Freeport excursion times

DH and I are counting the days until our cruise on the Pride for New Year's. I was looking at excursions today. We wanted to snorkel, and the snorkel with a dolphin encounter was reasonably priced for the experience.

However, the time it is supposed to end is the time the ship is scheduled to depart! How does that work? Nervous to book if we are going to end up standing at the pier watching our ship sail without us.

DH and I are counting the days until our cruise on the Pride for New Year's. I was looking at excursions today. We wanted to snorkel, and the snorkel with a dolphin encounter was reasonably priced for the experience.

 

However, the time it is supposed to end is the time the ship is scheduled to depart! How does that work? Nervous to book if we are going to end up standing at the pier watching our ship sail without us.

As long as the excursion is booked through the cruise line you are guaranteed to be returned to the ship. Even if they have to get a chaser boat, though most of the time the captain gets permission from the harbor master if is a cruise sponsored excursion is running late. Remember you are not the only passenger from the ship on the same tour, usually there will be at least 14 others and possible up to 40. This guarantee along with immediate on board refunds if a port is canceled last minute is part of the reason excursions purchased through the cruise lines tend to be a bit more than organizing one on your own.

On the other hand if you are booking though a private tour operator/group or with the attraction directly, all of the planning including getting back to the ship at least 30 minutes prior to sail away is on you and not the tour guide or transport contracted.

Hi

If is not a Carnival excursion, don't book it. Find one that will get you back to the ship on time. If it is a Carnival excursion, then don't worry, they will adjust the time so that you will be onboard before sailing.

hope this helps

If it's any assurance to you, we booked the dolphin encounter in August. Our bus returned a half hour after the ship's scheduled departure----the ship waited. You'd think they'd get their act together, though!

If it's a carnival excursion; don't worry about the time. They won't offer it if they can't get you back on time - or close enough that the ship will wait. No, it's not guaranteed as some believe. There are occasional delays that can cause the ship to leave (think, the only road that can get you back to the port gets washed out by a mud slide). But for any reasonable delay they will wait.

If it's an independent excursion then no, I wouldn't book it

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