What was your all time favorite excursion?

[cruisinqt]

I am thinking about booking another cruise for next year. But before I do, I would like to hear about some of the best excursions you guys have had and what port it was in. Do you have a favorite port that just stands out from the rest? Is there an excursion you went on that just made your vacation a blast?

[powriel]

Last year we did the Western Caribbean route on the Conquest. Two ports stand out - Grand Cayman, swimming with the stingrays - Awesome. In Cozumel, we rented a jeep on our own and drove around the island, that was also a great time!!

 

This year we cruised the Eastern Caribbean on the Glory and touring with Godfrey on St. Thomas was really special.

 

All time favorite would probably have to renting the jeep in Cozumel. This was our last stop and we were one of six ships in port and it was nice to get away from all the crowds and really experience the island!!

[Philly Steve]

During our first cruise (SS Norway) in 1994 we booked the "12 Metre Regatta" in St. Maarten in which two retired America's Cup yachts raced. What a hoot! We engaged in a tacking battle just feet apart and won. You really get a good understanding of what it takes to crew these yachts.

[gymbrat33]

My favorite excursion was the Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios. It was absolutely beautiful!

 

 

I also loved going to Everything Cool Beach in St. Maarten. It was such a relaxing and fun atmosphere.(It is no longer there) I went to Everything Cool on my own. I didn't take the excursion.

 

 

In Cozumel, I love to go snorkeling. After snorkeling make sure to go to Carlos 'N Charlies. It was a lot of fun.

[shungirl]

I am such a beachy/warm weather person (my name is Summer!!), but my favorite excursion is in Alaska. I did the helicopter flight to the top of a glacier, and then mushed with the dogs for 2 miles. It was the coolest thing I have EVER done. In the Caribbean, I LOVE Stingray City (have done it 7 times), and I loved Goffe's Caye in Belize

[hstrybuf]

I have two. On our first cruise we took a bus excursion to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. The ruins were fantastic. Sometimes we weren't sure though if the bus driver was on the left or right side of the road. I think it was both at the same time. :rolleyes: My other favorite was the Golden Eagle Catamaran in St. Maarten. I liked it so much that I've done it twice now.

[pholter]

It would have to be the Float Plane and Wilderness Lodge on my Inside Passage Cruise to Alaska. That was just pheonominal!!! :)

[noodle]

I loved the dolphin swim in Puerto Vallarta, and whale watching is always great. We booked whale watching independently in Cabo San Lucas and saw whales breaching just a few hundred feet from our boat. Fantastic!

[dmdiver]

my favorite was the jeep/cave tour in playa del carmen/calica. we drove jeeps on & off road (i mean rocky, hilly) to a cave that had an underground lake. swam through the cave, saw lots of bats. then we went to some beach where they had a buffet lunch prepared for us - great guacamole! we spent a couple of hours on the beach, then headed back to the ship. it was so fun!

[Sharkin]

One our most enjoyable excursions was in Zihuatanejo. We took a water taxi to Playa Las Gatas and spent the day at the beach. We had a lunch of whole snapper at a restaurant with our feet in the sand. The beach is a mix of locals and tourists. Not the best snorkeling I've had, but not bad either. A local that was showing a couple of young lady tourists the snorkeling points of interest handed me an oyster he had broken open under water. The Rainbow Wrasses flooded to my hand holding it and had a nice feast. It was a little unnerving as the fish started getting larger, but what a thrill. The highlight of the day however was watching a little boy jumping off of a boat and playing in the water with his mother. Such a carefree moment for them.

I was enchanted by the story that a prince had the reef off of the beach made so his prospective princesses could swim without being bothered by the surf. After reading this, I just had to go there and it turned out to be one of my all time favorite days.

 

 

Here are a cople of pics to help explain our day.

 

[AllenF]

I would have to say without a doubt it was on our 1st cruise and very 1st excursion in Grand Caymen. We had booked with Captain Crosby for the stingray city plus 2 other stops snorkle tour. When we got to his boat it we were told by the 1st mate that we were the only ones booked that day so we had a 50 ft catermeran all to ourselfs. He and 1st mate Burt gave us a 1st class trip they played guitars and sang for us. Got some fresh conch for us to try. It was really excellent....I mean he could have cancelled since there were just 2 of us....but took us out anyway and treated us great. Funny thing is the next day they 28 people booked....guess we just lucked out

[alprzy]

I've had 3. Certainly the Stingray's in Grand Cayman. Did the excursion offline with Nativeway($25.PP) off the internet. Just awesome. Our boat had 12 people and they took us out of the crowds by ourselves. The ships excursion was a huge mass of people all huddled in a group. The 3 guys who ran the excursion were great. They handed the huge stingrays to us, and we just held them and had tons of time for pictures etc. On the way in they dropped us on the reef and we snorkled for about an hour(gear included). On the van ride back to port, we had the option to get off near "Hell" and take a cab to visit the little shop etc. We did it, it was cute, and what the heck, while you're there...

 

Second was in Belize, booked a day with Fred Sutherland off the internet. (Also $25.PP) He's a local guide, and 6 of us from the ship met him and his wife Agnes at the dock and headed off to Altun Ha (Mayan Ruins). Not the largest of the ruins, but a good exposure. It was about an hour drive through some desolate areas, but it was worth it. When we arrived we were the only ones there and had the place to ourselves for about 1-1/2 hours. On the way back the 2 ships tour coach busses full of people were just heading down the road to make the same tour. Agnes took us to town and brought us to some local shopping areas. She had a cooler of soft drinks/water in the van. Real nice day.

 

Probably the best was in Roatan/Honduras, not an organized excursion, but we had read through these boards that schools in this third world area had a real problem attaining school supplies. A group of us got together from these boards and brought supplies with us and we wanted to deliver them to a school when we got there. My wife, being a teacher, got her school to donate over 100 pounds worth of supplies(rulers, pencils, pens, chalk, paper clips, markers, pads etc) Yes, I did haul these onto the ship using a portable hand truck. So happens one night at dinner, our waiter informed us he was from Roatan. We told him about our plan and he told us the school he went to up in the hills and actually gave us the name of the principal to contact. Most of the schools near the docks get the bulk of the generosity, outer areas really suffer.

So when we got off the ship, we located our guy from Fosters Resort, where we were heading for some snorkling after our school visit (also booked off the internet, and just AWESOME). He was an owner of the resort, the son, and we asked him if on the way he could drop by this school we had written on a cocktail napkin. He said sure, it was about 20 minutes out of the way. So the 6 of us piled into his pickup truck with our supplies and headed out to the school. Let me tell you, my 2 kids who were with us (14 and 17 at the time)got a good lesson in the way the rest of the world lives and learns. It was a sad place to go. Kids from 6 to 18 all in the same classroom, very meager facilities. We located the principal and offered our sincere wishes to help, as little as it was. The school kids and staff were estatic. I must admit, it made the whole trip, actually the whole summer. My kids still have a finer appreciation of life as we know it, and I don't think they'll ever forget it. Thanks to the great people on these boards, we hooked up, organized as a group and made a small difference.

 

This cruise was on the NCL Sun/Exotic Western Carribean. Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan Honduras, and Cozumel.

[Randy & Carmen]

I live for CARLOS & CHARLIES....and tell everyone it's my fav excursion....They say "That's not an excursion"......I say..."Ah, but you've never done it with me!"......Life is good!:D

[cruisinqt]

You know, the one common denominator I am starting to see here is that most of these "best times ever" were privately booked excursions. Or am I wrong? From what I am reading, it sounds like people are either booking with small private companies or getting a taxi or jeep and doing their own thing. I think more fun is to be had by straying off of the beaten path and doing your own thing instead of booking the ship's excursions. Not that ship's excursions are bad or anything. You're just on a large crowded bus with a lot of other people and the service isn't as individualized. But a lot of these good experiences are with small privately owned companies where you have a much smaller group and get more individual attention. I like the CCer that had only 2 people on his tour boat. That must have been a blast. I am learning a lot. Thanks guys!

[alprzy]

You're correct. It's time well spent doing some homework on the web before you go on any ships excursions. Not only for the $ saved, but the quality of the experience will be better. Through these boards, I helped arrange small groups (<12) and got great deals and personal service. Not to mention meeting some wonderful cruisers.

[mojean]

Well, my favorite was my last cruise, Montego Bay we caught a taxi to the Sunset Beach Resort, $5 one way for all that fitted in taxi. $20 adults/$10 kids, all day inclusive, two places to eat(unlimited), unlimited alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, 3 pools, water rides,snorkeling and a beach and a sandbar and did I mention a small casino too? Taxi charged $1 more going back but still was a good price.

[crzndeb]

White Water Rafting in Costa Rica last year on the Spirit...squealed like a kid in a candy store. My daughter thought I had totally lost it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Debbie

[1stimekruiser]

Scuba diving! If you've never tried it, all I can say is wow! It blows snorkeling away completely. There are scuba dives for people who aren't certified so if you get the chance, try it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[dan40]

Randy, [and U certainly R]A visit to C&C's is just that. The EXCURSION is getting back to the ship.

Dan

[Frequent Floater]

Kukoo Kunku party bus tour in Aruba was the most interesting of all the tours my groups have taken. Wonderful old "Partridge family" style bus with no glass in the windows. Takes you for a sunset champagne toast at the lighthouse, dinner at the Minister of Protocol's home and then bar hopping all while shaking marachas to music on the bus.

 

2nd was the Stone Island tour in Mazatlan with King David. Best $35 ever spent.

 

Both were booked privately.

[Randy & Carmen]

Randy, [and U certainly R]A visit to C&C's is just that. The EXCURSION is getting back to the ship.

Dan

EXACTLY DAN........you haven't lived til you're running down the pier in Coz in the rain and the ships horn is going off.....MAN!, that was fun!:D

[travel girl23]

Hands down, it was the Stingray Sandbar tour in Grand Cayman on our first cruise. It stands out from all the rest.

[voyagerfl]

FAVORITE EXCURSION: STINGRAY CITY

 

SECONG FAVORITE: CHICEN ITZA

 

[voyagerfl]

FAVORITE ON OUR OWN: CARLO'S N CHARLIES IN COZUMEL

[Douglase]

Our favorite was in Cozumel Mexico--jeep/ beach adventure. We ddrove jeeps thru the jungle ....went thru high water and such had a great time. Then we boarded a boat off to a private island... Passion Island received a nice buffet lunch and swam for a couple of hours. Then back to the jeeps for more adventures.. GREAT TIME....UNFORGETABLE MEMORIES :)