What is the worst excursion you have been on?

Boston City Bus Tour

It was just simply, BORING!:D

It seems like most of the “bad excursions,” were ones that were booked privately. Not from the ship. This is a big reason why I only book through the cruise line. You have much more power if something goes wrong. I don’t mind spending a little extra for peace of mind.

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The Santo Domingo City Tour was listed as a moderate activity air-conditioned bus tour. We took a short ride into town, then the bus stopped and the guide said “okay now we walk for 3 hours.” Everyone was shocked. One woman on crutches braved the walk but my husband with spinal stenosis had to remain on the bus, which had to move to a different location. We walked through rain and up and down slippery stone staircases. One poor woman in another group fell down the stairs and had to be picked up. The rest of my family and I enjoyed the informative tour but the description was so misleading. At least my husband was given free WiFi to use

We did a Carnival Beach Break in Nassau two years ago. What a waste. I don't remember the exact pricing but there were six of us so we spent a bit (2 adults, 2 teens, 2 younger boys). Not sure if it's the same one someone mentioned above, but like that earlier poster, I agree the best part was the 45 minute boat ride to/from the island. Once there it was a small strip of beach, packed with lounge chairs, and you were pretty much trapped. There was a pool, which was fine but nothing special, and the ocean water was also fine, but not as nice as some other Nassau beaches I've been to. The trip had an optional boxed lunch which had to be purchased in advance -- we had asked the tour desk about the prices of food on the island and were told it was comparable, so we did not take the boxed lunch option -- but we should have. Instead we were stuck with a very overpriced bar & grill, where we waited an hour for junky food. We were pretty bored but made the best of it for the kids' sake... still, would not book one of these beach breaks again.

Oh and once we won a tour for two, given as a prize during the Port Talk... unfortunately the tour got cancelled due to non-interest and we were not allowed to use the prize for a different tour. Disappointing but I guess that's just their policy.

We did a Carnival Beach Break in Nassau two years ago. What a waste. I don't remember the exact pricing but there were six of us so we spent a bit (2 adults, 2 teens, 2 younger boys). Not sure if it's the same one someone mentioned above, but like that earlier poster, I agree the best part was the 45 minute boat ride to/from the island. Once there it was a small strip of beach, packed with lounge chairs, and you were pretty much trapped. There was a pool, which was fine but nothing special, and the ocean water was also fine, but not as nice as some other Nassau beaches I've been to. The trip had an optional boxed lunch which had to be purchased in advance -- we had asked the tour desk about the prices of food on the island and were told it was comparable, so we did not take the boxed lunch option -- but we should have. Instead we were stuck with a very overpriced bar & grill, where we waited an hour for junky food. We were pretty bored but made the best of it for the kids' sake... still, would not book one of these beach breaks again.

 

Oh and once we won a tour for two, given as a prize during the Port Talk... unfortunately the tour got cancelled due to non-interest and we were not allowed to use the prize for a different tour. Disappointing but I guess that's just their policy.

I’ve had some pretty crappy beach break excursions, the worst in Jamaica, but we found that Tabayana Beach Party in Roatan Island, Honduras was pretty good.

We've never had a bad excursion...knock on wood! I guess if I was to rank them from first to last, my least favorite would be the White Pass/Yukon scenic railway in Skagway, AK.

 

It wasn't bad--it was actually quite lovely. We just prefer to do more active excursions than this. But like I said, it was still great so I don't have anything negative to say :)

I will second this. It was very boring. I even fell asleep

It was 112 degrees when I went to Tulum.

It was extremely hot when we went there too. The sweat just rolled off us but, we had a great guide and really enjoyed it. It was probably one of my favorite excursions.

Boston City Bus Tour

 

It was just simply, BORING!:D

Hop-on Hop-off city tour in Boston. Not because it was boring, but because the traffic was so bad!

Not a bad one but an wow one..Belize rain forrest, Mosquitos or no-see ums. Husband made me laugh , he could not get out of there fast enough!!

We did an ATV tour on St. Maarten through Carnival. (First and only time we've ever complained about a Carnival excursion.)

First, the tour guide was late getting us on the bus over to the store....then we had to sit around for another 20 mins or so. Our excursion was supposed to start at 9 and we ending up leaving the shop til around 10:15ish. Once we get on the ATVs, the guide asks if anyone is a nervous rider...my wife raises her hand. So he positions her behind him so he can watch her.

At this point the owner is walking around...him and the guide are talking to my wife at the exact same time. The guide tells her to test the accelerator, when she does the ATV kicks forward and she lets out a nervous laugh...this is where everything goes sideways...

The owner YELLS at her "IT WONT BE FUNNY WHEN YOU CRASH AND DIE". Word for word.. This causes my wife to panic even worse and now she's crying. Eventually myself and the tour guide calm her down.

So...keep in mind after all this, we are WAY behind schedule (the owner blamed Carnival for having two ships in port). We get to our beach stop way behind the other groups...we stay for about 30mins or so....and then we start on our way back and we leave BEFORE the other groups which immediately upsets us. However I figured we were going to get an extra stop because we lost so much time....nope...we were the FIRST back at the shop. We were actually back early.

So just to recap we lost an hour and a half and the owner screamed at my wife, making her panic and cry. Alot of the other riders came up to her and said they heard what happened and the tour guide did apologize but the owner never did.

When we got back to the ship, we politely notified the excursion desk and they told us that this guy "has been warned multiple times about his demeanor towards guests". We didn't ask for any reimbursement but they insisted on giving us some money back. Thank God Carnivals customer service is so awesome because this almost ruined our day.

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Dunn's River Falls. What a waste of time hiking up a falls that pales in comparison to 100 falls within 30 miles of my own house.

Scuba diving on a ships excursion in Belize. Too many people. Didn't care for the dive operation. A very inexperienced diver nearly killed my when she was not paying attention to her surroundings. We chose the ships excursion because of time constraints. Last time we were in Belize on a cruise did not dive because of 2 bad experiences using the ship's excursion.

Oh, I have had many! Worst idea ever was to do private excursions with a group I met here on CC. Most people did not show and there were last minute changes. Entrance fees not paid to sites (St Kitts) and the driver on that one pointed to things while going 40 mph. My worst independently booked excursion was a tour of St Lucia. We were packed 10 people in a bus, it was hot (A/C was working) and I was slightly woozy from all the switchbacks in the road. We were provided a snack of bread and cheese--which didn't taste right to me but it had been 6 hours and I needed something. Ended up terribly ill that night but it only lasted 12 hours. (Could have been the deli sandwich too--who knows.) That particular cruise was just filled with things that didn't go well. When we got to St Maarten we ditched everything and just took a taxi to Maho and sat there for a few hours.

I've been on tours where boats lost an engine (Belize--thankfully it was ship sponsored and they waited.) Broken down busses (Belize again.) Driver in Roatan (private tour) spent time at a bar while we did our zipline... You know, normal stuff for the Caribbean.

Because I've been on tours where things went awry I always do ship sponsored tours. They don't seem to differ too much from what is offered by independents in the Caribbean and even if I pay a few dollars more the peace of mind knowing they hold the ship is worth it.

Oh, I have had many! Worst idea ever was to do private excursions with a group I met here on CC. Most people did not show and there were last minute changes. Entrance fees not paid to sites (St Kitts) and the driver on that one pointed to things while going 40 mph. My worst independently booked excursion was a tour of St Lucia. We were packed 10 people in a bus, it was hot (A/C was working) and I was slightly woozy from all the switchbacks in the road. We were provided a snack of bread and cheese--which didn't taste right to me but it had been 6 hours and I needed something. Ended up terribly ill that night but it only lasted 12 hours. (Could have been the deli sandwich too--who knows.) That particular cruise was just filled with things that didn't go well. When we got to St Maarten we ditched everything and just took a taxi to Maho and sat there for a few hours.

 

I've been on tours where boats lost an engine (Belize--thankfully it was ship sponsored and they waited.) Broken down busses (Belize again.) Driver in Roatan (private tour) spent time at a bar while we did our zipline... You know, normal stuff for the Caribbean.

 

Because I've been on tours where things went awry I always do ship sponsored tours. They don't seem to differ too much from what is offered by independents in the Caribbean and even if I pay a few dollars more the peace of mind knowing they hold the ship is worth it.

And this is precisely why I always book ONLY cruise line sponsored excursions. I tell people time and time again how risky it is and then I’m attacked by their righteous indignation that I’m so wrong and how perfectly safe it is and oh how they guarantee you’ll get back in time to catch the ship. They’ve just been lucky enough so far to not have an issue. Just wait till they are waving the ship good bye one time.

And this is precisely why I always book ONLY cruise line sponsored excursions. I tell people time and time again how risky it is and then I’m attacked by their righteous indignation that I’m so wrong and how perfectly safe it is and oh how they guarantee you’ll get back in time to catch the ship. They’ve just been lucky enough so far to not have an issue. Just wait till they are waving the ship good bye one time.

The $10 extra per person it will cost me to do a ship sponsored tour, and the ability to at least have some recourse should things go wrong and a possible refund, is totally worth it. Far less costly than figuring out how to catch up with the ship later on. I've been on way too many tours where things went wrong. If we miss a port (happens a lot) there is no hassle in getting a refund with a ship tour. The peace of mind for the ship waiting is well worth it. I did forget to add the boat with a broken engine in Barbados and being dropped on a beach for about 90 minutes while he got a part. That one wasn't so terrible because we could at least see the ship a few miles up and all of us were healthy and fit enough to walk. Then there's the guy who offered a tour on his own (he had been drinking and doing gawd knows what else at the port bar) for my friend and me--and he had already propositioned her and offered her drugs. (This was in St Lucia on another cruise--there were a few of us friends traveling.)

I also feel there are reasons why ship tours don't go to certain places. As tourists we just can't get in a car and be driving and expect everything to be good.

Three cruises scheduled this year--and I won't do an independent tour on any of them. Closest I'll come to an independent is the bus from Costa Maya to Mahajual--and then I'll have to rent a chair and buy a couple of cervezas from a proprietor, but that will be fine. Now if I was doing Europe, it would be a different story. There are many reputable tour providers there who do a better job than the ships, but for the Caribbean and Bahamas, its ship tours only for me.

The $10 extra per person it will cost me to do a ship sponsored tour, and the ability to at least have some recourse should things go wrong and a possible refund, is totally worth it. Far less costly than figuring out how to catch up with the ship later on. I've been on way too many tours where things went wrong. If we miss a port (happens a lot) there is no hassle in getting a refund with a ship tour. The peace of mind for the ship waiting is well worth it. I did forget to add the boat with a broken engine in Barbados and being dropped on a beach for about 90 minutes while he got a part. That one wasn't so terrible because we could at least see the ship a few miles up and all of us were healthy and fit enough to walk. Then there's the guy who offered a tour on his own (he had been drinking and doing gawd knows what else at the port bar) for my friend and me--and he had already propositioned her and offered her drugs. (This was in St Lucia on another cruise--there were a few of us friends traveling.)

 

I also feel there are reasons why ship tours don't go to certain places. As tourists we just can't get in a car and be driving and expect everything to be good.

 

Three cruises scheduled this year--and I won't do an independent tour on any of them. Closest I'll come to an independent is the bus from Costa Maya to Mahajual--and then I'll have to rent a chair and buy a couple of cervezas from a proprietor, but that will be fine. Now if I was doing Europe, it would be a different story. There are many reputable tour providers there who do a better job than the ships, but for the Caribbean and Bahamas, its ship tours only for me.

I wish there was a “Like” button on here! We think the same, and I too will take the trolley over to Mahahual Beach! I can sit on the beach and still see my ship in port, and if absolutely necessary, I could walk back! Nothing like that Beach, and sitting having Coronas at the Krazy Lobster! 🌴🏖

And this is precisely why I always book ONLY cruise line sponsored excursions. I tell people time and time again how risky it is and then I’m attacked by their righteous indignation that I’m so wrong and how perfectly safe it is and oh how they guarantee you’ll get back in time to catch the ship. They’ve just been lucky enough so far to not have an issue. Just wait till they are waving the ship good bye one time.

As a general rule though, I find the independent tours to be much better. Smaller groups and more personalized attention. It all depends on your comfort level.

Exactly this! I also find that with independent tours I am less likely to be delayed by others (for example smaller buses mean quicker on/off times, no waiting around in lines getting off or on)

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Exactly this! I also find that with independent tours I am less likely to be delayed by others (for example smaller buses mean quicker on/off times, no waiting around in lines getting off or on)

 

 

 

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A friend of mine posted a video last night of her doing an excursion in (PR?). It showed the line walking to the excursion and it was moving so slow and had sooo many people. No way!

My first cruise- we booked a snorkeling excursion in Grand Cayman and it was a real let down. We walked off the tender boat, found our guide and followed him about 50 steps to a pontoon boat that took us right out in the water between shore and the ship to snorkel. [emoji19]

Now we are aware of stingray city...

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Exactly this! I also find that with independent tours I am less likely to be delayed by others (for example smaller buses mean quicker on/off times, no waiting around in lines getting off or on)

Carnival jet ski excursion. They don’t tell you that if you cannot get on the jet ski in water over your head you are SOL. I had shoulder injury when we took this excursion so it was an issue in water over my head that wasn’t calm after swimming out in the ocean to get on the jet ski. I expected you would get on it close to shore...anyway wasted $100. Luckily I’ve had many fantastic ones over the years.

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There is a good side to everything, because everything has at least two sides-that said worst excursion-Blue Lagoon in Nassau, the island is beautiful the water was beautiful, but on the trip over to the island, a cold front came in, and it was way TOO cold to enjoy the water. So DH and I walked the beaches there, the lunch was a hockey puck of a burger, and served cold, and then on the way back, we had a tour of the rich and famous,(not listed as part of the tour) it was cold, it was now raining, no one on the boat cared, but because they gave us this" all important tour", they live off the tips- beg beg, I was so cold, I was almost in tears. So, the island was beautiful, but the tour operators inconsiderate of the patrons.

The second worst was a snorkeling trip out of Belize, the island they took us to was the most beautiful place in the world to me, there were too many folks ..flippers in the face... too many, but on the way over to the island, the boat captain decided to give us an idea of how his boat could fly, and we went bouncing over the waves, up and down, and up and DOWN, and there were several large women who came down, and the seats cracked. My back hurt from this adventure, cant imagine how they felt. Again, tour operators, being inconsiderate of the patrons. It was not his boat to ruin, and one of the other employees did chew him out about it. Seats were unusable on the way back from Goff's Caye.

The places were nice, I am glad I saw them, but tour operators need to know what their "audience" needs.

Trailing through the rain forest in PR, That was the worst for us.

Our worst excursion started out bad but actually ended up great so maybe it doesn't qualify. Anyway we were in Ocho Rios and decided to do Dunn's River falls with 2 adults and three teenagers. We could only get 7:30 am tickets which we knew would be tough getting all the kids up and moving but would be worth it. We boarded our bus by about 7:45. The whole drive there the bus driver kept telling us we have to go fast so we'll be first so it's not crowded yet. We stopped at a stand for anyone who needed to rent water shoes and he kept yelling hurry hurry.

We finally made it to the Falls and it was all locked up. It was an itinerary change and apparently someone forget to tell them ships were coming in. We waited 2 and a half hours in the sun with tired miserable teenagers before they finally opened the place. By this time several hundred people were waiting and there was no order to the crowd at all so everyone was getting upset thinking some who arrived 5 minutes ago would go before others who arrived hours ago. However, once we did the excursion it really was great fun.