Are excursions worth it?

[Martini Mom]

I'm going on my first cruise with my boyfriends family in April 2017 on the Carnival Miracle. We will be porting in Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. I'm wondering if purchasing a Shore Excursion is worth the time and money or whether making our own adventure in town is better. Thank you for your advice in advance!

 

We don't book excursions when in Cabo. We checked out some local bars as well as ME Cabo Resort for the day (beautiful!). In PV, we booked a dune buggy/jungle tour/tequila tasting through a private vendor that was awesome! We got to see the coast, the interior, a tequila factory, etc.

[NEW 2 CRUISIN]

Well....your cruise date is coming up quickly, (as is ours!).

Not sure what you decided on, but I saw your post today and thought I'd offer this advice to consider with the rest.

 

As it's your first cruise and first experience in these ports, I'd recommend taking ship-sponsored tours in each port, based on your interests. There are likely some general "see the city and shopping areas" tours in each port that offer a good overview of each town that we always enjoyed on our first visit to any port.

They are usually short and inexpensive, and can give you some idea of where you might want to go back and spend more time. (In Mazatlan I know there is definitely a "Hop On/Hop Off" bus excursion that gives you a great overview and can usually be booked through the ship.)

 

Some claim to have saved "a ton" of money by planning tours on their own. For an experienced cruiser, that is a good way to go. This would never work out for us, as we'd never spend "a ton" of money in the first place.

Is it "worth the time and money" to book ship excursions??

I'd say on your first cruise, definitely! After you see how they work, and have a better feel for the port areas, go ahead and book one or two on your own next time!

 

This will be our 4th time in these ports (Previously with NCL and Carnival - this time on Princess) and we are still booking a couple tours through the ship simply because they are only available through the ship!

 

If you are like us, and many others here, you will have a GREAT time visiting these ports, so do and see as much as you can! This was always one of our favorite itineraries! HAVE FUN!

 

:)

[CaityMarie]

Well....your cruise date is coming up quickly, (as is ours!).

Not sure what you decided on, but I saw your post today and thought I'd offer this advice to consider with the rest.

 

As it's your first cruise and first experience in these ports, I'd recommend taking ship-sponsored tours in each port, based on your interests. There are likely some general "see the city and shopping areas" tours in each port that offer a good overview of each town that we always enjoyed on our first visit to any port.

They are usually short and inexpensive, and can give you some idea of where you might want to go back and spend more time. (In Mazatlan I know there is definitely a "Hop On/Hop Off" bus excursion that gives you a great overview and can usually be booked through the ship.)

 

Some claim to have saved "a ton" of money by planning tours on their own. For an experienced cruiser, that is a good way to go. This would never work out for us, as we'd never spend "a ton" of money in the first place.

Is it "worth the time and money" to book ship excursions??

I'd say on your first cruise, definitely! After you see how they work, and have a better feel for the port areas, go ahead and book one or two on your own next time!

 

This will be our 4th time in these ports (Previously with NCL and Carnival - this time on Princess) and we are still booking a couple tours through the ship simply because they are only available through the ship!

 

If you are like us, and many others here, you will have a GREAT time visiting these ports, so do and see as much as you can! This was always one of our favorite itineraries! HAVE FUN!

 

:)

Thank you for your tips. Our trip may be changing due to a family member getting deployed.

 

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[louanne93]

Thank you for your tips. Our trip may be changing due to a family member getting deployed.

 

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Sorry to hear. I have 2 sons in the military. Please thank your family member for their service and let them know I am saying a little prayer for them!