RCI Freedom Excursions - I need advice on booking RCI or Other vendors

[lbeck]

My wife and I are leaving for the Western Caribbean on RCI Freedom of the Seas on January 17. We are sailing with other couples and finally got around to trying to book on the same excursions with the others. All six of the excursions are booked full and I have spent over an hour on the RCI www site trying to find other excursions. I've looked at twenty or so and all are full.

 

First - this really surprises me. Having cruised on Princess to Alaska, Australia/NZ, and British Isles, when an excursion fills up, they start another group on the same excursion.

 

Second the RCI www site is horrible. Users need to search and click on an excursion and start the reservation process before finding out that the excursion is full. A better approach would be to list only the ones that are available, or at least to design the site with a notation "currently full" or something to that effect.

 

Okay - enough complaining - now for my need for advice.

 

1. Is there any chance that I can book after the cruise starts?
   
2. Are third-party excursions reliable?
   
3. What are some recommendations for easily booked excursions at the various ports of call?
   

 

One of my buddies that has cruised extensively says that he never books excursions until on the boat. I've never tried that. Any success/failure comments for RCI?

 

My wife is extremely skeptical about 3rd party excursions. Mostly for the unlikely possibility that the excursion will result in missing the cruise departure due to e.g., transportation issues (broken bus, traffic, etc.). She also is concerned about security - especially in Mexico (even though El Chapo has been recaptured :) )

 

We both are interested in scenic beauty and historical excursions like Maya ruins and such. Moderate exertion is okay. We both walk a couple of miles daily. I'm interested in snorkeling if tropical fish are plentiful. I'll admit to being spoiled by Hawaii and Fiji, but I understand that there is some clear water in the Caribbean where snorkeling is great. What I'm saying is that I don't want a snorkeling experience just to get wet in murky water.

 

On the "missing the boat" issue, maybe there are some excursions with multiple units so that if one breaks down there is another to the rescue?

 

Well, I'll stop here so that experienced cruisers won't get turned off by a too lengthy post.

 

I will appreciate your comments and advice - especially if it is specific to our upcoming cruise. I'll be checking this board frequently since we will be leaving soon.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ourusualbeach]

There are many reliable tour operators out there. Take a look at trip advisor for recommendations. Most of the reliable operators will either ask for a minimal deposit or none at all and offer a full refund if your ship does not make it to port.

 

The one excursion that I would never book with a private vendor is an excursion to the mainland from Cozumel. It's just too far and too many things could prevent you from getting back to the ship.

Edited January 9, 2016 by Ourusualbeach

[lbeck]

There are many reliable tour operators out there. Take a look at trip advisor for recommendations. Most of the reliable operators will either ask for a minimal deposit or none at all and offer a full refund if your ship does not make it to port.

 

The one excursion that I would never book with a private vendor is an excursion to the mainland from Cozumel. It's just too far and too many things could prevent you from getting back to the ship.

Thanks, Ken. That's useful advice. I'll check Trip advisor in addition to recommendations from you savvy Caribbean cruisers...

[Otterman34]

LBECK,

 

Go to the ports of call section of the cruise critic web site and click on your specific region "caribbean" and then your individual ports of call. I have taken / done most of my excursions privately. The combination of trip advisor reviews and suggestions/recommendations from fellow cruise critic people are great resources.

 

I do wholeheartedly agree with the Cozumel-mainland suggestion of the ships excursion if you want to go that route.

 

We are on the Freedom with you and have booked/planned only private "excursions".

Grand Cayman - Food walking tour

Cozumel - Nachi Cocum

Jamaica - river rafting - this one is tentative (we have done the falls before and it was exciting)!

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy the cruise.

[serene56]

A ruins tour is an all day type of excursion. This is the

Only type of excursion I would book through cruiselines

But know that your day will be spent mostly on transportation

Between ferry and buses figure 4 hours roundtrip and 2 hours at the ruins

[CS-RN]

My wife and I are leaving for the Western Caribbean on RCI Freedom of the Seas on January 17. We are sailing with other couples and finally got around to trying to book on the same excursions with the others. All six of the excursions are booked full and I have spent over an hour on the RCI www site trying to find other excursions. I've looked at twenty or so and all are full.

 

First - this really surprises me. Having cruised on Princess to Alaska, Australia/NZ, and British Isles, when an excursion fills up, they start another group on the same excursion.

 

Second the RCI www site is horrible. Users need to search and click on an excursion and start the reservation process before finding out that the excursion is full. A better approach would be to list only the ones that are available, or at least to design the site with a notation "currently full" or something to that effect.

 

Okay - enough complaining - now for my need for advice.

 

1. Is there any chance that I can book after the cruise starts?
   
2. Are third-party excursions reliable?
   
3. What are some recommendations for easily booked excursions at the various ports of call?
   

 

One of my buddies that has cruised extensively says that he never books excursions until on the boat. I've never tried that. Any success/failure comments for RCI?

 

My wife is extremely skeptical about 3rd party excursions. Mostly for the unlikely possibility that the excursion will result in missing the cruise departure due to e.g., transportation issues (broken bus, traffic, etc.). She also is concerned about security - especially in Mexico (even though El Chapo has been recaptured :) )

 

We both are interested in scenic beauty and historical excursions like Maya ruins and such. Moderate exertion is okay. We both walk a couple of miles daily. I'm interested in snorkeling if tropical fish are plentiful. I'll admit to being spoiled by Hawaii and Fiji, but I understand that there is some clear water in the Caribbean where snorkeling is great. What I'm saying is that I don't want a snorkeling experience just to get wet in murky water.

 

On the "missing the boat" issue, maybe there are some excursions with multiple units so that if one breaks down there is another to the rescue?

 

Well, I'll stop here so that experienced cruisers won't get turned off by a too lengthy post.

 

I will appreciate your comments and advice - especially if it is specific to our upcoming cruise. I'll be checking this board frequently since we will be leaving soon.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

We always do our own or 3rd party excursions. In Grand Cayman, the snorkeling was amazing! We did the 3 stop through Captain Marvin's that included Sting Ray city. It's less than a block down from the port, had plenty of time to get there and they returned to the same spot several hours before the last tender. Cozumel, we went to Chankanaab park. Doing things one your own are significantly less expensive, give you more flexibility, and you can easily get back to the ship on time with a little research. The ports of call boards are very helpful in addition to TripAdvisor.

[reney313]

I agree with the suggestions/comments above.

 

We do a mix of private and cruise sponsored excursions.

 

Cozumel is very safe for independent excursions. Although if you want to book to the mainland for the ruins, I would only do so through the cruise line because of the transportation logistics. there is no real "Plan B" if something goes wrong there. On that same note, while Tulum is beautiful, I wouldn't spend my day in Cozumel going to the ruins. There are other ports where that is more conducive and doesn't require an all day bus/ferry, etc. It is a little too hectic for me.

 

As far as booking onboard, I would guess you would have a very good chance of once you are on the ship. I'm not sure if they hold back excursion spots, but I have heard they do. Often, people may book in advance and then cancel which opens spots as well. The only problem is if it is full onboard, you are then at the mercy of what is available from port side vendors and not pre-booked.

 

I do like Trip Advisor, but the port of calls board on cruise critic is very helpful for cruisers. Unlike TA, there is a big focus on excursions and operators that cater to limited port times. The private operators definitely know their business would be doomed if they didn't get you back to port on time. Just use good judgement of the risks.

 

I think your cruise is going to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Jamaica, correct? If so, some options I would recommend:

 

Cozumel: Cozumel Bar Hop. I have been on this 3 times and absolutely love it. No worries at all about getting back to the ship on time and it takes you away from all the tourists to a very relaxing side of the island.

 

Various beaches: You can jump in a taxi and go to about any beach with all inclusive or pay as you go options. These are popular and safe choices. Chankannaab is also a great choice. Fairly close with beaches, dolphins, etc.

 

Jamaica: I loved the zip line to Rose Hall through the ship. Other options are private tours with Peat Taylor. I would not recommend going to the falls or other huge destinations through the cruise line. They are packed full and quite a distance. Going independent gets you there before the masses and away from the vendors.

Others hang out at the pier with the "shops" and Margaritaville.

 

Grand Cayman: I would have zero reservations independent here. As a matter of fact, I recommend it especially to Stingray City. You are often with a much smaller group (20-30 people average) vs. the ship tours that are double decker boats with hundreds. You get personal attention. If wanting a beach day, just take a cab to Royal Palms and buy a cabana or lounger.

 

Have fun researching and enjoy your cruise!

[illiniwahoo]

I agree with all the advice given. I generally book privately. Groups are usually much smaller, which we appreciate. You can often save a bunch of money too. I book through the cruise ship when there is no other option or the tour is long and goes far away from Port - e.g. mainland ruins from Cozumel. In grand cayman, we did a three hour snorkel and sting ray city tour. It was a boat of only 20 or so people, and we were scheduled to arrive back several hours before sail away. That's the perfect time to book an independent excursion.

We used Pete Taylor tours in Jamaica. Even though it was an all day tour, I was comfortable going privately since we were at popular destinations, so if the vehicle broke down it would have been easy to grab a cab back to port.

When planning for new ports, I generally start with the cruise ship excursions, pick the type of thing I want to do, the research on cruise critic and trip advisor if there a private tour that could do it better or cheaper. Typically in the Caribbean I find both. (Europe was different and we went with almost all ship excursions)

 

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[illiniwahoo]

Just a helpful hint - it's good to list your ports exactly so people can help more easily :)

It is possible to book excursions on the ship or even with 3rd party vendors when you go on shore. That's not my style. I like plans made in advance so I have nothing to worry about.

Cozumel - ship tour to mainland ruins.

Labadee - beach day

Grand cayman - snorkeling. I've done capt. Marvin boat tour for snorkeling and sting ray city, and just snorkeled Edens rock just outside of port. Different but both fun.

Falmouth - private tour. We used peat taylor and did dunns river falls, tubing down white river, and blue hole. He has lots of tours, so you can pick one the matches your interests. Jamaica also has ziplining, which I have not done here, but in roatan and loved it! I'd pick what I wanted to do and book it privately in Jamaica before we left.

 

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[brillohead]

If you really want to be on the same excursions as the others in your group along with a gazillion other people, go to the Excursions desk immediately after boarding and ask if there is any availability (make sure you have the exact name/description of the excursions in question). Sometimes they close excursions to online booking in order to leave some openings for booking on board.

 

But as others have said, I always book independently, either in advance online or right on the pier. I don't like overpaying, and I don't like being on crowded excursions where most of the time is wasted waiting for people to get on and off a bus.

 

I would only book a "complicated" excursion through the ship, and honestly, the mainland Mayan ruins one isn't worth it to me b/c so much of the time is spent on transportation rather than on the actual excursion.

[lbeck]

A big thank you to everyone who kindly responded. Cruisers are special.

 

I ave booked my excursions through a 3rd party vendor shoretrips.com and they appear to be quite competent. I'll post any significant information after we return to the US.

[Sunshinecrew]

On previous cruises, we have booked private excursions in Florence, Rome, Sicily, Dubrovinik, Venice, Nassau, and Barbados. All were the highlight of our trips! In each case, we got to our destinations before the cruise buses and had time to add other points of interest, eat and take restroom breaks when we wanted to.

If you study Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor recommendations, you shouldn't go wrong.