desertmoon

Are there local tours available besides the water park?  Not really interested in the ship's options. Thanks

We're sailing on the Symphony October and interested in visiting St John, but the ship doesn't offer that option.  I've seen comments about taking the ferry and then using a local tour company.  The issue is time, since we're in port only from 7:00 to 4:00 and it takes close to an hour combined for taxi and ferry each way.   Any comments or suggestions?  Thanks.

Thanks for the help and quick response.

Thanks for the quick reply. Will check it out.

We have an April cruise from Barcelona in April and are looking for a convenient hotel for some sightseeing as well as easy transfer to the ship. Thanks for your help.

Has Carnival changed cabin service on all ships? It had been three years since our last Carnival cruise, but on the Miracle last week we were surprised to hear our steward ask if we wanted morning or evening cabin service. She said they had reduced staff by assigning more cabins per steward and eliminating one service per day. On recent Princess and Norwegian cruises the old system was still in use. Maybe it's just the new normal and everyone will start doing it. For the record, the pre-paid gratuities fee was not reduced.

Currently looking at a May cruise from Seattle. Is this a good time or will land excursions be limited by weather? Glacier Bay vs Tracy Arm? Finally, it looks like most the major lines are pretty similar in price and content, but do you have a recommendation?

We always prefer local tours compared to the ship's offerings. Any suggestions for Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan? Looking at late May sailing.

Seniors 74 and 70 not interested in wilderness trekking. Thanks for your help.

We searched online and found Oscar Brown Tours for our November cruise. Carol Brown will respond to your questions...she was great in getting back to us every time. Ask for Ron as your guide. He was absolutely terrific (party of two plus a party of eight). I would suggest Tour 3-2, which combines the Tortuguero Canal and the Veragua Rainforest with aerial tram ride. It include an excellent lunch right on the beach. Hope this helps. By the way, the best shopping in Limon is right at the pier-side market. Good gift options and you only have a few yards back to the ship.

We found a local tour in case you're searching for a small group. It includes the Jaguar Rescue, Tortuguero Canal, rainforest and banana plantation. Lunch is included. About 6-7 hours. $85 - $90 per person depending on the group size. Reply here or directly at desertmoon788@cox.net.

We'll be on the Island Princess November 25 and checking on our options. In Aruba we'll just walk into town and probably do something similar in

Ochos Rios since we've visited all the usual spots before. In both Cartagena and Limon we're more interested in joining a small group for specific stops (Cartagena: Old City, La Popa, San Felipe Limon: sloth sanctuary, banana plantation and rainforest). The local tour operators have about 50 price points

depending on size of group, etc. We'd like to avoid the ship tours. Anyone

interested or have suggestions? Thanks.

Thanks for the Jamaica information.

I saw a river rafting excursion offered by Princess and wonder if anyone has booked a similar tour locally (probably for less). Any suggestions welcome.

Just looked it up. Looks good.

Thanks for the reply.

Thanks for the advice.

We appreciate your help.

Hard to tell where we'll be during the day and we may be limited by the tour we take, but we'd appreciate any suggestions for good local lunch spots.

Thanks for your help.

It looks like we'll be out on the road much of the day and may end up with

limited choice of restaurants, but we'd appreciate any suggestions for some good local food, whether near the pier or in the countryside. Thanks.

It's a really short stop and that probably limits any lengthy meal or any location far from the pier. Any suggestions for some local flavor? mUCH

APPRECIATED.

Not sure which tour we'll take, but at some point we'd like to find a good

lunch spot in the vicinity of the pier. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help

Headed to Ocho Rios and the required search for coffee. I remember the caution about fakes and last time we found a legitimate shopping area

where we loaded up on the good stuff. I definitely know it wasn't the

flea market next to the pier! Does anyone remember where the real

Blue Mountain is sold? Thanks.

We've seen the ship's excursions and have contacted some local vendors

online, but they seem very similar and about the same rates. Are there reliable and less costly options at the pier, as in many island ports? We just don't want to find ourselves stranded when we dock.

The ship's excursions and rates seem to be copied by local vendors online. Are there reliable options and lower rates available at the pier as in many Caribbean ports?

We've seen the ship's excursions and contacted vendors recommended in Trip Advisor and the online rates seem pretty close to the ship's. Are there good free-lance options at the dock (as in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Bahamas) in

terms of reliability and lower costs? I assume negotiation is expected?

Thanks.