Excusrions: Thru Carnival or Not??

[deanswife1990]

We leave in 36 days for our cruise and I can't wait.:p We booked it at last minute and haven't saved a lot of money to go. I was wondering if it is cheaper to book excursions on my own other than with Carnival? Is it safe to do this? If so, can anyone recommend websites or such that I can go to? Our ports of call are Key West, Grand Caymans and Ocho Rios.

[urbanhawk]

We leave in 36 days for our cruise and I can't wait.:p We booked it at last minute and haven't saved a lot of money to go. I was wondering if it is cheaper to book excursions on my own other than with Carnival? Is it safe to do this? If so, can anyone recommend websites or such that I can go to? Our ports of call are Key West, Grand Caymans and Ocho Rios.

 

It is cheaper to book with private companies, but read the reviews before booking with them-some are better than others-you can find them by going to the ports of call, and look up each of the places you will be visiting. The one thing about booking with Carnival is that if the excursion is late getting back, they will wait for you before sailing off into the sunset. If the same delay happened on a private excursion, the ship will sail without you:eek:. Enjoy your cruise!

[Kathy0418]

If you like to snorkel. In Grand Caymen, I highly recommend Captain Marvin. You can google him. We've gone on his excursion four separate times. They will get you back to the ship in plenty of time so you won't feel rushed or worried.

[BigRed93]

Check the port of call boards for each of these places. IMO, you don't need an excursion in Key West, you can walk everywhere and see what you want. In Grand Cayman you can find lots of options for good private operators or you can catch the public bus to Seven Mile Beach for 2.50 pp each way. Ocho Rios is the one where I would most likely be looking for an excursion, but there are lots of options.

[idiebabe]

It is cheaper to book with private companies, but read the reviews before booking with them-some are better than others-you can find them by going to the ports of call, and look up each of the places you will be visiting. The one thing about booking with Carnival is that if the excursion is late getting back, they will wait for you before sailing off into the sunset. If the same delay happened on a private excursion, the ship will sail without you:eek:. Enjoy your cruise!

 

I agree. I normally book through the ship but will book with an Independent or go on my own depending on the Port. Ocho Rios I would recommend to book through the ship!

[Dallas Bengal]

another option for Grand Cayman would be Moby Dick Tours (Google it) they snorkel and also take you to swim with the Sting Rays and all for $40 per person.. Good guys, really make sure you have a great time. We have also done excursions thru carnival and enjoyed those as well, But they seem to cost more.

 

Have Fun!!

[DragonMouse]

Yes it IS cheaper to book outside of Carnival but you have no guarantees. With a "Carnival" excursion they give you the assurance that they WILL get you back on board. I'd be a "little" leery of booking RESERVED excursions outside of Carnival because IF something should happen and you can't make the port...Carnival will refund your money...the outside company...maybe not.

 

NOW...with that being said...We did take a "on the fly" "Government Tour" in Nassau that was outside of Carnival. They had a very professional setup there to take you to different places...they seemed to be quite in tune with the ship. We had no problems. Even went to the beach for a while after the tour. The cabs there were reasonable and easily accessible. Nassau seemed to have one of the best setups right outside of the ship in comparison to any of the other ports I've been too.

 

In Progresso...I was glad we booked a tour...but they did have private cabs available (I personally thought they were a bit pricey...but...), you also had busses. I loved the Mayan tour and the guide we had but I didn't like Progresso. The busses took you to Merida and the beach...I think they were free and this was fine...but I "might" be a little leery of taking a "ruin" tour outside of Carnival...they're usually a bit "lengthy" and you might be cutting it close. I'm sure there are a LOT of people who have been successful with this...but I'm a "Nervous Nellie". Progresso is one of the LAST places I want to be stuck.

 

First time in port..."I" tend to go ahead and book through Carnival for the guarantees till I know the port. After that...in some instances I might be inclined to try other things. It allllll depends on how long of an excursion you plan to try. Just know that some of the operators really don't care if you make it back to the boat on time or not. The private tours in Nassau seemed to be really professional and good about this.

 

What I DID wittness is that "snorkeling" excursions seem to fill up kinda fast in some ports. Key West they booked up very quickly and only the "later" excursions were available. We had a little time before ours started so I checked it out. I really enjoy the FURY Snorkeling Tours but I really don't see how you'd be able to get one of these without prior booking.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

We have cruised all over the Caribbean, once in Panama, and Europe. 95% of our excursions have been booked through private companies and we have never had a problem. Book good reliable companies which can be found on the ports of call section. They will get you back on time it's their livelihood and the they know the internet can make them or break them.

 

Also make sure you always take the "Carnival Capers" or what is now called the "Funtimes" ashore with you. It provides the name and number of the Port Agent the ship uses while docked. That way if there is a problem communicate with them and they can get in touch with the ship. Not that we ever had to do this but even if you are just walking around the port that information should be on you.

 

We probably have saved enough for one or two cruise over the years,

[KenMo]

Not only are the independent excursions usually less expensive, they provide a much better experience.

 

I've done many independent excursions without missing the ship. These providers depend on cruise pax for their livlihoods. Can't risk getting a rep for stranding people!

 

Like someone else posted....no need to book anything at Key West. You can do many things by just walking around.

 

Grand Cayman: We've used http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/tours.htm several times and love the Rays, Reef and Rum Point Tour.

 

Ocho Rios: I'm not a lily-liver, but I would not feel comfortable just walking around Ocho alone. I did the first time I was there, but not anymore. The port area is safe....no excursions, but there is shopping and a beach. If you want an excursion, we've used http://www.phil-lafayette-tours.com/ with no problems.

 

Have a great cruise!!!

[md10074]

For Ocho Rios, yeah, I think I would go with the Carnival excursion. We did and had no problems there. For GC, the only reason I went with Carnival was because they had one with all the things I wanted to do. In GC you can either go with the ship or find one on your own. I have no idea about Key West because I've never been there.

[Kathy0418]

Yes it IS cheaper to book outside of Carnival but you have no guarantees. With a "Carnival" excursion they give you the assurance that they WILL get you back on board. I'd be a "little" leery of booking RESERVED excursions outside of Carnival because IF something should happen and you can't make the port...Carnival will refund your money...the outside company...maybe not.

 

We have had to cancel Captain Marvin on more than one occasion. Once due to the departure time changing and once because the water was too choppy and both times they did not charge our credit card. Also, the first time we used them we had reservations for four, but my son and I got so suburned the day before in Jamaica that we couldn't even walk so my husband and daughter went without us and they only charged for two. We really didn't expect that because we hadn't cancelled until that morning when my husband arrived for the tour.

[hubofhockey]

We leave in 36 days for our cruise and I can't wait.:p We booked it at last minute and haven't saved a lot of money to go. I was wondering if it is cheaper to book excursions on my own other than with Carnival? Is it safe to do this? If so, can anyone recommend websites or such that I can go to? Our ports of call are Key West, Grand Caymans and Ocho Rios.

 

If you go to the ports of call boards, you will get great suggestions.

[ray98]

I usually find my own things which are comparable to the cruise lines for 1/2 the price. Most of the time I can be entertained with a simple island tour so it is nothing major.

[IGGY63]

Not only are the independent excursions usually less expensive, they provide a much better experience.

 

 

YES!!!

 

Better experience, absolutely!

 

In Ocho Rios, I have always used Lonie McBeam. She or her Husband took us twice on a private tour, for far less than the CCL, and we felt VERY safe. Strongly recommend her!

 

 

http://www.ocho-rios.com/about.php

[jennmaybe]

We also have always used private tour companies. Cruisers are a huge part of their income and can not risk providing us with a bad experience, or it could ruin their business. They are also much cheaper, so we can usually book 2 excursions for the price of 1 Carnival excursion.

 

You should also review trip advisor...they also have lots of reviews for the companies.

 

Happy Cruising!:)

[truchattycathy]

We leave in 36 days for our cruise and I can't wait.:p We booked it at last minute and haven't saved a lot of money to go. I was wondering if it is cheaper to book excursions on my own other than with Carnival? Is it safe to do this? If so, can anyone recommend websites or such that I can go to? Our ports of call are Key West, Grand Caymans and Ocho Rios.

 

We almost always book independent excursions.

 

In Key West we walked around and did interesting things in town. I snorkled, but it wasn't that great. Someone else booked the tour so I can't say who it was thru.

 

In Ocho Rios, I did book thru the ship, but only because I wanted to zipline, and Chukka only books thru the ship. I loved it.

 

In Grand Cayman I have used Native Way twice. I highly recommend them. Check out their website. I have done the Reef, Rays and Rum Point Excursion twice. It is great and includes lunch. Order the catch of the day.

 

I also look at Tripadvisor for reviews.

 

Have a great cruise.

[elcuchio24]

We often don't do excursions, when we do we almost always do them thru CCL ( exceptions---going to non-CCL resort places, like Nachi, which we do often). Honestly, it's not really worth it to us doingthe leg work trying to find independant excursions. Also nice to know the ship won't leave is. Just not worth it to us to save a little $. Of course, if you're traveling with a bif family, the cost savings may make it worth your while.

[beachgirl75]

Grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com I always book on my own....very cheap!!!

[nazgul1]

In Alaska my family and I did a zip-line excursion through the ship and we delayed getting back to the ship by 45 minutes past the departure time and they waited. We were only in port for about 6 hours so timing is everything. That's the biggest advantage. If you have an all day excursion the cruise ship might be a better option to choose from.

[chickie_mite]

We almost always either book excursions independently, or we rent a Jeep and find places on our own (it's really fun to explore Grand Cayman that way!).

 

If you rent a Jeep in Grand Cayman, throw your snorkel gear and beach bag in the back of the Jeep and head out. You can do "Hell," the turtle farm, rum cake, 7 mile beach, everything in one day on your own.

 

We do all the touristy stuff first (Hell, turtle farm, etc), then camp out on 7 mile beach and snorkel. Towards the end of the day, we return the Jeep and shop a little.

[deanswife1990]

Thanks for the advice everyone. We are considering Captain Marvins whil we are in GC. It has great reviews on tripadvisor. Kind of nervous about Ocho Rios so will probably book thru the ship on that one. Key West is still up in the air. We may just wander around on our own. Now if I can just figure out how to make the days before October 3rd go by quicker and the 7 days after slow down then we would be all set. :rolleyes:

[donaldsc]

If you book excursions through the cruise line, you get the following -

 

1) A 40 passenger bus

2) a bunch of people who are so old that they can barely move

3) the opportunity to pay double the local rate

4) the guarantee (although not completely) that in the unlikely possibility that the tour gets back late, the ship may wait for you

5) being delayed if one of your party of 40 is late getting back to the bus because they need to buy more stuff for their grandkids

 

If you do independent, you get -

 

1) small groups

2) more flexibility

3) no time wasted following old, infirm, immobile people

4) the ability to get close to your guide and ask more questions

5) a typical savings of at least 50%

 

Your choice.

 

DON

[elcuchio24]

If you book excursions through the cruise line, you get the following -

 

1) A 40 passenger bus

2) a bunch of people who are so old that they can barely move

3) the opportunity to pay double the local rate

4) the guarantee (although not completely) that in the unlikely possibility that the tour gets back late, the ship may wait for you

5) being delayed if one of your party of 40 is late getting back to the bus because they need to buy more stuff for their grandkids

 

If you do independent, you get -

 

1) small groups

2) more flexibility

3) no time wasted following old, infirm, immobile people

4) the ability to get close to your guide and ask more questions

5) a typical savings of at least 50%

 

Your choice.

 

DON

 

Nothing ruins a good excursion like the infirm!:)

[Warm Breezes]

You really need to look at all your options just like you are doing. We have booked excursions on our own and saved a lot of money (ie Tortola Dolphin Swim, Nassau Pirate Museum). We have also booked through the cruiseline when it was a limited excursion and/or the price difference was minimal (ie Cozumel Twister Boat to Isla Passion and Antigua Jeep tour). We have also gone off on our with no excursion, taking a taxi to the beach (ie Cozumel - Mr. Sanchos and Paradise Beach) or just walking around the port (ie Nassau and San Juan). Do your research and check out the Port of Call boards. Most of all have fun :D.

[satbeachbill]

You would do yourself a favor by booking Phil Lafayette in Ocho Rios. Absolutely terrific guy and his daughter do a great tour. You can book online here;

http://www.phil-lafayette-tours.com/Tours.html

 

 

 

 

and enjoy!!!;)