Is it cheaper to buy excursions for the ports from the cruise line or somewhere else?

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MomSezNo

It will definitely be cheaper to book on your own rather than through the cruise line. However, price is not the only consideration.

You need a certain "comfort level" to arrange your own tours, as well as an acute awareness of time constraints and allowance of time for unexpected events. Some islands are easier and/or safer to go it on your own. You can often get a better, less-crowded experience by booking your own tour and you can often "customize" the tour to suit your needs. Sometimes the ships will let passengers who have booked with them board the tenders before passengers who haven't, although some ships are more strict about this than others. There can be other logistical advantages - when we did a snorkel trip in Belize, we were able to board the tour boat directly from the ship rather than having to tender in to shore [a long tender trip], thus saving a lot of time.

The ship staff will try to convince you that you will be "safer" with one of their tours than going it alone, and this is probably generally true. However, people who were robbed at gunpoint on a ship-sponsored tour to a plantation in Jamaica would disagree. There's never any "guarantee" on safety in any port, but some are less-risky than others.

A good source of information about ports and all aspects of cruising is CruiseCritic.com. Click on "Boards", then "Ports of Call" then on your particular port, to get an idea of how safe a particular port is, find out what experiences other cruisers have had, and which providers they recommend or advise against. We've mostly done excursions on our own and have found the advice on those boards invaluable in deciding what to do.

jenneeann

I have always gone w/ the cruise line, even though they are a more money. They guarantee you will be back in time to catch the ship (or they will wait for you). It is also safer, some of the islands can be scary. I would research the islands you are going to and look up businesses w/ reviews before ever going w/ someone that I did not know.

Steven S

My partner & I have been on 25 cruises & to more than 100 ports.

We always book excursions through the cruise line.

The prices are usually comparable whether through them or not.

The BIG advantage is this.....if you book through the cruise line and something happens and your tour runs over (we had a breakdown at the top of the mountain in the rainforest) and you don't make it back to the ship by departure time, the ship WILL wait for you.

If you book through someone else and are late, they WILL NOT wait.

We've actually seen people running up the pier yelling as we sailed away. They missed the ship.

P.S. Swimming with the dolphins or stingrays is awesome. So is snuba-ing and the submarine.

jacqui_r_74

I recommend booking on the island. We just returned from a Carnival cruise & did an excursion where you cabbed to a boat, took boat out to swim with stingrays & then snorkeled in 8-10 ft. water, snacks & drinks, snorkel equipment included, for $25/person!!! (the boat held about 30 people & had more than enough lifejackets) A similar Carnival excursion was $80/person. You have to haggle with the tour guides. Don't be afraid to do it. The worst they can say is "no". We had THE BEST TIME EVER on this excursion!!! (Grand Cayman)

randall_nd

It's usually less money to purchase tours from private individuals after going ashore. Keep in mind that if you book your excursion through the ship, they guarantee not to leave without you if your tour would have a breakdown or delay getting back to the pier. That's cheap insurance.
After seeing several islands, they start looking alike. We've been going ashore and just walking around. There are plenty of shops and beer joints within walking distance of the pier or tender.

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