Is it worth buying the shore excursionsfrom RC?

[Rebecca]

I was browsing their website and was looking over all the different things you can by through them. some are pretty pricey, but others i thought were a pretty good deal.

So, for those of you that have gone on them, were they worth it?
Keep in mind that this is my first cruise and i have never been to the Caribbean before!

Life is for the living
CARPE DIEM!

[Rebecca]

I was browsing their website and was looking over all the different things you can by through them. some are pretty pricey, but others i thought were a pretty good deal.

So, for those of you that have gone on them, were they worth it?
Keep in mind that this is my first cruise and i have never been to the Caribbean before!

Life is for the living
CARPE DIEM!

[Karen Knowlton]

Rebecca, my usual advice is that it depends on what you want to do. If the activity you are interested in will take you some distance from the ship and will last most of the time you are in port, then buy it from the cruise line - if you get back late, the ship will NOT wait for you unless you are on one of the cruise line's own excursions. Also, some islands are better for personal exploration than others. For excursions that are of short duration (a couple hours or so), you may save money by purchasing from a separate tour company. Some are good; some are not. Check previous posts for specific recommendations, and also check PortReviews (connected to this site). Have fun!

[Rich in Jersey]

We've done lots of cruises to the Caribbean & have only taken a few tours from the ships. Most of the time we hook up with another couple & split the cost of renting a jeep or just rent a motorbike on our own. If you just wanted a tour around an Island your probably better off sharing a taxi with someone, but if you want to something specific that the cruise line offers it might be hard to find a tour off the ship unless you do some research before you leave.

[Doreen]

Hi Rebecca,
If you are looking for ease, ship excursions are the way to go. They are not always cost effective since such excursions can be done for less money if you do the leg work. I found most of the ports to be interesting enough without bothering to book a tour. Semper Fi,
Doreen
(a fellow Marine)

[Rebecca]

quote:

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Originally posted by Doreen:
Hi Rebecca,
If you are looking for ease, ship excursions are the way to go. They are not always cost effective since such excursions can be done for less money if you do the leg work. I found most of the ports to be interesting enough without bothering to book a tour. Semper Fi,
Doreen
(a fellow Marine)

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so where do you suggest i look for excursions not booking with the cruise line? should i just go to the islands website?

Life is for the living
CARPE DIEM!

[JimCox]

If you haven't been cruising before and are not familiar with the area I suggest booking through the cruise line. Also attend the trip briefings and shopping guides. They give excellent tips and help you from getting ripped off from the locals. The cruise people have discount coupons and expereince. If you know the area you can probably do better, but in general being a newbie, let them do the leg work.

Do research first before you go. For example, we passed up diving in Grand Cayman because the cruise dive trips were full. We opted for a snorkle tip instead. However, Grand Cayman has a bunch of dive operators and could easily have booked one of them. Alos, talk with the seasoned cruisers at dinner or the lounges. They have good input as well. jim