Excursions Ad Nauseam

Excursions are simply the  plans you have when you get off the ship in each port. 

Excursions purchased through Carnival are typically (always) more expensive.  There is a reason and these are the pros for booking with Carival.  1. If the ship doesn't make port due to weather or any reason., your money is immediately refunded.  2. The ship will never sail without you if you are on a Carnival excursion.    The cons to taking a Carnival excursion:  1. They cost more.  2. They are generally packed.  3. You will always have one couple that sleep late and enjoy a leisure breakfast and the tour waits on them.  (unless it is you of course). 

An excursion outside of Carnival is generally not a problem.  The vendors KNOW if they don't get you back on time or don't refund your money they will be blasted on the cruise web sites. However you may have some anxious moments or a wait for the refund to hit your credit card.  Some of these will actually mirror the Carnival options at a cheaper price.

An excursion can be walking through the port shopping, taking a cab to a beach, taking a photo on the island and going back to the ship to enjoy an almost empty ship.  We do not search for great places to eat - we have all we can eat paid for on the ship.  We aren't worried about shopping, there are plenty of vendors in and around the port.  Sometimes it is "ok" to buy a t-shirt, take a photo, grab a drink and sit and watch the world go by.

It is also ok for each of us to select a different option.  We are not joined at the hip... you've heard the expression "group toitie" - well this ain't one.  We have snorkelers, drinkers, sitters, swimmers, hikers, readers, dancers, etc. in our group and everyone should have a great time.

Information regarding the Carnival excursions is mainly from their web site.  Other information comes from Cruise Critic (message boards - you do not have to be a member to read them - only to post or search them).  Information is also found in trip reviews on cruise critic and carnival and other web site.  Trip advisor also has excursion information.  I pulled some vendor's names off of these web sites and have emailed and asked prices.  Feel free to do the same.

Yes - some of us will never be in Jamaica again - but is it worth $300 a couple?  Is it worth a 2 hour drive?  Same with the other islands - you can spend enough on excursions to pay for another cruise. Yes excursions do fill up   or  "sale out".  So if there is one that we can't live without or we think is a great bargain we may want to get serious. 

Jamaica

Carnival offers 35 excursions.  14 of these are over $100 per person.  8 of them are $99.99.

That leaves 13 excursions that are realistically less than $200 a couple

Caymans

Carnival offers 45 excursions.  15 of these are over $100 per person.  2 of them are $99.99.

Two are scuba and one is snuba.

That leaves 25 excursions that are realistically less than $200 a couple.

Caymans is a tender port.  Meaning we don't pull up to dry land, we use a smaller boat to get off the ship.  This takes a little longer.  Another reason folks use Carnival excursions - in a tender port you get off the ship first.

Cozumel

no link because I've heard folks talk about what they would like to do

Gary has his heart set on taking the boat to Passion Island (all inclusive). ($70)  Drinks are plentiful and food is not bad.  Nice ride to a private island.

One couple (Colleen and David) did the tequila tour - where you make margaritas and drink them.  She said it was fun. ($70)

We have taken cabs to Paradise Beach  ($40 round trip for 2 couples) and if you drink chairs are free (bar bill - about $100.  They have parasailing (about $50 each and jet skis - expensive).