Legend excursion advice

[Sam22]

My fiancee and I are taking our honeymoon on the Legend in late August (our first cruise!) and I'm just looking for some advice on which excursions to take. Obviously everyone has their own preferencs, but I'm just wondering if there are activities that we definatly want to aviod or shouldn't miss. So far we are thinking of doing the following:

 

Cozumel: Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe

Belize: Barrier Reef Snorkel or Sergeant's Cay Snorkel Adventure

Isla Roatan: Parasail Adventure or Barefoot Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Cayman Islands: Dolphin Swim, Stingray Interaction & Turtle Farm

 

 

Anyways, any advice from those who have done it before would be great! Thanks

[rusticfurnituremaker]

My fiancee and I are taking our honeymoon on the Legend in late August (our first cruise!) and I'm just looking for some advice on which excursions to take. Obviously everyone has their own preferencs, but I'm just wondering if there are activities that we definatly want to aviod or shouldn't miss. So far we are thinking of doing the following:

 

Cozumel: Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe

Belize: Barrier Reef Snorkel or Sergeant's Cay Snorkel Adventure

Isla Roatan: Parasail Adventure or Barefoot Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Cayman Islands: Dolphin Swim, Stingray Interaction & Turtle Farm

 

 

Anyways, any advice from those who have done it before would be great! Thanks

 

 

Congrats in advance! I know this is your first cruise, but please fight the urge to book with the cruiselines. Independent excursions are THE ONLY way to go. With the ship, here is what you can expect:

Double the price (0r more)

100 people

waiting in a lounge until they call you

waiting while the people come back late from the excursion

waiting while others on your trip use the bathroom or shop

crowded bus

in other words, you are treated like cattle and have to pay double. You will hear the cowardly who always book line sponsored excursions that you should be terribly afraid of not getting back to your ship on time. Private tours have a much better "on time" record than any ship sponsored tour. It would be disastrous to their reputation if they didn't get you back on time.

 

On a private tour, YOU choose when you go, how long you stay, how many in your party (usually 6-8 instead of 50+), when you leave. It is SOOOOOO easy to book one. Just go on the roll call for your particular ship and sailing date. You can book with others to get a less expensive tour with a much better experience!

 

All the tours you mention above can be done without the aid of the ship. I promise you will have more fun and spend WAY less money if you do it yourself.

 

Good luck and have fun!

Amy

[Irishlinny]

I agree with Amy...try to book independent excursions if possible...much less expensive and usually a much nicer experience. Go to the Ports of Call section of these boards and read thru what's there...lots of interesting things to do and reviews of tour operators.

Definitely do a Stingray City excursion...it's great! We used Moby Dick and they were very good...snorkeled, too.

In Roatan, you must get away from the port and experience the island. We've used Victor Bodden (boddentours dot com) twice and it was great! You get a private driver for the day to take you anywhere you want to go.

Lots of choices for Coz.

Belize, yes definitely do some type of snorkel excursion or the like.

Good luck and Congratualtions in advance! The Legend is wonderful!

[Sam22]

wow thanks, I never thought of that so very good to know!

[aljofred2travel]

My fiancee and I are taking our honeymoon on the Legend in late August (our first cruise!) and I'm just looking for some advice on which excursions to take. Obviously everyone has their own preferencs, but I'm just wondering if there are activities that we definatly want to aviod or shouldn't miss. So far we are thinking of doing the following:

 

Cozumel: Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe

Belize: Barrier Reef Snorkel or Sergeant's Cay Snorkel Adventure

Isla Roatan: Parasail Adventure or Barefoot Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Cayman Islands: Dolphin Swim, Stingray Interaction & Turtle Farm

 

 

Anyways, any advice from those who have done it before would be great! Thanks

 

We just got back from our cruise on the Legend (1/2/11 - 1/9/11) and loved the Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe, booked through Carnival. The price was ABSOLUTELY REASONABLE!!! The price included transportation to/from the beach, a lounge chair, beach umbrella, lunch/snack buffet, and all you can drink beverages (alcoholic drinks included - try the Rum Punch! :p).

 

There were several groups that had gotten there later in the day and were complaining that they didn't have lounge chairs or umbrellas available. I even heard someone say that they wished they had booked the Deluxe package. He thought his package included the open bar but was upset when he found out otherwise.

 

Cozumel's Playa Mia Beach was definitely our favourite excursion of the trip. We had perfect weather, friendly and fun waiters & staff, and truly one of the best days of our life. You truly won't be disappointed. If you are, I'll buy you a Rum Punch! ;) Btw, here's the website: http://www.playamiacozumel.com/

 

In Grand Cayman, we went to the turtle farm but with no other trips in the package. We enjoyed our time with the turtles but that one was a little pricier. With anything, you really have to do your research. Don't just assume that Carnival's prices are the highest or that you'll get the best deal with an independent vendor.

 

Enjoy your first cruise; there's nothing like it! :)

[marshalltp]

My fiancee and I are taking our honeymoon on the Legend in late August (our first cruise!) and I'm just looking for some advice on which excursions to take. Obviously everyone has their own preferencs, but I'm just wondering if there are activities that we definatly want to aviod or shouldn't miss. So far we are thinking of doing the following:

 

Cozumel: Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe

Belize: Barrier Reef Snorkel or Sergeant's Cay Snorkel Adventure

Isla Roatan: Parasail Adventure or Barefoot Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Cayman Islands: Dolphin Swim, Stingray Interaction & Turtle Farm

 

 

Anyways, any advice from those who have done it before would be great! Thanks

 

Any of the above choices would be great, however I too would recommend doing your excursions privately everywhere except Belize...My choices are:

 

Cozumel: Nachi Cocum....food, drinks, pools, and the beach where they film the Corona commercials....all for $50pp and max of 100 on beach per day. If you want more water toys, you can do Paradise Beach where everything is a la carte and a bigger 'party' atmosphere

 

Belize: Snorkelling either to Goff's Caye or Bannister Island (if Carnival gets over their spat and reopens it to traffic). Either way, the boat picks you up at the ship (ou in the ocean, aways out, since this is a tender port), so you don;t have the tender hassle. Cavetubing is popular here but is hit and miss as far as seasonal tides and has a bit of a herd of cattle feel. Do whatever you do here through the line since self guided tours in Belize City can be intimidating...and I spend some time in downtown Detroit. There is some word that the Belizean gov't has made recent moves to increase tourist safety and warm fuzzy feelings, but you have time to research that

 

Roatan: get an inexpensive local guide through Victor Bodden and the will tailor your day to you....some highlights are West Bay beach/snorkel, ziplining 9better right by port than at Victors house and take in local culture. Alot of people bring some school supplies and find it very rewarding to drop those off..

 

Grand Cayman: for sure Stingray and snorkel, lots of good private companies with the most recommended being Moby Dicks and Capt Marvin

 

Good luck and enjoy

[okwriter]

Congrats on the wedding!

 

Here is a link to our review from last month, which includes (on the first page) a bit about our excursions.

 

In summary:

 

We missed Grand Cayman because of rough seas...we were soooo looking forward to swimming with the stingrays!

 

In Roatan, we did a Carnival catamaran snorkeling excursion. It was OUTSTANDING!

 

In Belize, I'd stick with a Carnival excursion. We did a zipline excursion (Lost Canopy) through the ship. It was fun to do once. Long ride but you really get to see a lot of the country. I suspect it would be very HOT in summer, though!

 

Playa Mia in Cozumel was a last-minute choice for us because I'd hurt my ankle on an excursion the day before in Belize. Playa Mia was "OK" but I would definitely choose something different next time. Maybe the Bar Hop tour or Amazing Race. When I go in April with friends, we're going to try Nachi Cocum.

 

Enjoy your cruise! I know you will!

[Chowder_17]

We just got back from our cruise on the Legend (1/2/11 - 1/9/11) and loved the Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe, booked through Carnival. The price was ABSOLUTELY REASONABLE!!! The price included transportation to/from the beach, a lounge chair, beach umbrella, lunch/snack buffet, and all you can drink beverages (alcoholic drinks included - try the Rum Punch! :p).

 

There were several groups that had gotten there later in the day and were complaining that they didn't have lounge chairs or umbrellas available. I even heard someone say that they wished they had booked the Deluxe package. He thought his package included the open bar but was upset when he found out otherwise.

 

Cozumel's Playa Mia Beach was definitely our favourite excursion of the trip. We had perfect weather, friendly and fun waiters & staff, and truly one of the best days of our life. You truly won't be disappointed. If you are, I'll buy you a Rum Punch! ;) Btw, here's the website: http://www.playamiacozumel.com/

 

In Grand Cayman, we went to the turtle farm but with no other trips in the package. We enjoyed our time with the turtles but that one was a little pricier. With anything, you really have to do your research. Don't just assume that Carnival's prices are the highest or that you'll get the best deal with an independent vendor.

 

Enjoy your first cruise; there's nothing like it! :)

 

I also agree with Playa Mia thru Carnival. we had a little too much fun and ended up missing our bus. Since we were with Carnival, the representative there got us a taxi back to the ship for free!

 

We also booked Tabayana at Roaton thru Carnival and we were really pleased with that as well.

 

We did Grand Cayman and Belize independently.

 

We were first time cruisers on the Legend and thru the help of this board we got a ton of information which helped us. Do some research and determine what you want to do and where would give you the best price. Sometimes it was Carnival and other times it wasn't....

[nathand95]

My fiancee and I are taking our honeymoon on the Legend in late August (our first cruise!) and I'm just looking for some advice on which excursions to take. Obviously everyone has their own preferencs, but I'm just wondering if there are activities that we definatly want to aviod or shouldn't miss. So far we are thinking of doing the following:

 

Cozumel: Playa Mia Beach Break Deluxe

Belize: Barrier Reef Snorkel or Sergeant's Cay Snorkel Adventure

Isla Roatan: Parasail Adventure or Barefoot Catamaran Sail & Snorkel

Cayman Islands: Dolphin Swim, Stingray Interaction & Turtle Farm

 

 

Anyways, any advice from those who have done it before would be great! Thanks

Cozumel-That is an excellent choice! I didn't go on that,but I heard back form many people who were raving about it. Also, Senor Frogs is an excellent place to go if you are into a party type atmosphere for some drinks and a quick snack before you return to the ship. Definitely a party atmosphere though. It's about a 5-10 min cab ride from where Carnival docks. Definitely not in walking distance. Carlos N Charlies is on the botoom floor also.

Belize-I would actually encourage you to not book through CCL here. We didn't and settled for Altun Ha ruins. I'm not into sightseeing much,more outdoorsy adventury stuff, but it was amazing. Great history behind the ruins and the view from the top of the main pyramid is INCREDIBLE. It is not overcrowded,great market nearby for little souveneirs. On the road to Altun Ha,which is very rough winding and in disrepair, there is this famous snake man he has many different types of snakes and alligators. it is not offered with any excursions, it is the best secret of Belize. He lives in this old shack and has amazing stories to tell. It's an excellent oppurtunity to interact with reptiles in a safe enviroment. I can't remember his name but if you search "Famous Belizean Reptile Man" it should yield back some results, or check the ports board. As others have said Belize will be VERY hot. We went in April and it was 95+ w/o the heat index. Definitely my favorite port.

Roatan-You have to go snorkeling here. It is 2nd best in the WORLD. I love Tabyana Beach. Perfect for relaxation,snorkeling,drinks,etc. I would suggest you book with CCL here because Roatan can be, for lack of a better word,sketchy.

Grand Cayman-Awesome port. Stingrays are AMAZING! Can't go wrong there. IMHO the turtle farm was quite boring. They have great ice crem though:). There is really no need to book with CCL here. We didn't and go a "behind the scenes" tour of GC. We saw some old apartments that were destroyed by Hurricane Ivan I believe a good number fo years before. GC is a great port. Very safe too.

Congratulations on your marriage. I'm sure this will be a memorable cruise for you. Go with what interests you, but definitely do your research before you go with anything. If you have any other questions I'll be more than happy to answer.

[Sam22]

thanks a lot everyone, great info! I think a mix between private companies and booking through the cruise is what we will probably be doing. It's currently -35C outside where I'm at right now so I'm really getting excited about snorkling, sitting on a beach and not wearing 20 layers lol! (Should have gotten married in the winter I guess!) Anyways, thanks a lot, keep the suggestions coming!