Should I be concerned?

[Laurie996]

Hi everyone. First of all thank you so much for reading my post. I have been a cc member for years and I just love these boards. Anyway, this will be my 5th cruise with RCI however my 1st cruise with only my girlfriend and myself.

 

Since I have been on past cruises and this is my girlfriends first she wants to do things I have already done so my question is....

 

as long as we book with the cruiseline do you think it is safe to travel alone on shore excursions? I'm so what nervous about the whole "alone" thing but again I feel as long as a book with the ship I should be okay. What is everyone thinking?

 

Thanks again!

 

Laurie

[mutzy]

my DH and i never take the same excursions- we don't like the same things. we always book our excusions thru RCCL- there is only one time that i was uncomfortable- i was on a bus tour of jamaica and we stopped at a shopping area- i did not want to shop so i sat on a bench by the bus and i felt very uncomfortable by all the people that approached me selling stuff and taxi drivers. this is the only time i wish i was not alone.

 

the reason we do RCCL excursions is if the excursion is running late the ship will wait and one of us will not be stranded in port and one of us on the ship.

[bus man]

I wouldn't worry. When you travel on a ship-sponsered excursion, you're not really "alone"; you're in a group with other people, and you're being shepherded by a tour guide and, if you're on a bus tour, a driver. It's no less safe than if you had a companion along with you.

 

That said, in my opinion you might want to consider joining your girlfriend on at least some of the excursions. Sure, you've seen them before; but she hasn't, and it's always fun to see things through the eyes of someone else. And I'm sure she'd be grateful for your company, and would surely feel more relaxed with you than if she were on her own.

 

You didn't say where you were going, but pretty much every port has multiple excursions. Perhaps you could find some that you haven't already done, so that they'd be new experiences for both of you.

[mamapan]

The first time or 2 my hubby & I visit a port we lean toward ship-sponsored excursions for the safety factor primarily. However as we've visited some ports more and more, we have started venturing out on our own. It really depends on the port.

 

You may want to check out the Ports of Call board for ideas if you are looking to go out on your own. You may even be able to meet up with another group of folks from your cruise that have arranged a private trip.

 

Last cruise we used Tours with Terry in the Dominican Republic and experienced a PHENOMENAL personal tour that was about the same price as the ship's sponsored tour however our trip included an amazing feast of a lunch and was almost 3 hours longer than the ship's tour.

 

Don't be afraid to look around, but don't lose your head either.

[Loves_Dogs]

I have always cruised alone with my son (I am female) and have never been in a position where I was fearful for our safety. He was 14 years old on our first cruise. I always book excursions on my own outside the ship. Only exception is when hurricane Charlie changed our itinerary :eek: and I had to scramble and book while on the ship.

 

As long as you use the same common sense you would use anywhere including your own hometown you two should be fine.

 

By the way - you and I are on the same cruise as you have posted on the roll call. Looking forward to meeting you and your girlfriend. Unfortunately, December is a looooong way off!

[Laurie996]

Thank you all for the responses and yes Loves_dogs we are : )

[bbbearden]

To me, lot of this depends upon the ports you are visiting. There are some that feel really safe and I would do them myself without wasting the money on ship excursions. Tell us which itinerary you are on and we may be able to help you with specific port advise.

[tx_sweetpea]

The last 2 cruises I have been on I went with my DM. I am much more adventurous than she is. When we went on separate excursions, we went on shore sponsored excursions. This helps to guarantee that 1 won't miss the ship. We also communicated about what time our excursions would be over. Also, on our excursion, I made "friends" with several people on the excursion. I was snorkeling and needed some swimming "buddies."

 

Just be smart about your choices and your surroundings and everything should be fine.