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).

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