When my husband and I took our first cruise for our 20th anniversary, it was a last-minute decision, and we didn’t know much about where we were going. We wanted some guidance on what we were seeing. But picking the right tour (at the right price) was more difficult than we expected. After testing myself, here is a guide on how to navigate the decision, if you should book through the cruise line vs and independent vendor, and if it’s worth it or if you should just explore on your own.
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Booking Through Carnival vs. Independent Operators
When deciding whether to book an official Carnival shore excursion or go with an outside company, it comes down to a balance of insurance versus flexibility.
Reasons to book with Carnival (or the cruise line you are on)
- The Ship Guarantee – When you book through the cruise line, the return to the ship is guaranteed. If the tour runs late the ship will wait for you or they are responsible for getting you to the next port. If you book an outside vendor, you need to build in buffer time before all abroad time
- Protection – If the cruise skips a port due to weather, your excursion is refunded without you needing to do anything. If you go with an outside vendor, the refund policies will vary.
Reasons to go outside the cruise line:
- Price – Outside cruise lines are typically cheaper per person and are often smaller. You can also create a more customized itinerary for the same money. The excursion on the cruise line will almost always be more expensive.
Guided Excursions vs. Exploring on Your Own
Depending on the port of call, you don’t always need an organized tour. Here is how to decide whether to walk off the ship solo or spend time on a more formal excursion.
- You want a Guided Excursion If:
- The highlights are far from the cruise pier or there is a lot that you want to see and a short amount of time in port. If you have a tight timeline, a guided tour that takes you to all the highlights is helpful.
- The logistics of the location are too complicated. It could be the language barrier, or that local transit is not reliable, a guided tour just makes it easier.
- You want to do a high-risk activity like ziplining, snorkeling or going on a boat where certified safety gear is a must. Don’t try to DIY this, make sure to go with someone who is certified, especially if you are bringing along the kids.
- Choose Exploring on Your Own:
- The port has a safe, walkable downtown or beach district close to the cruise terminal. A place like Saint Thomas you can get a taxi to Megans Beach and have a nice beach day.
- You want an agenda-free day where you can wake up late, stroll at your own pace, and head back to the ship whenever someone gets tired.
- When budget is tight. In Grand Turk you can get a golf cart to drive to the beach at the fraction of a formal excursion.
Tips for Picking Your Perfect Excursion
- Read the Reviews: Past travelers leave reviews on the tour. Check to see what people liked and didn’t like about the tour. If you are spending top dollar, you want to make sure it’s worth it.
- Check the activity level: Make sure it fits everyone in your party. With Carnival, “Mild” generally means light walking; “Considerable” can mean miles over uneven cobblestones.
- Make sure to review the total duration time: You generally want something that leaves you some free time at port. Even if you are guaranteed to get to the next port, you don’t want something that cuts it so close you are flying to the next port. A 3–4-hour tour gives you time to explore the port shops on your own.
- Book your excursions early: Specialized tours like local food tastings or small-boat catamaran sails have limited slots and fill up months before embarkation. Make sure to look at what is available to book before you ever board the boat.
What Tours We Took
When my husband and I went, we prioritized food/history tours as that is what filled both of our interests.
- Taste of Nassau: Local Flavors Experience: When on Nassau we were picked up in a van and then taken all around the city. We tasted rum cake, got to sample different rum drinks, learned about how rum was made at the historic John Watling’s Distillery and had a fantastic Jerk chicken lunch to finish it off. Our tour guide was funny, and we felt like we learned a lot about the history of the Bahamas and got a fantastic meal and tasting along the way. After the tour we had plenty of time to walk around the straw market that was just a few blocks from the port. I would book this again 100x over and recomend it to couples and families with kids over 18. Kids under 18 will not get as much value out of it as they can not partake in the rum tasting.
- Grand Turk Flavors, Sightseeing & Lunch: In Grand Turk we were again picked up and driven around the island. Here the tour was less exciting. We saw a few historic spots but never stopped to take pictures. We stopped to shop for 30 minutes and then were taken to lunch. Most of the tour was about the real estate on the island. After lunch we were taken to Governor’s Beach, where we were provided chairs and transport back to the port when we wanted. The beach was beautiful, the water was clear, and the fish came right up between your legs. While lunch was great, if I had to do it again, I’d just rent a golf cart to go to the beach ourselves.
There is no single “right” way to do a port day. Your family has to do what works best for you. A structured food tour, one port, a beach day the other. Maybe at one port you get the tour; another you explore on your own. It’s entirely up to you, your preferences and your budget. I’m glad we did a few tours, but I’m also glad that at Hay Moon Cay we just lounged on the beach all day. But having the framework to figure out what works best for you helps alleviate some of the stress in planning your vacation. Then everyone can have a fantastic time on what should be a fun family (or couples) vacation!
* Starred Photos taken by Atma Photography
Edited by SKS