"Outdoor Adventure" in PV?

[Eeyoregon]

I emailed them regarding the times. I didn't mention my arrival method ;). I will see what they say and go from there.

 

Honestly, if I can't book thru them directly then I will probably just skip it all together as $120 more is just too much $$$ for me. We have 3 ports and forking out just shy of $400 for 1 excursion for an adult and 2 teens is a bit much for my wallet :eek:. I would rather do some more "simple" excursions in each port, ya' know?

 

Thanks again for all of your insight. Being the only adult involved in the planning, I often feel a little overwhelmed and don't have anyone to toss the pros and cons around with...except for my CC friends :D.

 

Gina

[dfitz]

I love researching and planning! We're cruising Alaska for my 50th bday in September, and some friends we met on our Mex Riv cruise are going w/ us ... she's also enjoys planning and research, so we researched together ... ending up doing 2 exursions together, and one port on our own. We're already done w/ our planning and don't sail til September, I think we both want more planning to do! Funny thing is that my family hasn't done much in the last 20 years, and I'm wanting to catch up for lost time - even in this economy!

 

Hope I was helpful to you, I know it's a lot of things to think about ... and I REALLY hope you can book direct w/ them, it is such a fun excursion. I'm sitting here thinking, would I skip doing excursions in Cabo and Maz in order to do the OA in PV ... I'm pretty sure I would. At the same time, I'd hate to influence you so much and have you not enjoy it as much as we did :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they book you w/o a problem!!!

 

Have you figured out what you're doing in the other ports?

[melissy123]

I had tried booking with the company itself, and didn't mention that I was coming in on a cruise ship, but I think they figured it out since I only could do it between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. They offered me a 7:40 a.m. time slot, which I definitely couldn't do with the ship coming in at 8 a.m.

For $5 more p/p than directly dealing with the company, my reservations were with the puertovallartatours dot net that is on the banner above. I had full disclosure that I was coming in on the Ryndam. They doublechecked the Ryndam's dock times themselves before booking. They said there would be a refund if the ship didn't go to Puerto Vallarta or the excursion could not be done because of the weather.

I do all the trip planning for my family as well, so it can be overwhelming. I think this trip will be so worthwhile though. Be aware that HAL had a minimum age requirement of 16 for the trip, while the agency has a minimum agerequirement of 10. Something to consider if trying to book this for a tween/young teen.

[Eeyoregon]

Have you figured out what you're doing in the other ports?

 

In Cabo, the boys are tandem parasailing and I am doing the 30 minute dolphin encounter (a dream 38 years in the making).

 

Mazatlan, we are heading over to Stone Island to horseback ride and have some beach time.

 

I too LOVE the planning! I'm a major Disney freak and at any given time I am helping a friend, co-worker or family member plan their trips to Walt Disney World in Florida. I spend hours doing it because I just love sharing the magic :D!

 

We did Alaska in 2007. It was me, my two sons and my 81 year old Dad (his 1st cruise) and it was priceless. We didn't do anything nearly as adventurous as the Outdoor Adventure as $$ is always a factor and Dad's health didn't mesh well with many of the excursions but we still had a great time.

 

I am hoping, praying, dreaming and wishing that Disney Cruiseline will some day sail Alaska...that is where I would be every summer!!

[Eeyoregon]

Melissy123: Yes, I may book thru them as well if I am turned down by the other company. It's a bit more $, and you don't get the boat ride, but it's still less than the ship.

 

We are on NCL and the boys are 15 and 16 which seems to be well above the minimum age.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

I'll report back once I have finally made a decision...or win the lottery!

[dfitz]

Melissy123, a question that came up was that the other tour company doesn't include the boat ride ... did you run into that?

 

Eeyoregon, ahh, so I wondered about your screenname :D EEyore and Tigger (2 opposites) are my favoreits. I've never been to Disneyworld, live about 3-4 hr drive from Disneyland in SoCal.

 

Would love to hear how your Mex Riviera cruise and OA goes.

 

Would also love to hear more about your Alaska cruise, ports, and excursions there.

 

I'm too good at going off topic on these threads ... I should have chatted w/ you off the boards ! If you ever want to, I'm at dfitz0321@aol.com :)

 

Have a great cruise!

~Denise

[melissy123]

I was getting a little panicky thinking about a long winding road trip instead of going by boat. Then I looked at my ticket confirmation and it said to meet near the marina day boat area, and I'm thinking that sounds like I'm going on a boat.

So I called the puerto vallarta tours dot net and they said it DOES include the boat ride, then the Unimoggs, then the mules.

Call the toll free number if you want to double check.

 

The meeting time is at 11:30, near where the ship docks. One thing I found out from the agency, is that when the ship says it's going to be there from 8 a.m to 10 p.m., then it is always local time. There's been a huge amount of discussion/confusion (at least confusion on my part), is whether the ship time is local time in PV. Yes, for that day it will be.

[Eeyoregon]

I was getting a little panicky thinking about a long winding road trip instead of going by boat. Then I looked at my ticket confirmation and it said to meet near the marina day boat area, and I'm thinking that sounds like I'm going on a boat.

So I called the puerto vallarta tours dot net and they said it DOES include the boat ride, then the Unimoggs, then the mules.

Call the toll free number if you want to double check.

 

The meeting time is at 11:30, near where the ship docks. One thing I found out from the agency, is that when the ship says it's going to be there from 8 a.m to 10 p.m., then it is always local time. There's been a huge amount of discussion/confusion (at least confusion on my part), is whether the ship time is local time in PV. Yes, for that day it will be.

 

Fabulous!! THANKS!

 

I got an email response from the other operator and they didn't ask if I was a cruise ship passenger BUT they said they were booked up that day due to cruiseships reserving all of the spots and asked if another day would work.

 

So, I'm gonna book it thru puertovallartatours.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help/insight/ideas/information!!

 

Gina

[Eeyoregon]

One more Question:

 

The website and folks on this thread have all said to pack dry clothes for afterward.

 

Is there a place to leave our dry stuff? I would imagine a backpack on my back wouldn't stay very dry when landing in a pool of water, lol!

 

Gina

[melissy123]

If you look at the video on the tour's website, you see people carrying white plastic bags. I'm guessing you put your change of clothes in there and it is stored for you.

Someone on another thread had mentioned about storing stuff/cameras in lockers.

I've not been on the tour (yet) so cannot reply definitively.

[dfitz]

Melissy123, I am SO glad that you got all the info and are able to book through the other tour operator at the lower price ... and that it includes the boat ride!!! I hope you and Gina will both post back about your experience ... have a blast!!

 

Oh, for the change of clothes ... after the 4x4 ride, you arrive at a spot where you can use restrooms and you get your zip/rapelling gear on before going to the next stop to get matched up w/ a mule :) At this point they also have you put all your personal belongs into one huge bag (everyone's packes, etc., from your tour group) ... it's all there for you when you get back ... you won't want, or be able to carry anything w/ you on the trail.

 

~Denise

dfitz0321@aol.com

[Eeyoregon]

:( Well, we might not do this excursion after all.

 

As I said before, I am taking my son and his best friend. The best friends Dad caught wind of some of the recent violence against tourists in Mexico and is extremely worried about his son going on the cruise now, which I completely understand and respect...I would be the same way if the roles were reversed.

 

So, his parents are not real hip on the thought of venturing out of town, into the mountains and off the beaten path. We are going to sit down and discuss all of our plans in a few days and will scratch whatever they aren't comfortable with.

 

So for now we are defiintely doing parasailing and dolphins in Cabo and Randi's Happy Horses in Mazatlan and PV is yet to be determined.

 

I'll let ya' all know.

 

Gina

[nhrobo]

You're welcome!

I don't remember the cost of the pics if you ordered there, maybe take this price list ... seems it was cheaper from home? This is the current prices posted on their website:

1 Image (quick email link) $25

8 Image (quick email link) $99

16 ..............................$139

All photos on CD ........... $249

 

 

We just did this last week and for a CD with every picture taken of my family of 4, it was $99 and $6 to mail it.

 

This was an awesome excursion worth the money even tho it killed me to pay extra thru the cruise line.

[melissy123]

The last price for the pictures seems much more reasonable (at least in comparison). I wonder why the difference in prices for the two posters?

I'd probably like to buy all the pics for the 4 of us, and then sort out the good from the fuzzy at home.

[dfitz]

:( Well, we might not do this excursion after all.

So for now we are defiintely doing parasailing and dolphins in Cabo and Randi's Happy Horses in Mazatlan and PV is yet to be determined.

Gina

 

Oh, I hope you go! Would your son be at all interested in going w/ just you as mom/son getaway? Our daughter is shy and felt a little awkward, but ended up jumping right into activities and meeting people throughout the cruise ... and she was in the 19yr old age group so know special on-board groups w/ activities for her age, and too young for the 21+ group at the bars.

 

I felt the safest in PV ... esp up the mountain. Cabo was the worse ... we were a group of 5 walking around the marina area, most of us around 50, and my 19yr old daughter. We were approaced multiple times by people trying to sell us marajuana ... and my husband was offerred prostitutes (woman, 2 women, or a man!)

 

I'd think the cruise lines would monitor safety a bit too, and pull out of ports and excursions that they thought would be bad. Last I heard was most of the trouble is in the area closer to the border.

 

Randi's is a great choice ... her horses are well-trained/behaved, they actually listen and do what you ask them to do, and you don't have to stay in the group or in a head to tail line ... she let us all hang out at the beach for a good 1 1/2 hour afterwards too.

 

The last price for the pictures seems much more reasonable (at least in comparison). I wonder why the difference in prices for the two posters?

I'd probably like to buy all the pics for the 4 of us, and then sort out the good from the fuzzy at home.

Each group has a photographer that "travels" with them. When I checked out different group pics on the website, it looks like each photographer can be different in the way, type and amount of pics they take.

 

Our photographer seemed to have taken at least 3 to 4 pics of each of us in each area which gave us a lot to chose from! I think we had about 40 pics of our family of 3 to chose from. No fuzzy's but some that were too similar to need all, so then it came down to which had better body position or facial expression. I couldn't decide on the spot, so waited to get home and go through them at my leisure and ordered online. The prices I posted above were direct from their website. I'm just glad I have the pics and one in particular of my daughter that I love on the straight-line rapel ... would love to have it done in more of a poster size!

 

nhrobo, how many pics did you get on your CD?

[nhrobo]

My wife and 14yo daughter was with me and to me, PV was the safest of the 3 ports we stopped at. At both Cabo and Mazatlan we were inundated by vendors and taxi drivers. On the excursion, you got off the ship onto their boat, across the bay to their beach, onto an army vehicle, that brought you to their farm/camp in the mountains. We never were in a place where you felt unsafe.

 

Like yours, our photographer seemed to have taken at least 3 to 4 pics of each of us in each area. We ended up with around 70 pictures, but really wanted probably 20 of them. It was cheaper to buy the cd than pick which ones we wanted. Of course I have not received it yet as they said it would take 1-2 weeks to receive it. I'll let you know if it doesn't ever show up. It is on a credit card so I'm pretty sure i can get my money back worst case.

 

nhrobo, how many pics did you get on your CD?

[dfitz]

My wife and 14yo daughter was with me and to me, PV was the safest of the 3 ports we stopped at. At both Cabo and Mazatlan we were inundated by vendors and taxi drivers. On the excursion, you got off the ship onto their boat, across the bay to their beach, onto an army vehicle, that brought you to their farm/camp in the mountains. We never were in a place where you felt unsafe.

 

Like yours, our photographer seemed to have taken at least 3 to 4 pics of each of us in each area. We ended up with around 70 pictures, but really wanted probably 20 of them. It was cheaper to buy the cd than pick which ones we wanted. Of course I have not received it yet as they said it would take 1-2 weeks to receive it. I'll let you know if it doesn't ever show up. It is on a credit card so I'm pretty sure i can get my money back worst case.

Wow, you got a great deal on your pics!! I couldn't remember the prices if we'd purchased them there, but we didn't have time to really look at them there either. If your CD doesn't show up, just email them, they were really good to work w/ via email. I think the pictures/photographers might be something they've added more recently (last Fall?) ... seems like they are getting the process better and more streamlined?

[Krazeniq]

We just did this last week and for a CD with every picture taken of my family of 4, it was $99 and $6 to mail it.

 

This was an awesome excursion worth the money even tho it killed me to pay extra thru the cruise line.

 

Hi Nhrobo! So did you purchase this CD there on site after the excursion? If so, do you have no choice but to have it mailed to you or can you actually purchase this CD and take it with you when you leave the excursion?

[nhrobo]

Wow, you got a great deal on your pics!! I couldn't remember the prices if we'd purchased them there, but we didn't have time to really look at them there either. If your CD doesn't show up, just email them, they were really good to work w/ via email. I think the pictures/photographers might be something they've added more recently (last Fall?) ... seems like they are getting the process better and more streamlined?

 

It was pretty streamlined. After finishing up and changing, we went to a little patio type area where they had free water,fruit and chips and salsa. You could also buy beer or snacks. They had PCs setup where you went thru all the pictures your photgrahper took and selected the ones for your family. The photographer then filled you in on prices. Pretty easy process.

 

If you paid cash, you could get the pictures/CD right then. We used a credit card so they said it would have to be shipped.

 

We also had 20 minutes to kill on the way back to the beach so we ended up stopping at a Tequila factory on the way. I never knew there were so many types of Tequila. The host who gave us the samples and described them was a riot. If you get a chance to stop, it was worth it. Even my kids enjoyed it tho they did not get any samples.

[Eeyoregon]

Update: I officially booked the Outdoor Adventure!! I found a company online for $88 per person and they will pick-up and drop-off at the cruise port marina.

 

I will report back and let you all know how it went!!

 

Gina

[Sweet Carolina Girl]

Do they not allow you to bring your own camera on this excursion? I think for $129 you should be able to take your own pics! Does anyone know if this is "allowed"?

[p0mpey]

Eeyoregone...We are about to book this excursion (probably the same place as you did) for our cruise in May.....cannot wait to hear from you when you return.....Have a fantastic time.

 

What time are they picking you up at the pier?

Pat.

[dfitz]

Do they not allow you to bring your own camera on this excursion? I think for $129 you should be able to take your own pics! Does anyone know if this is "allowed"?

 

Update: I officially booked the Outdoor Adventure!! I found a company online for $88 per person and they will pick-up and drop-off at the cruise port marina.

 

I will report back and let you all know how it went!!

 

Gina

 

YAY!!! Gina, I haven't been to this thread in a while ... last I heard was you may not go at all, I was thinking about you and hoping you were still going! Be sure to let me know how your trip goes, esp the OA :) In case I miss catching it on the thread, if you don't mind, please drop me an email when you get back ... I hope you have as much fun as we did :D Great that you got it at the lower price too!!

 

Sweet Carolina Girl, they do not allow you to take your own camera ... I think for a couple reasons, safety and keeping the group moving, oh, and you will end up soaking wet neck down after rapelling into the pools at the bottom of waterfalls. While I never felt rushed, I wouldn't have had time to stop and take pics and still keep up w/ the group ... the group behind us did catch up w/ us at one point as it was. They are also able to get some amazing pics because their photographer can run (literally) ahead of the group and get into position to catch some great shots. Check out the first pic I attached of our daughter (who had never done anything like this before), the others of my husband and I rapelling the waterfall wall were taken by a photographer who kind of precariously perched himself off to the side ... I've also posted more pics on other threads if you search Outdoor Adventure :) I thought the pics were expensive and had wanted to take my own camera, but after finishing the excursion, understood why we couldn't take our own camera's and was glad I splurged and purchased them (I waited til I got home and went on-line at my leisure to hand pick for the 16pic price).

[Sweet Carolina Girl]

Thanks. I suppose that makes since now. What type of shoes did you wear for this? I see you will get pretty soaked so maybe water shoes?

[dfitz]

Thanks. I suppose that makes since now. What type of shoes did you wear for this? I see you will get pretty soaked so maybe water shoes?

My husband and I bought some water shoes that look like reg tennis shoes, I recall for around $20 from SierraTradingPost, our daughter had some slip on water shoes, the kind of quality for water exercise classes, I think hers were also about $20 from ShoeMall. We live near the ocean, so figure we'll use them for beach walks and tidepool exploration and could use them for water aerobic classes. Other people did have regular tennis shoes on, though. One of the guides commented on really liking my shoes ... would have left them for him but they wouldn't have fit (the guides were great).

 

My husband and I also wore board shorts which kept us comfortable and they dry out fast. Daughter and I wore swimsuits under light tshirts. One poor person wore jeans and looked so uncomfortable after getting wet.

 

Take a change of dry clothes, they have dressing rooms to change at the end before loading back into the 4x4's, then boats, for the ride home.