Private excursions

[lizzyb]

Has anyone booked any private excursions while sailing on a western caribbean cruise that they would recommend?

 

[uandmfan]

Has anyone booked any private excursions while sailing on a western caribbean cruise that they would recommend?

Yes. Island Splash Watersports in the Caymans and safe tours cozumel in cozumel. We had small kids. I'd use both again.

 

[DisCruiseDad]

We just sailed the western Caribbean itinerary in November and did two private excursions that I would highly recommend. In Cozumel we did a snorkeling tour was operated by the Playa Mia beach park (we booked it through Costco, but you can book directly with Playa Mia as well). It departed right near where the ship docks where you started with a nice boat ride along the coast and made made two snorkeling stops; first at a coral reef where we saw tons of beautiful fish, and a second stop at a shallow sandy area filled with starfish. At the second stop it was shallow enough to stand, so after a little while of snorkeling they started serving drinks in the water and we all got to hang out on the sand bar and have a few margaritas before boarding the boat again and heading to the Playa Mia beach park for a late lunch and some additional fun in the sun. From there you could depart whenever you were ready and they would pay your cab fair back to the pier (a short ~10min drive). I did it with my 11 yo son and we both had a blast, and would recommend it to anyone (and will probably do it again with the whole family if we sail the western itinerary again). I would also note that there were lots of other people from our ship on the excursion, so it might be the same place the Disney contracts with (but a lot cheaper if booked directly).

In Jamaica we also did a private tour (again booked through Costco) to Dunn River falls (I apologize as I don't remember the individual tour company's name). It was a great to do this excursion with a small group instead of a large bus tour through the cruise, as we arrived at the falls on the early side (well before the main rush) and got back to the ship early afternoon. The falls themselves were a lot of fun, and a very unique experience that I would recommend to anyone (at any age) who hasn't done it before.

Now that I think about it, Costco Travel actually outsources their excursion offereings, so I think anyone can book them through a company called Shore Excursions Group. I'll definitely be using them again when looking for Eastern Caribbean excursions on our next cruise. Best of luck, and enjoy!

 

[lizzyb]

Thank you for the suggestions!

 

[lucyddr]

We loved Nativeways Rays, Reef, and Rum Point tour with our family ranging from age 3-65 in Grand Cayman. It was a great tour and far better from the same StingRay City trip sponosored by DCL we took a few years before.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

We had a group of 5 adults and 2 kids (10 and 13). In Grand Cayman, we booked the catamaran with Sail with Friends and it was amazing. http://sailwithfriendscayman.com/sail-boat.html

In Cozumel, we took a taxi to Mr. Sancho's which was a hit with our group.

 

[Mitura]

Found my post from 2017 for the same question.

Cozumel -
Chanakab we recommend and do ourselves
Playa Mia beach we recommend, do ourselves and we find we like it more than Chanakab

Grand Cayman
Captain Marvin Island tour with turtle farm we recommend. Captain Marvin is great
In 2017 we used Cayman safari guides and did a 1/2 day Eastern Tour. We would highly recommend that for a off-beat not typical Grand Cayman tour.

Joe

 

[quickcat]

Definitely Fat Fish Adventures in GC.
We did the Jet ski excursion and it was great!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Seven Seas Charters https://www.7seascayman.com/ on Grand Cayman Private tour for our family of four to go to Stingray City, snorkeling in the Coral Garden and then Starfish Beach. Loved it. Worth every penny and would book with them again.

 

[kylaura]

We just sailed the western Caribbean itinerary in November and did two private excursions that I would highly recommend. In Cozumel we did a snorkeling tour was operated by the Playa Mia beach park (we booked it through Costco, but you can book directly with Playa Mia as well). It departed right near where the ship docks where you started with a nice boat ride along the coast and made made two snorkeling stops; first at a coral reef where we saw tons of beautiful fish, and a second stop at a shallow sandy area filled with starfish. At the second stop it was shallow enough to stand, so after a little while of snorkeling they started serving drinks in the water and we all got to hang out on the sand bar and have a few margaritas before boarding the boat again and heading to the Playa Mia beach park for a late lunch and some additional fun in the sun. From there you could depart whenever you were ready and they would pay your cab fair back to the pier (a short ~10min drive). I did it with my 11 yo son and we both had a blast, and would recommend it to anyone (and will probably do it again with the whole family if we sail the western itinerary again). I would also note that there were lots of other people from our ship on the excursion, so it might be the same place the Disney contracts with (but a lot cheaper if booked directly).

In Jamaica we also did a private tour (again booked through Costco) to Dunn River falls (I apologize as I don't remember the individual tour company's name). It was a great to do this excursion with a small group instead of a large bus tour through the cruise, as we arrived at the falls on the early side (well before the main rush) and got back to the ship early afternoon. The falls themselves were a lot of fun, and a very unique experience that I would recommend to anyone (at any age) who hasn't done it before.

Now that I think about it, Costco Travel actually outsources their excursion offereings, so I think anyone can book them through a company called Shore Excursions Group. I'll definitely be using them again when looking for Eastern Caribbean excursions on our next cruise. Best of luck, and enjoy!

The Playa Mia one sounds great. Thanks for the tip! Was the meeting place hard to find?

 

[DisCruiseDad]

Super easy to find. There is a Playa Mia kiosk right at the end of the pier where the Fantasy docks. So we just checked in there, got our excursion wristbands, and they showed us exactly where to find the snorkel boat (off the main city pier which you can see just a few blocks away). So we just walked over to the next pier and found the Playa Mia kiosk there, where someone directed us on to the excursion boat. All very easy to navigate.

 

[TestingH2O]

Jamaica culinary tours in Falmouth. We had a great time.

http://jamaicaculinarytours.com/tours/view/falmouth_food_tour_868291713#.XDiGPLprmEc

 

[charlenebu]

https://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/about-island-marketing-cayman/ Island Marketing is great and they have tours in all the ports you visit.