Shore Excersions in Eastern Carribean

[Molly BPOE]

We have heard from a lot of people we know including our TA that it is cheaper to book your own excersions. We will visit San Juan, St. Marrten and St. Thomas. Anyone know of some web sites we should book through? Any favorites we should not miss? Any reason to book through Carnival instead?

 

P.S. MRDOOD, before you tell me there is a different forum for this, please let me say that I like this one and want opinions of other CARNIVAL cruisers, not people from every cruise line under the sun.;)

[mrdood]

We have heard from a lot of people we know including our TA that it is cheaper to book your own excersions. We will visit San Juan, St. Marrten and St. Thomas. Anyone know of some web sites we should book through? Any favorites we should not miss? Any reason to book through Carnival instead?

 

P.S. MRDOOD, before you tell me there is a different forum for this, please let me say that I like this one and want opinions of other CARNIVAL cruisers, not people from every cruise line under the sun.;)

 

Whaaaaaat meeeeeeee say that - no, say it ain't so...:p

[vesw01]

I went to the ports of call link and gots lots of info there from people who have done the trips. Who to call etc. We are planning on doing the America's Cup sailing and that can only be booked through Carnival.

 

Through Tripso I learned about shoretrips.com. They are supposed to be super reputable and must cheaper than the cruise line - plus they carry insurance to make sure you get back to the ship..I haven't priced them yet (just found out about them this morning.)

Just a thought........

[daybreak huntin]

I have been checking on these ports as well!!!

 

No luck yet

[amy2313]

Just got back from this exact itinerary. We didn't have much time in San Juan so we just went to the main street with the shops. St. Thomas we did a private tour with Godfrey Tours. I would highly recommend this tour. For $25 a person, Godfrey picks you up right at your cruise ship in an open air bus brings you downtown and drops you off to shop for 2 hrs. and then picks you back up, right on time and exactly where he told you he would be. He then brings you on a 2 hr. your of the entire island where he lets you out at key spots to take pictures and walk around. After that Godfrey takes you to one of St. Thomas' gorgeous beaches where you can swim and snorkel for another 2 hrs (or if you prefer not to stay at the beach, he will offers to bring those back to the ship). Godfrey will even lock your souvenirs in the tour bus when your swimming. He is a great tour guide and very trusting - we had a great time with him and plan to use his tour on our next trip just for the convience of it. St. Marten we took a taxi from the pier to Dawn beach which was the recommended spot for snorkeling and then one to downtown for shopping after. (If you take a taxi in St. Marten, be sure to bargain with the driver for a better rate).

 

Have a great time - we had a blast!

[Lakeman953]

I am on the exact cruise april 8th and I booked through carnival due to the fact that if something happens where the ship get's in late or skips port we won't lose any money, And as well as if our excursion has troubles and we won't make it back in time for the schedule departure from that port the ship will wait for us.

 

And I learned all that info hear at CRUISECRITIC.COM SO i PASS IT FORWARD TO YOU:D

[zqvol]

I went to the ports of call link and gots lots of info there from people who have done the trips. Who to call etc. We are planning on doing the America's Cup sailing and that can only be booked through Carnival.

 

Through Tripso I learned about shoretrips.com. They are supposed to be super reputable and must cheaper than the cruise line - plus they carry insurance to make sure you get back to the ship..I haven't priced them yet (just found out about them this morning.)

Just a thought........

You can book the America's Cup directly, I have done it. I odn't remember their web site but search for it and you can find it.

 

What else do you want to do? St. Thomas has lots of options and the POC board over there has tons of suggestions. San Juan too.

[vesw01]

I went to the America's Cup site and it states to book through your cruise or through the hotel you are staying in.

If someone has other info, that would be great.

[MikeNKim]

In St Thomas we did a tour with Sunny Liston, it was amazing. We had so much more fun then the organized tour DCL had set up in St Martens. We where picked up at the port, taken to do some shopping, a tour of the Island and dropped at a beach for a few hours, then he came back to get us. You don't pay till you are back in port so you know he will come back and get you. This was $20 PP and that was just this past October.

 

Even just as we where driving from one place to the other it was an adventure......we sang this song all the way...can't remember most of it but it names all the days of the week .......it was a blast.

 

Kim

[beachgal58]

hello, there isnt much to do on san juan..my friends did the yunique rain forest last oct, said they wished they woulda saved the $$ u can take a cab to condado beach, have them drop u off around the marriott nice beach, beautiful water kinda rough but nice. good area too. old town is where the ship will be, no beach here, but shops if u like to shop. we stayed on board til late and went to buy booze..st thomas is ok. if u like to snorkel....save $$ by doint this on your own....talking from experience..take a cab at the ship to red hook (well known), about 4 bucks, take red hook ferry (runs every hour or 2) for about 2 bucks to st john and take cab to trunk bay. cost about 4 bucks to get in (state park) one of the best beaches and snorkeling is good and safe calm water. have done this several times after being ripped off by the ship once!! and u can come back when u choose. in april the last ferry back to red hook was at 6pm we had happy hour right where u catch the ferry back, nice island... and it is cheaper than the about $60 @ person carnival cahrges and u get an hour, plus they stop the little tram and have to talk to u about the trees. waste of time and money. st martin, we took the pinel island snorkel..it was ncie, once again u ride on a bus u get about an hour snorkeling. the pursers on carnival have no idea about anything on shore excursions. they r never right about anything i have asked them!! my cousin was sunburned and 1/2 our family chose not to go topinel island cuz the purser said it was an sandbar with no shade..just snorekling!!! what the??? it is a beautiful little island, with palm trees, thatch roof huts selling things, a bar in the shade to add to that! and umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent. snorkeling is good. my friends did the little divi thing, they enjoyed this too. rode wave runners and laid in the sun. i would take a taxi next time. these ports r ok to roam around. my parents r in their 70,s, they took a cab downtown (which is dirty) and said it was a sty. right off the ship, it is very nice with open air bars and all kinds of shops and the water taxi right there.. have fun. oh..last oct we went thru the ship to coki beach....never again. take a cab!!!! snall beach but snorkeling is good. if u go thru the ship...i asked the purser..is this an hour to get there, 1 hr on the beach and an hour back?? oh no.... he lied too. plus..u will stop at a dive shop, hand over your sign/sail card get equiptment and sit on teh open air tram waiting for all the others to get their stuff in the heat..sucks. take a cab...ps, lots of shopping right off the ship..lots of shops!!!!!

[pscrapper]

We will be in San Juan for about 6 hours in the evening and wondered if any one had tried the moonlight kyaking excursion. pscrapper:D

[Princessbride3]

We did the eastern carribean last june. We booked thru godfrey on st thomas and it was great. The only problem we encountered was that we booked online and i didnt print up the tickets. So getting off the ship as you have to go thru customs was a bit of a problem as we didnt have the tickets in our hands for our tour. It was a great time though..

We did the horse and carriage ride thru town in Nassau and just walked the beach and hung out in st martin..

Hope you have a great time. We are trying western carribean this time on princess as i have done 2 cruises with carnival.