Shore excursions in the caribbean? Why would I pay thirty dollars to go to the beach?

Question

My parents and I are all first-time cruisers. They are in their late forties and I am eighteen. We're taking the RC Serenade of the Seas to the S. Caribbean for a week.

Looking through the brochures, I noticed that many of the excursions, especially "beach" ones, seem pointless. Sure, you have a chair and drink, but is it really worth thirty dollars a pop? Is it difficult to find a nice public beach instead? Is it safer? What about shopping excursions?

Essentially, I am wondering if excursions such as these are designed to suck more revenue from passengers, or if there is a legitimate reason behind the price.

Should we just save our budget for the "cooler" trips, like snorkels or hikes?

And, if so, what kind of excursions are unmissable? Or things to do in general? We'll be visiting St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados, Antigua, and St. Lucia; we're also staying a few days in San Juan, Puerto Rico after the cruise.

Thanks so much! Sorry there are so many questions in one . . .

Answer 1

well....other than sucking revenue from people excursions thru the ship, especially your first time, unless you have been to these particular islands, does give you the security of knowing the boat wont leave without you, that you will be in a safe area, and that your transportation will actually take you where you want to go. I have been on 7 cruises and although I don't always book my excursions thru the ship i do deal with reputable companies. If you snorkel, its nice to know where and who you are going with. (St Thomas...Castaway girl does excellent snorkel trips), In St Maarten you can probably go to the beach on your own, be prepared, many are topless. Have fun and keep an open mind

Answer 2

You are absolutely correct.  The beach excursions are not worth the $30.  You can just as easily take a taxi and get there yourself.

However, while in St. Thomas I would recommend the St John  Trunk Bay beach tour.  This you will have to do through the ship, and it is well worth it.  Trunk Bay is rated one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, and it certainly is.  I have done this excursion twice.  There is snorkeling there also.

Barbados has a fun Pirate Ship excursion, that takes you to a beach.  

Other then that - you are perfectly safe to venture out on your own, and any taxi driver will be happy to give you tips on what beaches are the best.

Answer 3

Yes, the excursions are another money-maker for the cruise lines.  The ship's excursions are always going to be more expensive, and they will usually be more crowded and "herd-like".  However, there are some advantages:  if you are on a ship-sponsored tour and the tour is late getting back to the ship, the ship will wait for you - if you're on your own, they won't;  some tours are only available through the ship and can't be booked independently; sometimes you can get picked up right at the ship and avoid tendering into port; etc.

Also, some ports are easier and/or safer to do on your own.

Partly this depends on how comfortable you are being "adventurous".

If you just want to go to the beach, you might just want to grab a cab and go.  If you want a chair, drinks, etc, you'll pay for those, too.  

I have only been to two of the ports you mentioned - St. Thomas and San Juan.  StT is likely to be very busy with several ships, and depending on which line you're sailing with, you'll be at a more- or less-convenient pier.  Last time, we did our own trip to a nearly-deserted beach on St. John [absolutely gorgeous], but if this is your first time, I'd stay on StT.  In San Juan, you might want to walk up to the fort [a nice but uphill walk] and then stroll around the cobblestone streets of Old SJ.  If you want to do the rainforest or anything else outside of SJ itself, I'd do it through the ship, as there are traffic concerns and time concerns.

For lots of helpful info, go to CruiseCritic.com and click on "Boards" then "Ports of Call".  Past passengers give the pros and cons of using ship tours and various vendors on all the islands.

Have a great trip!

Answer 4

Beach and shopping excursions usually are not worth it and unless you are elderly, the buss tours are not that good. I did enjoy the snorkeling tours a lot because they take you to out of the way places, no extra charge on the equipment and get you back to the ship on time. Getting back to the ship is the biggest concern if you go without a tour. Every cruise I have been on(8), I have seen people miss the ship because they did not get back to the ship on time. If that happens, you then have to catch a plane to the next port, stay in a hotel overnight and payed for by you. St. Thomas is where I went on a snorkeling tour to trunk bay. It was the best snorkeling I have ever done.

Answer 5

I think it is worth paying for.

I have sailed RC to St. Maarten and I highly suggest the "4x4 St. Maarten Tour." I did this one and LOVED it. You get to go all the way around the island to 2 different beaches (Mullet Beach Bay and Orient Beach) and also stop for some shopping in Marigot. I will say, that I found the people in Marigot to be very rude. Just a head's up.

The way I figure it is...this is a vacation. Why pay a lot for the actuall cruise and then be cheap once you get there?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think you should blow your entire life savings on a vacation, but the reason I like cruising so much is that you can book these things and everything is taken care of! The ship won't leave you if your excursion booked throught them is held up...but if you do it on your own and you aren't back in time...so long - they will leave without you. Plus, like another poster said, you might feel safer booking through RC if it is your first time to that location.

You will have fun no matter what you do!

Oh, and definately book something to do in Puerto Rico. We didn't and just walked around...=P If I stop there again, I will book a tour or something.