Horseback Riding Excursion

[cruzinwchris]

Hi,

 

I have a customer looking to go on a cruise that has excursions including horseback riding on a beach in the caribbean. I've already looked through all the excursions available at RCCL and found two - Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, only problem customer already went there and was not happy.

 

I'm having a hard time finding this excursion on other cruiselines... Does anyone have any information on this...pros/cons cruises etc?

 

Thank you

Christine

[6rugrats]

Are you saying your customer's criteria for booking a cruise is whether or not the cruiseline offers a tour for horseback riding on the beach in the Caribbean, but it must not be in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, because he was unhappy with that ride?

 

Are you a TA asking for advice here? I would be leery of such a client. It seems very odd that someone would choose a cruise based on this criteria. Most horseback riding excursions are the same; boring and you get off smelling like a horse. What in the world is he looking for?

[TrqoisWtrs]

you get off smelling like a horse

what's wrong with that? :)

 

I just read a review that had a horse excursion that sounded great - actually rode them out and swam in the ocean. (Carnival Liberty and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1198129

 

I know you can also ride horses on the beach on Cayman, just don't know if an excursion is offered thru a ship, but not difficult to plan on your own.

[lady_cruiser]

..It seems very odd that someone would choose a cruise based on this criteria.. ....

 

WHY? While I do not care for horses I have friends who love to ride and love booking trips to different places just so they have the thrill of persuing their passions beyond their borders.

 

I also have a friend whose family is ready to book a Harley Cruise just so they can say that they were able to ride their Harleys through the Bahama countryside.

 

Booking a cruise that corresponds with someone's interest isn't anything to be leery about.

 

In fact I envy them that they are able to do all the things I am afraid to do or try; glide through the tree tops with nothing more than a rope holding you up, ride a motorcycle, get on a horse, scuba dive, etc.

[PennyAgain]

Some cruise lines are no longer selling horse riding tours because passengers complained about animal cruelty issues....and some folks were injured by untrained or abused animals.

 

This is a really serious issue in Mexico.

[romanroxy]

This may not be so relevant, but we did a Horseback riding tour thru the ship in Cozumel on our 1st cruise back in 2002. I think the excursion was for like 3 hours, which I thought meant riding for a couple of hours at least.

 

It was 1/2 hr there and back, 1 hour for the actual riding, and 1 WASTED hour of them showing you tricks that the horses did and try to sell (guilt you into buying) you souvenirs. I just wanted to go back to the ship to change and go to the beach. We were stuck there and couldn't leave! :mad:

[janetz]

There is a horsebackriding excursion offered on Grand Turk which my DD and DS loved. My DS is a horse lover. ;)

[lawskool10]

Some cruise lines are no longer selling horse riding tours because passengers complained about animal cruelty issues....and some folks were injured by untrained or abused animals.

 

This is a really serious issue in Mexico.

 

I went on an excursion in Jamaica. The horses were well behaved, but they were not in good weight.

 

I saw a cart horse in Mexico on one my cruises that was so lame it was ridiculous.:mad:

[bluesharpie]

I did a riding excursion in Puerto Rico (land based, not cruise) that was advertized as a beach ride. Since I am an experienced horse rider, I had dreams of a gallop in the sand. When we got there, it was obvious that the footing on the sand in the surf wasn't safe for a fast ride. It was a good trail ride but not what I had pictured in my head. The horses were well cared for and the guides were the owners and lovely people. It was on the north shore of Puerto Rico. But, personally, I'd just go to a dude ranch...

 

I would not choose a horse excursion for myself on a cruise, no matter how badly I wanted to ride JMO.

[lawskool10]

I did a riding excursion in Puerto Rico (land based, not cruise) that was advertized as a beach ride. Since I am an experienced horse rider, I had dreams of a gallop in the sand. When we got there, it was obvious that the footing on the sand in the surf wasn't safe for a fast ride. It was a good trail ride but not what I had pictured in my head. The horses were well cared for and the guides were the owners and lovely people. It was on the north shore of Puerto Rico. But, personally, I'd just go to a dude ranch...

 

I would not choose a horse excursion for myself on a cruise, no matter how badly I wanted to ride JMO.

I agree. I did it once, but I'm not sure I'd do it again.

 

Not cruise related but I was able to do this several years ago in Galveston. We were able to gallop as much as wanted to on the beach, but we had to walk back to cool out the horses.

 

I can see that a leisurly ride is the way to go. In my experience, some people tend to say they have more horse experience than they actually do. I'm sure that also contributes to folks getting hurt....

[summersail]

I am a cruise novice, however I ride. Our agent told us to log on to shoretrips.com to book shore excursions at the various ports in the Carribean. These excursions appear to be listed in addition to the ones that Princess has listed on their line or in their brochures. Several had horseback riding listed. (If you dont ride, I recommend that you take advil beforehand, wear long pants, take bugspray, and wear a bathing suit underneath your pants. You are likely to get wet if its a beach ride, you will be a little stiff afterward on a trot, and if you are not used to cantering or galloping or the saddle, you can get chaffed and be very sore! Good luck.;)

[twene]

DH and I rode on Grand Cayman through RCCL, Jan 2010. Of course they sort you by experience and size/weight. We just rode at a walk along the shore.

 

DH, who does not ride, had that kind of a horse. I ride but I was still surprised to get the perpetual motion horse that I got. The horse loved "walking", as fast as he could get away with, in the surf and made a big deal about splashing as much as he could...including splashing everyone else. The guides let some of the other folks canter a bit if they wanted (with limited success) in a sandy area.

 

I was the only person that wanted to go deeper into the water --- jeans, shoes and all. /shrug...it all dries.

 

All-in-all it was short (plenty long enough for DH) and kinda boring scenery-wise...but I had a blast.

 

I would still like to find an excursion where we could swim with them...I would do that in a heart beat.

[Asil65]

Summersail, thanks for the info about what to wear on the horseback excursion. My dh and I will be riding in Grand turk. I would be the one with the chaffed legs and aching body. Ha Ha!

[Adri204]

I am a horseperson and when I booked my first cruise. I carefully looked at all the horse riding excursions offered. I do ride and train horses. I was very specific in what I was looking for and thanks to CC I found it. I wanted a ride where I did not have to do the nose to tail rides. I understand quite well that people exagerate thier riding expierence. However I would not enjoy riding the nose to tail walk only trail rides as thats not my idea of a good vaca.

 

I wanted specifically to ride on the beach and in the water on the horse and be able to Walk/trot/Canter and even gallop if I wanted to. I wanted horses that where in good condition and taken care of. If this sounds picky it is and I admit it.

 

I was able thanks to CC find Randi's in Mazatlan that seems to meet my requirements and I will be taking that ride. I had to research this carefully.

 

As far as taking a cruise for somthing specific why not? I could ride at all three ports that the ship I am on sails to. I am doing other things as well as riding. But I can understand no matter what the activity is regardless if that is horses, golf, parasailing, hangliding, history excursions that is someone's interest and passion.

 

Adri :)