Posted on Sun, Sep. 07, 2008

In Jamaica, Carnival Cruise Lines offers passengers a bobsled ride through a tropical forest. In Stockholm, Norwegian Cruise Line guests can take a rooftop tour of the city. In Key West, those sailing on Royal Caribbean ships can take a walking tour with a hand-held GPS that not only supplies directions but also provides facts, myths and legends.

These are some of the smart new shore excursions offered by mainstream cruise lines as they widen their appeal to a more active, tuned-in audience.

For the past few years, cruise lines have been adding excursions that appeal to younger, active passengers, such as zipline adventures, lessons in regional cuisine and ecologically oriented tours. But now they're upping the ante with even more ''extreme'' excursions and tours that lean on modern technology.

Dozens of such shore trips are on tap for passengers who want something more than a standard bus tour on a port-of-call visit. Some may be expensive, and many limit the number of participants to small groups. But all provide a less common perspective to their visit ashore.

Norwegian Cruise Line, for one, has just launched a new series of shore excursions called Ultimate Touring that is available to groups of two to 18 persons. Besides that rooftop walk in Stockholm, its tours include such beyond-the-ordinary experiences as a speedboat exploration of the Helsinki archipelago and sharing cuisine secrets with an Alaskan chef in Ketchikan.

In June, Holland America announced the addition of nearly 500 specially selected excursions in several categories. Among them are first-class tours to events and sights not readily available, such as becoming a dolphin trainer for a day in Puerto Vallarta, and tours that explore beyond the standard attractions, such as visiting the important sites in the life of Eva Peron in Buenos Aires. Of special interest to ''been-there-done-that'' travelers is its Signature Collection, which allows guests to customize their excursions and reserve private transportation.

Holland America isn't the only line tailoring excursions to independent-minded passengers. Norwegian offers exclusive four- and nine-hour tours in a private vehicle for passengers who want to explore any NCL port of call on their own, and Princess and Royal Caribbean offer iPod-guided walking tours.

Both those lines let passengers choose whether they want to follow a pre-set itinerary on their GPS tours, or design their own. Princess' iPod tours, available in 16 European cities for $29 each, provides passengers with a detailed map of attractions along with recorded tour information about each. Royal Caribbean also offers its iPod tours in three other locales -- the Falkland Islands; Halifax, Nova Scotia and Lisbon. Regent began iPod tours in several European cities last year.

Here are a few of the newest active, less-structured shore explorations. All prices are subject to change.

CARNIVAL

Remember the improbable Jamaican bobsled teams of the winter Olympics? Carnival has just initiated a new excursion that gives passengers a chance to take a bobsled ride through a Jamaican tropical forest. The bobsled, at Mystic Mountain near Ocho Rios, winds 3,280 feet on steel rails, with riders contolling speed with a handbrake. Cost is $59. Also at Mystic Mountain are a chairlift ride above treetops and a zipline canopy adventure. The excursion is available on the 14 Carnival ships that sail the western Caribbean.

MSC CRUISES

Hog alert: On St. Maarten, MSC offers adult passengers a guided motorcycle tour that lasts about five hours and runs through the French side of the island. Participants can ride either a legendary Fat Boy bike or the classic Harley Heritage, but must have a current motorcycle license (available in most states) and credit card. Price is $395. The tour is available from South Florida on MSC Lirica and MSC Orchestra sailings.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

Using a hand-held GPS, passengers taking the GPS Video Walking Tour of Key West can take in the city's most famous sites on a pre-set itinerary or program the device to roam wherever they want. The interactive unit also provides commentary on various venues. Price is $29.

On Mexican Riviera sailings, active passengers can take an Outdoor Adventure Experience out of Puerta Vallarta that includes a panga boat trip, mule ride, off-road-drive, rappelling through waterfalls and zipline adventure. Tour is limited to 14 people, starts at $114.

NORWEGIAN

Passengers taking NCL's guided rooftop walk in Stockholm are fitted with a helmet and safety harness as they stroll atop the Old Parliament Building and other venues. The price starts at $199 and is available on Norwegian Jade sailings.

Another unusual tour from the Norwegian Jade is a mountain bike expedition in Corfu, Greece. Only 20 people can participate. The tour takes them to such untouched regions of the island as the villages of Kato Korakiana and Saint Marcos. Price starts at $179.

PRINCESS

Passengers not afflicted with the fear of heights now can climb Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge all the way to the top, more than 400 feet above the water, on a ship-arranged tour. Participants must wear a jumpsuit, headset and harness, pass an alcohol breath test and negotiate 1,400-odd steps on catwalks and ladders. Price starts at $175.

On the opposite side of the planet, active passengers 16 and older may take a shot at land-sailing on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. With the trade winds behind them, participants steer the three-wheeled sandboats on the longest land-sailing track in the world. Price starts at $99.

HOLLAND AMERICA

The line's Signature Collection accommodates passengers who want to tour on their own, providing a car or van and English-speaking guide. Cost for a car half-day is $500-$600, for a full day $600-$700. Cars usually have two-passenger maximum. A van, which can take four to six passengers, costs $700-$900 half day, $900-$1,100 full day. Costs are per vehicle, not per person, so guests can split the cost.

CELEBRITY

An after-hours evening at Russia's famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, when the facility is closed to the public, is offered by Celebrity. Included is a private tour of its celebrated art works and a ballet performance. Cost is $299.

On stops in Belize in the Caribbean, Celebrity offers a Raiders of the Lost Mayan Cave excursion that takes passengers through a maze of subterranean chambers used for Mayan rituals. The trek involves crawling, rappelling and crossing a swinging rope bridge. Cost is $105.

COSTA

For the ecologically minded, Costa offers a tour from the port of Ilheus, Brazil, that visits CEPLAC, a research center devoted to the preservation of sloths and other creatures in the Atlantic forest. Guests also drive on the environmentally friendly Ilheus-Itacare Road, where nets have been installed in treetops above the roadway so that small animals can cross in safety. Cost is $59. Three Costa ships call at Ilheus from December to March.

On a more exotic level, Costa passengers can swim and interact with rare giant sea turtles in the Indian Ocean during Costa Europa port calls in Mauritius, Comoro Islands and Mayotte. Price is 71 euros (about $105).