My wife and I are taking a cruise of the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Sun next month. We will be stopping in Cozumel, George Town (Grand Cayman), Ocho Rios ( Jamaica) and Great Stirrup Cay
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My wife and I are taking a cruise of the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Sun next month. We will be stopping in Cozumel, George Town (Grand Cayman), Ocho Rios ( Jamaica) and Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas). Other than Great Stirrup Cay, we have spent a week at each of the other places, though not recently. I am wondering if we can just explore those places on our own, or is that a big mistake? We like to shop, browse, have a brew at a pub, and visit the beaches. Can someone who has been to those ports recently advise us?
Cozumel tours to Myan sites require a ferry to and from the mainland and probably should be booked with NCL so you are sure to get back to the ship. Grand caymen tour to the turtle farm (the turtles were just in concrete tanks) and just showed off thier "7 mile beach" which is only 6 miles long...? Great Stirup Cay is just thier small private island with beach with free picnic lunch ashore. I heven't done Ocho Rios.... in 40 cruises..... imagine that!
I visited Ochos Rios years ago and booked a combo coastal yacht cruise and climb down Dunn's River Falls. Jamaica has some nice hills, compared to the flat landscape of other islands. Get out there and enjoy the scenery!
In 21 cruises we pretty much use the ship shore excursions. I just feel safer knowing the ship will wait for you if you don't get back on time. We had one wait for us in St. Thomas once. The only place I would go one my own is Bermuda.
In Response to Re: Shore Excursion Suggestions We just came off that exact cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. We booked the NCL tour in Ocho Rios to the Green Grotto Cave and Dunn's River Falls and it was a great tour. Reasonable price and the guides gave us lots of information and local background.
All cruise line excursions are ripoffs. They take a local topur and mark it up 50-100%. Walk off and talk to tour operators on the dock. On a bus with 50-60 people and having to run to hear the guide and to keep up. Search internet for shore excusrsion websites. Bargain with cab drivers for the day. Too many reports of ships not waiting for their own excusrions to get back.
I used the "Shore Excursions Group". They are a company out of Florida that books group excursions all over the world. You must pay the entire cost up front before you leave on your cruise. There was a mix up with the meeting time and I missed the tour. Their attitude when I asked for a refund was, "Tough luck, no refund".
I will book the cruise line sponsored trips from now on or deal directly with a reputable local that I do not have to pay before the tour.
