Booked my shore excursions through the cruise line for 6 sailings, now I book local operators off the pier and save about $70 a port | Cruise Travel - The Community Guide
Is saving 70 bucks a port really that big a deal when you factor in the risk? I get the appeal, but if a local tour runs late and you miss the ship, that's on you, not the cruise line. The ship will wait for their own excursions and they'll get you to the next port if something goes wrong. For me, that backup is worth more than the cash unless I'm somewhere I really know my way around.