First Cruise, are excursions a must?

[jacelyn]

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

[ColeThornton]

Excursions for me are definitely not a must do.  I enjoy the port days when people are off the ship and it's quiet and you have plenty of room to just chill out on the ship.  I think one of the mistakes newer cruisers make is trying to cram too much in to a seven day cruise.

 

Now, if you haven't already go to the Mexican Riviera forum and post the same thing and peruse all the threads there.  There is a lot of great information available.  Link:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/124-mexican-riviera/

[lynncarol]

Of course there are things to do at the ports that don't cost much money.  My husband and I also try to watch our spending, but if a place has an attraction that we really want to see, we will spend the money to do so.  You don't have to go on the pricey ship's excursions...many of us use private vendors.  Check out your cruise roll call, often someone there is organizing an excursion where you can share costs.  Prior to visiting Barbados, we joined up with another couple for a half day tour of the island.  The trick is to communicate candidly with these folks and make sure you all want to see the same things.  For example, for the Barbados tour, when this particular couple indicated they wanted to focus on things of natural beauty and were NOT interested in 'shopping opportunities' or bar hopping we quickly signed on. 

[marden1970]

No, excursions are not a "must".  You can walk around the ports yourself, take public transportation to some places, always places to eat and drink.  Google each port for info and try Youtube for videos.  There will be lots of other passengers doing things on their own.  I hope you have a great time.

[Hlitner]

Perhaps we can give you some idea about Mexican ports.  We live in Puerto Vallarta (10 weeks a year) along with about 50,000 other Amercians/Canadians that also live and vacation in this region.  There are also plenty of Americans/Canadians living in other ports such as Mazatlan and Cabo St Lucas.  We do not take tours or excursions.  We simply go out every day, sit on a beach, go to restaurants, shop, etc.  We also watch cruise passengers (there are two ships here today) wander around town.  Some are on guided tours/excursions and others are just doing their own thing.

 

I tell you this so that you can understand that while you will be in a foreign country, there are plenty of your fellow countryfolks that are here for weeks/months and even years.  English is widely understood, menus in most cafes/restaurants are in Spanish and English, and many places even accept US Dollars and the usual credit cards.  If you want to save money and go off on your own you should simply do some pre-cruise homework and not hesitate to ask any specific questions here on CC.  Under the Ports of Call Board there is a specific blog for the Mexican Riviera where you can find lots of informative posts (or ask you own questions).

 

T

 

Hank

[Ashland]

We have visited the Mexican Riviera on cruise ships almost every year since the mid 1990's and as recently as last month. An excursion has never been something we have needed or have done.

 

Cabo, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallarta are easy to visit on your own walking or using public transportation/taxi when needed to get into the center of town.

[GeezerCouple]

As others have said, there's no *need* to do excursions.

But keep in mind that some people who stay on the ship or only head to a nice local beach may have been to that port before.

 

I'd suggest that you Google "<portname> Sightseeing", and see what shows up.  There might be something of really special interest to you... or not.  If not, then plan to wander around the town or head to a nice beach, etc.  Or find a "self-guided" walking tour, etc.

 

But IF there is something local that jumps right out at you, then think seriously of finding a way to see it, and especially if you aren't sure you'll be back to this particular port.

It would be a shame later to find out that "X" was right there in that town, or a few miles away, and you didn't know... but would have LOVED to see "it". 😉

There may be something you've always heard about or even really wanted to see, but you might not realize it's "nearby" on one of the ports of call.

 

Also, look at the cruise-sponsored "excursions" and where they go/what they see.  Those may include some of the more popular sightseeing.  Again, this is only to double check that there isn't something nearby that you'll later wish you had realized and made a point to "go there".

 

Otherwise, make the cruise what *you* want.  If not lots of activity, perhaps lots of relaxation.

Taking advantage of an almost empty ship... some people love that!  No crowding in any of the areas.

 

DO join your Roll Call at least to learn what others on your specific cruise are thinking about doing or arranging privately.

 

Enjoy!

 

GC

 

[Shmoo here]

3 hours ago, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

We typically do a ship's excursion that's basically an overall view of the location the first time we are in port.  Subsequent cruises to the same port we have a bit of info to make the call on whether we want to walk about on our own or not.

 

Not all ports have restaurants/bars close to the dock the ship might dock at.

 

[bonsai3s]

2 hours ago, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

Jacelyn,

You did the smart thing by asking here on Cruise Critic...you've been given some great advice. (We've learned so much ourselves from all the above members...genuinely grateful.)

 

We do mostly "DIY"  everywhere we go...just some random thoughts:

 

* Cabo San Lucas. This is a "tender" port, meaning the ship will anchor in the bay and you will take a smaller tender/boat to shore. You can walk along the harbor...lined with many stores and restaurants. There will be many vendors trying to sell you excursions. There are beaches to the right (long walk) and to the left (short walk) from the harbor. You can also walk to Old Town, Cabo San Lucas.

Tip: Make sure to be outside the upper/outside decks when you're sailing into the harbor...the view of Los Arcos is magnificent.

 

* Mazatlan. From the ship, there will be a free shuttle that will take you to the cruise terminal building...lots of stores and a few restaurants. There will be many vendors, inside and outside the cruise terminal gate, offering excursions. You can walk to old town Mazatlan by simply following the "Blue Line"...20 minutes, leisrely walking.

To find and follow the blue line, walk outside the cruise terminal gate (smile past the many vendors offering rides), cross the street, then look down on the sidewalk...you'll see the blue line. Just follow the blue line.

Tip: Visit the beautiful cathedral/church then the 2-story market ( 2 blocks behind the church), for great bargains. If you like to walk and have more time...walk to the beach/promenade and watch the incredible cliff divers.

 

* Puerto Vallarta. There will be lots of stores, shops, vendors, tequila tasting, massages, leather goods...as soon as you get off tbe ship! This is a favorite port for crew members because there's a mall, Walmart, Sam's Club...across the street from the cruise terminal.

You can take a taxi, shuttle, or Uber to town ($6 - $10)...or do what we do...we take the local bus, 50 cents/person each way. (Lucky for us, bus drivers have accepted $1)

Tip: If you come back to the cruise terminal early (or not interested in going to town), there is a nice beach, 5-minute walk from the cruise terminal. Walk outside the fenced area and flwalk along the fence till you get to the beach.. enjoy!l

 

Happy sailing!

[lenquixote66]

3 hours ago, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

I go back to the days when there were no such thing as excursions .I can always find interesting things to do on my own.

[evandbob]

You can get off the ship and just walk around the immediate port area for free.

 

Just don't make the mistake that visiting these cruisers' traps are equal to experiencing Mexico.

[George C]

Also check with your roll call, on many ports we just stay on the ship , but if we never been there before we like walking around. 

[dolittle]

4 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I go back to the days when there were no such thing as excursions .I can always find interesting things to do on my own.

Doubt it ,Mark twain (he did a lot of travel writing) took a cruise in his day and complained about the cost of excursions .

[lenquixote66]

45 minutes ago, dolittle said:

Doubt it ,Mark twain (he did a lot of travel writing) took a cruise in his day and complained about the cost of excursions .

I was on the Cunard Ambassador in 1973 ,a 7 day cruise from NY to Bermuda.There were no excursions on that cruise.I assumed that was the norm.

[Joebucks]

As with anything, you will get a lot of different opinions. We'll do an excursion every once in a while. Only if it sounds like something we want to do, not to do something just to do it. In our Mexican Riviera cruise, we didn't have anything booked. However, they sold us at Cabo to the small beach and tour of the rocks for $20pp. Well worth every penny. We walked around Mazatlán and Puerto. Puerto is definitely a place we don't need any type of excursion. Hanging out on the Malecon, the beach, and eating some amazing tacos was a great time.

[AKJonesy]

I recommend a few websites:  Whats in port dot com AND Trip Advisor.  When you look at TA, just type in the name of the place you are going to in the search bar and then Things to Do.  It will also give a list of things to do in Ports of Call.  

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 2/28/2023 at 10:04 AM, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

 

On our first cruise, a 7-day Caribbean cruise with Celebrity, we never got off the ship.

[NevadaCruiser2023]

On 2/28/2023 at 9:04 AM, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

First cruise we took we excursioned each and every port. Never again. We now look at excursions offered and if it's interesting, we'll do it.  Otherwise, we'll glance through Fodors about that port and self tour if possible. 

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, NevadaCruiser2023 said:

First cruise we took we excursioned each and every port. Never again. We now look at excursions offered and if it's interesting, we'll do it.  Otherwise, we'll glance through Fodors about that port and self tour if possible. 

The excursions offered by the cruise line can also give you ideas of what is there that you can do for yourself.

[pdmlynek]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:04 PM, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

I think that there is confusion about the word "excursion".  It may mean: (a) getting off a ship; or (b) going on an organized trip.  

 

We get off the ship every chance we get.  But we rarely take an organized trip.  

[lenquixote66]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:44 PM, lynncarol said:

Of course there are things to do at the ports that don't cost much money.  My husband and I also try to watch our spending, but if a place has an attraction that we really want to see, we will spend the money to do so.  You don't have to go on the pricey ship's excursions...many of us use private vendors.  Check out your cruise roll call, often someone there is organizing an excursion where you can share costs.  Prior to visiting Barbados, we joined up with another couple for a half day tour of the island.  The trick is to communicate candidly with these folks and make sure you all want to see the same things.  For example, for the Barbados tour, when this particular couple indicated they wanted to focus on things of natural beauty and were NOT interested in 'shopping opportunities' or bar hopping we quickly signed on. 

The second time we were in St. Thomas we booked a tour that was not supposed to have shopping but several people on the bus indicated to the tour guide that they wanted to shop .The three hour tour turned out to be a mainly shopping tour.

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

The second time we were in St. Thomas we booked a tour that was not supposed to have shopping but several people on the bus indicated to the tour guide that they wanted to shop .The three hour tour turned out to be a mainly shopping tour.

One of the dirty secrets of cruise ship excursions (and many private tours) is that the tour company and/or guide gets a nice kick-back or promotional fee for taking their charges to specific shops.  At times it becomes downright amusing (if not frustrating) such as when we were literally locked inside a faux "jewelry factory" while on a Princess Cruises excursion in Turkey.

 

Hank

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

One of the dirty secrets of cruise ship excursions (and many private tours) is that the tour company and/or guide gets a nice kick-back or promotional fee for taking their charges to specific shops.  At times it becomes downright amusing (if not frustrating) such as when we were literally locked inside a faux "jewelry factory" while on a Princess Cruises excursion in Turkey.

 

Hank

I have heard that this was a usual practice.

[Hlitner]

34 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have heard that this was a usual practice.

This happened to us many decades ago and was the beginning of our distaste of cruise line excursions.  These days, we probably average one cruise line excursion for every 100 ports and only book excursions when they do something we want to do and cannot reasonably do on our own.  Over the years we have become very independent DIY travelers (on both land and sea) and love having the flexibility to do what we want, when we want, with whom we want (which is usually just DW and me).

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:04 PM, jacelyn said:

I tried the search but didn't come up with anything, I'm sure this has been asked. We're doing a 7 day mexico rivera cruise in April, but we are both a bit introverted and also trying to be smart with our money. Are excursions a must on port days? Are there things to do at the ports that are free-ish? Like somewhere to eat and people watch or chill? Or walk around and self tour? 

Easy answer: NO!

 

A)Spend a little time with travel books from your library, or on line, to find information about your ports. 

B)Then match what there is to do with things you like to do.

 

If there are beaches, and you like to spend time on a beach, the decision should not be difficult.

 

Similarly, if you are near Mayan ruins and you are interested in history and culture, think about checking them out.  Can you get to them by taxi - or is a group tour better?

 

If all you want to do is drink and buy trashy souvenirs, check out Senor Frog's and hang out with the souvenir hustlers.

 

Part of enjoying a cruise is planning for the cruise -- do some thinking and planning.