Doesn't anyone do the ships excursions??

[kiraryker]

Will be sailing on the Destiny (Southern Caribbean) in Jan 08 and was planning on going thru the ship for the excursions but after reading some posts I'm wondering if that is such a good idea?

 

Does anyone have any good experiences on any of the ships excursions for that ship?

[gr1634]

You will see both sides of this issue. Some think saving a few bucks by scheduling their own excursions is worth it - and thats OK. Others would not even think of not using the ship excursions. Been on 8 Carnival cruises and have 9th scheduled. We always use ships excursions - its just too easy and don't have to worry about being late back to the ship.

[CruiseCentric]

Will be sailing on the Destiny (Southern Caribbean) in Jan 08 and was planning on going thru the ship for the excursions but after reading some posts I'm wondering if that is such a good idea?

 

Does anyone have any good experiences on any of the ships excursions for that ship?

 

Actually the majority of cruisers use shipboard excursions. Many on this board are savvy enough to research and find independent cruise operators that provide a cheaper and less crowded experience.

 

Since its sounds like you first cruise you might want to go with the ship and venture out next time.

[cuyahoga11]

Personally, I always use ship excursions

[Sandi149]

We just got back from our Miracle cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas and Tortola and we used the ships excursion for the Baths trip to Virgin Gorda. It was an excellent trip. Yes, it's less money to do it on your own but I felt that since we didn't have a lot of time in Tortola (7AM-2PM), it was definitely worth the money. In St. Thomas we did arrange for our own tour though. Some people don't like to book with the excursions from the ship. It's all up to you. I found it very easy and convenient to do it that way since we were in a small time frame.

[SouthernCaribbean]

Will be sailing on the Destiny (Southern Caribbean) in Jan 08 and was planning on going thru the ship for the excursions but after reading some posts I'm wondering if that is such a good idea?

 

Does anyone have any good experiences on any of the ships excursions for that ship?

 

There are a number of recent Destiny reviews that list a nice mix of experiences from those that have taken ship and private excursions.

 

I like to go off on my own and Destiny offers a great itinerary to do just that...you dont have to be back to the ship until after 5pm on all the islands, so you can get an early start and be back well before the ship departs.

 

I have NEVER read a report of anyone even coming close to missing the ship when booking an excursion from those listed on the Port of Call board.

 

In the end its up to your own comfort level. Doesnt make sense to save money and have a smaller, more personal tour.. if you will be so worried about missing the ship the entire time.

[Leo Jay]

We just got back from our Miracle cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas and Tortola and we used the ships excursion for the Baths trip to Virgin Gorda. It was an excellent trip. Yes, it's less money to do it on your own but I felt that since we didn't have a lot of time in Tortola (7AM-2PM), it was definitely worth the money.

 

Our feelings exactly -- that's why we used Carnival for the Baths excursion last year and will again this year.

 

Though in a situation where time and critical travel connections aren't as much of an issue, we certainly wouldn't hesitate to do an independent excursion, particularly one well-recommended by CCers.

[sjohnson529]

I have done both. It depends on how long we are in port. If it's a short amount of time I use the ships excusions. When we were in GC recently we used the ship snorkel tour as we had to be back to the ship by 1:30. I didn't want to cut it close using a private tour. However if we are in port for a longer period of time, I research and do my own tours.

[JayDeeJay]

We have always done ship's tours and have been 100% satisfied! Zip-Zap, no problem.

[bubbles1209]

We've gotten some excursions throught the ship, and wandered around on our own. On our 1st cruise in St. Thomas, we did the Ultimate Island Tour in St.Thomas through the ship's excursion, then did the tram ride on our own. In Puerto Rico, we just grabbed a cab to Fort El Morrow, then downtown for shopping, and back to our ship, didn't book any ship's excursions on that one, it was much cheaper than the ship's excursion of $37pp for a walking tour for 3 people. We do have 2 excursions booked through the ship for St. Thomas, and St. Maarten on our upcoming cruise this Sunday, but in Nassau, we'll probably check out Atlantis on our own. When we're done with the ship excursion in St. Maarten, we'll probably venture out to either Orient, or Maho beach on our own before returning to the ship. It's all a personal preference I guess, and for us it depends on how much time we have in the port.

[firefly333]

I think it depends on the port and length of the excursion. For instance if you want to see ruins in Cozumel which are a long ways from the port and a long excursion, I would not risk doing it on my own and missing the ship.

 

For other reasons we did them thru the ship, it was easier for each person to pay and reserve on Eastern Caribbean.

 

Iv done them both ways and something to be said for each. Sometimes you can get better transportation doing it on your own for instance. Be sure if its during a hot time where you will be you look for something A/C.

[Yazoo cruiser]

We have used a few private tours,but since we saw several couples left in Montego Bay because the van had a flat tire and no spare, we now do all excursions through the ship. I had always heard that the ship would leave you if you were not back on time but didn't believe it until we saw it actually happen. Most private excursions are very reliable and professional, but the peace of mind,knowing that the ship will wait if the ships excursion runs late, the peace of mind is worth the few extra dollars to us.

[munchkin4]

Our first cruise (last summer) we did all ship excursions and they were okay. This time we are doing one ship excursion and one on our own. The one we are doing through the ship is the jeep excursion in Progresso. It is expensive but we are mainly doing it because we feel we may be more protected in case of a fender bender. We have been in the situation before and the authorities can be very tough if you are responsible for an accident. Since this area depends on tourism, it might not be a problem. But we just felt safer if we were connected to Carnival for the Jeeps.

 

In Cozumel, we will be on our own going to Nachi Cocum and shopping. Whatever you choose, relax and have fun. Your vacation will be what you make it.

[lizardhowson]

You will see both sides of this issue. Some think saving a few bucks by scheduling their own excursions is worth it - and thats OK. Others would not even think of not using the ship excursions. Been on 8 Carnival cruises and have 9th scheduled. We always use ships excursions - its just too easy and don't have to worry about being late back to the ship.

 

Just so you know...

Carnival contracts out their excursions, they do not do them themselves...

 

You have as much chance of missing the ship on a Carnival excursion as a privately booked excusion.

 

For some unidentifible reason, many folks mistakenly believe just because they are on a Carnival excursion, they cannot miss the ship

 

Not true folks !

[SouthernCaribbean]

Just so you know...

Carnival contracts out their excursions, they do not do them themselves...

 

You have as much chance of missing the ship on a Carnival excursion as a privately booked excusion.

 

For some unidentifible reason, many folks mistakenly believe just because they are on a Carnival excursion, they cannot miss the ship

 

Not true folks !

 

What facts do you have to back up that statement????

 

So you are saying this is incorrect?

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Shore_Excursions_FAQs/shore_ex_faq_CarnivalOrOnOwn.aspx

 

You are not obligated to book shore excursions through Carnival in order to leave the ship. Public transportation is available at each port. We suggest you visit your local library, bookstore or a pertinent web site to determine where you would like to go.

Carnival does not offer any alternatives from the established shore excursion program. All shore excursions sold through Carnival are coordinated with reputable tour operators and include all the most popular sites of interest.

 

 

 

One of the many benefits of booking excursions through Carnival is a guarantee that the ship will remain in port until all guests are back onboard. Carnival will not be aware of shore excursions that are booked independently. Also, keep in mind that some ports have visa requirements that may prevent you from venturing off on your own.

[sjohnson529]

Absolutely correct! Which is why on shorter port visits we use Carnival. They will not leave until their tours have returned.

[manther225]

My mom took me on the Inspiration and we did all ship excursions and they were great.

We are going again on Destiny in July and I have 3 ship excursions booked so far. I am very savvy and would have no problems booking outside the ship, but my parents are comfortable with it and I don't mind paying the extra money. My ILs will be joining us and my MIL is handicapped so I feel that it might be easier to arrange ship excursions. I am sure other companies would accomodate her, but I just feel more comfortable doing it this way.

We have however decided to take taxi on our own to a beach in Antigua.

[wwakla]

Just so you know...

Carnival contracts out their excursions, they do not do them themselves...

 

You have as much chance of missing the ship on a Carnival excursion as a privately booked excusion.

 

For some unidentifible reason, many folks mistakenly believe just because they are on a Carnival excursion, they cannot miss the ship

 

Not true folks !

 

You will hear your Cruise Directors mention that if you book outside Carnival you risk missing the boat. I heard this on both cruises from both different CD's.

 

********************************************************

 

To the OP you should go over to the port boards and do a little research. In St. Thomas we did the helmet dive. Going through Carnival it cost us $90 per person. If we had done this on our own we would have only saved $4pp. And I did include transportation.

Now I am looking into a dolphin encounter for my upcoming cruise. Booking directly it will cost $65pp. Booking through Carnival it will cost $109pp.

 

The good advise from the above posters about to keep in mind the amount of time in each port. This is a big deciding factor.

 

Good luck.

[Sandi149]

Absolutely correct! Which is why on shorter port visits we use Carnival. They will not leave until their tours have returned.

 

totally agree....as I said in my post up above it was worth the money for us. We paid $158 for the two of us for the Baths tour through Carnival but I figured if we did it on our own and didn't make it back in time. (we even heard that day that one of the ferry's broke down). The amount of money that you would have to spend to get back home would be a whole lot more plus the aggrivation and fright to be left behind by your ship. I don't even want to think how I would feel if that ever happened. :eek: We paid the extra money to have peace of mind and I felt it was well worth it. Plus the tour was quite organized and reliable. :D

[big_duck]

Absolutely correct! Which is why on shorter port visits we use Carnival. They will not leave until their tours have returned.

 

Please note, that they will not leave until the tour has returned, not the people on the tour have boarded.

 

If you take a morning tour in Cozumel then head over to Senior Frogs for the afternoon, don't think the ship will wait for you.

 

That being said, on the Destiny we did a mix of both. If we were having a beach day, we just took a cab. We did Beno's tour on Dominica and a ship sponsored tour on St Lucia (we were originally going to do the Caribbean Pirate experience, but it was cancelled).

[Lashlock]

Personally on most of the tours I've taken, we did not do them through the ship. we picked excursions or activities that were going to guarantee we would be back in time.. for instance ship docks at 8, excursion starts at 9, ends by 1 or 2, and ship doesnt leave until 5. I feel pretty comfortable booking outside of the ship and have never had a bad experience.

Unless I have to book it through the ship (like zip lines) I also book outside

[Leo Jay]

Just so you know...

Carnival contracts out their excursions, they do not do them themselves...

 

You have as much chance of missing the ship on a Carnival excursion as a privately booked excusion.

 

For some unidentifible reason, many folks mistakenly believe just because they are on a Carnival excursion, they cannot miss the ship

 

Not true folks !

 

 

Well, if my excursion operator returns me to the designated drop-off point in plenty of time for me to board, but I then decide to wander off to a local eatery for a leisurely dinner... YES, I'd have to be pretty deluded to think that the ship is going to wait for me.

:D

 

But that's not what we're talking about. If the excursion is late getting back, the ship will wait. At least their policy says they will, so if they don't, Uncle Bob will probably owe you a fair bit of compensation.

[cruisecastle]

Will be sailing on the Destiny (Southern Caribbean) in Jan 08 and was planning on going thru the ship for the excursions but after reading some posts I'm wondering if that is such a good idea?

 

Does anyone have any good experiences on any of the ships excursions for that ship?

 

It's an excellent idea. I pretty much always do the ship excursions. You pay slightly more but who cares. If you miss a port--no hassle. Have a problem--no hassle. So people on this board are so tight they invented copper wire when fighting over a penny.

[Icantdrv55]

I liked the way that Mazatlan Frank put it to us last year when we were on his tour. Simply put, he basically said, "If I get you back to the ship late and you miss the ship that comes back to haunt me. The negative feedback on sites like Cruise Critic will cause me to lose business. I can't afford for you to be late back to the ship." We were back 2 hours before the ship left.

 

That being said, I look at the reviews of the independent shore excursions. I find the ones that interest us and research them seeing what other people's experiences were. Like others stated, if the port time is short at any of the ports I may look at cruise line excursions. For my Liberty sailing in December we are doing everything that we have planned independently from the cruise line. Can things happen, yes, but that is why I try to stick with well recommended suggestions from this board.

[snorkelman]

Having 20 cruises under my belt, I can safely say that USUALLY it is a better experience to go with a NON-Cruise ship excursion. Why? Well:

 

1) much (I've heard 80%) of the cost of the excursion charged by the cruiseline is kept by the cruiseline, and very little is given to the local tour operator;

 

2) tour operators tend to pester/annoy you more on cruise-connected excursions (begging for tips) because of reason #1;

 

3) private (non-cruise) tours are always less crowded, which means that you have less wasted time waiting around, and you are usually less crowded and packed into vehicles;

 

4) private (non-cruise) tours are USUALLY cheaper than what the cruise ship offers.

 

The ONLY exceptions that I have experienced have been on very long excursions in countries where transportation is not consistent. For example, when one of our ports was Merida, Mexico and we wanted to see the ruins of Chichan Itza, we looked into doing it on our own. However, the travel time was about 2 hours by bus each way, and there were a lot of road problems that I had read about and even renting a car ended up costing about the same. Obviously when such a situation arises, then you risk missing the ship.

 

Also, if a new port opens (such as Grand Turk) and there has been no previous tours, then it will be difficult to even find any tours other than what is offered by the ship.

 

In general, if you want to just do a tour of the city, it is always a complete waste of money to use the cruise excursion. You can always find a taxi driver willing to offer such a tour for much less. Of course, if you are only a couple (2 people) and you can manage to find another couple to join you in the taxi, you can get even a better rate.

 

The final "exception" is when you are in a port that is not safe. There are only a handful of such ports in the Caribbean in my opinion, but when you read multiple people warning you about how unsafe it is and that you should only go on an organized tour, then that will be a place where you would be wise to do so.

 

In general, I feel that probably 95% of all excursions on Caribbean cruises can be cheaper and better when you spend a few hours researching it before your cruise and booking it ahead of time. There really are very few exceptions.

 

Granted, if you are ultra-conservative and would worry about missing the ship the entire time, you should stick to the cruise-ship excursions because it isn't worth the loss of enjoyment.