We are booked on a round trip Panama cruise out of Galveston in about a year. I am a compulsive planner :-) and enjoy reading up on all the fun shore excursions that Celebrity is offering.
1. Is it best to book excursions through the cruise line, or with outside tour guides?
2. Is it worth the hassle of getting to and from the ship and figuring out how to find your guides, etc., when dealing with an outside tour operator?
3. Are outside tour companys reliable about getting you back to the ship on time?
4. We want to do a rain forest canopy tour, would it be best in Costa Rica (Puerto Limon side) or Jamaiaca?
5. Does anyone have a particular excursion to recommend? Our ports are Cozumel, Costa Maya, Puerto Limon, Cristobal Pier, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay.
Thanks!
We are booked on a round trip Panama cruise out of Galveston in about a year. I am a compulsive planner :-) and enjoy reading up on all the fun shore excursions that Celebrity is offering.
1. Is it best to book excursions through the cruise line, or with outside tour guides?
2. Is it worth the hassle of getting to and from the ship and figuring out how to find your guides, etc., when dealing with an outside tour operator?
3. Are outside tour companys reliable about getting you back to the ship on time?
4. We want to do a rain forest canopy tour, would it be best in Costa Rica (Puerto Limon side) or Jamaiaca?
5. Does anyone have a particular excursion to recommend? Our ports are Cozumel, Costa Maya, Puerto Limon, Cristobal Pier, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay.
Thanks!
Janice, I recently returned from a Dec. Panama Canal cruise and have posted a mega-review of the experience. Towards the end of the review there is an evaluation of some of the various shore excursions at our ports. Although this was on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance, it may give you some ideas. Here's the link:
As for doing excursions through the cruise line or on your own. Be aware that while in Panama unless you book an excursion from the ship you will not permitted to leave the ship.
Regarding the rain forest canopy tour: are you talking about zip-lining or taking an aerial tram? If you want the adventure of a lifetime, I can highly recommend the zip-lining "Canopy Ride" at Almonds and Corals Resort outside of Puerto Limon. It just so happens that I did a special report on that trip for PortReviews and here is the link to that information:
With the exception of Cristobal Pier and Montego Bay, it is easy to arrange your own shore excursions. As Nancy mentioned, you must purchase a ship's shore excursion to get off the ship in Lake Gatun in the Panam Canal. The visit to Cristobal Pier is short and really for the purpose of picking up those folks that took shore excursions. Colon, the adjoining town to the pier isn't exactly a tourist paradise and most folks avoid it.
Montego Bay can be intimidating if you are not familiar with Jamaican culture and as such, I would recommend a ship's shore excursion here if you have not been to Mo Bay before. Just my opinion.
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