The television shows LA Law, Cheers and Murphy Brown clean up at the Emmy Awards. George Michael’s Faith is the album of the year. And Hampton Hotels launches its “100% Satisfaction Guarantee.”

Yes, 1989 was a banner year.

Fast-forward 20 years. There are many anniversaries to celebrate in 2009, but the one we’re focused on is Hampton Hotel’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee (not 100% satisfied? then you do not pay). Why? Because in honor of the 20th anniversary of Hampton’s guarantee, Viator and Hampton have joined together to give away 20 free nights at any Hampton Hotel plus a $200 gift certificate at Viator.com!!

Hampton's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: Not satisfied? Then you don't pay

Yes! The winner of our contest stays for 20 nights - free! - at any Hampton hotel. You’ll have 1,700+ locations to chose from… Manhattan to New Orleans, San Francisco to San Antonio, Puerto Rico to Mexico to Canada and beyond!. And you’ll receive a $200 Viator.com gift certificate.

How to enter

What’s the catch? There isn’t one!! All you need to do is answer one simple question:

What do YOU wish in life came with a 100% guarantee?

Leave your answer as a comment below. We will select the best answer to the question “What do YOU wish in life came with a 100% guarantee?” by November 5, and post the winning response below. That’s it. That’s all it takes to win 20 free hotel nights and a Viator.com gift certificate!!

Contest rules: The fine print

• The deadline for submissions is November 3, 2009. Winners will be announced by November 5, 2009.
• To enter the contest, simply leave a comment below answering the question:”What do YOU wish in life came with a 100% guarantee?”
• Viator will select a winner based on who they feel best answers the question above.
• You may enter the contest as often as you like, as long as you supply a different answer with each entry.
• The winner will receive a Hampton Hotels certificate entitling them to stay for 20 nights, free, at any Hampton Hotels location, subject to normal availability. The certificate is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. All hotel nights must be used within 12 months. The certificate has no cash value and cannot be exchanged or refunded.
• The winner will receive a USD$200 Viator.com gift certificate, valid for two years from the date of issue or as required by local law. Viator gift certificates are not redeemable for cash.
• Viator, Hampton Hotel, and Hilton Inc. employees, contractors and their families are not eligible to win this contest - don’t even think about it!

Good luck, and congratulations Hampton Hotels for 20 years of awesome customer service!

-Viator Travel Team

Yes, you read right - we’re giving away two free tickets on a San Francisco helicopter tour and two free tickets on a behind-the-scenes platinum tour of the California Academy of Sciences. No tricks, no funny stuff - we’re giving all of this away with no questions asked.

Well, that’s not quite true. We are asking everybody who enters the contest one simple question:

We want to know - in 10 words or less - why we should give YOU these free tickets. To enter our San Francisco giveaway you must tell us (in 10 words or less) why we should we send you on a SF helicopter tour and behind-the-scenes at the California Academy of Sciences. Leave your 10-word reply as a comment and we’ll select a winner by October 30.

SF Helicopter Tour? Yes!

Win 2 free tickets on a SF Buena Vista Helicopter Tour...

Some people don’t get too excited about helicopter tours. Fair enough, but this isn’t your typical helicopter tour. This is a tour of San Francisco, after all, which means you go under the Golden Gate Bridge at about 120mph, swooping down and around Alcatraz Island on a stunning aerial view of the city. It’s pretty amazing stuff (click here to read Scott’s review of his SF helicopter tour).

Oh, and did we mention it’s FREE!!! The winner of our contest wins 2 free tickets on an San Francisco Vista Grande helicopter tour.

California Academy of Sciences? Yes!

...and 2 free tickets on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Academy of Sciences

But wait! There’s more. We’re also giving away 2 free tickets on a behind-the-scenes platinum tour of the California Academy of Sciences. It’s the only place on the planet with an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and four-story rain forest all under one roof! The Platinum Tour is the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience at the Academy, and you’ll get special access to staff-only areas, interaction with Academy researchers and a private viewing of some of the Academy’s secured collections including the aquarium.

A perfect weekend in San Francisco, in 10 words or less!

OK, just to repeat, all you need to do is tell us, in 10 words or less, why we should give you 2 free tickets on a SF Buena Vista Helicopter Tour and 2 free tickets on a Platinum Tour of the California Academy of Sciences. The tickets are valid for 6 months from the time we issue them. There are no blackout dates, though availability is subject to normal restrictions by our local suppliers

Not to get all legal on you, but here’s some additional fine print: It’s your responsibility to get yourself to San Francisco. We’re simply providing 2 free tickets on a SF helicopter tour and 2 free tickets on a Platinum Tour of the California Academy of Sciences. Any hotel, train, plane, or other expenses are solely your responsibility.

Good luck in the contest. Happy travels and enjoy San Francisco!

-Viator Travel Team

Oktoberfest may be the world’s largest party. Organizers estimate more than 6 million liters of beer will be consumed (drink, drank and - hiccup - certainly drunk) at this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich, which runs September 19 - October 4. It’s time to roll out the barrels, we’ll have a barrel of fun…

While entry is free to the Oktoberfest beer tents, you won’t be served beer unless you’re sitting down. And  seats in the beer tents require advance reservations. As in - you shoulda reserved 6 months ago because most seats are sold out by now.

Don’t panic - we said most are sold out, not all. If you’re stuck for a ticket to the world’s biggest beer festival, Radius Tours has limited tickets left – so hurry as they are selling fast! Call them in Germany at +49 - 89 - 5502 9374 to secure your reserved seat in the legendary Hofbrauhaus beer tent! Tell ‘em Viator sent you.

Win 2 free tickets to Oktoberfest!

If you love beer, Viator and Radius Tours are your new best friends. That’s because we’re giving away 2 free tickets to Oktoberfest’s closing ceremonies on October 4 in Munich. What’s the catch? There isn’t one! All you need to do is answer the following question in 10 words or less:

Why should we give YOU two free tickets to Oktoberfest?

Post your answer as a comment, below. And remember your answer must be 10 words or less. Eleven words is one too many, keep your replies to 10 words or less. You can enter our contest as ofter as you like. We’ll pick a winner by September 25.

Win 2 free tickets to Oktoberfest!

So what do you win? The 2 tickets include a guided tour of the grounds, telling you all you need to know about the world’s greatest beer festival; a ride on the famous Oktoberfest Ferris wheel; seats at a private reserved table – guaranteed places for up to five hours in the Hofbrau Tent (Oktoberfest’s sister to the legendary Hofbrauhaus and the biggest and most popular tent at Oktoberfest); your first 2 litres of beer; and half a roast chicken!

Not to get all legal on you, but here’s some additional fine print: It’s your responsibility to get yourself to Munich. We’re simply providing 2 free tickets to the Oktoberfest closing ceremonies on October 4, 2009. Any hotel, train, plane, or other expenses are solely your responsibility.

Good luck in the contest. Happy travels and enjoy the beer!

-Viator Travel Team

As America continues to look a bleak economy straight in the face, it is more important than ever to leverage all options to find the cheapest flights and trips online, so we can still enjoy an affordable vacation.

Done right, the intelligent traveler can chop considerable dollars off his or her airfare and invest it somewhere else, where it would be better used. Unfortunately, there isn’t one answer to finding the cheapest fare available. Getting the lowest price requires diligence and careful planning.

Read on to find a list of the best tips that will allow you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the vacation you deserve – instead of having to worry about your pocketbook.

7 Tips for Finding Cheap Airfares

1. Be flexible. If you have to fly in at 5PM and leave at 12AM, you’re probably not going to find a cheap flight. Sacrifice a few hours or decide to spend another day wherever you are and you’ll be able to drop a good amount off your bill. Don’t, and you’ll suffer the consequences of stubbornness.
2. Book far in advance. There is probably no stronger tip than this. If you have some leadership ability, start planning up to a year in advance, push your friends and family on a trip, and you’ll save considerably. However, there is always risk involved with this that comes with booking so far in advance. It’s never too late, though. If you’re within a month, think of the trip, plan it, and book it that day. Generally, the longer you wait, the larger the cost.
3. Continue checking prices. If you know you have a flight in the future, and it’s already not too late, don’t book immediately. Fares can fluctuate like the stock market, so it can be the most cost effective to continuously plug in your iteniary online until you find the best deal available.
4. Buy late. For the spur-of-the-moment traveler, several options exist for dirt-cheap flights. The first is to find all your local airlines online and sign up for their newsletters. You’ll often get tips about last-second deals that can make a great trip affordable. There are also several specialized sites available online that will help you find a great last-second flight.
5. Fly on weekdays. Think about what most people do when they travel, and do the opposite. If you do this, you will save the most money, because airlines are always trying to fill these seats. This means fly on the weekdays, when their planes are the least crowded, and the flights are the cheapest.
6. Air Passes. Many countries offer air passes at low prices for tourists to promote tourism and inter-country travel. If you have plans to see the scope of Asia or Australia or any other large body of land, looking into Air Passes can be the most cost-effective way to see the country or continent coast-coast. These passes will generally give you a certain number of preordained flights within the country to go with your round-trip airfare.
7. Investigate. Use multiple travel sites. Don’t assume that the first one you check is going to have the same airfare deals as the others, they won’t. To save the most money, check all the online agencies. There are also several multi-search engines available online. Also, you can sometimes find the best deals on the airlines’ own websites. Southwest sells fares on its own site exclusively, and other airlines are not opposed to posting the lowest possible fare on their own domain.

The more complex you get, in terms of mixing fares, buying hotels, and doing your homework, the more likely it will become that you find the best price available. As it is with most things, hard work pays off. Work hard and you’ll save the money that you don’t need to be spending on your next flight.

-Ross Hudgens

And the reason I didn’t do those things is that the line inside for them, while well managed, was long, like an hour long. At 10:30 am, the next available seats for the planetarium show were at 4 pm. I still had a great time, but I left thinking I really only experienced part of the Academy of Sciences and that I’d have to go back, maybe in a year when it’s a bit less crowded.

Inspecting the roof on a behind-the-scenes Platinum Tour

I heard about the new California Academy of Sciences Platinum Tour and decided it was time to go back, and this time I was going to see everything. And not just everything I could have seen with my regular ticket, but literally, everything at the Academy – where they make the food for the animals, where they clean the aquarium water, where the scientists on staff do research, and I was going to bust into the high security vault.

Me? I am a fancy-pants VIP

Inside the vault, on the Platinum Tour

Determined in my quest, I skipped the entrance line and picked up my fancy-pants Platinum Tour VIP badge. The behind-the-scenes tour was led by a California Academy of Sciences staff member with a degree in environmental science who could seriously answer any question about the building, the animals, the plants on the roof and ecology in general.

For anyone curious about how the largest indoor live coral reef in the world is maintained, seeing the workings behind the Philippine Reef is amazing. Ocean water is pumped in directly from Ocean Beach in San Francisco and then treated to match the salinity and temperature of the reef.

My favorite part of the works – huge bags labeled “Instant Ocean.” I also really enjoyed the kitchen chart on which animals eat which food and watching the food prep. Fun fact: the Academy grows their own coral rather than harvesting it from the wild.

I did say I saw the living roof on my first visit, but on the Platinum Tour we got to meander out on the roof beyond the restricted visiting area to really see how the roof is structured and maintained and ask any questions about the plants and animals. Fun fact: living roofs, besides all their green benefits, are actually cheaper than a traditional roof.

Chatting with one of the scientists

The tour was superb, I learned tons about the new California Academy of Sciences architecture (the largest LEED Platinum rated building in the world), the history of the Academy, and we even chatted with Peter, a scientist working that day on bird specimens.

The tour ended with a viewing in the vault, where the precious and rare metals are kept under lock and key and not accessible to the general public. Icing on the cake: the tour guide presented each of us with a parting gift from the Academy. I’m not going to tell you what it was; you have to go on the tour to get one. It is cool. That’s all I’m saying.

Rain Forest & Planetarium Show: Skip the lines!

All well and good, but I still had a planetarium show and a rain forest to see. At the end of the tour our guide walked us around the back of the rainforest exhibit, to the front of the line, and, somewhat to the chagrin of the people who were patiently waiting in line, ushered us into the rain forest. Tip: wear a brightly colored shirt and you will have many new butterfly friends in the rain forest. Also keep an eye out for the tiny frogs, seriously tiny, like pinky fingernail sized.

And last on the list, my confirmed planetarium show time (included with the tour!). There’s no bad seat in the house, but I tried to pick one where I could see the whole screen, which I now think is impossible for any human since the Morrison Planetarium is the largest digital planetarium in the world. Sigourney Weaver took over tour guide responsibilities for a tour of our universe with interjections from the planetarium staff on recent events in astronomy (the planetarium also has a live NASA feed).

While I did have an excellent lunch at the café, one that puts other museum food to shame (local, organic, yum!), I did not eat in the fancier Moss Room, named one of the best new restaurants in the USA by Travel + Leisure magazine. So it turns out my totally complete see everything, do everything day at the California Academy of Sciences was not quite complete. I did peek in to see the wall of moss and the very posh décor, but I am going to have to make a reservation for dinner soon…

-Kelly G

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s San Francisco tours & things to do, including the new California Academy of Sciences Platinum Tour, which, for a limited time, Viator is offering at an exclusive 20% off.  Yes, you too can have Kelly’s fancy-pants all-access day at a seriously cheaper price (around $20 savings). You can also read more about the California Academy of Science here on the Viator Blog.

What's new in Vegas? Read on....

New Las Vegas Shows

First up, the incomparable Donny & Marie at the Flamingo. This is a great show that highlights the talent, rapport and voices of this brother and sister act. They sing a variety of songs – both individually and together to form a show that is suitable for all ages. You’ll be rocking out in your seat to this duo - guaranteed!

Legends, in their new home at Harrahs Hotel and Casino, is not only one of the longest-running shows on the Las Vegas Strip, it also features the best of the best impersonators. The show is constantly changing their roster of stars, so you’ll rarely get the same show twice. Your entertainers for the night may include Whitney Houston, Garth Brooks, Elvis Presley, David Bowie or Britney Spears. This is another show that is suitable for all ages. Amnd right now we’re running a special 10% off tickets (which equals a free seating upgrade) as well as 50% off the buffet (this is Vegas, after all, the buffets are de rigeur).

Next up, the Vinnie Favorito Comedy Show. You may not have heard of this comic, but once you see Vinnie, you’ll never, ever forget him! He starts out innocently enough – just asking you questions, your name, who you’re with, then POW! You just never know where Vinnie is going to take the conversation, and you can’t help but have tears of laughter by the end of the show. Because his show is based on the audience members, you will never get the same show twice. Don’t be put off by the audience participation aspect of this show – you will honestly feel left out if he doesn’t speak to you. Just a word of warning – this show features colorful language and is not for the feint-hearted, but if you’re OK with that – you shouldn’t miss this one! As a special offer, if you book and travel by August 31, 2009, you will receive either a free ‘Best of Vinnie Favorito’ CD or free T-Shirt.

Who would have ever thought that 4 white guys from Sydney, Australia could ever be the new darlings of Motown? Human Nature are well known back in their hometown (and mine), but are just commencing their year-long engagement at the Imperial Palace. Smokey Robinson is presenting this show, and if he’s put his name to it – you know it must be great. They sing 2 incredible a capella songs – “People get Ready” and “Ooh Baby Baby”, but the harmonies on the other songs are simply not to be missed. And yes, we have a special! Book and travel by August 31, 2009, and all general admission seating will be upgraded to VIP seating for free.

Last of the new shows on Viator, Carrot Top at the Luxor. This is a truly funny show. Carrot Top combines the physical comedy of someone like Gallagher, with the cerebral comedy of a Dennis Miller. His show features a bottomless pit of ever-changing props and these are incorporated into his up-to-the-minute topical jokes featuring politics and pop culture. For a limited time, when you book on Viator.com, you will receive a free Carrot Top CD.

Las Vegas NASCAR to Hoover Dam

For those adrenaline junkies out there – we have just launched the Richard Petty Ride Along at Las Vegas Speedway. Here, you can take a few laps around the track with a professional NASCAR driver for that once-in-a-lifetime experience! To make the most out of your experience, you can upgrade to a tour of the speedway facility which also includes transport from the Strip. As a special offer, if you book and travel by July 31, 2009 – every guest will receive a free photo in the race car!

What better way to spend an evening than a romantic dinner and a helicopter flight over the famous Las Vegas Strip? We just released a brand new package that includes a 3-course meal, your helicopter flight over hotels such as the Bellagio, Paris, New York New York and the soon to be completed City Center, and all your transportation to and from the venues. For travel until July 31, you’ll receive a 20% discount off the retail price!

And finally, what trip to Vegas is complete without a visit to Hoover Dam? New on Viator this week is a helicopter flight over Hoover Dam. You will have incredible, unobstructed views of the dam, the incredible bridge that is soon to be complete as a Hoover Dam bypass (seriously amazing feat of engineering here), and stunning Lake Mead. Roundtrip transportation is also included from your hotel. Once again, we have a great deal for you – if you book now, you’ll get a 10% discount of the retail price.

Stay tuned … we have more great new things coming up in the not too distant future, so be sure to keep checking back on our site for updates!

-Viator Las Vegas Team

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Las Vegas tours & things to do, from Las Vegas shows to

The runners-up are Shawn (his answer: 6 kids, $200 a month wages, wife needs break. thanks) and Dana (Two Lovebirds / Perched and Dined / Over the Strip / Were Roasted). Shawn and Dana, we are sending you a promo code good for 5% off your next Viator booking, as our way of saying thanks!

The Grand Prize Winner? A unanimous decision, our Las Vegas team voted C. Mayes the Grand Prize winner. C. Mayes submitted a few entries, all of them worthy of prizes. However what impressed us most was this post-contest post, where C. Mayes reminded a late contest entrant that they missed the deadline (in a reply of exactly 10 words): “Kinda clever, but too late. Registration deadline was June 30th!”

Nicely done, C. Mayes. Enjoy your dinner and show in Las Vegas!

* * * * * * * * * * *

We’ve written about the new Dinner in the Sky in Las Vegas. Here’s the recap in case: there’s a new dining experience in Las Vegas, involving a large crane, an elevated outdoor table, and amazing views of the Las Vegas skyline. It’s called Dinner in the Sky. It is either the coolest experience ever, or the worst idea yet conceived by mankind, all depending on your opinion of heights.

Win 2 free tickets to Las Vegas Dinner in the Sky & Vinnie Favorito at the Flamingo!

The best news of all: Viator has scored 2 free tickets to Las Vegas Dinner in the Sky!! And yes, we are giving them away!! (Free tickets, woo hoo!)

We’ve also scored 2 free tickets to the Vinnie Favorito comedy show at the Flamingo hotel, which we’re including as part of the prize. The show is getting excellent reviews. With Vinnie you will laugh, you will cry (from laughter), and you may very well become the butt of Vinnie’s jokes. This is an interactive ‘roast’ and audience members spend plenty of time in the comedic hot seat.

Las Vegas Dinner & Show Contest: How do I enter?

Vinnie Favorito at the Flamingo

Simply leave a reply for this post below to enter our “Las Vegas Dinner & Show” contest. We want you to answer one simple question: “Why should Viator give YOU free tickets to a Las Vegas dinner & show?” Entries must be submitted by June 30, 2009.

Winners will be announced on July 2, 2009.

Of course, there is a catch! We are only accepting replies that are 10 words or less! That’s right, answer the question “Why should we give YOU free tickets to a Las Vegas dinner & show” in 10 words or less, and you could win 2 free tickets to Dinner in the Sky and 2 free tickets to Vinnie Favorito at the Flamingo. You can enter our contest as many times as you like, but remember, your reply must be 10 words or less or it will not be considered.

Las Vegas Dinner & Show Contest: What do I win?

Our staff will pick the entry that we think best answers the question above, in 10 words or less. We are providing 2 free tickets to Dinner in the Sky Las Vegas (valid thru December 2009; the only blackout dates are July 4 and New Year’s Eve). We are also providing 2 free tickets to Vinnie Favorito at the Flamingo hotel (valid thru December 2009).

Airfare, hotel, taxes, and any other expenses are not included. We provide an unforgettable night of entertainment in Las Vegas, you need to get there on your own!

Good luck!

-Viator Travel Team

Follow Viator!

Sometimes, new technology makes life more complicated. Think: the highly programmable coffee-espresso machine that collects dust in your kitchen pantry.

Other times, new technology looks cool at first. And then quickly turns tedious. Think: laser pointers and clapping light switches.

And then once in a blue moon, along comes something new that is actually useful. In this category we are placing Twitter. Yes I know, for many of you, the very mention of the word “Twitter” makes you ill. You’re tired of it, it’s just a fad, won’t it please go away.

It may be that some of you have never heard of it. That’s OK too.

The reason we mention it is, Twitter (for all of its annoying faults) is very useful when it comes to promoting travel deals. So we’ve started a Viator Travel Deals Twitter feed. Simply click “follow” and you’ll receive it. We’re not going to bore you with the latest insights gleaned at breakfast. We won’t Twitter when we’re going to bed. We won’t Twitter when we stub our toe.

No.

We will Twitter a few times a day when we have a travel deal worth promoting, a thought worth sharing (99.9% guaranteed to be travel-related, don’t worry). We’ll also start offering Twitter-only promotion codes. So if you want to have a bit of fun and save a few bucks on a Viator tour, follow us on Twitter and be ready when we send out a Twitter-only promotion code. Happy travels to our Twitter travel friends.

-Viator Travel Team

With our partner, Smart Destinations, their credit card-sized smart cards act as a universal ticket to up to as many as 70 attractions in a destinations ranging from Boston to Oahu, Toronto to San Diego – all for one smart price.

An impressive list to be on!

For just a six year-old firm, Smart Destinations (the company behind the popular “Go-Card” and “Explorer Pass”) has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years and was the top travel company on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 500 fastest growing companies. An impressive feat! And with over 2,000,000 visits using one of its cards in 2008, this company has continued to grow even in the face of the economic headwinds hitting much of the global economy.

I recently caught up with the co-founder of Smart Destinations, Cecilia Dahl, in her Boston office to ask her a few questions about these fabulous cards and how they are even more valuable in the current economy.

Smart Destinations: Viator Interview with Cecilia Dahl

Smart Destinations President and Co-Founder, Cecilia Dahl

Viator: So I am holding one of your Go Boston Cards. If I wanted to see the sites here in Beantown, how does the whole thing work?

Dahl: (Laughs and hands me pocket sized guide book) You’d probably want one of these to help you get around. That card is the ticket to everything in the guidebook. And every Go Card order comes with a guidebook.

Viator: There must be what – thirty or forty things in here?

Dahl: It is more like 70 in Boston. And actually it covers more than just Boston. You can see the Newport Mansions, Sturbridge Village, take a ferry to the Cape or the Islands, see Historic Salem, as well as get into the museums, tours, and attractions here in Boston.

Viator: So I just walk up, flash the card, and all these places will let me in?

Dahl: They take the card from you, swipe it, and hand it back and that’s it. For some tours you may need to make a reservation, particularly during the busy season.

Viator: But it is not a stored value card or a discount card, right? Once I’ve bought it, that’s it for me. Nothing more to pay?

Dahl: Exactly. You pay one price and then you can use the Go Card to visit as many of the participating attractions as you like. It is your ticket to everything. There’s nothing else to pay. The cards come in either increments of days – 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days – or in some destinations they can be bought for a pre-set number of attractions – typically 3, 5, or 7 admissions

Viator: What do you mean by “increments of days?” If I buy a three day Go Card, I can keep using it for three days?

Dahl: That’s exactly right. And you have complete flexibility. Even where you choose an Explorer Pass – that’s the product where you decide how many admission you want to see – you don’t have to decide what it is you’re going to see in advance. We definitely have people who plan everything – “first morning hit the Field Museum, afternoon trolley tour and the Sears Tower, morning two Shedd Aquarium, etc.” We also have customers who like to play it by ear. One Dad told us every morning of their trip he’d hand the guide book to the kids and ask them “What are we doing today? If it’s in there, we can do it.” I love stories like that.

Viator: That is a great story - So we were talking about Go Boston Card and then you started listing Chicago attractions. How many destinations do you cover?

Dahl: We try to be in every major tourist destination. So with Viator we offer an Explorer Pass in New York City, and GoCards in Chicago, Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Oahu, and Boston. We even offer a pass to explore the great wine country of the Napa Valley.

Viator: Sounds like Smart Destinations is doing OK in this economy? What do you see as being behind that?

Dahl: Probably the biggest factor is the value. Our customers definitely like extras like being able to skip lines, getting discounts from stores and restaurants, and the guide book. But at the end of the day, our products allows them have a great vacation and save money in the process. It varies by customer, but it is very common for our customers to spend 30% or 40% less buying our card than they would have spent if they had to buy individual tickets at each museum, tour, theme park, or attraction. That’s pretty powerful even when the economy is good!

Check it out for yourself. Buy a Go Card or an Explorer Pass for your next trip. Even if you are a local, get reacquainted with your own backyard or arm your out-of-town guests with the free guide book that comes with every order and send them off for a great experience.

-Ken Frohling

But I will say that not all aspects of cruising are cheap. Optional expenses like spa treatments, or alcoholic drinks (one could argue not really optional when cruising with your family!) or even soda are not included in the price. And of course, there’s the most notoriously expensive cruise add on - the Caribbean shore excursion.

St Lucia Shore Excursion - Catamaran Day Sail

For a week long cruise a couple could easily spend the cost of their Caribbean cruise all over again in shore excursion fees. The cruise lines charge a premium for shore excursions, though frankly, in most cases, you could save time and money by not booking the tour through the cruise line. Avoiding the hoards of passengers being organized into the cruise line shore excursions and having a smaller group experience leaves more time for fun, which is why you’re in the Caribbean in the first place.

On the saving money front, let’s compare Viator versus two major cruise lines for a couple of Caribbean shore excursions:

St. Thomas, USVI Shore Excursion - St. John Champagne Catamaran Sail and Snorkel

Viator $61.99

Princess Cruises: $89

Royal Caribbean: $79

Grand Cayman Shore Excursion - Atlantis Submarine Expedition

Viator $88

Princess Cruises: $99

Royal Caribbean: $105

Dominica Shore Excursion - River Tubing Safari

Viator: $60

Princess Cruises: $74

Royal Caribbean: $69

I could go on, but I think you get the idea, Viator’s Caribbean shore excursions are generally much less expensive than a major cruise line. In many cases, the operator of the tour is the same, so there’s no difference in quality, just a cheaper price. In some cases, the Viator group will be smaller in size than the giant cruise line group, which often leads to a better shore excursion experience. You might even meet people who you aren’t seeing every day on your cruise!

The cruise lines use scare tactics like, you might miss getting back to the boat on time if you don’t book the cruise line shore excursion, but really, any professional operator is going to have you back in plenty of time for sailing. I recommend checking out Caribbean shore excursion reviews on Viator or any of the reputable cruise forums on the web for more advice. There’s one thing I’ve learned from reading the forums, veteran cruisers never book the cruise line shore excursions.

Happy sailing!

-Kelly G

Taking a cruise somewhere else? Check out more Caribbean shore excursions in Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, St Maarten, US Virgin Islands, and Mexico over on Viator.com.