Norwegian cruise line private excursions

[shorstkott]

We will be travelling on Norwegian Getaway on Dec 11th 2016 for the second time. We are a group of 8 (2 adults 6 kids ranging from 17 to 10 months old). I am sick of paying nearly $800 for an excursion...has anyone gone with a private excursion company and felt safe, we are going to Belize, Honduras, Cozumel and Costa Maya. I really wouldn't mind just going to a beach especially with the baby but want to still book through a private excursion. Thanks

[cruizinwithkids]

Try going to the ports of call section of the boards. You can generally get a lot of helpful advice there.

 

I have not done any private excursions in any of the ports you mentioned so I have no advice to offer there.

 

I added a link.

 

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

Edited August 21, 2016 by cruizinwithkids

[becker80]

We did a private jeep tour in Cozumel and didn't have any problems. I wouldn't hesitate to book with a private company. I just read all of the reviews for the company before booking.

[beachys]

We are booked with two private tour companies for our upcoming cruise in two weeks and taking same itinerary. I will come back and report our experience.

[philip_eunice1]

If u wanna do a private beach maya chan in Costa maya is nice

In Belsize try

http://www.ncqadventuretours.com

We had a couple of great tours with them

 

Do a Google search for others read the reviews and make a choice

Did cruise ship tours on our first ever cruise never since experience quality and cost we have found to be better with Pvt companies

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Edited August 21, 2016 by philip_eunice1

[www3traveler]

We will be travelling on Norwegian Getaway on Dec 11th 2016 for the second time. We are a group of 8 (2 adults 6 kids ranging from 17 to 10 months old). I am sick of paying nearly $800 for an excursion...has anyone gone with a private excursion company and felt safe, we are going to Belize, Honduras, Cozumel and Costa Maya. I really wouldn't mind just going to a beach especially with the baby but want to still book through a private excursion. Thanks

Join a very active Roll Call for this cruise and ask for suggestions.

 

After reading comments over the last several days about people not being able to get their money back from private excursion operators because cruise being delayed into a port or a port of call is canceled for some ( possible with this cruise depending on the weather), not am not sure about booking anything not with Norwegian. If you book through Norwegian and something happens, like a port of call being canceled, you would automatically get your money credited to your account.

 

Personally, I would NOT book anything not Norwegian and I am on your cruise.

[hawkeyetlse]

With a group of 8 people you have your choice of dozens/hundreds of private tour operators in every port on your itinerary. Are all of them good and safe etc.? Unfortunately, no; you have to do your research. Get recommendations from your roll call, or look up the most highly-rated outfits for each port on sites like TripAdvisor, and contact them. It is more work than just clicking on an NCL excursion, but it's worth the investment of time and energy, because you can almost always save a lot of money and get a better tour than what NCL offers.

[jingle5616]

I rarely ever book NCL excursions. They are always over priced and almost always large (40-50) person groups. Small groups are so much better in so many ways. A tour guide wrangling 12-15 or less is so much easier and efficient than 40-50. This means more time actually at the attraction instead of waiting for Norman at every stop. Of course you can get Norman on a small group as well, but the Normans of the world seem to like big groups and the supposed safety of cruise line sponsored tours for some reason.:eek:

 

The tour operators know what time the ship leaves and their business reputation demands they deliver you to the pier with plenty of time. In the age of the internet word spreads fast and leaving folks on the pier is dooming their business. I've seen operators disappear after complaints here on CC. Do your research ahead of time and reap the benefits, time and cash, of an independent tour operator. Don't be scared by the hype of MISSING THE SHIP! If you are still scared there are tour consolidators such as Viator that guarantee your return to the ship or they pay for your return expenses on many of their offerings. Have fun whatever you chose to do with your time!

[Bunnynme]

In Roatan go with Victor Bodden tours. You can do whatever you want, you work with your guide. Very reliable. We have used them before and are booked with them again in January.

[www3traveler]

We will be travelling on Norwegian Getaway on Dec 11th 2016 for the second time. We are a group of 8 (2 adults 6 kids ranging from 17 to 10 months old). I am sick of paying nearly $800 for an excursion...has anyone gone with a private excursion company and felt safe, we are going to Belize, Honduras, Cozumel and Costa Maya. I really wouldn't mind just going to a beach especially with the baby but want to still book through a private excursion. Thanks

I have qualms about two ports of call on this itinerary:

 

(1) Belize: (a) How much damage was done with the latest hurricane and how much may be done with the one heading in their direction?

 

(b) What about Harvest Caye? Will it be open in Mid- November as currently scheduled? Any hurricane damage needing to be repaired or replaced?

 

(2) Costa Maya: Will we be able to dock as scheduled? Costa Maya has an unprotected dock. High winds and wave action can make it impossible to dock. I know several Captains' whose nickname for Coast Maya is Costa Missa.

[philip_eunice1]

In Roatan go with Victor Bodden tours. You can do whatever you want, you work with your guide. Very reliable. We have used them before and are booked with them again in January.

 

 

 

We booked with victor bodden in Roatan

Just 3 of use sent a van and a guide went and did the zip lines first thing we were there before any of the ship tours only a few cars in the car park when we arrived

Did the zip lines no waiting about in lines when we were leaving there were about 10 buses in the car park and hundreds waiting to go on the zip lines

After that went to money sanctuary and beach great day out plus one for victor

 

 

 

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[philip_eunice1]

Oops love to go to a money sanctuary but unfortunately we went to the monkey sanctuary

 

 

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[Monstica]

Hi:

 

I have booked excursions on my own. Research is key. Tripadvisor can come in very handy for this. You can look to see what the cruise line is offering and try to replicate it on your own. I have done this twice already and saved myself a great deal of money. I usually book ahead of time and pay by credit card if I need to dispute any charges. I have booked the same catamaran snorkel trip twice as the one offered on the ship on my own. Fellow cruise ship passengers were with my family who ended up paying quite a bit more. This year I am taking my family on tour that the cruise is offering at $200 a person. I was able to get it down to $100 a person on my own. Did alot of research conversed with tour operators back and forth and was advised that I would be charged a $5 service charge if the cruise ship was rerouted or there was bad weather. The destination experts on Trip Advisor should be able to recommend reliable tour operators and you should be able to email back and forth and work something out. Good Luck!

[Shawnino]

Hi:

 

I have booked excursions on my own. Research is key. Tripadvisor can come in very handy for this. You can look to see what the cruise line is offering and try to replicate it on your own.

 

Great advice.

Start "at the top" on Trip Advisor, work your way down til you find something you like in each port.

You'll pay 25-33% of the ship price, and get a small-group experience.

[JB_Scott1981]

We too used Victor Bodden Tours. They were wonderful. Price is very good and they do whatever you want to do. If you simply want a beach day Bananarama has a good deal as well. We used Victor Bodden when we were there last year and we did an island tour, horse back riding, then glass bottom boat ride and ended the day at the beach at Bananarama. Both Victor Bodden and Bananarama were great and I would recommend either one. We never felt unsafe or anything.

[xkritter]

For beach days we have done and loved:

 

Cozumel - Nachi Cocum - this is a favorite of ours. You book direct with them and then just take a cab. When you are ready to leave let your server at Nachi know and they'll call a cab for you.

 

Roatan - we did Little French Key and loved it. Again, we booked direct with them.

[spidybabe]

I also do a lot of research, and we do our own private tours, everywhere, even Alaska --as long as there is ample time to get back to the ship. We would never cut it close to sailaway , and by close I mean about 2 hours.

Two tour groups we have used and highly recommend are:

Costa Maya - The Native Choice Chaccoben ruins tour.

Roatan -- Victor Bodden fun & sun tour.

Both wonderful days, and they have many different tours too.

Safe sailing

[fabnfortysomething]

I was amused on our last cruise that NCL shore excursions leaflet stated that they recommend independent tours for disabled guests

 

sounds like they had too many problems accommodating wheelchair bound guests

 

so after scaring guests into booking NCL excursions with the promise the ship wont leave without you they are now saying something different?

 

we always book independent tours not wanting to be stuck on a bus with 50 other people

[deladypilot]

Although I can not help you with your ports, we never book through NCL. Way over priced. Do your research, check trip advisor and of course other cruisers. All of the companies we have booked with have always given a guarantee that if we miss the port we are refunded so look for that and if you have to, ask them.