What to do after the shore excursions?

[Troglodyte]

My wife and I will be enjoying our first cruise and our first 20th anniversary in about a month.

 

We have booked our excursions (all through RCCL) but don't quite know what to do after the excursions. I guess it comes down to not knowing how to "do" the ports.

 

In Mo'Bay we will be doing the Canopy Tour and it should be over around 1:00.

In GC Stingray swim, again over around 1:00

In Cozumel the Hideaway Beach Boat, doesn't leave until 12:30. (we may not leave the ship too early, we'll see.)

 

I figure we will want to grab lunch somewhere and maybe do a little sightseeing/shopping. What else do we want to do?

 

I read on RCCL's site that most of their excursions form up on the ship?

 

Is it easy to get around on foot from the port or do we need to depend on taxis?

 

Do you (can you) go back to the ship to change and come back ashore?

 

What do you wear after you've swam with the fishes?

 

Are there showers to rinse off? :confused: :confused: :confused:

 

I guess I just don't have a clue about how things operate in port or what to expect.

 

If someone could share the port experience with us, we'd really appreciate it.

 

FWIW, we're nondrinkers, nonsmokers, and nondancers (we don't even like coffee:eek: ) if it makes any difference. Maybe just a nice place to hang out on the beach would be good, I just don't know.....

 

We are really excited about going but, I like to know what I am getting into first.

 

Thanks to all on these boards, they have been a wealth of knowledge and a more than a few laughs.

 

Mike

[wrp96]

I know in GC that you will have to tender to and from the boat, which could make it very hard to go back to the boat and change clothes.

 

Because you have excursions planned in every port, I would suggest other than your excursions not planning anything. If you do have time, then take time to explore. But don't make the mistake of over planning yourself. Sometimes, while the ship is in port is the best time to enjoy the ship (i.e. you can actually get to the pool because everybody is somewhere else).

[pcur]

DH and I also aren't drinkers, smokers or dancers, and we've been cruising for a loooooong time.

 

After your excursions, depending on the weather, you can walk around all of these ports and see the local scenery and do some shopping. We do a lot of window shopping while in port.

 

However, if it's hot and sticky, a quick shower and lunch in the Windjammer is great. If there's time to tender to shore, or walk back out on the pier, then we do. Otherwise, we are on board early, refreshed, and get a good spot to watch the sailaway, usually in a deck lounge in a place of our choice. Being on board early has it's benefits!!!

[Florida_cruisers]

My husband and I like to explorer the area, do some shopping, have lunch somewhere interesting or with a nice view.

[gail-s]

I haven't been to Mo'bay, so, I can't say how it is there.

 

In GC, you take a tender into shore. After swimming with the stingrays, we dried off on the boat and put on shorts and tops and went shopping in town. Grabbed a bite to eat at a small restaurant there. I got some really cute plates at the Wedgewood store that they only sell in the Caribbean, so, I brough them back for the mom's. GC is a nice little town. You'll enjoy purusing the streets.

 

In Cozumel, we docked right near town. So, you could go shopping and walking around downtown. I found Cozumel was a great place to get goofy gifts for the kid brothers and such. Very inexpensive.

 

Typically, we'll do an excursion, then some exploring and shopping, then back to the boat for a shower and a nap. Then late dinner.

[sherin65]

Be sure to pay close attention when in Cozumel. We did dock in the morning but if you weren't off the ship by 9:00 a.m. you would have to tender off. I guess there were more ships in port that day and ours had to "move over" so others could dock. Things went well for us but some families slept in and had long tender lines and even though we had a full day in Coz they only had a few hours.

 

We took taxi's to beaches on our stops. We didn't book our excursions through the ship so I can't offer any experience with those. We did find great shopping in Coz. We did a stingray tour in GC so we didn't get to shop.

 

Study the individual ports of call here on the boards. They were really instrumental with helping us plan. I would not have known about Paradise Beach in Coz. That was a wonderful time!

 

 

Sher

[Troglodyte]

Thanks

 

Just knowing a little about what to expect and the proximity of the dock to town, etc. makes things a little easier.

 

Mike