Ship time vs Cabo Local time (March 30)

[Jillian724]

We are going on a 5 day cruise starting March 28 and will have 2 days in Cabo San Lucas.  On 3/30, we are trying to plan a whale watch tour and the pricing is way better if we book local.  The tour company has an 11am tour but we are unsure if we will be able to make it.  The cruise itinerary shows that we arrive at port at 10am.  However, maybe when we arrive at port it is 10am ship time but 11am local time? I don't know why this is so confusing. Ha. I guess we could book their 2pm tour instead but I really prefer the 11am if we can make it so we could hang at the beach after.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

Cabo San Lucas is a tender port, so even if you arrive at 10:00 local time there is a good chance that you won't be able to catch the 11:00AM tour.  You are probably better off choosing the 2:00PM Departure. 

[1city@atime]

In my Cabo experience the Tenders take forever. Priority goes to shore excursions booked thru ship. You will never make 11am tour.

[Jillian724]

This is confusing! We are going to stay away from the 11am off ship excursion. We are now trying to decide between a local whale watching excursion at 12:30 vs. the 11:45am ship excursion.  The ship one is $100 more which we would pay if it meant getting done with the tour earlier in the day so we have time for other stuff.   However, if the 11:45am ship excursion is really 12:45 local time, then we could save $100 and leave 15 minutes earlier than the ship. Tours will be between 2 to 2 1/2 hours, so, not a real difference there.  Also, the local tour leaves right near the cruise port. Thanks for any advice!

[Old Fart Cruisers]

3 hours ago, Jillian724 said:

This is confusing! We are going to stay away from the 11am off ship excursion. We are now trying to decide between a local whale watching excursion at 12:30 vs. the 11:45am ship excursion.  The ship one is $100 more which we would pay if it meant getting done with the tour earlier in the day so we have time for other stuff.   However, if the 11:45am ship excursion is really 12:45 local time, then we could save $100 and leave 15 minutes earlier than the ship. Tours will be between 2 to 2 1/2 hours, so, not a real difference there.  Also, the local tour leaves right near the cruise port. Thanks for any advice!

 

Why not contact the local excursion company that you are dealing with and explain your dilemma.  Ask if they have any suggestions, since you can't be sure if the cruise is going to be on local time or not.  They may even have the option to call and book it as soon as you get in port.  Also, once you get off the tender you will see dozens of tour operators up and down the pier and may find one even better than you can find online.  Many times you will be dealing directly with the captain of the tour boat, so you can customize your excursion.

[Jillian724]

Thanks. Normally I'm okay with freestyling but I really want to handpick this tour since it is for whale watching and we want a certain type of experience. I think I need to contact the cruise line directly to find out about the local time vs. ship time. I have been reading up on it and it seems like it is variable - meaning the difference between ship vis local time can depend on the time of year, whether the ship is in port 1 or 2 days (we are) and maybe even Captain's choice. I really just need Carnival to tell me whether the excursion time is based on ship time or local time. If it is ship time, we will go with the external tour and save $100. If they can't tell us for sure, we will just book the cruise tour and be done with it. 🙂

 

[mistycruiser]

Something else you want to verify is whether or not Mexico will be on Daylight savings time then or not since you mentioned that this is for March 30th.  Obviously the US is on DST but confirm that Mexico is also on DST.  I remember reading a few weeks ago that Mexico switches to DST at a different date than the US. 

[ChuckF]

Absolutely verify the Daylight Savings Time. I missed out on a golf game in Cabo last March because of a 2 hour time difference.  Fortunately I recognized the issue the day before so I was able to call and cancel without penalty.  Guest Services staff on the Miracle were very helpful. 

[kwokpot]

On the Solstice in Cabo as we speak the ship changes to local time. Time arriving and last time therefore is the same on the ship and on land. 

[kwokpot]

5 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

On the Solstice in Cabo as we speak the ship changes to local time. Time arriving and last time therefore is the same on the ship and on land. 

 

[n6uqqq]

Your ship time will match the time in Cabo for your cruise on March 30th since the spring forward happens on March 12th. Mexico does not play with their clocks any more (smart move) ! 

Edited February 21, 2023 by n6uqqq

[mkcurran]

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22 hours ago, mistycruiser said:

Something else you want to verify is whether or not Mexico will be on Daylight savings time then or not since you mentioned that this is for March 30th.  Obviously the US is on DST but confirm that Mexico is also on DST.  I remember reading a few weeks ago that Mexico switches to DST at a different date than the US. 

Mexico isn't participating in daylight savings time anymore.