What is the worst excursion you have been on?

[cruisinggaga]

Mine wasn't through Carnival, but NCL. It was to St. Lucia and it was a simple beach day ship excursion. When we got to the beach, rows and rows of lounge chairs were lined up touching one another. They also had umbrellas at every second chair. They only left enough room to walk in front of your chair. The only way to get into the chair was to sit on the bottom and shimmy up...not so pretty in a lot of cases. We were in the third row. We couldn't see the water, only umbrellas and backs of chairs. A little girl who was sitting by us couldn't play in the sand because if she did, people couldn't walk by. It was awful and a wasted day. We took lots of pictures and got our money back. We have never complained in the 20 cruises we've taken, but we felt as if we wasted a whole day and shouldn't have had to pay do do so.

 

 

 

St Lucia was our BEST. We took Cosols tours and had a fantastic time!! Great fun they made a party of it. Water, soda, beer an rum punch was all included in the price, all you could drink. We had his driver Bumpy and he was hilarious.

 

 

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[cruisinggaga]

Aruba. All we saw was desert. No bathrooms the entire trip. Awful.

 

 

 

Aruba was our second worst. I agree with you, both my husband and I hated Aruba. The beach we went to was pretty but the water was a bit chilly. 🤷*♀️[emoji16]

 

 

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[imridingdolphins]

Mine was a wasted day traveling to Tulum Mayan ruins. First, a long ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa deCarmen, then they paraded us through the streets to the bus. Then a long bus ride, where we had to stop at a souvenir shack, that must have been a relative of the bus driver, then finally to Tulum. And the ruins after that long hot journey was disappointing, and expensive tour. Never again!

I think a runner up would be to a beach with lunch in Falmouth. Booked through RCCL, the beach was crappy, with no umbrellas for shade offered, and lunch was sparse, and nearly gone by the time we got up to buffet from the long line.

 

 

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I've done this exact same tour from Cozumel. To each his own I guess. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Ferry ride was not that long. Bus ride was long but it was comfortable and air conditioned. I did not mind the chance to buy sourvenirs at the shop they take you to. Ruins were awesome. I've been to Tikal and Copan, and while Tulum is not grand with all the pyramids, it is a beautiful site. Something different, if you like Mayan sites. The beach there is so pretty. Bus ride back was welcome since I was really tired and could take a nap. What a great day!

[Tapi]

Nassau: Semi-submersible, booked through Carnival.

 

First, the boat that we took to get from the cruise terminal to where the semi sub was looked like something that had a previous life either to transport rafters or to smuggle drugs. But we didn’t care that much since that wasn’t the actual tour, just transportation to get there.

 

BUT once we got inside the semi-submersible, the windows were so scratched and hazed over that you couldn’t see a darn thing. It was like wearing glasses that were completely fogged. A lot of fellow cruisers were angry, complaining and demanding a refund. Still, the semi-sub Crew had the audacity to ask for a tip at the end of the tour. [emoji23]

 

 

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[badmamajama23]

Aruba. All we saw was desert. No bathrooms the entire trip. Awful.

 

Was this the party bus where they stopped at the pina colada stand and you ask for "extra sugar?" They only had one stop with a bathroom and you had to pay for it.

 

That was my favorite excursion... :')

[DMH15]

I found the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan to be extremely hokey. I was expecting something better.

 

My absolutely favorite was the Antarctic Landing excursion from Punta Arenas, Chile.

 

 

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[Micahs Grandad]

A private tour in Ireland.

 

Tour guide drove a van with three rows of seats and spoke so softly nobody other than the person beside her could hear her. Kept asking her to speak up and she wouldnt/couldnt.

 

She took us to four different places told us where to go and said she would be back in 1-2 hours to pick us up at each stop. She seemed to have no idea that it would have been nice to go with us to answer questions.

 

Complained to tour company and did get half of our money back but thought the tour guide was awful.

[Quilcruisers]

Worst tour for us was in Montego Bay. We got in the van after negotiating a price. We really only wanted the beach but agreed to take the tour. Very very poor areas were part of our tour. It seemed the more he drove, the poorer the sections he took us to. We tried to make the most of it but it was very sad. Then it started raining and although we were thankful to be in the van, we just wanted it to be over. He dropped us off at the beach and we met him about an hour later. Of course we were offered drugs while in the water as well as being offered bracelets, hair braiding, etc while trying to enjoy the water. Next time we went to MB we booked the carnival excursion to dunns river and that was a great trip and a lot of fun. You definitely have to get away from the cruise port to enjoy in some cases. In this case it's good to get some culture but we got too much culture.

 

 

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[2PinaColadas]

Dominica. We took a tour that went to the Emerald Pool. Our van broke down about 10/15 minutes into the tour. We sat in a hot van for about an hour while waiting for another van to pick us up. Then everyone crammed into another, much smaller van and went on our way. By the time we got to the Emerald Pool we only had about 15 minutes there. There were dozens of other people from other tours there too, so even taking a decent picture was difficult.

 

The only good thing about that excursion-- my husband and I sat up front with the driver who allowed us unlimited access to the rum punch in the cooler. ;)

[emm126]

I think my least favorite was on Seabourn. We were in Portofino and my friends wanted to do the olive oil tasting :rolleyes: at a 5 star hotel that included lunch. I mean who wants to taste just olive oil however I wanted to see the hotel so I agreed. We tasted 3 different olive oil. 3! The lunch was fish, which I don't eat so they gave me 1/4 of a dry chicken. That was it. No apps, no dessert and the cost was $200 per person. Not worth it.

[idraconis]

My worst was Ocho Rio. Did the water fall climb and the river tube thing.Both were fun, but after the tubing your drop off at small market place. The vendors were so aggressive. So bad a very large man grab me and pulled me into his shop. Which almost involved a psychical altercation. In which I would have been destroyed. It was quit a loud fight and the other vendors came to my aid. Moral of the story for me at least is never get off the boat in Jamaica.

[ZoeyVictoria]

My worst was a simple taxi ride in Nassau. We made the mistake of walking thru the Market Place (in 2013, before the long renovation) before looking for a taxi. We were directed to somebody’s friend who was parked outside the compound, which should have been our first hint. We got into a very old rattletrap Toyota Corolla and proceeded up a hill. The car kept stalling and we were worried about rolling backwards down the street. Finally made it up the hill and around the corner, maybe a half mile, when we ran out of gas. The driver told us to wait there, took an empty antifreeze bottle out of the trunk, and the last we saw him he had jumped onto the running board of a propane truck with the container in one hand, holding onto the side mirror with the other.

 

We went into the post office and one of the employees had a friend who came to pick us up and deliver us to our destination. The silver lining in the cloud was that it was my first cruise with my SO, very early in our relationship, and a chance to see each other’s behavior in an adverse situation.

[chill6x6]

I've done a LOT of excursions and you know....I've never had a bad one!

[Daphne'sMom]

Our very first cruise which was a 3 day - but it was pretty much weather related. We purchased the Blue Lagoon excursion and rented snorkel equipment from the ship. While getting ready for the boat ride to the "Lagoon" the skies were getting very overcast and the tour guide told us not to worry about the "liquid sunshine" and assured us it would not last long. The same tour guide repeatedly let us know that we were not the only ship and that we had to be back on the pier at the Lagoon when "they" came to pick us up our we would miss our ship.

 

We get to the island and barely even get up to our knees in the water and the skies let loose. It wasn't a summer shower it was a full blown storm with lots of thunder & lightning. There was only one place to take shelter and it was the food pavilion. Everyone crowded in and there was limited seating and most people were standing. The workers lowered the wall coverings that appeared to be heavy duty plastic in an attempt to keep the rain out. After some time and much saturation - we heard people screaming -because there were rats running around trying to get out of the "building". There was also screaming by dramatic teen girls every time it thundered :cool: The rain finally let up when we had about 10 minutes left but it was still very overcast. We went to get in the water and were not allowed as there was still lightning in the area. So at our assigned time we went to the pick up pier and got in line. While waiting for our ride back it started raining again - hard but not storming. We all stayed in line as we were warned repeatedly that they would be there at the appointed time and be there or else. There wasn't anyone from Carnival or the tour company to let us know what was going on. The boat did not show up on time - in fact they were really, really late (sorry this was in 2000 so I don't recall how late other than "really"). When we got back the shops were closed so we couldn't buy any souvenirs from The Bahamas and we did not have enough time for us all to use the shower and get ready for our "formal night" (the only one on a 3 day). Carnival did refund money to everyone that was on that tour Believe it or not - we had so much fun on that 3 day cruise even with our first and only stop on that cruise ruined by weather. Our first cruising "adventure":rolleyes:

[nybumpkin]

Our worst experience was a Carnival excursion in Montego Bay, which took us on a long ride to Black River. Black River itself was great - we rode a pontoon boat on the river, which is home to the American crocodile. We saw a lot of them. As a bonus, we were able to experience a place where you weren't hounded to buy things and saw some amazing scenery. However, the ride to and from Black River was scary - bad roads, lots of hairpin turns and a driver who drove like a maniac. Our two younger sons both became carsick - it's the only time in all of our travels that that's happened. I don't think they offfer that tour any longer, but after that I swore I wouldn't book tours in Jamaica that required long rides.

[Cuizer2]

My worst was Ocho Rio. Did the water fall climb and the river tube thing.Both were fun, but after the tubing your drop off at small market place. The vendors were so aggressive. So bad a very large man grab me and pulled me into his shop. Which almost involved a psychical altercation. In which I would have been destroyed. It was quit a loud fight and the other vendors came to my aid. Moral of the story for me at least is never get off the boat in Jamaica.

 

Many cruise passengers feel the same way.

[myfuzzy]

Our worst experience was a Carnival excursion in Montego Bay, which took us on a long ride to Black River. Black River itself was great - we rode a pontoon boat on the river, which is home to the American crocodile. We saw a lot of them. As a bonus, we were able to experience a place where you weren't hounded to buy things and saw some amazing scenery. However, the ride to and from Black River was scary - bad roads, lots of hairpin turns and a driver who drove like a maniac. Our two younger sons both became carsick - it's the only time in all of our travels that that's happened. I don't think they offfer that tour any longer, but after that I swore I wouldn't book tours in Jamaica that required long rides.

 

I took that tour! Along the way we encountered an overturned car in the middle of the road! I had my feet on the dashboard the entire way....driver looks at me and say...."Everything OK Mum"

[SmoothFlying]

Well, WORST..is a little strong, but probably the MOST disappointing was an excursion off the Navigator of the Seas in Grand Cayman:o All the description said was something like, 'a day of sun and relaxation in the waters on the beautiful Seven mile Beach' or something like that. The wife and I had been there , by then, at least a dozen times so we were looking forwards to it. It proudly claims (and rightly so, to be ONE of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean). The ONLY problem is this particular segment was at the VERY end, not anywhere towards the city of Georgetown :evilsmile: The entire beach was so rocky, it was painful to walk to the water's edge barefoot. Most people, who tried, just gave up, and were content to just lie on the provided loungers and soak up some sun. It's sorta like torture to SEE that beautiful crystal clear blue green water and NOT be able too..:eek: I knew going in, it'd have to be a public beach, BUT..? Oh well, live and learn, She did go to the tour desk and told them she was very disappointed at the selection of beach they chose. and of course they said that was up to the tour guide company but would note her remarks which would be forwarded to them.

 

After reading my reply...My wife said it is the absolute WORST excursion we ever went on!!

 

Mac

[NewKansasKruiser]

We have decided the "Best of..." tours are not the best choice. They HURRY you through the things you want to see (then you get to the bus only to wait on the one couple that piddles at every single spot) ...then you spend 3/4 of the time at the ONE shop they want you to shop at because they get a big kick back or their friend owns it.

[mrsd2fan]

The worst excursion was the "Turtle Farm" in Grand Ccayman. It still haunts me. Why I didn't realize what it really was when we booked it is beyond me.

[Keys2Heaven]

We've had a couple that didn't go as planned. One was a whale-watching tour in Dominica that resulted in us bouncing up and down for nearly 2 -1/2 hours and not seeing anything. One of my daughters got sick from all the diesel fumes and was laid out until we got back. But, we did manage to head back to shore and ended up in a pack of dolphins. That was a sight to behold as they swam and jumped out of the water next to us.

 

The other was a catamaran and sea turtle adventure in Barbados. My wife and daughter were not feeling good from the previous day's whale-watching fiasco, so they decided not to go. There was nothing on the vendor's website about no-shows and any charges, so I brought enough money for my daughter and I. After boarding, the vendor told me we didn't have enough money and that we would need to talk to someone on shore. Every other passenger was watching us and I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed and horrible I felt. I ended up having to give my credit card info over the phone (thank goodness I memorized it as I don't bring cards with me) and was charged for my wife and daughter.

 

When we got back, I scoured the vendor's website and my confirmation emails again for any mention of having to pay for a no-show. Nothing printed anywhere. After some back and forth with the vendor, I managed to get a refund for the extra charge based on this not being printed anywhere. What a nightmare. So now I am extra careful and always ask about no-shows when arranging independent excursions.

[Cuizer2]

The other was a catamaran and sea turtle adventure in Barbados. My wife and daughter were not feeling good from the previous day's whale-watching fiasco, so they decided not to go. There was nothing on the vendor's website about no-shows and any charges, so I brought enough money for my daughter and I. After boarding, the vendor told me we didn't have enough money and that we would need to talk to someone on shore. Every other passenger was watching us and I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed and horrible I felt. I ended up having to give my credit card info over the phone (thank goodness I memorized it as I don't bring cards with me) and was charged for my wife and daughter.

 

When we got back, I scoured the vendor's website and my confirmation emails again for any mention of having to pay for a no-show. Nothing printed anywhere. After some back and forth with the vendor, I managed to get a refund for the extra charge based on this not being printed anywhere. What a nightmare. So now I am extra careful and always ask about no-shows when arranging independent excursions.

 

I'm wondering what would have happened if none of you showed up?

[homer2005]

I've done this exact same tour from Cozumel. To each his own I guess. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Ferry ride was not that long. Bus ride was long but it was comfortable and air conditioned. I did not mind the chance to buy sourvenirs at the shop they take you to. Ruins were awesome. I've been to Tikal and Copan, and while Tulum is not grand with all the pyramids, it is a beautiful site. Something different, if you like Mayan sites. The beach there is so pretty. Bus ride back was welcome since I was really tired and could take a nap. What a great day!

 

I totally agree. We enjoy seeing the county side during the bus ride and listening to the tour guide give historical information about the region. We totally enjoyed the ruin site itself and try to book a ruins tour whenever we are in Cozumel.

[pacruise804]

Our "worst" excursions still had some good learning experiences from them:

1. Nature hike during our private beach day on a Royal Caribbean trip to Bahamas. The walk was actually quite enjoyable and informative, but the tour guide was very late showing up so we felt valuable time was wasted.

Lesson learned: let the private beach just be a relaxing day (you usually aren't there that long anyway) and if in the mood for a hike just walk on our own (there were signs along the way to read).

 

2. NCL zip-line/cave tubing excursion in Belize. The actual excursion was very good (be prepared for lots of walking/climbing with the zip-line), but the "bus" ride was long and hot there and back.

Lesson learned: research private excursions for something a distance from the port in hopes of a smaller group and better transportation.

[stowawaykc]

 

Ocean beach club.

 

This place, NO, just NO! Worst waste of money on an excursion.

 

This is in Cozumel. Booked it at the taxi stand.

$17 entry fee, $15 cab ride each way.

 

We are pretty laid back, and don’t really complain about things that go wrong, but this place was the worst.

 

Beach was a joke, all sharp rocks, no area for kids to play in the “crushed stone” sand. Everything run down and falling apart, bathrooms were so bad I wouldn’t send my dog in there.

 

Live and learn I guess.

 

 

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