Need reassurance booking excursion time

[Lewis]

We are booked on the Carnival Paradise which will (hopefully) be tendering in Grand Cayman on Feb 22nd at 8:00 a.m. The Hannibal Stingray City Catamaran Snorkeling Tour excursion with Island Marketing at 9 a.m. is fully booked. They suggested we look at Buccaneer Stingray City Catamaran which leaves at 10 a.m. and gets back to port at 2 p.m. Are the independent excursions dependable? Do they typically make it back to the port on time? Or should I look at other operators? Thanks.

[mrsfuzzmo]

They make their living off of cruise ship passengers and are very dependable....BUT....that being said, you will always take a chance booking a non-ship sponsored tour, that you might not make it back to the ship. Those instances are pretty rare and usually are because of some sort of mechanical failure of equipment. If you want to be 100% sure you make it back on the ship, book a ship excursion. We book non-ship excursions all the time and have never had a problem. We just make sure we are back near the port with plenty of time. The good thing about Cayman is that it isn't very big and Stingray City is not all that far from town, so if there were some sort of mechanical or other issue, there is likely another boat/van/whatever to come and get you back to the ship in time.

 

We like the Buccaneer and Stingray Sailing!!!

[Lewis]

Thank you. I've been on many non-Carnival excursions but for some reason am just feeling unsure. Your feedback helps.