Shore excursions - book with RC or independently?

[sashasmommy1]

Hi there,

 

Brand new to cruising here, we'll be going on our first cruise in Feb on the Independence of the Seas. I'm trying to book shore excursions and I'm a little hesitant to book with RC, not knowing anything about the vendors they use, not seeing any reviews of the trips, etc. (The RC site has a couple of reviews for some excursions, but no reviews for others.)

 

It seems that it's cheaper to book independently and you can find the best vendors using TripAdvisor, but then I worry about getting back to the ship on time, etc.

 

Have you all found that the shore excursions booked through the trip are good, or do you go the independent route?

 

Also, related question: I'm trying to figure out when you have to be back to the ship after a shore excursion. Is the departure time listed in the trip details the time you have to be back on the ship, or do you have to be back before that? And if so, how long before?

 

I'm sure I will be back with more questions. Thanks in advance!

[DonnaK]

In the Caribbean, we usually go with independent vendors. Check the ports of call boards, and check Trip Advisor for recommendations.

 

Which ports are you visiting?

[sashasmommy1]

Cozumel and Belize City. We were thinking about Tulum in Cozumel and cave tubing in Belize City.

[MommaBear55]

Tulum is a 45 minute ferry ride and then a 90 minute bus ride (I may be exaggerating the time). It is an amazing site but I felt the travel time was too much for what it was. Good news on a ship sponsored excursion is that they are supposed to get you back to the ship. In this particular case they dropped us off in Playa del Carmen and we had to find our own ferry and taxi back. In Cozumel we have gone to the San Gervasio ruins by taxi and then snorkeled or gone to the beach.

 

I would definitely recommend a tour in Belize, whether it be private or ship as Belize is not comfortable for traveling on your own.

[alaskawdw12]

I personally prefer the ship excursions over independent venders for the peace of mind.

 

You can check out the port of call forum or use the search option to find info on excursions.

 

I believe they want you back at the ship half an hour before departure time, but I might be mistaken. The ship leaves right on time, so I wouldn't cut it that close.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Clarea]

Tulum is a 45 minute ferry ride and then a 90 minute bus ride (I may be exaggerating the time). It is an amazing site but I felt the travel time was too much for what it was. Good news on a ship sponsored excursion is that they are supposed to get you back to the ship. In this particular case they dropped us off in Playa del Carmen and we had to find our own ferry and taxi back. In Cozumel we have gone to the San Gervasio ruins by taxi and then snorkeled or gone to the beach.

 

I would definitely recommend a tour in Belize, whether it be private or ship as Belize is not comfortable for traveling on your own.

I would also add that the ferry ride can be very rough, and it's not uncommon for people to get seasick on it.

[JamesEM]

Since you are new to cruising I would recommending going with the ship's tour the first time out, after that you will have some experience to book private tours.

[sashasmommy1]

Wow, Tulum does sound like a lot of travel time. I'll have to discuss that with my husband, as he's the one that wanted to go there. Thanks for all of the recommendations!

[DonnaK]

Tulum is one excursion I would definitely book through the cruiseline, because of the length of the tour and the distance traveled.

[Clarea]

Wow, Tulum does sound like a lot of travel time. I'll have to discuss that with my husband, as he's the one that wanted to go there. Thanks for all of the recommendations!

I would like to go there too, but I'll do it sometime when we are doing a land trip to Playa del Carmen or Cancun.

[squiffynimrod]

I would like to go there too, but I'll do it sometime when we are doing a land trip to Playa del Carmen or Cancun.

 

BTDT, very pretty setting and popular but a better experience can be had if you go to the ruins at Coba.

[cruisecraze96]

We book both through the ship and private depending on the port, for Belize we booked private for a cave tube but sadly my sister decided to flake out because she was afraid there might be bats so we didn't do it (good thing was there was no out of pocket expense) but when there is extensive travel time then I prefer to book with the ship since it is almost like paying a little bit more for insurance. The ship is supposed to wait for all excursions through the ship to get back, and we have seen some cut it very close or run late.

 

When we have gotten off there was always a sign saying what time to be back, for the ones we have gone on this is SHIPS time not ISLAND time so make sure you know what time they are using. Usually the sign says to be back on the ship 1 hour prior to departure, but we always see people coming up minutes before. Cozumel is a good one to get back earlier for that way you can get a good spot to see everyone else running back later ;)

 

Hope you have a great trip :) I understand your frustration with the reviews but we are going to keep our fingers crossed that we pick some good ones.

[SamFritz]

I view the extra cost of a ship's excursion to be a sort of mini trip insurance. Royal does the work of making sure the vendors are safe and properly insured, and if anything goes wrong, Royal will be on it.

 

We've done a few excursions on our own (Nachi Cocom in Cozumel, and Chacchoben Ruins in Costa Maya) and not had any problems. I it's like the added security of still being in Royal's care when so far from home. To me it's worth the up charge.

 

 

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[Jim40]

We used cave tubing .com in Belize, cheaper and longer tour.

[katpetal]

Cozumel and Belize City. We were thinking about Tulum in Cozumel and cave tubing in Belize City.

 

CAVE TUBING!!! Do it!! It was AMAZING!!!! The best excursion we've done so far. We used VIV https://www.vivtours.bz/ They were fantastic. There is a short hike up to the river, and they point out the wildlife along the way, it was really neat.

[newjoisey]

on our first cruise with RC we did 3 ship sponsored excursions ......we were NOT impressed .Disorganized on just about all levels:eek:. One transfer boat turned out to be a combo ferry/mailboat /water taxi and end of day worker transport:mad:....over 2 and a half hours on it .....for 20 minutes of swimming with the sea lions. Our favorite cruise line [10 trips]:) is cunard they treat you like family:) they once arranged for a private tour which was great [not cheap]. imho unless i have first hand knowledge i would always go with a ship sponsored excursion ....even RC :( keep in mind imo these excursions are cash cows for just about all the carriers. cunard offers an excursion for 2 @ 10 grand...it is a 3 day all included vacation from your vacation

[TravelerThom]

I'll first make a comment that you didn't ask for: Tulum is a long tiring trip from Cozumel on a calm day, and is a miserable trip on choppy days. Lyn made it to Antarctica without getting seasick, but did get sick between Cozumel and Playa de Carmen. Tulum is a mid-range Mayan site (not in the same league as Chichen Itza). I wouldn't do this trip from Cozumel with anyone.

 

I personally use private vendors in most cases - lower price, fewer people and much more concerned with your happiness as they are dependent on word of mouth advertising. They know that if they ever miss a ship sailing their business will take a BIG hit. Still, I do watch the time myself, and given a choice of times for a half day trip, I take the early one. A private vendor tour is much more likely to get you back to the ship on time than wandering into Senior Frogs for a "few" margaritas.:cool:

 

Thom

[davidsmum]

We have booked independent tours and also done our own thing in ports by taking a taxi to a beach

 

I suggest checking out the ports of call board for each island you are visiting as there is a tonne of information there.... That's where I started!

Whether you want an organised tour or a day at the beach you will find everything you need to know.

 

 

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[Debde]

I view the extra cost of a ship's excursion to be a sort of mini trip insurance. Royal does the work of making sure the vendors are safe and properly insured, and if anything goes wrong, Royal will be on it.

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This!!!

-first cruise, piece of mind is priceless.

[Lionesss]

When we book an excursion we have always gone thru the ship.

 

Something about having someone know where you are when in a foreign land.

 

Especially if you go to the ruins.

 

That is a long day with many variables, that could delay you getting back on time with an independent tour company.....ferry....bus ride....ruins and back.

 

Be safe and if you do it book thru cruise line.

 

Safe travels.

 

Happy New Year

[cb at sea]

You will need to be ON the ship 30 mins prior to the stated sail a way time. Yes...you will be informed when that is...it's in the daily "compass", and will be posted at the exits. Always make sure your WATCH is set to the same time as the ship's clocks...clocks are at every exit, too!

[knittinggirl]

Unless they promise to get you to the next port if you miss the ship, I wouldn't book independent excursions. And I've only had a couple make that promise.

 

If you're late getting back, Royal Caribbean will hold the ship. We've had that happen over the years.

 

Personally, I wouldn't want to risk the fraction of a percent chance that I'd miss the ship. I just don't want the hassle of trying to get to the next port and catch the ship there.

Edited January 1, 2016 by knittinggirl

[cincicruisers]

We have done both. Check in your roll call as many times a group will go on excursion together. (Safety in numbers). The vendors rely on having a steady stream of customers. They are good at making sure you are back in plenty of time.

 

If you are planing on going on an excursion that has a long travel time I would book with RC for peace of mind.

 

Enjoy your cruise, it's a great vacation.

[JTBCruiser]

If a newbie, recommend going with the ship excursions. We did the same thing but since then, I've researched reviews on CC and TripAdvisor and have done nothing but independent tours. They are normally less expensive, tour groups are much smaller and we find them to be much more personable. We do not take the tours that are so long they come near matching the time in port, didn't want to take a chance of missing the ship. As others have noted on other posts, these companies run the risk of no business if their groups miss ships. Wishing you the best on what ever you decide to do.

[sashasmommy1]

Thanks, this helps a lot. We are now looking at the ship sponsored excursions and have narrowed them down to several that have good reviews on the Royal Caribbean site.