help

[kloud9kutie]

Hi all,

 

I've been reading and re-reading all these reviews on excursions and im just so nervous (and confused) about booking one! It seems obvious that you shouldnt book the Carnival sponsored ones cuz its more expensive right? This will be my second cruise...but i didnt do any excursions on my first (just cab to beach and snooze lol) Any tips for a scared newb who just wants to have fun and not worry about missing her ship or paying for something that ends up not happening? lol I always think into things too much...:eek:

[twinkletoes4445]

First thing you need to do is figure out the things you'd like to do, and depending on how long you'll be in port, go from there. We always make at least one trip to Stingray Sandbar (we use Captain Marvin's) while we're on the island. They'll secure you a spot with your credit card, then once you get on the island and to their place, they'll charge your account or you can pay in cash (USD).

 

http://www.captainmarvins.com

[bookbabe]

It seems obvious that you shouldnt book the Carnival sponsored ones cuz its more expensive right?

 

Yes, they're more expensive, a lot more in some cases, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't book them.

 

Think of the extra cost as an insurance policy against something bad or unexpected happening. If you get stuck in traffic or something when you're on your own, the ship will leave without you. If you're on a ship-run excursion, they'll wait for you to get back.

 

If you're on an island you're familiar with or are only planning to do a quick run to a nearby beach or shop near the port, then you're probably safe going on your own...and it's probably not worth the extra expense for a ship-run excursion. However, if you're on an unfamiliar island (or one of the less safe ones) or want to go to more distant parts of the island, you might want to book an excursion through the ship, just to be safe, especially if you're relatively new to cruising or are unsure about finding your way around the island on your own.

 

A ship-run excursion may also be the way to go if you're the type of person that would worry the whole time about getting back on time. Spending the day checking your watch every few minutes is no fun at all.

 

We've cruised a lot, and still book ship excursions, just for that safety and comfort factor. I've paid a lot for the cruise, and I'd rather not get left behind at a port because I got lost or stuck in traffic on my way back from a tourist attraction. I'd also rather relax on my vacation and not have to worry about anything, so having the cruise line organize the tour and do all the worrying for me is a major plus in my books. For me, it's worth the extra expense...but your mileage may vary. :)

[kloud9kutie]

Yes, they're more expensive, a lot more in some cases, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't book them.

 

Think of the extra cost as an insurance policy against something bad or unexpected happening. If you get stuck in traffic or something when you're on your own, the ship will leave without you. If you're on a ship-run excursion, they'll wait for you to get back.

 

 

 

A ship-run excursion may also be the way to go if you're the type of person that would worry the whole time about getting back on time. Spending the day checking your watch every few minutes is no fun at all.

 

We've cruised a lot, and still book ship excursions, just for that safety and comfort factor. I've paid a lot for the cruise, and I'd rather not get left behind at a port because I got lost or stuck in traffic on my way back from a tourist attraction. I'd also rather relax on my vacation and not have to worry about anything, so having the cruise line organize the tour and do all the worrying for me is a major plus in my books. For me, it's worth the extra expense...but your mileage may vary. :)

 

 

Thank you both very much for the repsonses.

 

i think just for my :D sanity:D factor...i'll book through the ship this time...just get a feel for the excursions...and yes i realllly dont want to be worrying about time and missing my ship!

 

thanks!!!!

[twinkletoes4445]

Thank you both very much for the repsonses.

 

i think just for my :D sanity:D factor...i'll book through the ship this time...just get a feel for the excursions...and yes i realllly dont want to be worrying about time and missing my ship!

 

thanks!!!!

 

Have a great time, but the ship doesn't always wait for their own excursions. We've seen it happen. You do have much more of a guarantee that they will wait, but it's not in concrete. However, if you'd feel safer doing this (especially considering there's the island time vs. ship time), I'd go ahead and stick with the ship excursions. On our last cruise, we booked everything through the ship only because we really didn't know what we wanted to do ahead of time. There was one time when we took our kids with us on a cruise, and we booked a lot of things ahead of time (non-ship tours) because we knew they'd sell out prior to us getting there. :)

 

Have fun...Grand Cayman is a wonderful place to visit. :)

[bookbabe]

Have a great time, but the ship doesn't always wait for their own excursions. We've seen it happen. You do have much more of a guarantee that they will wait, but it's not in concrete.

 

If the schedule is tight, and they absolutely have to leave at a certain time in order to make their next port, then yes, they might leave a ship tour behind. It's fairly rare, though. I've cruised a fair bit and have never run into anyone that it's happened to. I have spent a quite a few extra hours at the pier in a number of ports, waiting for an excursion to return, however. :D The one time, it took so long for the bus to get back, everyone along the rails up on deck applauded the late arrivals when they returned.

 

If they do have to leave you behind because a ship tour is late returning, the cruiseline is responsible for getting you to the next port...or at least, that's what I was told happens. If you're on your own for a tour, you're on your own for travel arrangements and expenses if you get left behind.

 

I think it really depends on what you're doing and your comfort level on that island. If you're staying around the pier area, shopping or sightseeing, you're likely fine on your own. Further away from the port, your chances of mishaps increase, and I just feel way more comfortable having someone else do the worrying. (There's also a few islands where it's just not safe to go off on your own...luckily, Cayman is not one of them.) There are fans of both types of excursions, though..."to each his own" seems to work just fine. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

 

If they do have to leave you behind because a ship tour is late returning, the cruiseline is responsible for getting you to the next port...or at least, that's what I was told happens. If you're on your own for a tour, you're on your own for travel arrangements and expenses if you get left behind.

 

I didn't know that. That's good to know. :)

 

I think it really depends on what you're doing and your comfort level on that island. :)

 

That is so true. :)

[kloud9kutie]

thank you all! :D

[twinkletoes4445]

Have a great time! :)