Obsessing over excursions

[Spiritedcharm]

It’s been over 17 years since I’ve cruised and in three months, my husband (who has never cruised) and I will be going on an 11 night Caribbean cruise. I’ve been consumed with picking excursions to pre-book, or not.

 

We have six ports and four sea days. I “think” I’d like to do something in each port, but I lean towards the same things - snorkeling, boat, beach, repeat. As much as I love the water and the idea of snorkeling, I’m questioning how much snorkeling is too much, even for me.

 

And do I really need to pre-plan activities for every port? My husband is not a lot of help deciding since he doesn’t have any cruise experience and he’s happy with whatever I decide anyway.

 

Thoughts? How much do you decide what you want to do on a cruise in advance?

[cruiserking]

Tell us what ports you're visiting and we'll help you out.

 

Jonathan

[Spiritedcharm]

St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados

[tortoisegirl]

We typically look at what excursions the cruise line offers in each port to get an idea of the common options. From there we decide whether or not we want to do an excursion for each port. If so, then I look at excursions in more depth, usually booking independently unless there is a reason to book with the cruiseline (such as the cost being the same, or if the excursion takes us a long way from port or ends right before all aboard time).

 

If we choose not to do an excursion, then I research the port and make a list (and often a map) of ideas of things to do, places to eat, etc, along with a couple notes (like their hours of operation, cost, description). I'll look into transportation options if we may want to go further than walking distance. I often also do that in addition to an excursion booking if the excursion won't eat up the entire port time. Keep in mind that they usually let you off the ship 30 min after the published time, and you have to be back on at least 30 min before the published time, so you have an hour less than it appears.

 

My husband doesn't like to be tied down, so that way he can pick that day what he feels like. I'm too much of a Type A person as to know we want to do an excursion but wait until we get there, as there is too much of a chance of it being sold out. They will however typically have tour operators with signs selling independent excursions when you get off the ship, and you can still book an excursion on the ship if it isn't sold out. Not pre-planning things is easier for the Caribbean vs. other destinations (like Alaska) too. I also don't like to not do any planning as I wouldn't want to find out later we missed out on something cool, have to waste time doing research (phone, map, guidebook) once we get there, waste time wandering around looking for a restaurant that meets our dietary preferences, etc.

 

So, I definitely plan, but don't plan specific times for anything outside a planned excursion. If you like one activity like snorkeling or whatever, there is nothing wrong with doing it multiple times on one trip, especially if there will be a significant difference in the sites. Do at least consider all the options though. Especially as it is a longer cruise and you are considering similar activities, you may not want to book something each port, or at least not the entire day for every port. I find that even while doing something fun on a vacation, having a full port day every port day is tiring, especially in heat. Best wishes.

[SRF]

Also check out the port of call sections for each port.

 

You may find that you do not need an excursion. Especially if you have your own snorkeling gear.

[lenquixote66]

It’s been over 17 years since I’ve cruised and in three months, my husband (who has never cruised) and I will be going on an 11 night Caribbean cruise. I’ve been consumed with picking excursions to pre-book, or not.

 

We have six ports and four sea days. I “think” I’d like to do something in each port, but I lean towards the same things - snorkeling, boat, beach, repeat. As much as I love the water and the idea of snorkeling, I’m questioning how much snorkeling is too much, even for me.

 

And do I really need to pre-plan activities for every port? My husband is not a lot of help deciding since he doesn’t have any cruise experience and he’s happy with whatever I decide anyway.

 

Thoughts? How much do you decide what you want to do on a cruise in advance?

 

We always wait to book excursions on the ship because we will know the weather conditions.

[Bizmark'sMom]

Barbados has a fantastic pottery place - Chalk Mount (I think?). It also has a nice botanical garden. Just in case you want to hire a cab for more of a land trip and get away from the beach for that day.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I do a lot of planning too, figuring out what we will do at each port. We have cruised the Caribbean a lot and been to most islands multiple times, so sometimes it gets difficult to find new things to do.

 

We almost never do a ship tour. We do a combination of independent tours booked ahead, DIY and tours booked right on the dock area. We like the beach and snorkeling too, but I don't want to do that at every port.

 

There are so many choice in your ports that it is hard to narrow down. St. Thomas and St. Martin for sure sustained quite a lot of hurricane damage, so that should be taken into account.

 

I can go into detail but it would be lengthy. All islands will have tours that go to the highlights of that island, or to a beach or, usually, snorkel or catamaran tours. We also like zip-lining and 'soft' adventure type tours.

[KmomChicago]

If I were your travel agent and you asked me to figure it out for you, I would google "best snorkeling in the Caribbean" and find the best locations based on your ports. Then I would check if the cruise has any options for my picks. If not I would again research options for private tours or ways to get there on your own, such as a public bus or renting a car at the pier. Book as many or few snorkel days as you wish. Only you know how much snorkeling you will enjoy.

 

Ship excursions can sell out so if you see one you really like I would just book it. I don't love the cattle call hoarde experience of some group excursions or being on their schedule but they do all the heavy lifting of getting you from point a to point b which some people prefer.

 

Also everyone in the Caribbean seems to be looking for tips on top of what you paid for the excursion. We did a dolphin swim a couple years ago for $125 per person and every time they addressed us as a group they asked us for tips, probably ten times over a two hour experience.

 

Last thing to consider. It's great to have 4 sea days but it's nice to stay aboard sometimes in port while everyone else is ashore and experience a nearly empty ship for a few hours. Happy planning!

[geoherb]

St. Thomas, St. Martin, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados

With this itinerary, I'd snorkel in St. Thomas (actually over to St. John) and Barbados, plan for beach days in St. Maarten and St. Croix, do an island tour in St. Lucia, and kayak in Antigua.

[teknoge3k]

Since we don't do excursions through the cruise line, I do my homework well in advance to know WHAT we want to do in each port. Then once I figure out what we'll do, I look for reputable vendors to do said activity/tour with. That way I know I have a reputable operator and have my reservations made in case there are multiple ships in port that day.

[Heidi13]

Prior to any cruise or other holiday, I thoroughly research every place we are visiting, by compiling a list of all attractions in the immediate area and the surrounding area, based on time available. We then prioritise our preferences.

 

I then start reviewing the ship's tours, short listing any that would be of interest, then research local tour providers, reading reviews and tripadvisor reports. We make a decision on ship v's private operators based on costs, quality of tour and risks associated with distance from the ship, return time v's sailing time and any potential security issues at the port.

[mom says]

Since we don't do excursions through the cruise line, I do my homework well in advance to know WHAT we want to do in each port. Then once I figure out what we'll do, I look for reputable vendors to do said activity/tour with. That way I know I have a reputable operator and have my reservations made in case there are multiple ships in port that day.

 

This is exactly what we do. And it's all part of the fun leading up to the cruise, for me.

[teknoge3k]

This is exactly what we do. And it's all part of the fun leading up to the cruise, for me.

 

Planning the cruise/vacation is half the fun!

[OCruisers]

Do cleck out the Port of Call Board under each of your port stops!

You'll find lots of helpful information ... what others have done and recommend! :)

[Spiritedcharm]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I love hearing how others plan their excursions

[57redbird]

Look at Trip Advisor for each port & check out the most highly rated excursions in the activities that suit you...a lot of them can customize their tours to suit you & for less than the ship excursions.

[babar25]

If you are looking for a super casual beach day in St. Thomas, I would definitely recommend a trip to Water Island.

[Nebr.cruiser]

If you are looking for a super casual beach day in St. Thomas, I would definitely recommend a trip to Water Island.

 

We enjoyed that too. Rode the water taxi over and spent the day at an almost deserted beach. I have heard that now some ship tours go there, so the ambiance is much less desirable and it can be crowded.