Suggestions about Excursions

[Evnang]

Hello fellow cruisers! We have cruised Carnival twice before but it's been a while and we never took advantage of the excursions. We just booked a western-Caribbean cruise for December and are considering a few adventures. Any suggestions to save money? Book excursions online? Or would we save $$ by looking for excursions once we are off the boat? As well, suggestions on bringing cash to Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, Cozumel, Belize..do we need their currency? or do they take CAD / US $$?

Suggestions welcome!

[MarcJ55]

Great post. I'm looking to do the same thing. I'm also Canadian, but suggest bringing USD instead.

 

I'm trying to figure out my own DIY excursions. For a family of 5, this can save us a lot of money. However, it is a lot more work to figure out what to do and other logistics.

 

I have compared Carnival's prices to other excursion providers, and Carnival seems to be on par with them. So if you do book with Carnival, I don't think you'll be paying a lot more.

 

One thing I've noticed, is that some tour operators or attractions won't let you book directly with them if you're on a cruise. They refer you to the cruise line. This really sucks. I found this twice so far. Once for a ziplining place -- won't let you book directly with them if you're on a cruise; the other was a boat out to some reefs for snorkelling. Same thing -- if you're on a cruise, they turn you away and tell you to book through the cruise due to their contract. Buggers.

[vamartha]

On the Western side of the Caribbean, we prebook our excursions and we don't book with Carnival. On the Eastern side, you don't really have to prebook.

 

We're sailing almost that exact itinerary in about 58 days and its a repeat for us. We aren't going to Grand Cayman this trip, but oh, how I wish we were! If you have never done it, Stingray City is a must do once in a lifetime thing. We've gone twice with Moby Dick (mobydicktours.com) and can highly recommend them. Still leaves plenty of time for shopping ($$$$$$$$ in GC) or the beach.

 

For Roatan (Mahogany Bay - BTW, that is just Carnivals name for their private port - sort of a manufactured area with all the cruiser needs to stay happy, as long as they don't want to see the real Honduras - ok, soapbox off, sorry) I think you will find that the most popular and dependable company is Victor Bodden (boddentours.com). You won't be disappointed.

 

Belize is more complicated. There aren't as many choices. Cave tubing seems to be the most popular. We've not done it. We have taken a snorkeling tour with Coral Breeze and may still rebook with them. You do have to book something in Belize, it really, really isn't a get off the ship and spend a relaxing day in the port area type of place.

 

Cozumel. Subjective port. You can do almost anything your heart desires and will most likely be safe doing it. Snorkel. Run the Amazing Race. Chill at an all-inclusive. Party your butt of at Mr Sanchos. It is just a pick your pleasure type of port. Shop all day long if you want. We are snorkelers and we spend the day at Chakanaab.

 

All these ports accept US dollars. I probably would not use my credit card in Belize or Roatan but I've used it sucessfully many times over in both GC and Cozumel.

[teknoge3k]

I personally would recommend doing your own thing, booking excursions on your own online before you sail. Just look for reputable vendors here and on TripAdvisor. Also as vamartha said, Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel. :)

[coevan]

i personally disagree with MarcJ55 about CCL compared to private tours. One example is diving, which is usually about $150 through CCL. I have never spent much more than $100, $75 in Cozumel. Yes, contracte companies with CCL can not accept CCL guests privately, call another company. CCL uses a fear factor to get you to book with them, if you miss the ship........

Private companies know the time the ship arrives, when it departs, what ship's time is, because it is their life.

[OCruisers]

The US Dollar would be the best to use in all of your port stops. :)

[Alex of the Seas]

I agree with booking private tours unless it's an all day excursion. In Belize, we did the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins excursion. 8 hours. On the way back the bus broke down. Luckily it was thru Carnival and our ship was waiting for us when we arrived back at the port about 2 hours late. For shorter excursions, I will go private, but some of the ruins are all day affairs.

 

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[sanger727]

We hardly ever book ship excursions but we always make plans ahead of time. Don't like the idea of getting off the boat and jumping into some unknown persons can because they are holding a sign up in port. We use the ports of call board and trip advisor to find reputable companies to book with.

 

Def recommend sting ray city (it's a sandbar, many companies can take you there) in grand cayman and cavetubing in Belize.

 

Everyone in the Caribbean accepts USD, not sure about Canadian.

 

 

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[ricew001]

To provide you a bit more information:

We were in Cozumel last Wednesday and went with a friend's recommendation to go to Mr. Sancho's Cozumel Beach Club (which is the way it is listed on Facebook). When I searched it online, I found that Shore Exusioneers let's you book it for $5 per person. I did that online and paid the remaining balance of $45 per person when we got there. We got off the ship in port and took a taxi to Mr. Sancho's. The taxi ride was $17 so I gave him a $20 and told him to keep the change. I'm sure that's why they price it at $17.

Once there, it was raining but we went inside and got our wristbands and proceeded to the tiki hut where there was a buffet. The food was really good. The weather cleared and we went to the pool with the swim up bar and then to the ocean and back to the pool. All drinks and food are included and the drinks were NOT watered down. Service was excellent.

They have lockers and dressing rooms. Bathrooms with showers.

Bring you own beach towel though as they don't supply those.

 

So hopefully that's a little more education that will help you in Cozumel.'

We shopped a little at Mr. Sancho's and at the terminal near the ship. However, we were greatly disappointed to find that both Margaritaville and Hard Rock Cafe closed extremely early that day!!

[poz222]

I prefer the DIY excursions pre-booked with reputable company's... as said above, I can put my 5stars in for Moby Dick in Cayman Island and Victor Bodden tours. In Belize we did Bottoms Up cave tubing 3 times and loved it! Cozumel we do Paradise beach on our own most times... I have found many ship sponsored tours to be much more crowded and less personal,than DIY tours. This is because the tour operators must take more people on the cruise line tours to make up for the low reimbursement rates given by the cruise lines (less $ given per person in exchange for volume and guaranteed customers)...

[steveha0801]

In Belize, and grand cayman (because they are tenders) I would either book a short excursion on my own, or go with carnival. Another quick suggestion for mahogany bay is search on face (book) Daniel Johnson's monkey and sloth hangout. Send them a message, and they'll send you options. Best excursion we've ever done.

 

 

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