I’ve used Exodus, G Adventures, Intrepid and Viator to book tours and all of them are great. For Viator, it’s best to travel with a phone, so that you receive their reconfirmation call the day before the tour starts. They pick up at most hotels in most cities around the world. The Viator web site is a great way to get an idea of things to see in any destination. – Tim

Shore excursions can be an expensive proposition for cruisers. Shore Excursion Group solves this by offering substantial savings and the best guarantee in the industry. Their independently operated tours are never late back to the ship, but they guarantee to cover all your expenses and make all arrangements to catch the ship if you were to miss it. I’ve used them for tours in Buenos Aires and Aruba. They always wait patiently for me at the pier with a sign that has my name on it. – Tim

The internet has virtually eliminated the involvement of travel agents in booking air fares. Major airlines often only pay a few dollars of commission on bookings. Although there are options like Kayak to search competitive pricing, I always prefer Expedia. Spend the time to search alternate routes that include overnights. The longer you search, the more often you find an interesting route that also saves you money. – Tim