Our Horseshoe Bay Experience

[NolaDad08]

So we did this on our own. We took a taxi to Horseshoe bay and did the minibus on the way back.

 

Our Day at Horseshoe Bay (click me)

 

This was out favorite port on our cruise. You can check out our Mariner of The Seas Cruise in this CC thread:

Mariner of The Seas (Oct 8th 2022 Sailing)

 

 

[Charles4515]

18 hours ago, NolaDad08 said:

So we did this on our own. We took a taxi to Horseshoe bay and did the minibus on the way back.

 

Our Day at Horseshoe Bay (click me)

 

This was out favorite port on our cruise. You can check out our Mariner of The Seas Cruise in this CC thread:

Mariner of The Seas (Oct 8th 2022 Sailing)

 

 

Great video. Thank you for posting it. Horseshoe Bay is one of my favorite places. 

[flwinejunkie]

 

Thanks for posting the video link!  Now I'm definitely visiting Horseshoe Bay on my May NCL cruise.

 

Do you remember the approximate cost of the taxi from the port?  NCL's Horseshoe Bay transfer is $49/pp.

 

Thanks!

Mary

[1025cruise]

The shuttles to Horseshoe Bay are $7 per person each way.

[Charles4515]

A taxi would be about $32 for the taxi at the current rates. Not per person. There is a surcharge on Sunday. They intend to raise taxi fares but it will still be a much better deal than the cruise line transfer. 

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

The shuttles to Horseshoe Bay are $7 per person each way.

 

And it should be known that the cruise line transfers that they charge $49 per person for are the same type of minivans that the $7 shuttles use. So $14 versubs $49. I would only use the cruise line transfer if I had a lot of OBC I had to use. Personally I am spoiled these days and prefer  prefer  private taxis. A private taxi still a better deal then the cruise line transfer. 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Charles4515

[njhorseman]

14 hours ago, flwinejunkie said:

 

Thanks for posting the video link!  Now I'm definitely visiting Horseshoe Bay on my May NCL cruise.

 

Do you remember the approximate cost of the taxi from the port?  NCL's Horseshoe Bay transfer is $49/pp.

 

Thanks!

Mary

Since you're on NCL it's likely you have the "Free at Sea" promotion which provides a $50 credit per port day toward shore excursions. As a result one person can take the ship's $49 Horseshoe Bay transfer at no cost. When I did this I took the shore excursion that was paid by the credit and my wife took the $7 mini bus shuttle. We met in the Horseshoe Bay parking lot and the total cost for transportation for the two of us was $14...my wife's round trip mini bus ride.

[flwinejunkie]

Thanks everyone for info on transportation options!

 

I like the idea of using the NCL $50 excursion credit so I could go free and DH just pays the $14 roundtrip for the mini bus shuttle.  But, we have a bad habit of losing each other in crowded places 😞

 

So we'll probably use the mini bus shuttle option.  But it's good to know that I can also get the taxi if neeed.

 

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

On 12/31/2022 at 10:57 AM, 1025cruise said:

The shuttles to Horseshoe Bay are $7 per person each way.

 

Is it obvious where to find them? And you can just pay $7 in cash? Also, do they run continuously or on a schedule?

[1025cruise]

They are right where the ships dock, with signs and people waving. Yes, the $7 is in cash only. As soon as the van is filled, it goes.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

They are right where the ships dock, with signs and people waving. Yes, the $7 is in cash only. As soon as the van is filled, it goes.

 

Thank you. What about returning from the beach? Is that another "wait until it fills" thing?

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Thank you. What about returning from the beach? Is that another "wait until it fills" thing?

Yes. the $7 vans run back and forth all day like shuttle. They leave when they fill up. In my experience it takes about three to ten minutes. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Yes. the $7 vans run back and forth all day like shuttle. They leave when they fill up. In my experience it takes about three to ten minutes. 

 

Great, thank you so much!! 

[outbackpaul]

And it's got to be packed FULL!!!!!!!

 

🤑😁

[Charles4515]

14 minutes ago, outbackpaul said:

And it's got to be packed FULL!!!!!!!

 

🤑😁

Actually I have found if it does not fill up in ten minutes they usually won't wait more than minutes even if not full.  The vans are lined up and there is set amount of parking spaces at both ends. Usually it is full going to Horseshoe as I go between 8;30 and 9:00. But returning there are slack times so they don't always wait until it is packed full.

 

The unfortunate thing in my opinion is that the first few years the vans held 12 to 18. Then they got vans that held 30 where all were packed like sardines. So personally now I take a taxi for $32 when I am not solo going to the beach.