7 ways to have a great time in port without a cruise ship shore excursion
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- Easy suggestions for how to get off the ship and explore just a little bit without a plan!
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Of the 4 port days on our cruise we only booked excursions on 2 of them. We enjoyed our relaxed port days.
Senor Frog and Margaritaville charge as much if not more than drinks on the cruise. In addition, many island locations have potable water issues= contaminated ice. It is safer to drink beer opened in your presence.
Just did a European cruise and got advice from Concierge on the ship. Made the best of it. It was great
In the Caribbean, I have by-passed the line of waiting taxis and walked a block to the local bus stop for a ride around the island for $1, often lightly marked van style jitneys. The locals on board are often suprised to see cruise passengers taking their bus and can be a great source of advise on were to go or local history, or just share some fun stories.
Just did my first cruise. Didn't have any shore excursions booked and had a great time. I really enjoyed Grand Caymon. Just walking around talking with the locals was a fun day, and I got to visit the national museum. In Cozumel I did the same (minus the museum). To me it was a better time than giving the cruise line money to be on a schedule and to do something that was regimented.
Worked in the grocery business for 40 years. Whenever we travel, we visit a grocery store or fresh bakery. Always eye opening and great fun. We will often buy local candy, as gifts.
Going to Sydney next year on a stop haven't booked anything cant wait t walk around that amazing city.
Great idea buying something as a souvenir from a local market. We found we love coffee from Puerto Rico Yaucono coffee so we've bought plenty .
Unless the port is already downtown, get a taxi and go downtown. That’s what we did in Cozumel and it was awesome. I even got some Takis for me and my friend.
I think this is a philosophical question. The greatest thing about cruising is "choice". I look at every port as an added cost, so if your more about staying on the ship, cruise one with a light itinerary or perhaps go to an all inclusive resort. To me; cruising is about the port visits and the amenities enjoyed en route. I figure in the costs for excursions because it's a package deal. I also don't cruise as often as Matt, so I can't say I've visited every port several times over. More often than not, it's a new port and I want to experience the area with as little risk as possible - therfore, I book an excursion through the line who has vetted and set pricing at reasonable levels. Having done European cruises, it's nice to know that I've taken my family to several countries on one vacation trip - it's akin to the "Grand Tour". Whatever your choice, I'm sure with the right perspective that it will be memorable. Thanks Matt and Royal Caribbean Blog for the great content!
Great ideas! We normally head for the beach. Thanks for more tips to use!👍🏽👍🏽
Cozumel is cool to enjoy without an excursion. And watch the woman start to remove her top. 6:39
What in the world! LOL😆
Google a list of things to do in each cruise port terminal. Shops. Museums. Free stuff to do. It's all at your fingertips. I post this info to my fb cruise groups to make life easier for them
Love the suggestion of going to local markets! It’s usually the advice I give people. It was one of my favorite things to do in Spain. Most of the gifts I brought back were from the grocery store. They had delicious Simpsons cookies that I brought back for my friend as she’s a huge fan. I thought it was funny that they seemed to be a Spain only novelty considering it’s America’s favorite animated family. 😂
I’m planning on doing St Thomas on my own in December but my mother in law is so paranoid about doing any non-RC excursion. She thinks they’ll sail away without me. It looks like the Port is an hour walk from things like the sky ride any tips on doing things on your own in St Thomas?
Hi there, I've walked to the sky ride from the ship. It depends on where the ship docs. I was on the NCL Encore a few months ago. I walked to the sky ride in an easy 10 minutes fringe the ship. easy peasy. Paid the fee directly to the attraction. No issues at all.
many times there is a "tourist mall" at the end of the dock. It is a good way to spend an hour if you have no other plans. Likewise those ships that the dock is right in town you have a plethora of souvenir options. (not judging what are bargains, just availability)
I’ve got a chiropractor, physical therapist or massage therapist in just about every port around the world. Could never find anyone on the street in South America that knew what a DC was.
GREAT idea! LOVE this one!!!!
The best way is to research, research, research! If you dock at a city, have a map of the city with attractions marked ahead of time.
If you dock away from the city, take a train or bus into the city, have the same map, see the sights and return to the ship. ( Leave at least two hours for travel back to the ship so the ship doesn't leave without you!)
Really had to break out the stock video for the jogging part, huh? Haha I’m with you!
Need opinions....
I'm taking my 3 grown young adult children on a 4 night Western Carribean on RC this mid December. Cozumel is the ONLY port. I feel like they will need to get off the ship and have beach time. Is the beach/lunch worth the $50 each? Is it decent and will it be too cold for us really to enjoy the beach at that time?
I know the waters at CoCo Cay are already getting pretty cool this past week. Thanks for input or suggestions!
We did a Jeep tour ~ me and my 3 kids ~ 16. 20, 21. We all loved it, but we are not people that want to spend 6 hours at a beach.
For the beach can I take the room towels or do I need to pack towels from home?
Shore excursions are totally over rated and over priced. I never do them. Waste of money. Taxi's are always available at the port and the driver's know what is a winning afternoon. We relied on cab drivers for our Western Mexican cruise and was always brought to quiet beaches with no other cruisers at them. I think the resorts bribe the driver's to bring customers. Was fine with me. Even with buying food on the beach and paying for the cab ride it was still half the price of any of the tours. Never once felt unsafe. My cruise down the Western coast was all old people trying to buy medicine to smuggle back to the US anyway. Most did not even leave the ship once they had their cancer medicine.
Hey Matt quick question about Icon of the seas will wonder of the seas prices go down since technically icon of the seas will be the newest ship? Or will icon of the seas prices go down later in time?
Yes, wonders prices will go down but it’s a gradual cycle, not an instant thing.
Wonder is still very new and it will command top prices for a while.
do they still offer sights and flavours tour for nassau?
Anything interesting to do in Labadee, Haiti in December? Thanks!
Local shopping is one of our favorites no matter where our vacation takes us. But as my first cruise is coming up, I have a question: How does port timing work? If the ship leaves from Los Angeles (Pacific) and stops in Puerto Vallarta (Central), and if the calendar on my RC cruise planner page says the ship will arrive in port at 8AM, does that mean 8AM Pacific or 8AM Central?
It’s time in the city where the port is
They usually announce any time changes as you want to be sure you are going by the TIME that is being used on the ship. Also, there is a channel on the TV in your cabin that has the cruise activities as well as the time of day.
One tip I found helpful was buy a cheap watch and set it for the ship's time. I think there was a clock near the debarkation exit which had the time and you can double check that you have the correct time. One thing I've heard for sure...... The ship will not wait for anyone 😃
We are always told to stay on ship time. As noted in a comment above, getting a cheap watch that you keep on ship time works great. Cell phones can trip you up because they can adjust time to local time if when you get off ship you take it off airline mode yo use your cell service. Be careful because it can then change to local time. Little cheap manual watches wont change. Also, I tend to make sure I am back at least an hour or so before All Aboard time, especially if I am exploring on my own. I've never had an issue or missed a ship. 🤗🛳
Need help guys going to Bahamas in Monday I booked pearl island, and coco cay water park should I cancel due to the weather coming up?!?
If it were me, I would cancel due to the storm. So not to waste money and just play it by ear. As of this morning on GMA they said the storm is due to go straight across Florida from where it's at now and then turn north on land and go up to the Carolinas. But I've only been to each place once and it was in August and April and it was sunny at CoCo Cay and a drizzly day the other day
Do you mean Monday that's coming up next week. I think you will he fine. The storm is coming through now and will be cleared out. I'm North of the area and we are supposed to have sunshine by late Saturday or early Sunday.
Now do one for Alaska.
They did one on Alaska recently. Title is something like Alaska cheapest way. She didn’t do any shore excursions but had some things fun to do at each port on her own.
We always look for a hop-on-hop-off bus.
Sent this to my husband to watch, but the host talks so fast he couldn’t understand him. 😮I had to translate. Lots of good information but whew it was fast even for me.
You can slow down the video in the settings.
First
That bubba gump is no longer there :(
Chain restaurants suck anyway. Find a quiet private one and enjoy real food. You can have chicken fingers when you get back home or back on the ship.