Can someone explain to me how post-cruise excursions work?

[MamaParrotHead]

Where do you meet? When do you meet (earlier in the debarkation process, later?)? How smooth is the process? Would you recommend it and/or do it again yourself? Contemplating one to kill time with 3 kids and luggage. Any thoughts? Debating between Everglades, Jungle Island, Seaquarium or Children's Museum.

 

Thanks.

[KenMo]

Pretty much like any other excursion.

 

On your ticket, it will tell you when and where to meet. It'll be a lounge somewhere on the ship (of course). Then everyone on that excursion goes together.

[TrqoisWtrs]

Can't remember the logistics, but I took the Everglades one. I remember everyone looked so fancy with the toilet paper sticking out of their ears. Seriously - everyone was given a little bunch to deal with the noise of the air machine or whatever you call that thing you ride. :D

 

But it was a fun ride - lots of critters to see.

[MamaParrotHead]

Do you put your luggage out the night before?

[Grits53]

Last October, we had a few hours to kill before our flight, so we did the Everglades tour from Ft Lauderdale. The ones who had the Everglades tour tickets were sent to a particular lounge on the ship to wait for debarkation. We then picked up our luggage and went through customs as usual (yes, we put the luggage out the night before, just like always). Then we were escorted to a big Greyhound type tour bus, where they loaded all our luggage underneath it and took it with us. We didn't have to worry about the luggage while we were on the tour. Then afterwards, the bus took each group of passengers to their respective airlines at the airport, and we took our luggage off the bus with us at that time. It was a fun excursion and a good way to spend a few hours without worrying about our luggage.

[zillabe]

We did the everglades tour the last cruise. We got our tickets delivered to our room. We set out our luggage the night before. Followed the regular way to get off the ship. When you got outside there were signs by the big greyhound buses for the excursion that you booked. It was pretty fun, better than sitting at the airport. It just seemed kind of rushed.

[iowagirl411]

I've done the Everglades tour with airboat tour twice. We met in the lounge with the VIPs & Platinums. I wouldn't have known who all the others were, but our friend who is platinum says, "Hey, how'd you get in here!?!".

 

I would recommend this tour. Family friendly too. Great when you have a later flight.

[Sparky2]

Where do you meet? When do you meet (earlier in the debarkation process, later?)? How smooth is the process? Would you recommend it and/or do it again yourself? Contemplating one to kill time with 3 kids and luggage. Any thoughts? Debating between Everglades, Jungle Island, Seaquarium or Children's Museum.

 

Thanks.

 

We've done all but the Children's Museum. It's a great way to kill time if you have a later flight. Luggage is put on the bus (underneath) according to airlines. It's also a great way to relax after the cruise & before flight home. Not rush, rush, rush.

[oceanbums]

We did the Sea Aquarium last June, our flight didn't leave until 4:00. We were off the ship by 8:30 and at the Aquarium 20 minutes before it opened. They held our luggage on the bus and got us to the airport before 2. It worked out well and was a nice way to spend our last day of vacation.

[funinthesun86]

We did the everglades tour the last cruise. We got our tickets delivered to our room. We set out our luggage the night before. Followed the regular way to get off the ship. When you got outside there were signs by the big greyhound buses for the excursion that you booked. It was pretty fun, better than sitting at the airport. It just seemed kind of rushed.

 

This sounds like what we did the other week (I LOVED the airboat ride!). We had a snag, however, because our luggage did not arrive on the carousel as it should have. We waited and waited and finally filled out a missing luggage form, and then boarded the bus for the excursion. We found out later that someone on a different excursion had picked up our luggage and took it on THEIR excursion. Long-story-short is that our luggage arrived in the mail a week later, at Carnival's expense.