Help With Excursions

[snoopy124]

This is my first cruise. I am trying to do the pre-reserve excusion stuff through the princess website. There are sooooooooo many tours to choose from.

What specific tours do you recommend for Ocho Rios?

What specific tours do you recommend for Cozumel?

What do you recommend for Grand Cayman?

I want to do it though Princess because it is our first time.

[Colo Cruiser]

This is my first cruise. I am trying to do the pre-reserve excusion stuff through the princess website. There are sooooooooo many tours to choose from.

What specific tours do you recommend for Ocho Rios?

What specific tours do you recommend for Cozumel?

What do you recommend for Grand Cayman?

I want to do it though Princess because it is our first time.

 

 

Grand Cayman, the Sting Ray City snorkel is a must at least once. :)

 

Cozumel I think Chankanaub State Park is a great experience.

 

Ocho Rios maybe Dunn River Falls.

[wrecks]

DW and I had a great time on "Taste of Jamaica". The 'best of' tours give you good overview of the island you're on and sets up different excursions for your next cruise! As I've said before, do it all, come home exhausted and hooked on cruising!

Enjoy :)

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

In Grand Cayman took Princess half day tour, that stopped at a few places including Turtle farm and Stingray city, with afternoon free to do your own thing, for a first time to the island I would pick this tour

 

yours Shogun

[snoopy124]

Is it dangerous to swim with the stingrays? After that accident with the crocodile hunter, I am kind of nervous.

[Shogun]

Hi There,

 

It is dangerous to cross a road, these are not wild as in never seem a person stingrays, these are clever, stingrays that know if they put up with us poking them, picking them up etc they get free food, that is why they gather there, they want a free meal, if you step on one it may well sting you. A dophin could kill you with one spash of its tail.

 

Howerver I would say a trip to Stirling ray city is a must, the water is only a few feet deep so non swimmers can take part.

 

yours Shogun

[texreno]

Snoopy124;

 

Have you joined your sailings roll call yet? You might make some new friends and get some good advice there. You did not list your ship & sailing date or I would have left you a link to your roll call here.

[jean s]

On Cozumel we have been to Passion Island 4 times and we are going again in February. It is a ship sponsored tour and it is really nice and relaxing. The beach is beautiful and the food was very good. My only complaint was it was too short. In Ochos Rios we went to Coyaba Gardens and Dunnn's River Falls and both were very nice.

[Pam in CA]

Is it dangerous to swim with the stingrays? After that accident with the crocodile hunter, I am kind of nervous.

 

Howerver I would say a trip to Stirling ray city is a must, the water is only a few feet deep so non swimmers can take part.

Actually, it can be dangerous -- it depends on the weather and the sea conditions. When we were there, the seas were well over 6' high with swells and a strong tide. There was no way you could stand on the sand bar and we were all swimming and wildly bouncing up and down, afraid to put our feet down in case we stepped on a stingray. I can say I've done it but I will never do it again. It was too frightening. It can be tame, and you can stand there while the rays swim around but it can also be "not fun." Before going, check on the sea conditions.

[cbcloud]

Hi There,

 

It is dangerous to cross a road, these are not wild as in never seem a person stingrays, these are clever, stingrays that know if they put up with us poking them, picking them up etc they get free food, that is why they gather there, they want a free meal, if you step on one it may well sting you. A dophin could kill you with one spash of its tail.

 

Howerver I would say a trip to Stirling ray city is a must, the water is only a few feet deep so non swimmers can take part.

 

yours Shogun

I agree with Shogun...this is a great tour. If you wanna see some pictures of our adventure with the stingrays, click Here.

[queenbead]

We did the White River Valley and it gave us a great look at the beauty of Jamacia. It was a very low key, relaxing day.

[ljandiernp]

Hi,

 

Did this tour last Jan-Feb. with my sister. We are a little bit adventurous and like to push ourselves outside usual comfort zone. In Cayman we went on a tour that included kayaking and a snorkel (this was a stretch because neither of us had ever snorkeled). The instructor was very helpful for snorkeling beginners, and was a Jamaican who had been living there a few years, with an environmental education background. He really knew the fish, plants and ecosystem, and provided an interesting tour. The area was an environmentally protected bay, shallow enough to stand when one needed to rest/adjust the mask, or just get oriented.

 

I would agree with the person who suggested going to Chaakanaub (sp?) Park. We did the GPS scavenger hunt followed by a snorkel in the park. Our guide was friendly and informative, a GREAT snorkel instructor, AND good eye candy :p The water was very clear and the fish swam right by me, including big angels with black and yellow stripes. The guide swam down and fed an octopus on the bottom, and I could see the whole thing. There were only four of us in the group and we got very individualized attention. GPS was not as fun as it would have been with a bigger group, because it was supposed to be a race to see who could find all the clues and get to the end first. We were there with a mom-son companion group, and he was quite young, so it wasn't like we felt good about competing with them. OVerall the snorkel and the beauty of the park made this a terrific excursion.

 

In Ochos Rios we did different excursions based out of the same contracted tour business. My sister did the tree-top zip line excustion, which she found to be fabulous! She really had a great time and truely felt very safe doing this once she got through her first zip. Obviously she is more adventurous than I am :rolleyes: I went on the mountain bike tour, which was also fun. The tour starts with a bus ride to the top of the mountain, and then you ride down, but it is not all down hill! We rode through Mount Zion, birth place of the wonderful Bob Marley, and stopped at a school there to see the children. They were delightful! The ride was hilly, and a great workout, but I would not do this tour if you are not in pretty good shape, because it was challenging for me, and I have a regular work-out routine that includes bike riding. The roadside flowers were very beautiful, the homes and villages very basic but well loved, and people come out to wave as we rode by. We stopped at a "grocery" (about 60 square feet of space) and they gave us a soda or beer, and fed us a small sample of grilled codfish and yam (the real thing) that had been cooked on a habachi in anticipation of our arrival. It was just a snack-sized portion, and very delicious. If you have the chance, try the grape-fruit based soda; it is very good. When you get to the bottom you are at the shop of a local craftsman (as with most excursions, you "exit through retail" as my sister calls it), but there is no pressure to look if you're not interested. After a short bus ride back to the starting point you can go swimming (welcome relief after the bike ride) and then you are served free soft drinks or alcohol based punch (your choice) and can purchase "jerk" chicken and other local food if you wish. Then there is a short bus ride back to the ship.

 

I hope this is helpful to you and other readers! Laurie

[MercedMike]

The excursions I like might bore you, and the ones you like might kill me!

 

All the excursions offered by the ship are good of their type and you will enjoy them very much. The thing you need to decide is which ones are right for YOU. Read all the descriptions very carefuly. Tour operators are usually slavish in following the description exactly as written. If it sounds like you would enjoy it, then go for it!

 

I will comment that one we really enjoyed was the Mexican Cuisine Cooking and tasting in Cozumel. Check our report and pics at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/wcarib.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!