Royal Caribbean Ship Excursions -- Any good?

[OceanLover404]

Hello, I wanted to hear some experiences with cruise excursions through the ship. I'm still in college so I guess you could say I'm a little cheap-- I like to think frugal, but if I'm going to spend the money I'd like a great experience. We're going to Belize and we're planning on Lamanai, but the trip is $109.

 

If anyone has experienced this specific excursion, did you enjoy yourselves even if it was through the ship? If you haven't been on this excursion, have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

[Merion_Mom]

Hello, I wanted to hear some experiences with cruise excursions through the ship. I'm still in college so I guess you could say I'm a little cheap-- I like to think frugal, but if I'm going to spend the money I'd like a great experience. We're going to Belize and we're planning on Lamanai, but the trip is $109.

 

If anyone has experienced this specific excursion, did you enjoy yourselves even if it was through the ship? If you haven't been on this excursion, have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

 

I rarely do ship's excursions any more, but I *just* did the Lamanai exercursion, and thought that it was DEFINITELY worth $109.

 

Even I was surprised! ;) :D

[goodycruising]

I haven't been there, but did one in NZ. It was cheaper to go direct, but with Royal the tour transport was at the terminal, whereas the local option you had to make your way about 20 minutes away, and back of course. On the Royal one you got a light lunch and drinks. On the local one no food and drinks were available on the tour. It was a bit of price difference, but there comes a time when you are on holidays and you want to make sure you are comfortable and the tour gets you back to the ship without it leaving if you are delayed. Just my 2c worth. ;)

[rummenroman]

I have done a few Royal based excursions. I did a scuba diving one in 2004 in St. Thomas, and that was worth the money we spent on it. The handful of others we have done through Royal we not worth the money and were typically expensive compared to private tours.

 

I would do some research on the Belize board and see if others have found a better excursion than the one you mentioned. You can find that board here. You can also check out Trip Advisor and see what is mentioned there for things to do. Between Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor you should have a pretty good sense if the Royal excursion is for you.

[summersigh]

We'd take a private tour only if we're in a English speaking port and going to a relatively populated area. (In other words - if push came to shove I could find a taxi back before sail away)

 

If we're leaving the city for the "wilderness" we always book with the ship. Bottom line is that if you are on a "ship excursion" as opposed to a "private tour" the ship WILL WAIT FOR YOU if there's a problem and you're running late.

 

Case in point - in Belize our "ship excursion" tour to the rain forest & Mayan ruins got hung up on the way back. The ship was scheduled to sail at 5pm (and in Belize it's a 20 minute tender ride back to the ship first)

At 5 pm our tour bus was sitting stopped in downtown Belize rush hour traffic.

You can't imagine what peace of mind it was for the tour guide to confirm that her supervisor was standing at the dock with the RCCL rep - holding a tender just for us.

Peace of mind was well worth a few extra bucks.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

We'd take a private tour only if we're in a English speaking port and going to a relatively populated area. (In other words - if push came to shove I could find a taxi back before sail away)

 

If we're leaving the city for the "wilderness" we always book with the ship. Bottom line is that if you are on a "ship excursion" as opposed to a "private tour" the ship WILL WAIT FOR YOU if there's a problem and you're running late.

 

Case in point - in Belize our "ship excursion" tour to the rain forest & Mayan ruins got hung up on the way back. The ship was scheduled to sail at 5pm (and in Belize it's a 20 minute tender ride back to the ship first)

At 5 pm our tour bus was sitting stopped in downtown Belize rush hour traffic.

You can't imagine what peace of mind it was for the tour guide to confirm that her supervisor was standing at the dock with the RCCL rep - holding a tender just for us.

Peace of mind was well worth a few extra bucks.

I'd agree that your advice is good advice.

[CRUISEBOY305]

Hello, I wanted to hear some experiences with cruise excursions through the ship. I'm still in college so I guess you could say I'm a little cheap-- I like to think frugal, but if I'm going to spend the money I'd like a great experience. We're going to Belize and we're planning on Lamanai, but the trip is $109.

 

If anyone has experienced this specific excursion, did you enjoy yourselves even if it was through the ship? If you haven't been on this excursion, have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

 

I only do ship excursions if I have no other choice. I generally do private organized tours. Just came back from a New Zealand cruise and every port was privately organized via cruise critic. I would suggest a little research before making a decision.

 

If you find a private tour you may end up paying a fraction of that and generally a much smaller group than a ship tour. Also private tours can be customized.

Edited March 21, 2014 by CRUISEBOY305

[nbsjcruiser]

We'd take a private tour only if we're in a English speaking port and going to a relatively populated area. (In other words - if push came to shove I could find a taxi back before sail away)

 

If we're leaving the city for the "wilderness" we always book with the ship. Bottom line is that if you are on a "ship excursion" as opposed to a "private tour" the ship WILL WAIT FOR YOU if there's a problem and you're running late.

 

Case in point - in Belize our "ship excursion" tour to the rain forest & Mayan ruins got hung up on the way back. The ship was scheduled to sail at 5pm (and in Belize it's a 20 minute tender ride back to the ship first)

At 5 pm our tour bus was sitting stopped in downtown Belize rush hour traffic.

You can't imagine what peace of mind it was for the tour guide to confirm that her supervisor was standing at the dock with the RCCL rep - holding a tender just for us.

Peace of mind was well worth a few extra bucks.

 

We do ship excursions when we're in ports that I'm a little unsure of - Jamaica and Belize are two that spring to mind. Having said that, do your research before booking any ship excursion. You'll often find it much cheaper to do it yourself. For instance, if we're going to the beach for the day then we'll often take a cab because its cheaper and many times the cabs are out there waiting for when you want to return anyway. Just leave yourself lots of time to get back. We always aim to be back at the pier at least an hour early, maybe earlier if I think traffic could be an issue.

[frisbeewife]

I can't comment on the specific excursion the OP is asking about, but generally I do a lot of research on ports of call to decide whether to do a ship's tour or book one on my own. I almost always end up booking my own due to price, flexibility, smaller group, and so on. But under some circumstances the ship's excursions are the better choice - for example last August it was me and my 3 grandsons (ages 12, 11, and 3) in St. Thomas needing to get to a beach while my son and his wife went off diving. I knew what beach I wanted to go to but the thought of herding the kids through a strange port looking for a taxi that would take me there and hoping I'd be able to get one back to the ship at the end of the day just made me too nervous so I went with the ship's excursion. It worked out well and was probably even price-competitive since it included transportation and drinks at the beach.

 

In other words, you have to do your homework and consider the circumstances. Factor in the cost, size of the group you're willing to go with, your comfort level with the location, the stress you might feel if delayed getting back to the ship, and any other special things you need to consider. Of course, if you're not the "planning" type then just book a ship's excursion. For me, the planning and research is a big part of the fun. :)

[TC1957]

Hello, I wanted to hear some experiences with cruise excursions through the ship. I'm still in college so I guess you could say I'm a little cheap-- I like to think frugal, but if I'm going to spend the money I'd like a great experience. We're going to Belize and we're planning on Lamanai, but the trip is $109.

 

If anyone has experienced this specific excursion, did you enjoy yourselves even if it was through the ship? If you haven't been on this excursion, have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

 

While you will probably find the same excursion cheaper on your own, one thing to consider is that Belize is a tender port. Depending on the size of the ship and conditions getting a tender could involve a significant wait. Booking this excursion through the cruise line gives you priotiry in the tender line. We will be there in August on RCI and will certainly book this same excurion through them for that reason.

 

I have also read comments from several posters that state this excursion is well worth the cost.

[impatientlywaiting]

It all depends on the port of call. We'll be porting in LeHavre, France and since it's a 2+ hour bus ride to Paris, we're not taking any chances and taking the ship's bus into the city. However, in Bora Bora, thru our group on CC, we had an all day organized excursion (not thru the ship) that turned out to be the best excursion I've ever had on any of our cruises. Good luck! :)

[Roce48]

Hello, I wanted to hear some experiences with cruise excursions through the ship. I'm still in college so I guess you could say I'm a little cheap-- I like to think frugal, but if I'm going to spend the money I'd like a great experience. We're going to Belize and we're planning on Lamanai, but the trip is $109.

 

If anyone has experienced this specific excursion, did you enjoy yourselves even if it was through the ship? If you haven't been on this excursion, have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

 

We went on the RCCL sponsored Lamanai Tour the 1st week of February.

I posted a detailed review of this excursion on Feb 17th. You will find this review and others by going to Carribean Ports of Call/Belize.

 

As others have mentioned, this a tendered port that has a history of delays and long lines getting off the ship. RCCL Tours meet in the Platinum Theater where your group will be called when it is time for you to board your tender. Therefore you will not have a long frustrating line. Due to it being a long tour, the Lamanai Tour is one of the first groups called. RCCL tours take precedence for early tender boats.

 

The tour was worth the money to us. Lamanai compared to the other Ruins is set in a jungle setting with lots of shade. The paths are somewhat rocky, rooted and occasionally muddy. There are multiple ruins there for you to see.

 

Have fun!!

[negc]

It very much depends on the port and what type of excursion you are planning to do. If you are in most Caribbean ports, especially those that do not involve a tender ride, and you are simply looking to go to a beach or to do some shopping, it is usually much easier and less expensive to take a taxi or tour from private vendors at the port. If you are in other ports where the distance to your place of interest is relatively distant or there could be problems getting back to the ship on time, a ship-sponsored tour is highly recommended. We took a ship's tour to Paris a few year's back and a highway accident between Paris and LeHavre had traffic backed up for miles. Had we been on a private tour we might have had serious concerns about getting back to the ship on time. Being on a ship-sponsored tour lowered our anxiety level considerably.

Some tour companies have agreements with the cruiselines that prevent them from selling their tours to cruise passengers, except through the cruiseline, so investigate your options carefully before you decide. Finally, if the excursion is capacity controlled, your best bet may be to book through the cruise line, especially if it is an excursion you don't want to miss. Your cruise meet and mingle thread will often offer valuable information about specific tours and the experiences of others who have done those tours. Check them out.:)

[BillOh]

I will read your replies after mine. If your cheap as you said, private excursions can be found that are cheaper and better on many occasions. Royal does tend to send bigger crowds on some excursions than private operators. Sometimes too crowded. Also in my 9 cruises where I have booked cruise lines excursions ahead of time, Royal has canceled about a third of them, some before I got on the ship and some I didn't know about till boarding.

[BillOh]

I just re-read the OP's post and see we are talking about Belize. At this port it is a long tender ride from the ship to the port. I have HEARD of the cruiseline giving priority tendering for people with ship's excursions with early times. I don't remember that when I was in Belize, but that maybe that was because I was on a ship's excursion that was canceled while I was waiting on the pier.

[knittinggirl]

We usually take ship excursions, but we're starting to branch out to some private excursions. Good point about booking only in English speaking populated ports.

 

In Jamaica, we were four hours returning to the ship, and happy we had a ship excursion. They pulled up the gang plank right after we boarded. In Portland, Maine, we took the Mt Washington Cog railroad, and were told if we weren't on the train ride down at the right time, we'd miss the ship. The Mt Washington excursion was another trip where our guide updated Royal on our progress during the return trip and assured us we'd make the ship. A couple of the European tours have said that we'd miss the ship if we're late for the meeting place. So, taking ship excursions does not guarantee that the ship will wait for you.

[TBone2K]

... have your excursions through the ship been worth the extra $$?

 

I don't know if anyone said this, but there are two (three!) big benefits to booking through RC.

 

1. They won't sell out

2. You don't have to deal with a vendor if you miss you tour because the port is cancelled or some other reason that is RC's fault.

3. The ship will wait for you if you are late returning.

 

Also be aware that some vendors are held to a contract where they are not allowed to sell their tours private and must book through the cruise lines only.

[jsquaredfl]

I've only done ship excursions for the peace of mind and the ability to change excursions easily on board. Never had one I don't like. Scuba diving, snorkeling, did a Mexican cooking class in Cozumel which was absolutely phenomenal. Wife learned some tasty new treats and cooking methods there. First divergence from that is upcoming all day self guided tour of maho beach on st Maarten (bucket list item as a pilot, worth the risk)

[cb at sea]

Depending on what you want to do, you might not NEED an excursion...things like beaches, or shopping do NOT require them....and it's easy and cheaper than booking with a group.

 

That said, if you book some sort of adventure thru the ship, they make sure you have a good time, with no effort on your part!

[paggerscorvette]

We have always done excursions through RCCL. Point in fact, on our last cruise (St. Marteen) our excursion was delayed returning to the ship. As our excursion was returning we all noticed the gang planks were pulled in (except for 1), the ship waited for us. This is one of the main reasons I book through the ship.

[LisaAtlCruiser]

Personally, I book the ship excursions. One reason is I am traveling solo so just feel safer being on a ship organized tour. Second the peace of mind regarding getting back to the ship. And last but not least - it is easier.

[CruiseMore1]

We'd take a private tour only if we're in a English speaking port and going to a relatively populated area. (In other words - if push came to shove I could find a taxi back before sail away)

 

If we're leaving the city for the "wilderness" we always book with the ship. Bottom line is that if you are on a "ship excursion" as opposed to a "private tour" the ship WILL WAIT FOR YOU if there's a problem and you're running late.

 

Case in point - in Belize our "ship excursion" tour to the rain forest & Mayan ruins got hung up on the way back. The ship was scheduled to sail at 5pm (and in Belize it's a 20 minute tender ride back to the ship first)

At 5 pm our tour bus was sitting stopped in downtown Belize rush hour traffic.

You can't imagine what peace of mind it was for the tour guide to confirm that her supervisor was standing at the dock with the RCCL rep - holding a tender just for us.

Peace of mind was well worth a few extra bucks.

 

AMEN to this! I have never been happier to be on a ship's tour than last year in Seville. There was a strike (don't remember what workers were striking) that closed down traffic on many of the main roads. Traffic on the alternate roads was at a slow crawl when not actually stopped. IIRC we were about an hour and a half late. The ship waited! We heard (though not confirmed) there were others on private tour who got left and had to meet the ship in Tenerife the next day.

[Ken Greco]

We have done private and ship excursions. The one big advantage on a ship excursion if they are running late the ship waits for you. On a private one you could miss the boat if you are running late.

[DrD]

We've evolved over the years, we used to do only ship tours for the reasons already stated, especially not worrying about missing the ship.

 

Lately though we've done more private stuff. I think that as long as you start as early as possible and leave a huge time buffer at the end the chances of missing ship are very low. Of course you have to book with a reputable operator but with this board and things like tripadvisor it's easier than ever to find such an operator.

 

One thing that tipped me over to private tours, and I know some here find this petty, is RCCL's policy of charging for the tour as soon as you book. I've cruised since the 90's, and it used to always be that they charged your tour to your account which you settled up at the end. I don't like paying in advance when I can avoid it.

 

Not a huge factor, but more of a last straw thing.

 

On our upcoming we're doing 2 private tours and 1 ship tour. One of the private tours isn't really a tour, we're just going to Chankanaab to swim with dolphins (I did actually have to pay for this one in advance but they also gave a substantial discount for doing so.)

 

If worst came to worst, it's only about 5 miles from the ship, and I can run 5 miles in 45 minutes, so no way am I missing that ship! Might have to leave the rest of the family behind though. ;)

Edited March 21, 2014 by DrD

[tlatrice]

I JUST did the Lamanai excursion through RCI last week on the Navigator. It was amazing and worth every penny. We had plenty of time to climb the ruins and the guides were knowledgeable and friendly! It was my 2nd time doing it and I loved it. I booked through RCI both times.

 

For this excursion I would definitely book through the ship. It's a long day and so many things could go wrong. You have to take a hour long bus ride through Belize to get to the New River, and then a 45 minute boat up the New River to get to Lamanai.

 

Last week, the boat that we were on coming back from Lamanai broke down. Yep, we were sitting there stuck in the New River. Now, it only took them about 10 minutes to send another boat, but none of us were worried because we knew the ship would wait. We had to choke down our lunch, but at least we had lunch (and it was quite tasty I might add). We didn't run into much traffic either way, but I could see where it could be a problem.

 

So, for Lamanai, I would book through the ship. Just because there are so many different modes of transportation involved.

 

Enjoy your cruise!