Walking the rooftops of Stockholm, catching lobsters in Maine, Maseratis in Monaco and bobsleds in Jamaica: Anyone who thinks shore excursions offered on cruises consist of only half-day city sightseeing tours is in for a huge surprise.

The scope and quality of cruise vacations has been dramatically enhanced by offering shore excursions that are exciting in their ingenuity and exhilarating in their sense of adventure.

For starters, there are reserved seats for the Monaco Grand Prix and the chance to drive one of the world’s fastest sports cars through the French Riviera. There is icy champagne on the way to the Arctic Circle. There’s hunting the Red Elephant of Tsavo with a camera, and sampling rare wines from one of the world’s largest private collections.

Cruisers can explore the Viking ruins of Greenland or the ancient Incan treasures of South America. They can ride Harleys in the Caribbean, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia, or go biking in Croatia. In short, virtually anything an adventurous or inspired traveler can imagine doing is probably offered on a shore excursion. Here are some examples of most unusual, newest or most popular excursions.

• American Cruise Lines: During the summer months, passengers on ACL’s “Lobsterfest Cruises” can board the Captain Jack, a 30-foot lobster boat, to find out what it is like to be a true Maine lobsterman. The adventure includes local history, glimpses of seals, porpoise and the occasion whale, fishing poles to catch cod and mackerel, and authentic lobstering including baiting and hauling the traps.

• AMA Waterways: The 12th century city of Uglich, on the banks of Russia’s Voga River, has great appeal in its own right. But the highlight of AMA Waterways’ shore excursion here is an authentic home visit and meal with a Russian family. Treated to breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, depending on the time of day, the hours spent in cultural bonding may even include a bit of dancing. Uglich is famous for some of Russia’s most beautiful churches and cathedrals, including the Church of Dimitry, dedicated to the son of Ivan the Terrible.

• Azamara Cruises: One of Azamara’s most interesting shore excursions is “Colors, Tastes and Smells of Turkey.” Offered in Kusadasi, guests visit the town of Sirince, known for its fragrant and flavorful apricots and peaches. Travel through the mountainous region of Kirazi Koy to visit a local primary school and perhaps nap under a tree before a special lunch of gozleme, keskek and manti — and a cup of strong Turkish coffee.

• Carnival Cruise Lines: Offered for passengers in Ocho Rios and celebrating the improbable Jamaican bobsled teams of the 1980s and 1990s Winter Olympics, the “Rainforest Bobsled Jamaica at Mystic Mountain” is a new eco-friendly shore excursion just launched in July. It features a bobsled ride through the tropical forest, a chairlift journey over the countryside, a zip-line canopy adventure through the treetops, an island culture and heritage center, as well as dining and shopping.

• Celebrity Cruises: A visit to the famous Hermitage Museum is a staple of most shore excursions in St. Petersburg, but Celebrity goes one step further. “Hermitage Splendor – An Exclusive Evening at the Hermitage Museum” features a private tour and ballet performance after hours, when the museum is closed to the public. In addition to the incomparable art collection, the evening is highlighted by performances of the Mariinsky Theatre dancers.

• Crystal Cruises: With Crystal’s “Extreme Luxury” excursions on most Mediterranean itineraries, guests can slip behind the wheel and race through Italy in a private Ferrari, following a guide through the Umbrian countryside or the winding roads of Livorno and Tuscany or motor through the French Riviera and Monaco’s dramatic hills in a Maserati, Lamborghini or a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, one of the world’s fastest grand touring cars.

• Disney Cruise Line: For those who thought Disney was all about Mickey and Donald, there is Disney Cruise Line’s Graycliff’s Wine and Cheese Pairings adventure in Nassau. For guests 21 and older, the program features some of the world’s finest wines and old-world cheeses at this five-star restaurant built in the 18th century. Exclusive to Disney, it is highlighted by eight tastings from one of the world’s largest private collections of rare wines.

• Holland America Line: Geared to those travelers who “have seen it all,” HAL’s “Machu Picchu, Chinchero, Maras and Moray” Encore Collection is a four-night, three-day overland adventure from the port of Arica in Chile. It includes travel by plane, motorcoach and vista-dome railcar to heights of 14,000 feet or more, with visits to some of South America’s most famous pre-Columbian landmarks as well as the Huaca Pucilana Archaeological Center and the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Lima.

• Majestic America Line: Guests on the American Queen board the “Twainland Express” for a trip back to the age of steamboats and a young man named Samuel Clemens who, of course, went on to become one of America’s most famous writers and humorists. In addition to stories about Hannibal, Huckleberry Finn and

Tom Sawyer, the excursion includes a visit to the Mark Twain Cave for a circular tour featuring the latest in cave lighting techniques and passageways carved out of limestone ages ago by underground streams.

• Norwegian Cruise Line: NCL recently launched a new class of private touring that offers more choices and convenience for guests wishing to explore ports of call however they want. The company’s “Ultimate Touring” offers such VIP tours for small groups of two to 18 people as the “Rooftop Walk in Stockholm” — a guided walk conducted along the roofs of this historic city, visiting locations such as the Old Parliament Building, the Gamla Stan quarter and the Royal Palace.

• Princess Cruises: The “Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb” takes guests along the upper span of the famous bridge on catwalks and ladders, steadily all the way to the summit — over 400 feet above Sydney harbor. From the top of this Australian icon, visitors can see the equally famous Sydney Opera House and the entire city spread out below. The tour features a comprehensive briefing, all necessary equipment, and a safety demonstration that includes an alcohol breath test.

• Silversea Cruises: “The Perfect Dubai Experience” features limousine service to the Novotel Airport and a chartered helicopter tour of one of the Middle East’s most modern and fast growing cities. Setting down on the cantilevered helipad on the 28th floor of the Burj Al Arab hotel, the tour also includes a journey of culinary splendor that begins with a simulated submarine voyage to one of the top 50 restaurants in the world, The Oyster, or Al Mahara, that features a floor-to-ceiling seawater aquarium and seafood dishes from around the world.

Federal Way resident Jerry Vaughn is president of World Voyager Vacations. Contact: jvaughn@worldvoyagervacations.com