New to Cruisin'-Excursions

Hi All..

Most helpful site, BTW!! Bought my husband a surprise cruise for his 40th birthday..RC Explorer sailing 11/7 W.Carib (Miami-Belize City-Costa Maya-Cozumel, GT/Grand Cayman).

I am trying to do this trip as afforably as possible (read - on the cheap). We are very active folks and enjoy getting out and around with and without my accompanying 10 year old adventurer. I am reluctant to leave him in kids program while at port - he is old enough to experience and enjoy new cultures.

We were in Rivera Maya, MX last summer and took in a lot of Maya ruins...looking for some other kinds of activities {snorkeling, swimming with wildlife (with little to no teeth, pls!), etc}

What and where to book type- info. needed..on-line vs RC vs at port...confused.

Advise and recommendations would be most appreciated!

Marcia

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Marcia! I hope you can hear me over the cicadas!

You should start by checking the Ports of Call boards here at Cruise Critic for ideas on what you'll enjoy at the various ports.

For questions about the best way to book the excursions, the folks on the RCL board here will be your best bet. We always book our excursions in advance to make sure we don't get shut out, but each cruiseline handles things a little differently.

You can usually save money by booking excursions with local vendors, instead of through the cruiseline. I like the convenience of booking through the ship, and the knowledge that if something goes wrong, the ship will wait for us to get back if I'm on their excursion. If you go off on your own . . . you're on your own.

Good luck and have fun!

In Cozumel, you might want to consider going to Chankanaab State Park. It has a great beach with good snorkelling, nice facilities, and you can also swim with dolphins there. I think it's $10.00 per adult admission - not sure of the kids' prices. Your 10-year old would really enjoy it, and it's only about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the pier. You can either bring your own snorkelling equipment, or rent it there. We didn't do the dolphin swim, but this board is loaded with websites on how to book it.

In Grand Cayman, what 10-year old wouldn't love Stingray City? They don't bite or sting, but they suck - as in mouths like a vacuum cleaner. You hand-feed them chopped up squid, and they just suck it right up! The water is quite shallow, and it's tons of fun! One of my favorite excursions! I've heard a lot of people mention booking it through Capt. Marvin - sorry, don't know the website.

I've been to Belize, but not Belize City. Check out the Ports of Call Board.

Hope you have a great time!

Thank you for the warm welcome and in the information. I am slowly making my way through all the wonderful info available here. Fortunately the trip is in Nov 04..giving me ample time to get all this info together.

I plan to surprise my hubby with a bon voyage basket on his b-day (Oct) so that he has a month to get excited about the trip.

I will be on the board from time to time..no doubt!

Marcia

Ok, well you guys are gonna have a blast. In Georgetown, you definitely should check out Stingray city and snorkeling. Captain Marvin is a local tour guide there who is extremely popular and awesome. His tours are smaller and cheaper than the cruiselines and hit more reefs etc. In Belize, you guys might enjoy the cave tubing. You can check out Wet and Wild Cave Tubing, or Xtreme Cave Tubing. In Cozumel, Chankanaab State Park is an awesome (and cheap spot). In Costa Maya, there is a small fishing village 3 minutes away. You should check that out for snorkeling, playing beach volleyball, and relaxing.

Ok, well you guys are gonna have a blast. In Georgetown, you definitely should check out Stingray city and snorkeling. Captain Marvin is a local tour guide there who is extremely popular and awesome. His tours are smaller and cheaper than the cruiselines and hit more reefs etc. In Belize, you guys might enjoy the cave tubing. You can check out Wet and Wild Cave Tubing, or Xtreme Cave Tubing. In Cozumel,