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In Roatan we booked through Facebook with Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Sanctuary. Again, easy to find right outside the port and an amazing trip, we did the snorkeling add on and were not disappointed. This was one of our favorite things ever. The boat crew did a great job splitting up the group for snorkeling so every one could explore the reef at their level Read more
We booked excursions at each port and none through Carnival. In Grand Cayman we booked through cruisesonly.com and went to StingRay City, snorkeling and Starfish Beach. We met our excursion team right at the port and had a great time. It was a little rushed but we were only in port for a short time so it makes sense. Captain Bob and his team were great, my son asked if he could fish were no one was swimming and the Captain agreed and even gave his some bait to use. We purchased our picutres for $80 ($20 pp) and recieved them by email with no problem. here
This was our first Carnival cruise though we have cruised with NCL several times. We were traveling with two 17 year olds and are non-drinkers. The boat was very clean and the staff was amazing.We arrived in Miami the day before and went on a airboat ride through the everglades (amazing) and then stayed at the Newport Beachside Resort in Sunny Isles. It is a beautiful hotel right on Miami Beach. The next morning we returned our rental and arrived at the port. The embarkation process was very quick and easy. Our boarding time was 10:30am and we were on the ship by 11:00. Unfortunately our rooms were not ready (which is understandable) but I would have liked to be able to at least drop our jackets and backpacks off and not have to carry them around as we explored the ship. Carnival had some "carnival" games set up where you play them and get your card checked off and then could turn it in for prizes at a later show. The staff wasn't all the excited to run these but we did participate. Our cabins (two of them) were inside staterooms and were typical rooms, plenty of space and actually I was surprised by the extra closet space. Our room stewards, Punta and Kharisma were great, they were so friendly and responsive. We like to stay very busy on the ship during sea time and at night (after 6pm) the Fun Squad had things planned but the day time was limited. I think they expected people to just hang at the pool but it was so crowded (typical) and the hot tubs were always full of little kids swimming. There were a few games scheduled during the day but only lasted 10 minutes or so. We ended up playing cards or other games with our kiddos. The shows were great and fun to watch, those dancers/singers did a great job and the comedians were fairly good. Dustin, Alex and Leo (cruise director and team) had a lot of energy and added to the cruise. By the way we loved the Lip Sync Battle, what a show!!
Typical interior state room, lots of space. Has three closet areas! Only one plug so bring a extension cord.
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Daniel Johnson’s Monkey & Sloth Hangout is a quaint animal park sanctuary in French Cay, Roatan. This island attraction is a must for exotic animal lovers wishing to interact with Roatan sloths, Capuchin Monkeys, Scarlet Macaws, and parrots! Other animals include the indigenous Agouti or Guatusa, also known as the Roatan Island rabbit and Spider Monkeys. A South American raccoon is sure to please, an exotic animal only seen in this part of the world. here
For your leisure, the animal park provides lounging chairs during your visit at no extra cost. Relax and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Caribbean. Mangroves surround the perimeter of Daniel Johnson’s Monkey & Sloth Hangout, there you can find more of nature’s wildlife. The islands seen across the channel are Little French Key and Big French Key, private island day resort destinations for cruise ship passengers and resort guests.
Galveston is a tropical island in the Gulf of Mexico that you’ll cruise away from, but this Texas city may end up being your very favorite port of call! Consider starting you cruise vacation early (or keeping it alive after you disembark) in Galveston to enjoy thrilling amusements on the Historic Pleasure Pier, the water park brilliance of Schlitterbahn, dolphin sightseeing harbor tours, tasty fresh seafood, and an abundance of Texas and American history at the meticulously designed Bryan Museum and Bishop’s Palace. here
Many cruise ports are filled to the brim with discount jewelry, trinket shops, and glorified beer halls. Those ports are… fine, but they’re not fantastic. Here, we rank 13 of the best cruise ports—ones you depart from and return to—as well as the ports of call you’ll want to visit during your next family cruise.
Extend your cruise from this port with a stay at The Tremont House and be within a short walk to your cruise ship, The Strand, and everything this dreamy holiday paradise has to offer. And that’s just on Galveston Island! here
Definitely check Trip Advisor and there are tons of groups on FB. You can even Google the destination you're going and search for "tour companies" or more specifically, "tour companies that cater to cruisers." A reputable tour company is pretty easy to find. They generally run their business by word of mouth and good reviews from people who have used them and have shared their experiences. And if you're worried, tour companies who market to cruisers absolutely understand the importance of getting you back to your ship in time. They wouldn't be in business if they didn't. Plus, overall, you generally save a lot of money and your money goes straight to the tour company, which on a smaller island can really help out.
Start with Viator and go from there. Excursions through Viator are well reviewed and many of them offer (as was mentioned) refunds if the ship doesn't port. here
We have also saved a lot of money by using independents and had very good experiences. I completely agree with the previous poster about far away excursions - too risky to not do DCL. [links]
The only time we use DCL excursions is if we’re leaving our kids onboard or those ports that are 2 hours from the city (Like Berlin, Florence, Rome). here
It is a little more work than clicking a button on DCL website, but in Alaska (where the cost is high) we saved $2800 for the week by booking on our own- and were on the exact same trips as DCL only we had a private guide for very small group and got to add stops with our extra time. Same in Europe. here
We’ve found ours brought a combination of others reviews on this forum and TripAdvisor. All the places we booked refunded deposits if the ship didn’t dock. more