Excursions- through the ship or on your own

[jcb-rn]

I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere, but anyway...

We have usually done excursions through the ship, but this time I'm thinking of doing it on our own. I'd like to put my money more directly into the local economy, and I figured we might get more out of it if we go out on our own. Any suggestions or thoughts? We are going to Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten.

[Sheffie]

I usually book our excursions through independent operators, but one of my favorite excursions can only be booked through the ship - the America's Cup Regatta in St. Maarten. Here are some pictures from that excursion: http://community.webshots.com/album/528943965HpvFnj If you do this excursion, you will have time afterward to go to a nearby beach, such as Dawn.

 

Last time in St. Maarten we went to Pinel Island to do some snorkeling. The snorkeling wasn't really good, but the beach and area were wonderful! The island doesn't have any electricity, and the part away from the beach area is wilder than you see at most beaches. Here are a few pictures from that time: http://community.webshots.com/album/549892730NCMVbT

 

Have a great cruise!

[jarbg]

Last year I went to Aruba and Curacao and at the pier in both places tours were offered for $20. Aruba was in a large bus and Curacao was in a mini van cab. Both covered the same sites that the ship tours did and with the cab tour there was only 4 of us and he stopped when ever we wanted to take pictures so I think it was better than the cruise ship tours.

[bosteph]

I've done both. Both are good options.

 

If you want to book independent you can save money but it will take quite a bit of time and research. Booking through the ship is more expensive but easy.

[Lokip53]

Did both on my last cruise and had good experiences all the way around. It all depends on your comfort level with your planning skills.

 

If you're going to do your own, just do your homework and you'll be fine.

[SJS]

In St. Maarten do it on your own and save half the cost of the ship's tours. Plenty of cabs available when you get off the ship and you can take them to a beach (love, love, love Orient Beach!) or arrange a tour of the island. Very, very easy to do it on your own there. You will have more time to spend at a beach by doing it on your own also. Have a great time! We'll be there in September and can't wait!

[andnickali]

I just got back from St. Maarten and they have a very nice set-up for independent travelers. Right off the dock there is a huge taxi stand with a color-coded map of the island listing tours and prices.

 

I would not hesitate to do a tour on my own there.

[alb38]

I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere, but anyway...

We have usually done excursions through the ship, but this time I'm thinking of doing it on our own. I'd like to put my money more directly into the local economy, and I figured we might get more out of it if we go out on our own. Any suggestions or thoughts? We are going to Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten.

 

Jennifer - Our first cruise we did all the excursions through RCCL because my husband didn't want to miss the ship. Our first excursion with RCCL was to snorkel with the stingrays in Caymans, we arrived at the meeting area only to find out the excursion had been cancelled so we ventured out on our own and found another tour snorkeling with the stingrays. My mom and I cruised by ourselves last November and I booked all of our excursions through independent operators. It was the best thing to do. Unless there is something that isn't offered privately than I would book it through the ship. I would go under the ports thread and just check everything out. As long as you are booking with a reputable operator you won't have any problems. The only downside to booking privately is you take the chance of getting back late and missing the ship as they won't hold it for you unless you are booking with the ship. Just make sure you do your research.

[blueboro]

We have done both but be careful about making it back to the ship. On our recent Explorer cruise two young ladies were left on the dock in Ocho Rios trying to get the ship to stop because they had taken a catamaran excursion on their own and were an hour late getting back. If it had been a ship sponsored excursion, we would have waited for them. Yes, booking on your own is cheaper but it does come with some risks.

[jcb-rn]

Thanks for all of the ideas. Our cruise is just over 4 weeks away, so I have to get busy. My biggest obstacle is getting DH to decide what he wants to do!:)

 

THANKS again!

[negc]

In many cases, it will depend upon the type of excursion you want to take. If it is basically a sightseeing tour or a trip to a local beach, or a shopping tour, you will probably be able to replicate it on your own when you arrive in port and you will save money, sometimes a lot of money. If however, it is a capacity controlled tour (ex: BOB Underwater Adventure in St. Thomas, America's Cup in St. Maarten, or something similar and you can't book it directly, you are probably better off booking it in advance through the shipline to avoid missing out. We have friends who tried to book the BOB adventure while onboard their cruiseship but the tour was already sold out by the time they submitted their request to the Explorations desk.

If you choose to do a tour on your own, it is essential that you insure you will return well in advance of departure time to avoid missing the ship. On most of the Caribbean islands we have found taxi drivers who not only would drive us to the beach we requested, but would arrange to return at a pre-determined time to pick us up and return us to the ship.:)

[Carolrd]

In Aruba, you can rent a car and tour the island yourself. Try these websites for great info...

 

http://www.aruba-bb.com

http://www.aruba-travelguide.com/bulletinboard/

http://www.visitaruba.com

 

 

Have a great trip!!!

 

Carol

[MumsTheWord*]

Renting a car is VERY easy to do on St. Maarten.... Right at the end of the dock, you walk to the right and there are about 5 agencies. Hertz, Budget, Avis, and a couple of local ones. We rented a car with another couple that we met onboard and for a total of $60 we spent the day exploring the whole island. We visited Lil Bay, Pinel Island, Orient Beach and several others spots in search of the best snorkeling area. Make sure you give yourself PLENTY of time to get back because there is a bit of construction around that area that can slow you down.

 

Best of Luck to you and have a wonderful cruise!:p

[WECoyote]

I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere, but anyway...

We have usually done excursions through the ship, but this time I'm thinking of doing it on our own. I'd like to put my money more directly into the local economy, and I figured we might get more out of it if we go out on our own. Any suggestions or thoughts? We are going to Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten.

 

It is extremely easy to book excursions through independent operators. Just check the fine print. Make sure you use a credit card in case your ship misses theport. Most of the independents credit your account if your ship misses the port, but some won't. You will have recourse through your credit card company when you may not through a debit card or check. Again check the fine print. Do the excursion companies pay all fees if you are going into a "national park"? Do they provide your transportation to and from the activity? A good example is the dolphin swim in Cozumel. You can get it through RCI for $145...everything is included. You can buy it independently for $125-$139. But neither company pays the park $12 entrance fee and one of them tells you to take the ferry, $11. The other does not specifically specify that they pay for your taxi. Bottom line is the cost off the ship is a minimum of $137 (taxi cost in question)up to $167. Further, if it is a RCI excursion, the ship will wait until you get back if you are running late. They won't wait for independent operator tours. Yes you can save bucks or you can get taken to the cleaners. One last time, read all the fine print.