Concerns about Carnival Excursion

[HollandAvery]

We are planning on doing the Turtle Cove and Cavern Snorkel excursion from Carnival when we visit Cozumel. It's 7 hours long and from reviews I've read on the site apparently it's a race back to the ship and several people who did the excursion heard the horns sounding as they rushed to the ship.

 

My concern is what happens if we get back and we are racing back to the ship but aren't quite fast enough to get there? I mean, I don't plan on stopping to shop or anything, but I can't run through the shopping area and on the dock to catch up because of a bad ankle. Not that all of those people stated they 'RAN' back to the ship, but when they said it was a race to get back it just sounds like they were running through the deserted shopping area.

 

So...if we do this excursion and get back at 5:30 and the ship leaves at 6 or if we get back at 6 and the ship leaves at 6...what happens? Do they HAVE to wait until we board since it's a Carnival excursion even though they drop us off in the shopping area and not at the ship?

It just scares me because it is cutting it really close to be from 10:00-5:00 when the ship leaves at 6.

 

I really really would like to do the excursion though and so does my SO.

[oceanmom62]

If the excursion is booked through Carnival then they WILL hold the ship for you. No running necessary!

[HollandAvery]

If the excursion is booked through Carnival then they WILL hold the ship for you. No running necessary!

 

Thank you for reassuring me! I get so worried, haha. I just pictured this crazy movie-like scene where my SO were racing through the deserted shopping area like we were secret agents on a mission or something and then grabbing a rope hanging from the ship and climbing up as it sailed away :p

 

I'm glad the ship will wait for us! I don't have a passport so if they left I guess I'd just have to start a new life in Cozumel :D

[getupgo]

That's the advantage of paying the higher price of onboard excursions. No worry about missing the ship. I always go the cheaper route, but if a van breaks down or a boat dies in the water, I could be in big trouble. Never has, but could.

[HollandAvery]

That's the advantage of paying the higher price of onboard excursions. No worry about missing the ship. I always go the cheaper route, but if a van breaks down or a boat dies in the water, I could be in big trouble. Never has, but could.

 

That was my biggest fear of possibly doing a private excursion in Grand Cayman. The reason we just decided to book all our excursions with Carnival was so that if GC was missed due to weather/etc. we would get it refunded whereas that might not happen with a private trip to Stingray City.

 

So the ship will wait even if your ship gets back...say...2 hours late? Maybe due to an accident, tire blow-out, what have you...

Or do they pay for a private charter to take us to the boat instead of waiting?

[getupgo]

Yep. You go with their excursion, no worries.

[HollandAvery]

Yep. You go with their excursion, no worries.

 

Thanks (:

[k2excursion]

So the ship will wait even if your ship gets back...say...2 hours late? Maybe due to an accident, tire blow-out, what have you...

Or do they pay for a private charter to take us to the boat instead of waiting?

 

When I was in Cozumel on the Magic, the Conquest was supposed to leave an hour before us. We were gone well before them, as the ship was still waiting on the people from the ship's excursion to Tulum, which was very late. They will wait. Worst case scenario: if the waters are too rough to run a ferry from the mainland over to Cozumel, the ship will come to the mainland to pick them up. But I don't hear of that happening. They would instead run a special ferry or something with more stability to get those people back to the island. People on the mainland on their own are out of luck if the ferries stop running.

[HollandAvery]

When I was in Cozumel on the Magic, the Conquest was supposed to leave an hour before us. We were gone well before them, as the ship was still waiting on the people from the ship's excursion to Tulum, which was very late. They will wait. Worst case scenario: if the waters are too rough to run a ferry from the mainland over to Cozumel, the ship will come to the mainland to pick them up. But I don't hear of that happening. They would instead run a special ferry or something with more stability to get those people back to the island. People on the mainland on their own are out of luck if the ferries stop running.

Very good to hear, thank you! I'm glad they will get us back on that ship no matter what it takes. I think paying the extra money for a Carnival excursion is worth it. I don't have a passport so I couldn't even afford to take a risk in missing the ship.

[Cruise, J.D.]

So the ship will wait even if your ship gets back...say...2 hours late? Maybe due to an accident, tire blow-out, what have you...

Or do they pay for a private charter to take us to the boat instead of waiting?

 

They will wait if possible. On my first cruise we stayed docked at Montego Bay until near midnight because a Carnival excursion was blocked by a mudslide!

 

They do reserve the right in the ticket contract to leave (even if a Carnival excursion is late), but would likely only do this for emergency reasons. And if they did, they would get you home or back to the boat.

[mitsugirly]

Thank you for reassuring me! I get so worried, haha. I just pictured this crazy movie-like scene where my SO were racing through the deserted shopping area like we were secret agents on a mission or something and then grabbing a rope hanging from the ship and climbing up as it sailed away :p

 

I'm glad the ship will wait for us! I don't have a passport so if they left I guess I'd just have to start a new life in Cozumel :D

 

 

I kinda had this same question to and I was considering doing this excursion because it sounds so great and different than what you normally see offered. I did read the same reviews saying they were running down the dock to get to the ship.

 

Your last statement had me thinking.....I think I would probably be ok with that. :p :D

 

 

 

Now, this makes me wonder because excursions usually drop you off there at the gate and you have to walk by the shop and down the pier to the ship. Who's to know if people got out of the vans and did shopping prior to getting on the ship? I mean do they take a head count of everyone as they enter back onto the ship to know that everyone is back from the Carnival excursion? I'm confused. (Not that I would do it, there's nothing there at the shopping plaza I need or want...been there so many times). But I always wondered how they would know that everyone from that excursion is accounted for. :confused:

[bradysmom]

Ok, so we did this excursion last July while on the Legend.

First let me say it was awesome, and I highly recommend it.

 

The Ferry pulls into the dock, we never had to go through the port area, shops, etc. It's right there waiting for you when you exit the ship. (as a group after meeting in one of the theaters) maybe 100 yard walk.

Coming back, same thing except the ferry docked on the other side of the ship, so we had maybe a200 yard walk. Everyone is in a group, no running required.

There was a Carnival representative (one of the shore excursion desk workers)waiting for us when we returned to the dock on the ferry. He as in constant radio contact with the ship. He hearded everyone along and back to the ship, and he was at the end of the line, last back on the ship. I think he was there to make sure people didn't try to enter the port area to grab one last souvenir.

We were the last group on the ship. Our particular van (1 of 3 doing the excursion that day) was the last group to arrive back to the ferry. And while they were rushing our walk back to the ferry, it was not a run. I had ankle surgery May 29th and we did the course the first week in July, and I was fine, even a bit hobbled.

 

I really can't say enough about the excursion though, I'd definitely want to do it again this year on our Magic Cruise, but my older sister is joining us and not that into water activities. I really felt even with the "high price", with all the transportation involved, the great guides we had, and lunch included, it couldn't be beat. We certainly squeezed every possible moment out of our day in Mexico.

Book and enjoy!

[justusfour2014]

Thank you for reassuring me! I get so worried, haha. I just pictured this crazy movie-like scene where my SO were racing through the deserted shopping area like we were secret agents on a mission or something and then grabbing a rope hanging from the ship and climbing up as it sailed away :p

 

I'm glad the ship will wait for us! I don't have a passport so if they left I guess I'd just have to start a new life in Cozumel :D

 

". . . so if they left I guess I'd have to start a new life in Cozumel."

 

Why didn't I miss the boat back in October when I visited Cozumel. . .

:p

 

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Forums mobile app

[Miller_KC]

Take a few dollars for the bicycle porters. You can get a ride between the ship and the shops on the pier and back. Save your ankle for walking on shore. The porters work for tips.

[bradysmom]

I also wanted to comment on Grand Cayman. if you are going to do the Stingray sandbar, I would definitely book private.

You'll be in a huge group on a huge boat with carnival, and from what we witnessed, not have a very exciting experience once you get to the sandbar.

 

We used Moby Dick Tours, and had a wonderful experience. I know lots of people also recommend Capt. Marvin's, and Nativeways. The big difference is you are on a much smaller boat with a lot less people, and they feed the stingrays squid, so they actually come around and interact.

On our tour we had 15-20 people I would say, and 3 guides in the water with us interacting with the stingrays. So pretty much a guide for every 5-6 people. Since they fed the stingrays (and let us feed them), there were tons of rays, it felt like we were outnumbered by the stingrays at times. They were also happy to take group photos for us with our camera.

 

This is in contrast to a Carnival boat that was there at the same time as us that no less than 50-75 people piled out of with only 2 guides in the water, 1 of which was trying to take pictures that they later sell and not helping with the stingrays.

No feeding, not many stingrays around their area.

Not much in the way of quality interaction there. Most people were just standing around, and I'm not even sure they all got to hold one. People from there group. eventually tried to work their way into our area because they could see we had all the stingrays.

 

Also, we made our reservation well ahead of time but Moby Dick does not ask for any deposit, so if you miss the port, you are not out anything.

We also had a snorkel stop, which was very nice, and the bus would drop you off anywhere along seven mile beach on the way back if you preferred to go there instead of directly back to port.

 

And it was $45/adult and $35 child.

We're already booked to do it again in April.

[mitsugirly]

Ok, so we did this excursion last July while on the Legend.

First let me say it was awesome, and I highly recommend it.

 

The Ferry pulls into the dock, we never had to go through the port area, shops, etc. It's right there waiting for you when you exit the ship. (as a group after meeting in one of the theaters) maybe 100 yard walk.

Coming back, same thing except the ferry docked on the other side of the ship, so we had maybe a200 yard walk. Everyone is in a group, no running required.

There was a Carnival representative (one of the shore excursion desk workers)waiting for us when we returned to the dock on the ferry. He as in constant radio contact with the ship. He hearded everyone along and back to the ship, and he was at the end of the line, last back on the ship. I think he was there to make sure people didn't try to enter the port area to grab one last souvenir.

We were the last group on the ship. Our particular van (1 of 3 doing the excursion that day) was the last group to arrive back to the ferry. And while they were rushing our walk back to the ferry, it was not a run. I had ankle surgery May 29th and we did the course the first week in July, and I was fine, even a bit hobbled.

 

I really can't say enough about the excursion though, I'd definitely want to do it again this year on our Magic Cruise, but my older sister is joining us and not that into water activities. I really felt even with the "high price", with all the transportation involved, the great guides we had, and lunch included, it couldn't be beat. We certainly squeezed every possible moment out of our day in Mexico.

Book and enjoy!

 

 

That's awesome to know that you will catch the ferry right there by the ship and also get off right there by the ship. That saves a lot of walking and after a 7 hour excursion, I'm sure we'll all be beat.

 

When you mention the van, is that after taking the ferry over to Playa del Carmen (is that where it goes?) then you get in a van to head to the caves and such? Then do you get on another boat to go out to see the turtles, then back to the island, in the van, then on the ferry? I'm just trying to picture this and how it all works. :confused:

[bradysmom]

Take a few dollars for the bicycle porters. You can get a ride between the ship and the shops on the pier and back. Save your ankle for walking on shore. The porters work for tips.

 

Again, no need for the bicycle porters, you never enter the shop area, the ferry comes to you right next to the ship.:)

[bradysmom]

That's awesome to know that you will catch the ferry right there by the ship and also get off right there by the ship. That saves a lot of walking and after a 7 hour excursion, I'm sure we'll all be beat.

 

When you mention the van, is that after taking the ferry over to Playa del Carmen (is that where it goes?) then you get in a van to head to the caves and such? Then do you get on another boat to go out to see the turtles, then back to the island, in the van, then on the ferry? I'm just trying to picture this and how it all works. :confused:

 

Here's the breakdown, it is a lot of travel, modes of transport, but since they are all broken up it doesn't seem bad at all.

 

Carnival Ship to Ferry

Ferry to Playa del Carmen...short walk to waiting AC van (bathroom stop if needed)

Van to caves (with guide giving history of area, etc)

Bathroom stop, Swim in caves, Bathroom stop... then they give you a snack

Van to Akumal-- short walk to beach-- swim with Turtles (directly from beach, they come into the shallow water to feed on the grasses there)

Back in van to Lunch stop (which is at a beautiful oceanfront resort and you get a little beach time, with Buffett lunch and all drinks included) Plenty of bathrooms here (can you tell I have a weak bladder)

Back in van to Play del Carmen, short walk to Ferry

Ferry back to Ship

[mitsugirly]

Here's the breakdown, it is a lot of travel, modes of transport, but since they are all broken up it doesn't seem bad at all.

 

Carnival Ship to Ferry

Ferry to Playa del Carmen...short walk to waiting AC van (bathroom stop if needed)

Van to caves (with guide giving history of area, etc)

Bathroom stop, Swim in caves, Bathroom stop... then they give you a snack

Van to Akumal-- short walk to beach-- swim with Turtles (directly from beach, they come into the shallow water to feed on the grasses there)

Back in van to Lunch stop (which is at a beautiful oceanfront resort and you get a little beach time, with Buffett lunch and all drinks included) Plenty of bathrooms here (can you tell I have a weak bladder)

Back in van to Play del Carmen, short walk to Ferry

Ferry back to Ship

 

 

Awesome break down. Thanks so much!!

 

So do you have any pictures to share? I'm real interested in...like...these caves. I don't want to get freaked out. I mean caves=dark and in the water + dark=scared of creatures that are unknown that might come out. Yikes! What is there to see in there? Are the caves open and have light in them? What do you do when you are snorkeling...like is there something to see other than the rocks in the water? I have all kinds of things running in my head and just don't know what to make of it.

 

So about the turtles and the beach...are the turtles always there or is there a chance you go and none be there? (While I realize this is not controlled by anyone I just wonder if there are times people show up and they are just not there?)

 

What do they serve for lunch? When you say drinks are included...what type of drinks?

 

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just a big planner and have to know all the details before booking something. :p

[mayesq]

I also wanted to comment on Grand Cayman. if you are going to do the Stingray sandbar, I would definitely book private.

 

You'll be in a huge group on a huge boat with carnival, and from what we witnessed, not have a very exciting experience once you get to the sandbar.

 

 

 

We used Moby Dick Tours, and had a wonderful experience. I know lots of people also recommend Capt. Marvin's, and Nativeways. The big difference is you are on a much smaller boat with a lot less people, and they feed the stingrays squid, so they actually come around and interact.

 

On our tour we had 15-20 people I would say, and 3 guides in the water with us interacting with the stingrays. So pretty much a guide for every 5-6 people. Since they fed the stingrays (and let us feed them), there were tons of rays, it felt like we were outnumbered by the stingrays at times. They were also happy to take group photos for us with our camera.

 

 

 

This is in contrast to a Carnival boat that was there at the same time as us that no less than 50-75 people piled out of with only 2 guides in the water, 1 of which was trying to take pictures that they later sell and not helping with the stingrays.

 

No feeding, not many stingrays around their area.

 

Not much in the way of quality interaction there. Most people were just standing around, and I'm not even sure they all got to hold one. People from there group. eventually tried to work their way into our area because they could see we had all the stingrays.

 

 

 

Also, we made our reservation well ahead of time but Moby Dick does not ask for any deposit, so if you miss the port, you are not out anything.

 

We also had a snorkel stop, which was very nice, and the bus would drop you off anywhere along seven mile beach on the way back if you preferred to go there instead of directly back to port.

 

 

 

And it was $45/adult and $35 child.

 

We're already booked to do it again in April.

 

 

I am so glad to hear this. I took the plunge and booked Moby Dick for out March cruise on the Breeze. Can't wait!!

I

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[SunshineCruiser24]

Awesome break down. Thanks so much!!

 

So do you have any pictures to share? I'm real interested in...like...these caves. I don't want to get freaked out. I mean caves=dark and in the water + dark=scared of creatures that are unknown that might come out. Yikes! What is there to see in there? Are the caves open and have light in them? What do you do when you are snorkeling...like is there something to see other than the rocks in the water? I have all kinds of things running in my head and just don't know what to make of it.

 

So about the turtles and the beach...are the turtles always there or is there a chance you go and none be there? (While I realize this is not controlled by anyone I just wonder if there are times people show up and they are just not there?)

 

What do they serve for lunch? When you say drinks are included...what type of drinks?

 

Sorry for all the questions. I'm just a big planner and have to know all the details before booking something. :p

 

If they are anything like the caves at Chaac Tun, there were bats, and when you start moving around in them, the bats start to move, squeak, and fly around. Sooooo cool, but kind of scary.

[SunshineCruiser24]

We are planning on doing the Turtle Cove and Cavern Snorkel excursion from Carnival when we visit Cozumel. It's 7 hours long and from reviews I've read on the site apparently it's a race back to the ship and several people who did the excursion heard the horns sounding as they rushed to the ship.

 

My concern is what happens if we get back and we are racing back to the ship but aren't quite fast enough to get there? I mean, I don't plan on stopping to shop or anything, but I can't run through the shopping area and on the dock to catch up because of a bad ankle. Not that all of those people stated they 'RAN' back to the ship, but when they said it was a race to get back it just sounds like they were running through the deserted shopping area.

 

So...if we do this excursion and get back at 5:30 and the ship leaves at 6 or if we get back at 6 and the ship leaves at 6...what happens? Do they HAVE to wait until we board since it's a Carnival excursion even though they drop us off in the shopping area and not at the ship?

It just scares me because it is cutting it really close to be from 10:00-5:00 when the ship leaves at 6.

 

I really really would like to do the excursion though and so does my SO.

 

The ship waits. There will be a huge group of people getting off the ferry, and you can see the ferry from the ship. I didn't see a rep (but I wasn't looking.) but when I did a mainland excursion the boat didn't actually get back until after the ship was supposed to sail.

 

I had fallen and banged up my leg and knee (and whacked my head a few times.) on my excursion, so there was no way I was running to the boat from the ferry. ALL of the stores were closed, you can't buy souvenirs even if you wanted to. Some people paused for some pictures, but it was a short walk and I (and most everyone on the ferry) did it at normal speed. Some jerks will heckle you from the balcony but ignore them.

[HollandAvery]

They will wait if possible. On my first cruise we stayed docked at Montego Bay until near midnight because a Carnival excursion was blocked by a mudslide!

 

They do reserve the right in the ticket contract to leave (even if a Carnival excursion is late), but would likely only do this for emergency reasons. And if they did, they would get you home or back to the boat.

 

Midnight because of a mudslide! Wow! I'm glad we are just going to the beach in Jamaica, hehe.

 

It just is so so so good to know that they'll get me back to wherever I need to go no matter what as long as I use Carnival for my excursion. Really saves the headache.

[HollandAvery]

I kinda had this same question to and I was considering doing this excursion because it sounds so great and different than what you normally see offered. I did read the same reviews saying they were running down the dock to get to the ship.

 

Your last statement had me thinking.....I think I would probably be ok with that. :p :D

 

 

 

Now, this makes me wonder because excursions usually drop you off there at the gate and you have to walk by the shop and down the pier to the ship. Who's to know if people got out of the vans and did shopping prior to getting on the ship? I mean do they take a head count of everyone as they enter back onto the ship to know that everyone is back from the Carnival excursion? I'm confused. (Not that I would do it, there's nothing there at the shopping plaza I need or want...been there so many times). But I always wondered how they would know that everyone from that excursion is accounted for. :confused:

 

If you get stuck in Cozumel first you can get a place for us to stay and I'll join you in early December and we can sell trinkets to tourists for money and live near the beach (x Hehe, only kidding!

 

I guess they would know when people dinged their cards to get on the ship. If people who were supposed to be on the excursion never 'dinged' in they would have to assume they either stopped to try to shop or something or worse??? Interesting question!

[HollandAvery]

Ok, so we did this excursion last July while on the Legend.

First let me say it was awesome, and I highly recommend it.

 

The Ferry pulls into the dock, we never had to go through the port area, shops, etc. It's right there waiting for you when you exit the ship. (as a group after meeting in one of the theaters) maybe 100 yard walk.

Coming back, same thing except the ferry docked on the other side of the ship, so we had maybe a200 yard walk. Everyone is in a group, no running required.

There was a Carnival representative (one of the shore excursion desk workers)waiting for us when we returned to the dock on the ferry. He as in constant radio contact with the ship. He hearded everyone along and back to the ship, and he was at the end of the line, last back on the ship. I think he was there to make sure people didn't try to enter the port area to grab one last souvenir.

We were the last group on the ship. Our particular van (1 of 3 doing the excursion that day) was the last group to arrive back to the ferry. And while they were rushing our walk back to the ferry, it was not a run. I had ankle surgery May 29th and we did the course the first week in July, and I was fine, even a bit hobbled.

 

I really can't say enough about the excursion though, I'd definitely want to do it again this year on our Magic Cruise, but my older sister is joining us and not that into water activities. I really felt even with the "high price", with all the transportation involved, the great guides we had, and lunch included, it couldn't be beat. We certainly squeezed every possible moment out of our day in Mexico.

Book and enjoy!

 

Aha, well here is the answer to someone in the group wanting to get away to shop...thank you!

Thank you so so so much for sharing your experience! I am completely comfortable with booking it now that you've shared that information. Glad to know they have someone there waiting for us and we go on a ferry first (and last). Wonderful!

 

I'm really excited! As soon as I get paid again I'll be booking it, haha.