First time cruiser question

I am taking my first cruise in Feb '17 from Port Canaveral to Costa Maya, Belize, Roatan, then Cozumel via Carnival Magic. I am reading all of the threads on the ports and see some great suggestions. Are there any excursions that anyone did, away from those offered through the cruise line, that you would recommend?

I am taking my first cruise in Feb '17 from Port Canaveral to Costa Maya, Belize, Roatan, then Cozumel via Carnival Magic. I am reading all of the threads on the ports and see some great suggestions. Are there any excursions that anyone did, away from those offered through the cruise line, that you would recommend?

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

An excellent resource to consult is the ports of call forums here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

There are forums here called ports of call where you can find loads of information on the different islands you'll visit.

Here's the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Costa Maya is an extremely good/easy place to do your own thing.

A quite taxi/shuttle to Majahaul where there are a variety of bars on the beach. Just pick one that looks good to you. :)

I am taking my first cruise in Feb '17 from Port Canaveral to Costa Maya, Belize, Roatan, then Cozumel via Carnival Magic. I am reading all of the threads on the ports and see some great suggestions. Are there any excursions that anyone did, away from those offered through the cruise line, that you would recommend?

We've done this itinerary on Carnival Dream.

Costa Maya: an easy ride to the beach as the previous poster said. Bars, shops restaurants & even a massage, if desired are available.

Belize: we booked cave tubing on our own- cheaper than the cruise line's. Several companies to choose from. We've done the Mayan ruins with a cruise line tour here too.

Roatan: we did a private tour with Victor Bodden (Boddentours) has a few group tours available as well as private drivers for hire & zip lines.

Cozumel: we just went to the taxi area after we got there & found a tour with them.

We found all 4 of these ports very easy to do our own thing. Enjoy your cruise.

Join your Roll Call here and find out what others are doing. I know we had quite a group going with Victor Bodden in Roatan. He lowered his price because we had a group all through our Roll Call. (BUT, because of the wind we couldn't dock so missed his tour!)

Goggel Cave tubing in Belize and you'll find tours that are way below what Carnival charges for the exact same tour!

Theris Dixon Tours in Roatan is great. We have used her twice and enjoyed both.

What do you enjoy? Plenty of beaches in these ports that are free or inexpensive. Look on line and see what tour providers offer in each of these ports and compare them to the cruise line excursions. There will be local tour operators working in each port after you get off the ship. Most are reputable but we were left at the beach by a local tour operator in Belize once. We simply had to take a cab to the port but fair both ways was included in the price we paid for the excursion, so be clear and make sure you understand what you are buying. Offer to split cab fares and local tours with other cruiser looking to save money. If you book an excursion that travels a long way from the port sometimes you are better off to book through the ship. If there is trouble such as a mechanical breakdown the ship will wait on you. If you are booked with a outside guide or service, you will get left depending on how late you are and the cruise line. All of these ports are easy to explore on your own. Just use caution and find a reputable cab or tour service. Enjoy !