Scheduling non-ship excursion ..... Timing?

[Clarasgrandma]

If I schedule a non-ship excursion, how do I know what time I will actually be able to leave the ship? We would like to do cave tubing in Belize and from what I remember of our past tender trip, your number to leave on tender is assigned according to excursion times that have been booked via the ship. In this case, the ship wouldn't know my excursion plans... Do I tell them at customer service? Or just take tender regardless of number I am assigned to get me to excursion in time?

 

Thanks for any feedback!

[firts]

i need this info too!! My independent excursion leaves at 9 am. sailing liberty

[crewsweeper]

In your ship's events of the day newsletter, "FunTimes " for Carnival, the night before, you'll see information regarding where to meet up for tenders if you are not on a ship excursion. Get there 15 minutes before the time listed and sign up; helps to get you on the first non-ship excursion tender. Make sure your whole party is there. You can then slip out and grab a bite to eat of shuttle food/coffee to the meeting spot while you wait.

 

Depending upon the number of ships in port, tenders typically roll in one after another. But tenders can carry 200-400 passengers plus a few with under 100. So wait isn't that long. Also contact your excursion vendor if the start time is Belize time or another time. Belize is on Central standard and does not observe daylight savings.

[Clarasgrandma]

Thank you Crewsweeper! Much appreciated!

[cruisinqt]

We rarely do ships excursions. We prefer using local tour guides that have smaller groups and a more personalized experience. These tour guides know that the ships cater to passengers booking their excursions and let them go first. So they don't expect you to be on the first tender. The local tour guides know it will take a little while for you to get off and they will wait for you. We always try to get off the ship as soon as possible and often end up waiting with our tour guide for other passengers that weren't able to get off as quickly as we were. Don't worry you will be fine. :)

[Darcy03231]

We were on the Carnival Freedom last October and didn't have a ship's excursion planned. We just made sure we were on the gangway early (we didn't wait for the announcement) and ended up on the first tender off the ship.

[lisagro]

How early is it reasonable to schedule an independent excursion in Belize if you have Carnival's Faster to the Fun?