Ship excursion vs. book your own

[TonyCruise]

I have read a lot of posts saying to book excursions on your own as they are cheaper. I also read that if you are in port for a short time it may be better to book through the ship since they will hold the ship for you if you are late.

 

I want to do a snorkel excursion in Freeport and I found a private company who does one (Fantasia Snorkeling Safari). The prices are about the same as Carnival after you factor in the cab ride to the private tour. I would like to know if there are any other negatives on the ship tours other than the price? In this case I would go with the ship tour since it is looks to be less hassle but if there are other negatives then I will reconsider.

 

Thanks,

Tony.

[rduke]

ON independant tours some of the other advantages are you frequently get longer tours, get to see more and are in definately smaller groups so you get better attention from the tour guides. You should always allow, at least, an hour or so leeway at the end of the tour so you don't have to worry about getting back to the ship too late! Use common sense and you will generally find that the independant tours are the way to go!!:D

[amos3]

It's got both good and bad points. We booked our own excursions in the past and have had wonderful experiences and no problems at all, but this cruise we're booking through Carnival for the Xcaret because it's basically the same price after you figure in the taxi and plus Carnival shuttles you back and forth whenever you feel like going back to the ship with this excursion. Just do what is best for your situation. Good luck.

 

Amy

[fttw223]

i agree with rduke!! book your own you will be glad you did.

[natanya]

Tony, you may want to check out where they snorkle. When we were in Freeport we took a cab to the other side of the island (where the Lucaya Hotel), the ocean was totally full of seaweed and the beach at Myrtle in SC was bigger and better. Next time we will stay on board in Freeport or shop at the port. Just my opinion.

[JrMafia90]

I always book through the ship. Even if it might be more expensive, it is easier and I know the ship won't leave me behind.

[CrazyMums]

We always book directly through the ship. For us, the extra money spent is worth the peace of mind knowing they won't leave without us and their tour operators most likely meet with the ship's safety and health standards. There is a recent thread from someone who missed the ship - I can't even imagine it.

[gatorclaw]

I'm for booking on your own in most cases. People talk of the 'piece of mind' booking w/ the cruise line, so you can't get left behind, and you can't argue with that logic. HOWEVER... I look to book on my own for 3 main reasons:

 

1- More choice. you're not limited to the few ship excursions.

2- Less crowded. in general booking on your own means less crowded, more personal attention on the excursion.

3- PIECE OF MIND... yeah, that's right. I'll use that card too. Here's why:

When is the last time you read about some nightmare experience of someone booking on their own? Trust me, we'd be the first on this board to know it! Sure, things happen, cars breakdown, etc. But as long as you're smart about it, don't get wasted on some beach in Barbados and forget to get back to the ship in time- you're going to be fine. So my piece of mind is reading the hundreds of positive independent booking stories and not reading any 'missed-the-ship' stories.

[TNPirate]

We (me/wife, her brother/his wife, in-laws) are going on the Holiday in early March. We decided to do one port (Costa Maya) as a fun on-our-own day in port (no excursions), and then do an excursion in Cozumel -- we all liked the idea of the "Eco Adventure by Jeep and Snorkeling" -- get to do several different things in one trip. Being first-timers, we decided to not really take any chances and go through the ship -- it's $79/per person through Carnival. While looking on Cozumel web sites, I found what I believe to be the same excursion (based on description of activities and the specific locales that are mentioned) through an independent operator for $90/per person -- that saved us $60 total. I did see other excursions where booking through Carnival did raise the price over booking independent, but ours turned out cheaper.

 

We got lucky this time, but I will definitely do research on future cruises!

[mikeymars]

This is a proverbial issue on CC.

 

Frankly, what one will see as they troll those threads is that the more seasoned and experienced a cruiser becomes, the less and less they employ or advocate the cruise line sponsored excursions.

 

Why?

 

- The paranoia about "missing the ship" lessens as people experience port environments first hand and learn how to intelligently schedule time ashore.

 

- People learn that cruise line sponsored excursions focus on maximizing sales through capacity, not on providing intimate, personal experiences. Or stated more bluntly, you don't get lots of time to smell the roses when you're being herded along with fifty to seventy other people.

 

- Cruise line excursions - by virtue of guaranteeing complaince to the port schedule -- are on strict, rigid timetables. Doing things on your own often provides you with more flexibility.

 

- Cruise line excursions generally stick to the beaten path. If you want the more exploratory or unique, you have to do it privately.

 

- If you're focused on budget, in most cases private local operators DO provide "the same thing cheaper."

 

- Sites like this make it quite easy to identify credible, quality private excursion operators, and more and more of them let you book online. In other words, the competitve advantage of "package convenience" the lines used to have is rapidly eroding.

 

This isn't to imply there is no room for cruise line sponsored excursions. In some rare instances, they provide the only access to certain attractions or experiences (which is why we are actually employing one on our upcoming stop in Belize). But outside that, I think the seasoned crowd here avoids them, having found superior ways to spend shore time.

[letsgocruisinUSA]

I would definitely book your own. Since this is my first cruise I've been reading and researching these boards for my upcoming trip. I've found a lot of information on independent tour operators. All of the tour operators I've contacted have answered all my questions and I feel secure in choosing them.