Excursions - can they be booked on the spot?

[Lori SUD]

I'll be heading out on my first cruise in March (doing the Mexican Riviera with stops in PV, Mazatlan, and CSL).

 

My question is this, can excursions be booked on the spot when the ship arrives? For example, when we first get off the ship and hit land, will there be excursion vendors there on the pier waiting for those like me (either spontaneous or unorganized ;) ) to book?

 

Is this a wise thing to do? Then or ahead of time?

 

I've been told that you can negotiate EVERYTHING in Mexico, including excursions. Again, can this be done on the spot or am I at the mercy of their excursion quote?

 

I already have something lined up for Mazatlan (Randi's Happy Horses) and someone has recommended whale watching in CSL (although I haven't booked anything). In PV, I'd like to do the dune-buggy or the safari-type bus thing. I guess is this something I can book when we arrive?

 

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

Lori

[cruzin girl]

They are everywhere. You should have no problem finding something however I usually like to research ahead of time and go with the ones that people mostly recommend. When we book on our own I just feel more comfortable knowing what I am in for. Have fun:)

[cherylandtk]

There are excursion vendors and touts on the end of every cruise ship pier in the world. Mexico is no exception. If you do want to book spur-of-the-moment you should be prepared with specific questions, including knowing how much the comparable ship's excursion costs, how long it will take, and how far from the pier you are going in case of mechanical breakdown and you need to arrange alternate transportation back to the ship.

 

That said, if you do the homework you can find some wonderful offerings that the cruise line cannot provide (due to limited capacity) and at terrific prices. Go to the ports of call boards under Mexican Riviera and read up on the options and reliable vendors. There are tons of posts there on exactly what you are asking about.

[Big Al B.]

Also, do some checking to make sure that the people offering tours are approved by the government. I remember reading warnings about that on many of the Mexican port threads.