Do you book non RCI excursions?

[Mark-Sheffield]

We have used a company in Europe called Cruisingexcursions.com and we thought they provided a good value alternative to RCI. I believe they also operate in the Caribbean as well.

[Lionesss]

We still do ship excursions, just a habit after all these years.

 

Only had one bad experience and that was on St. Marteen. the excursion was called under two flags and my then 14 y/o DD said it was the best nap she ever had:eek:

 

Yea it was painful, but I guess it could happen if I booked it independent also.

 

Safe travels.

[Shawninrye]

We hardly EVER book ANY excursion! We read guidebooks..do our research and do our own thing. In reality, few things require a paid guide

 

I support this philosophy.

However, Belize seems to require guides for some excursions that visit caves or some diving/snorkeling locations.

Places like the Belize Zoo you can do on your own.

Many places have guides outside such as one ruins we visited.

We just paid the guide for the tour.

He seeed to have more information than I could find online.

Everyone wants to go to the high light of the area.

You could hire your own guide/ driver to beat the crowds.

[ccjunior]

I believe there is always a risk with booking non-RCI excursion.

 

On my last cruise, due to weather, the captain decided to reverse the itinerary. RCI made sure we went on the same excursions on the new dates. I'm extremely happy.

 

I imagine for private excursions, you'll have to re-book everything yourselves and probably have to pay for on board internet/phone charges.

[pete1681]

With social media and the risk of a bad review, not much risk involved

[ccjunior]

With social media and the risk of a bad review, not much risk involved

 

The risk I meant is for the trouble and cost for re-booking while you're enjoying your vacation. Whether you find it a risk or not, it is very personal.

 

I like trouble-free vacation and RCI took care of that. There is no right or wrong. BTW, I'm not a RCI fanboy in case you wonder :-).

[mcatmcat]

I rarely book a cruise with the ship since I mostly interested in going to the beach. The only 2 port that I book with the ship is Jamaica and Cozumel if I want to cross the sea and visit xcaret

[packercruising]

To be clear, we have never had a problem booking an excursion with RCI.

[cruising twosome]

We mainly to our own research and book our own, but if there is a question of limited time, getting to the airport after (Barcelona) or safety, (Jamaica) we book thru the ship. We have never been late and the cost is less than the ship-lots of information and recommendations here on CC.

[MrsPete]

We never, never use ship's excursions. Bigger groups, lackluster guides, fewer choices -- we wouldn't use them even if they were cheaper. Never.

[Pmorton3360]

We have used private tours and on our own most all of the time. Last cruise I was solo so took a ship tour. Made me remember why I book on my own. Doing Mediterranean this fall and will be doing one private tour, private transportation and the rest on our own. There is so much information on this board and throughout the web. Do the research and you can do what you really want to.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

This has not been true for us. Generally it has been the ships tours that fill their 40-50 pax bus to the max. If you are lucky, you get on the last bus which might not be completely full. The private ones we have been on have been 10-12, for which they use a 15 pax van. If the group wants to do something a little different, there is the possibility to do that. The tour guides and drivers have been great! Maybe we have just been lucky. First step is to join the CC roll call for your cruise. Then you might be able to get a group together. Being a single cruiser should not be a problem. Half the price and twice the fun!

 

You're saying you've had ship tours change itinerary with no notice because some people did a bait and switch? That happened to two of my friends who joined in on private excursions - they signed on for one itinerary and after the money was paid and they were in the van and on the way the others said "Oh, so we were wanting to go to Y rather than X..." And voting was pointless as my friends were obviously left out of the plot.

 

Private things work for you, great. They don't for me - especially when people are actively saying "TWO" or "FOUR".

 

This is why there is chocolate and vanilla.

 

That said, the ship excursions - at least the ones I'm doing on my Med cruise - are more transportation to the city, then I get to do my own thing. Knowing that I have the safety net that just getting my own transportation wouldn't provide.

Edited June 13, 2016 by WrittenOnYourHeart

[Virtopia]

The first 2 cruises I booked on board excursions, but the rest were all individual tours or ones I joined through my roll call. However, my next cruise is my first European cruise so I am considering possibly 2 ship tours, maybe 3.

 

I'm about 2 Caribbean cruises away from being over excursions.

[QueenofKrakatoa]

I book through the cruise line, because you never know what can happen and the ship won't wait for you if you get held up on a private tour. I'm okay with paying a few bucks more on an excursion rather than a few hundred or thousand for unnecessary extra travel for being left behind.

Edited June 13, 2016 by QueenofKrakatoa
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[MrsPete]

I book through the cruise line, because you never know what can happen and the ship won't wait for you if you get held up on a private tour. I'm okay with paying a few bucks more on an excursion rather than a few hundred or thousand for unnecessary extra travel for being left behind.

Lots of people share this fear, but it just isn't realistic. In more than a decade of reading this board, I've never once read of a person whose private tour didn't return him back to the port on time. The people who get left behind are the ones who go out on their own and lose track of time.

[packercruising]

You're saying you've had ship tours change itinerary with no notice because some people did a bait and switch? That happened to two of my friends who joined in on private excursions - they signed on for one itinerary and after the money was paid and they were in the van and on the way the others said "Oh, so we were wanting to go to Y rather than X..." And voting was pointless as my friends were obviously left out of the plot.

 

Private things work for you, great. They don't for me - especially when people are actively saying "TWO" or "FOUR".

 

This is why there is chocolate and vanilla.

 

That said, the ship excursions - at least the ones I'm doing on my Med cruise - are more transportation to the city, then I get to do my own thing. Knowing that I have the safety net that just getting my own transportation wouldn't provide.

 

When we have done it, the entire group agreed on it ahead of time and whoever was setting it up cleared it with the tour company. We have done it your way too, where the bus takes you into town and you are on your own.

[Paul65]

I've done a mix of ship-sponsored and independent excursions, and generally prefer the independent ones for the reasons you (OP) mention. They tend to be more personal / less crowded, and you often get to see more, as well.

 

The one exception would be our most recent cruise with cavetubing.bz in Belize City. They still seem to be getting great reviews overall, but it was not what I expected from an independent tour. Instead of being a small, more intimate group, they crowded us on a bus to the point that there were too many, and they asked us to get off the bus and follow in a van. Didn't think that was a big deal, until we realized we were in a van with a group from a different ship doing a different excursion. It was a mess. Wouldn't recommend them.

 

Roatan Ocean Adventures on the same cruise couldn't have been more different, though. We booked a snorkel-hopping/beach break tour with them, and it was just the three of us, we had a great snorkel experience, then got to enjoy some beach time and had our choice of when they would pick up back up to deliver us back to the ship.

 

So, an independent tour is not always better, but most of the time, I much prefer going that route.

[ken_nyc]

Our very first cruise we did all ship excursions, but after that I researched here on CC and took private excursions using recommendations and never had a bad one.

 

 

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[bigque]

We had always done Ship Excursions except for one in St. Maarten where we used Bernard Tours which came highly recommended here on CC. Our cruise last year on Adventure was all non ship excursions, which we also got good tips on from here on CC and our Roll Call. On our next cruise we do not plan on doing any excursions at all for the first time because we have been to the ports we are going to and will just get off and walk around the shopping area and then get back on the ship to chill and relax. Well I don't really call this an excursion but it is listed as such but I will do the Jet Ski's in Labadee next cruise because I like to ride them! :cool:

Edited June 15, 2016 by bigque

[cruiselvr04]

I do a lot of research and then decide. Last cruise we booked 1/3 days off the ship with the cruise line. Sometimes the price is the same. Sometimes I feel safer with the the cruiseline in certain ports, sometimes it's a long distance and again I feel more relaxed going with the the cruise line. But all that said with good research we often go on our own.

 

Private excursions are often better, more personal and less expensive. You certainly do not need to go with the cruiseline to go to a beach. i do always have a plan and never wing it though.

[KittyCatRya]

We always book directly with the cruise line.The only exception is if there is an overnight stay.

 

Us too.... I am not getting left on shore when the boat sails away :)

[molsonschooner]

typically, we find excursions booked through the cruise line are more expensive. We have noticed those are a lot more crowded than private excursions. for example, in Alaska, we booked a private excursion at Icy Strait Point to go whale watching. There were six passengers plus the person driving the brand new boat. We pulled up along side a boat that the cruise line uses, people for 3 and 4 deep trying to see the whales. I think we lucked out here.