excursions

[smithers54]

I have just one question about the excursions. Do most people book them or do people tend to explore on their own?? After looking at some of them they seem a little cheesy. Maybe it is just me.

[t_car]

It all depends on your experience and comfort level and on the port.

If you are new to cruising, you may want to book with the cruise line. Later on you can book on your own.

Checking with your roll call may give you information on the ports, and some people may want to share / join various tours.

Remember one thing, if you are on an excursion booked through the ship and you are late, the ship will wait for you. If you are on your own planned tour, they will leave you behind. :eek:

 

Do some research. Good luck and have fun planning.

Edited July 12, 2014 by t_car

[Laughing Angel]

Not sure what you mean by the term "cheesy".

 

I guess it all depends on what kind of excursion you wish to do.

 

Lots of people like to keep their options open and explore or do an excursion on their own. Some ports of call are conducive to just grabbing a cab or bus to the nearest beach or restaurant. Many excursions can be booked at the pier and away you go.

 

Some of the more popular/organized excursions tend to fill up quickly, and require a reservation. Often, this can be done online through the Cruise line, or a separate company or vendor. You may be required to make partial payment at that time. A good way to find out what's available is to check out the boards for your individual Ports of Call, and see what others are doing.

 

Hope this helps--good luck!

[cbr663]

We tend to do a combination of both - some excursions we book privately and also book through the cruise line and some times we go on our own. Going on our own depends upon the port and what is available in that port.

[paul929207]

You will find many on each cruise who will book ships tours, but many others will do their own thing

[John Bull]

I have just one question about the excursions. Do most people book them or do people tend to explore on their own?? After looking at some of them they seem a little cheesy. Maybe it is just me.

 

You've only been given a very broad idea by other posters.

That's because it varies considerably depending on the country & port, the destination of the excursion, the alternatives available, the time-frame and a number of other factors.

And the choice isn't simply whether to take tour or not - in between the extremes of exploring by yourselves or taking a ships' tour, are taxis & tours available on-the-fly at the port, booking a tour through a third party such as Viator & cruiseexcursions, sharing an independently-booked tour with fellow-cruisers, and independently booking your own private tour.

Which is possible / best will depend on the port, and your own personal attitude, mobility, and comfort-level.

In some circumstances, even experienced DIYers occasionally take tours, even ship-sponsored tours,

 

Is this for Breakaway, Southern Caribbean?

The Caribbean is made for DIY. :)

No language or currency problems (but take plenty of low-denomination bills, to avoid being given change in locals' shops), plenty of sensibly-priced taxis & vans at the ports, plenty of folk on the pier to share with. Drivers are friendly, reliable & trustworthy, they know their island & they know the importance of back-on-board time. They can replicate or customise ships' tours for a fraction of the cost, and none of the inevitable cattle-driving that comes with tours on large buses. At the end they can drop you off at a shopping centre or beach (so take your beach gear with you.) nb - those at the port are licensed, known to each-other & to the authorities. Further from the port you need to be very very careful about taxis, some aren't even registered/insured taxis.

That for sight-seeing road trips or for simple transfers to a beach.

Public transport in the Caribbean is very limited. No trains. Occasionally a water taxi fits the bill. Service buses in a few well-developed places like Aruba.

 

A little different for excursions by catamaran or 4x4, and "activity" excursions like zip-lining or river-tubing. These can rarely be fixed up on-the-fly, you need to pre-book and often the simplicity & security of booking a ship's excursion outweighs the higher cost.

 

So in the Caribbean, even for a newbie, road tours by locals and activity excursions by organised tour.

JB :)

[cb at sea]

First, get a guidebook on your ports. Read it. Figure out WHAT you want to do...and then, you can decide HOW to do it! In most cases, (with proper info) you can easily do what you want on your own.

If there is something that is too complicated for you to do, then a private or ship's excursion will be fine.

The main thing is to do your research. If you simply decide what to do based on avail. ships excursions, you may be missing that which you really want to do!

[Keith1010]

This will vary by port and by person.

 

Some go on formal excursions both private or through the cruise line or just go out on their own.

 

Keith

[OCruisers]

Some ports are easier to do on-your-own than others.

There are times when it is actually best to take an excursion offered through the ship.

LuLu

[Krazy Kruizers]

You didn't mention which ports you are interested in or will be cruising to. That can make a lot of difference.

Roll Calls are a good way to find out what private tours others are doing if you do not wish to book the ships tours.

I don't find all the ships excursions to be "cheesy" -- what tours are you looking at?

[smithers54]

I am cruising the eastren caribbean on the getaway in April. I guess maybe cheesy wasn't the correct wokd to use. But going to a beach through the excursion process just doesn't seem right. I mean could you just grab a cab and go to where you had wanted or is it just my western way of thinking. I am a very careful person while traveling since I am a solo traveler. I don't put myself in a difficult situations...Thanks for all the replies

[paul929207]

Yes, you can grab a taxi to a beach. You might want to find others to share the taxi with. It will save money and provide some protection for you. The Roll Call for you cruise is a great place to meet others sailing with you

[Calgon1]

:rolleyes: Until you have cruised a couple times, and have a better personal feel for excursions, You might want to consider the following points when booking on your own or through the ship:

 

If you have a mid-day departure - Book through the ship.

 

If you have a late afternoon departure - Book morning tours on your own and afternoon tours through the ship.

 

If you have an evening departure - Book morning and/or afternoon tours on your own.

 

In other words, leave yourselves a buffer to allow you time to make it back, if anything happens (vehicle breakdown, traffic jams, you get lost, you fall asleep/pass out/get so distracted).

 

And, make sure you have your watch set to "ship's time". Wouldn't hurt to set an alarm on yout watch (or phone, if you're taking it ashore).

 

:eek: If there is any chance you may miss the ship (you booked on your own and the time-line is cutting it close), make sure you have your passport and a credit card with you. They will be mandatory if you will need to fly to the next port. :eek:

[TheDivineMrsM]

As a newbie, I booked through the cruise line for peace of mind. I will be going with hubby and son, and they leave all the details to me, and if something didn't work out, the stress would be on me. Why ruin a vacation having to be the responsible one while they have all the fun? This way, I get to enjoy the excursions as well.

 

Small or large, any kind of excursion or tour is what you make it. We like taking in things even in the Ohio Valley where we live, like a tour of a state penitentiary, a small winery or restored train depot. Some are more interesting than others, but it's enlightening to have the experience of it, and broadens your insight into your surroundings. Every excursion doesn't have to be as exciting or thrilling as skydiving or ziplining or bunjee jumping off a massive bridge span.

Edited July 15, 2014 by TheDivineMrsM