excursion discounts?

[cruisenotbooze]

Does Carnival ever offer 1st time cruisers any excursion discounts? are they cheaper to book onboard? and do they fill up often? thanks. :confused:

[papilliontraveler]

No.

No.

Yes.

[papilliontraveler]

With that said, I would look into booking private excursions. They will be like getting a discount. Alot of them are 50% of what Carnival charges and include more or last longer.

[not-enough-cruising]

I know this is kinda controversial around here, but.....whenever possible I book my excursions directly with the tour operator. It saves a bundle. Knock on wood, I have never had a problem. I look for personal recommendations from other cruisers regarding positive past experiences and use the operators that others have had good experiences with.

 

Just my 2 cents:D

[firefly333]

yes, they offer discounts randomly if you booked direct with Carnival.

 

Some on my roll call got 10% and some got 15% off if you book in advance. I have lots of OBC so Im trying to decide should I book ahead with 15% off or wait to use up OBC.

 

There are a long thread a couple of days ago discussing these discounts for Carnival excursions. some in the past got up to 25% off, though I dont have a 25% off code to try.

 

I dont find the excursions to be that expensive, because Im cruising solo and most dont want to book just one person. I had one in Jamaica they stood me up when the Peet brother promised to meet me. Said if I didnt find more people then he couldnt take me, though he knew ahead of time I was by myself.

 

I do Carnival excursions.

[EmmasNana]

Go to the port of calls forum. Most places I would book through an island tour guide except in Jamaica or if it was a really long excursion that I thought there was a risk of not getting to the ship in time such as going to Tulum from Cozumel. That excursion is very long and I would only book through the cruise line.

[not-enough-cruising]

Go to the port of calls forum. Most places I would book through an island tour guide except in Jamaica or if it was a really long excursion that I thought there was a risk of not getting to the ship in time such as going to Tulum from Cozumel. That excursion is very long and I would only book through the cruise line.

 

Well Put!

[firefly333]

I was thinking of using the 15% for chichen itza (brings it down to $63 for a 7 hour excursion), which is a hard tour to find on your own for any kind of decent price and far enough away I would not want to do it on my own anyway.

[agc291]

Ive got a 10% and 15% code Ill pass on to you if you'd like.

[ibcnusoon]

Ive got a 10% and 15% code Ill pass on to you if you'd like.

 

I could use a code!

 

I book with Carnival if it's a long tour like Xunantunich in Belize (with a long tender to port) and the tour is 7 hours and we are in port 8 hours.

 

For Cozumel and Grand Cayaman, I have no problem venturing out on my own but if it were Cozumel going to Tulum, I would revert back to the above and book with the ship, because if not you're on your own with the public ferry, etc.

 

My biggest fear is missing the cruise ship because of a bump in the road during an excursion. That's why I book with Carnival.

 

If someone has a code they don't want, send me a PM. Thanks!

[firefly333]

I have them too, my email is in my profile. I dont want to post them in public or they will just change them.

[5waldos]

How do they decide who to send them to? This is about our 6th cruise and I've never gotten any offers. The ways of Carnival are sometimes mysterious.

[foxesden1]

Dang, I had no idea. Just booked a tour today!

[dolfansam]

Does Carnival ever offer 1st time cruisers any excursion discounts? are they cheaper to book onboard? and do they fill up often? thanks. :confused:

 

I would only book through the cruise line if it were something that may cause a problem getting back to the ship on time if you booked on your own. One example would be swimming with the Dolphins. They have slotted times, but they may be difficult to get when a ship is in port except one that maybe too late or too early for the ships schedule. I have had excellent luck booking private excursions from recommendations on these boards. I have also had lots of luck just walking off the ship and catching a taxi and doing what I wanted.

[KenMo]

I have them too, my email is in my profile. I dont want to post them in public or they will just change them.

 

Thank you!!

[GloriaF]

Go to the port of calls forum. Most places I would book through an island tour guide except in Jamaica or if it was a really long excursion that I thought there was a risk of not getting to the ship in time such as going to Tulum from Cozumel. That excursion is very long and I would only book through the cruise line.

 

I was going to say something similar. Sometimes with a very short time in port as well as a very long excursion it is best to book through the ship. Keep in mind that the ship doesn't wait for those on private excursions.

 

Also - Consider the time you have in port, and realize that the ship usually isn't cleared to let passengers off for approx 30 minutes after arrival time, and the captain wants everyone back on board no later than 30 minutes prior to departure time.

[agc291]

I have been trying to book my excursion with a code since yesterday afternoon and it hasn't been working:(

[treyprice]

We took a ruins tour, $80 onboard, $40 at port. Some people on the Carnival tour said they were forced into a special gift shop that wasted 30 minutes of their time, they said it felt like they were on a time share sales pitch.