Caribbean cruise excursions?

Question

im going on a cruise in a few weeks and im not a millionair and have just received the excursion book does anybody no if i would be better booking with the cruise or booking with the locals when i get to each port of call . any other advice would be appreciated

Answer 1

Go with the locals - there will be plenty of taxis at the port, the drivers are great, they know the best places to go and they are all really proud of where they live and what they show you. They will drop you at the beach and pick you up at an arranged time. I was there with a girl friend and we had no problems at all, and saved a lot of money!

Answer 2

Although the cruise excursions can be on the pricey side I would book with them. I went on a Caribbean Cruise a few years ago and decided to try using the locals - it was not a good experience and we nearly missed the departure time. There is no guarantee that the person is taking you where you want to go, that the vehicle is roadworthy, insurance cover if anything goes wrong etc etc. Also, although the prices quoted are cheaper, you usually end up having to pay extra's like entrance fees, tips etc so it doesn't work out much cheaper in the end.
I say book with the cruise and enjoy your shore trips knowing that if anything goes wrong, the cruise line will look after it, and will at least know where you are!!
Bon Voyage!!

Answer 3

I would be highly selective about the excursions I went on and spend my money on those. For example, I was determined to visit a couple of local Indian tribes in Panama which I had been wanting to visit for some time and which I knew I couldn't visit otherwise, but when it came to towns which it was clearly possible to wander around unescorted, I saved money by doing so. I am disappointed in retrospect thinking back to the day we spent in Cartagena because the tour organised by the boat concentrated mainly on rushing us round jewellery stores in the hope that we would buy emeralds and that the guides would get fat commissions and I would have liked to have spent far more time in the old town. Do your homework (perhaps from a Footprints or other guide) and work out whether or not it is feasible to go solo. If you go to Grand Cayman, for example, it would be a pity to miss the interesting things in the capital George Town and you would be better off catching a local bus to visit the Seven Mile Beach. I used to live there and felt alarmed at some of the prices displayed by locals on their placards in the hope of making money out of tourists. And if you are on a tight budget, do remember that these cruise ships expect you to give generous tips to the various members of staff and that can make a big hole in your budget. Check up whether this is the case!