Excursions

[aaw2407]

My husband and I are new to excursions. Usually when we cruise we do not do any, but our cruise coming up in May we are thinking we want to branch out and do some stuff off the ship. The prices seem somewhat high from Carnival so has anyone had any experience with booking excursions from other sources other than Carnival? Is it cheaper? Any bad experiences? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh and we are going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand Caymen if that helps!

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

My husband and I are new to excursions. Usually when we cruise we do not do any, but our cruise coming up in May we are thinking we want to branch out and do some stuff off the ship. The prices seem somewhat high from Carnival so has anyone had any experience with booking excursions from other sources other than Carnival? Is it cheaper? Any bad experiences? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh and we are going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand Caymen if that helps!

 

Take a look at the Ports of Call forum (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5) for ideas on your specific ports...a wealth of information there.

 

Enjoy your cruise !

[siestakeys04]

We did nachi cocum (sp) in Cozumel about 50 each drinks and food included through island marketing. We did 7 mile beach in the Cayman through carnival. I don't remember the price.

 

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[BayAreaCruisers4]

I make a point of doing something that we can't do anywhere else. We did zip-lining in Mazatlan (when it was new), cave tubing in Kauai, horseback riding in the ocean off Puerto Vallarta. For me, it's all about the experience.

 

Some of these excursions were off the ship and some were on our own. Do your homework and see what you can find off the beaten path. I've found that there are a lot of "excursions" that can be done much cheaper on your own, but you have to be willing and comfortable winging it a bit. For example, I'd be happy just hiring a cab for the day and say, "Show us around the island." But maybe that's just me.

 

Enjoy your cruise the way you want it!

 

 

Carnival Conquest 2/16/2014

Princess Dawn Princess 2/16/2007

Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas 12/26/2005

Carnival Paradise 3/4/2005

Carnival Elation 4/13/2003

Norwegian SS Norway 8/3/1991

[k2excursion]

Cozumel has tons of beach clubs lined up that are an easy taxi cab ride away. No need to book through Carnival if you are staying on the island. If you want quietness and nothing going on and drinking, go with Nachi Cocum. If you want some fun water activities, such as trampolines, inflated water slides & climbing mountains, kayaks, paddleboards, go to Paradise Beach. If you want dolphin swims, that can get tricky, as Carnival has contracted with Dolphin Discovery to force us to book through the ship, but some people have found ways around it to cut the price in half. If you want to go to the mainland, such as to see Tulum or Xcaret, book through the ship to be safe. That ferry ride can be bumpy, and you don't want to be stuck over on the mainland if they stop running ferries. If you're booked through Carnival, either they will run a special ferry just for you or the ship will come get you.

 

In Grand Cayman, no need to book through the ship. 7-Mile Beach is a cheap and easy cab ride away. Or you can book stingray & snorkel excursions with any number of different independent tour operators. We used Captain Marvins, but there are plenty of good options there. Well worth it to do one of those. Save money and book it independently.

Edited February 8, 2014 by k2excursion

[mollynmax]

We always go to Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. You book online with a down payment, and pay the balance when you get there. It is a great facility, all inclusive, good food, all you can drink, great service, beautiful beach. They only book 100 people per day, but in 7 visits have NEVER seen more than about 50. You can also book snorkel trips, massages, jet skis, hang gliding, etc. from them. You will NOT be disappointed. Just put Nachi Cocum in your search engine, and their website will pop up. We were there again in Dec. 2013, and have already reserved for our Dec. 2014 cruise! Enjoy!!!

[camperhawk]

I never use anyone but Know Jamaica. com for Ocho. Marva and her son Javia have a great reputation and interesting and fun excursions!

[carrieluvsgreg]

My husband and I are new to excursions. Usually when we cruise we do not do any, but our cruise coming up in May we are thinking we want to branch out and do some stuff off the ship. The prices seem somewhat high from Carnival so has anyone had any experience with booking excursions from other sources other than Carnival? Is it cheaper? Any bad experiences? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh and we are going to Cozumel, Ocho Rios, and Grand Caymen if that helps!

 

 

We only booked through Carnival on our first cruise and 9 cruises later were still alive to really the stories.

 

We are actually doing all three ports that you are when we cruise in April. (Plus Aruba). This time we are planning-

Grand cayman stingray and snorkel excursion $45 versus $65 (I think) through the ship.

Cozumel- this year we will just take a cab downtown. It'll be our 7th trip to Cozumel. Most recently we rented a jeep from Alamo at at the pier and drove the island at our own pace. It was great.

Ocho Rios- Dunns river falls/fern gully. We are paying $41 idk what the ship charges for that one.

 

 

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