We just enjoyed three "free" Regent excursions on our Rio to Ft. Lauderdale cruise. They were fine but seemed to be more crowded than the previous shore excursions we paid extra for. All three busses we were on were almost full. We prefer to make our own shore arrangements most of the time. We usually have managed to organize a better overall shore experience independently at about the price of a Regent tour if we include one or two other couples. The "free" excursions program is a serious disincentive to doing this. We wish Regent would either find another way to offer discounts or offer "free" excusions of the same quality they used to offer. Pat