Royal - Tabyana excursion RT04 vs RT47

Does anyone know if it is worth doing the beach with snorkel ($7 more, one hour longer) vs. the one without?

We have our own snorkel stuff. Does the excursion with snorkeling go to a different site to snorkel or it is right at the same beach?

Thanks.

Clarifying my own question-- not really caring about the $7 difference, but rather if the excursion with the snorkeling actually goes somewhere else for the snorkeling portion or is right there at same beach. Does anyone know?

NCL has one for beach only and one for beach and snorkel, but they go to the same beach. Tabyana Beach Party & Snorkel (+15). I did that my first time.

Now I can get to that beach area (West Bay) at 33 a person without NCL. Beach chair, bathrooms, not at Tabyana, but at a nearby place. I walk a little ways down the beach to snorkel right there at Tabyana. It's a great place to snorkel.

Hi, thanks for the info. Was that Bananarama? I'm considering that as well.

Hi, in case it helps anyone, we are back from our cruise and we did the Royal excursion called Tabyana beach break. I am glad we did it. Our ship was the only one in port and therefore had this area (appeared to be nicest part of the overall beach) pretty much to ourselves. This excursion did not include the snorkeling part, but we brought our own stuff. Snorkeling was excellent and close to shore. It might have cost more than doing it on our own, however I don't think it was drastically much more based on comments about taxi prices.

There were chairs provided and shade via palm trees.

Only negatives were food provided for lunch was only average and vendors on the beach were annoying.

We've done Tabyana Beach break through Carnival and Princess, and it is definitely our preference. You are right where the best snorkeling is, there are clean restrooms, plenty of chairs, and the place is generally not crowded.

I think the extra snorkeling charge is for a guided snorkel, for those who like to play follow the leader in the water. You snorkel in the same place and anyone can snorkel on their own if they do not want the guided experience. I also saw gear for rent both at Tabyana and by individuals on the public beach. We always bring our own gear and snorkel until we are wrinkled like prunes!

Princess bundles lunch in with the price, and while the grilled chicken and hamburgers were good, there are lots of places to eat there and it would be nice if the lunch was optional. Carnival does not include the lunch in the excursion and charges $20 less. I am not sure about the other lines.

We have also done the $33 deal to Bananarama a couple of times. It saved a few $, but IMO it was not as good. The area was crowded and noisy and a good walk from the best snorkeling which is right in front of Tabyana. The only chairs Bananarama allowed us to use with this package were right in the hot direct sun, and we did not feel like our items were very secure there, though we had no problems. Bananarama is more of the party area of the beach.

There are locals at that part of the beach that will take you snorkeling to the Blue Channel by boat, and also the water taxis to West End Village are near Bananarama.

If you do the $33 option you will walk over the hill outside the gate and probably be in a mini-bus with just a few others and have a local driver that will stay with you for the day. They are nice and will sometimes take you other nearby places during the day as the schedule allows if you ask nice. Very accommodating and friendly.

James, thanks for the additional info. The Royal excursion with the snorkeling as you said was in exact same place, just included some guided snorkeling.

I like the idea of the same excursion offering without lunch included. Royal did not have that.

James in SA

Thinking of booking this trip through Carnival. Have posted on the forums but not yet had an answer. Is it really only a four hour excursion via Carnival? Also, is there enough time to take a water taxi to West End, check it out, and get back to West Bay to take the shuttle back to the ship? we want to swim / snorkel, lay in the Sun and look at West End too.

No. Unless something has changed you will get a full day there. The last time I did it the excursion description said something silly like 30 minutes. In reality the buses were leaving at 8:30 and there was a bus going back to the ship every 30 minutes or so and you could go back on any of them. The last bus got you back just comfortably in time, maybe 1/2 hour before we had to be back on board.

Plenty of time to do the water taxi, a little shopping, and some quality snorkeling. Maybe even fit in a massage. :-)

We like to get lunch and Monkey Lalas at Celeste's. Pork, shrimp, chicken, or lobster Baleadas ( a pizza size Honduran taco) are usually on the menu at lunch time. Just walk back out the way the bus came in a couple of hundred yards and it is on the right. Fabulous dinners if you ever get to spend some time on the island.

(BTW, I haven't updated my signature in awhile. I've been there recently.)

Thank you so much. Sorry to hijack the thread.