Booking independent shore excursions

[Ptroxx]

I could have sworn I seen a thread about this today but can’t find it.   
are we able to book our own excursions yet?  
I have a reservation for an independent tour and wondering if I need to cancel it.   
 

We have a cruise coming up at the end of Jan out of PR with no sea days. 
 

TIA

[lynncarol]

Cancel it?  If the country allows independent touring, why cancel? We used a private tour in Cozumel Mexico this past November and were very pleased. 

[beshears]

As we are to be cruising out of PR the 9th of January, I don't know which port you are referring to, but if you are going to St. Lucia, I do know Cosol Tours (I have done this twice, and it is the best) which we are doing again is Government approved, and that is what you need to know if you book someone else, other than through RCL.

[Ptroxx]

9 minutes ago, lynncarol said:

Cancel it?  If the country allows independent touring, why cancel? We used a private tour in Cozumel Mexico this past November and were very pleased. 

That’s what I’m trying to find out. If independent touring is allowed.  
 

[Ptroxx]

8 minutes ago, beshears said:

As we are to be cruising out of PR the 9th of January, I don't know which port you are referring to, but if you are going to St. Lucia, I do know Cosol Tours (I have done this twice, and it is the best) which we are doing again is Government approved, and that is what you need to know if you book someone else, other than through RCL.

Actually my reservation is for St Lucia. But not Cosol.  It’s with Hackshaw tours.   I guess I should just send them an email and ask rather than posted this     Thanks. 

[Ashland]

Contact the private provider you're wanting to book with and ask them...they'll know.

It might have helped if you gave the port you're asking about and the excursion.

 

Besides Cosol in St Lucia being government & cruiseline approved I know Thenford Grey in St Kitts is also.

[Ptroxx]

7 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Contact the private provider you're wanting to book with and ask them...they'll know.

It might have helped if you gave the port you're asking about and the excursion.

 

Besides Cosol in St Lucia being government & cruiseline approved I know Thenford Grey in St Kitts is also.

Emails been sent.  Thank you. Guess I should have added all the ports. 
st croix

st maarten

barbados

st kitts

st thomas

st Lucia 

[DevonfromAcme]

It is HIGHLY dependent on the port you are leaving from.  Do not get caught up in someone else's information.  It may not apply to you.

 

Check the Healthy Cruising section of the Royal Caribbean app for the restrictions from your port.  We are leaving from Baltimore, and we are restricted to RCCL-booked excursions (or government approved tours) from St Lucia, Barbados or St Kitts.

Edited December 14, 2021 by DevonfromAcme

[Ptroxx]

2 minutes ago, DevonfromAcme said:

It is HIGHLY dependent on the port you are leaving from.  Do not get caught up in someone else's information.  It may not apply to you.

 

Check the Healthy Cruising section of the Royal Caribbean app for the restrictions from your port.  We are leaving from Baltimore, and we are restricted to RCCL-booked excursions (or government approved tours) from St Lucia, Barbados or St Kitts.

I’ve sent an email to the tour co to see if they are government approved.  

[Ashland]

48 minutes ago, DevonfromAcme said:

It is HIGHLY dependent on the port you are leaving from.  Do not get caught up in someone else's information.  It may not apply to you.

 

Check the Healthy Cruising section of the Royal Caribbean app for the restrictions from your port.  We are leaving from Baltimore, and we are restricted to RCCL-booked excursions (or government approved tours) from St Lucia, Barbados or St Kitts.

I believe it is dependent on the ports you are visiting, not from the port you leave from.

[DevonfromAcme]

1 minute ago, Ashland said:

I believe it is dependent on the ports you are visiting, not from the port you leave from.

 

That's what I thought too, but there was differing information quoted from the app depending on which port you were leaving from.  The info from my app was different from someone else's leaving from a non-US port.

 

It could have just been differences in rollout of the information, but with all the Covid-craziness, I wouldn't risk chancing it.

 

[Biker19]

41 minutes ago, DevonfromAcme said:

.  The info from my app was different from someone else's leaving from a non-US port.

Grandeur may have her own rules because she’s sailing from Barbados, but all ships sailing from the US should have the same restrictions at foreign ports. 

[beshears]

Ashland, you mention Thenford Grey Tours in St. Kitts. I believe you said they were government approved.  My question, have you ever used their tour service, and would you recommend it? I will say after 15 years or more of being in St. Kitts, what a BIG difference I found a couple years ago, when having a Taxi take us around this time. I'm not saying the 8 of us would do it as I know my boys like to snorkel quite a bit, but I thought I would ask about Thenford Grey. I don't know if you would know this, but when using the term "government approved," does that include, or not include hiring Taxi services in that port?

[GEORGIEGIRL]

I have used "Thenford Grey" for group tours in the past and he is AWESOME!!!!!

[SRF]

16 hours ago, Ashland said:

I believe it is dependent on the ports you are visiting, not from the port you leave from.

 

It could be either or both.

 

Barbados requires that for any cruise the leaves and returns to Barbados to ONLY allow "bubble" tours.  No matter if the country of the port allows independent tours or not.

[Ashland]

10 hours ago, beshears said:

Ashland, you mention Thenford Grey Tours in St. Kitts. I believe you said they were government approved.  My question, have you ever used their tour service, and would you recommend it? I will say after 15 years or more of being in St. Kitts, what a BIG difference I found a couple years ago, when having a Taxi take us around this time. I'm not saying the 8 of us would do it as I know my boys like to snorkel quite a bit, but I thought I would ask about Thenford Grey. I don't know if you would know this, but when using the term "government approved," does that include, or not include hiring Taxi services in that port?

Yes we have used Thenford Grey...we did his Brimstone tour and not only was this a great tour but he's such a wonderful gentleman and knows his history of St Kitts. He has his own very nice comfortable vans for his tours (I believe there were 8-10 people in our van...all had booked directly with him). At the end of our tour he left those that want some beach time at a very nice beach that had chairs restroom and restaurant, then was going back to pick them up later. The rest of us he took back into town. You won't regret booking with this amazing man.

 

Sorry I have no idea about the policy of taxi-type tours.

[Ozark_Kid]

You might want to find out how long you can wait to cancel.  The rules are changing all the time.  Hard to predict what the end of January will be.

[luckyinpa]

on topic but not..but sorta

 

one thing i've learned is make sure your tour is refundable if you dont make it to the port. (even in normal times) maybe this is standard in all excursions. i have no clue. but i was on a bermuda cruise and we missed 2 of 3 days due to winds. i had nothing booked but felt for the people who may have had something non refundable. obviously all things thru the ship would def be refundable. of course. 

[beshears]

Ashland, thank you for your response.