 Shore excursions
"Emerald" <lorbilek56@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:d67ee70c.0410020556.70c8a4e8@c om...
> We are taking our first cruise in January on the Carnival Valor. is
> there any benefit to booking shore activities in advance, or should we
> just "wing it" on each of the islands? We will be going to St.
> Thomas, St.Maarten and Nassau. Any advice would be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Em
Em, I am booked on the Carnival Valor 1/16/05 cruise on this route. My
advise is to get a good travel guide, such as "Frommer's Caribbean Cruises
and Ports of Call - 2005 Edition" available at most major bookstores.
Often, if all you want is an island tour, you can hire a taxi for an island
tour for much less than the cruise line excursion cost. The only advantages
to booking shore excursions through Carnival is that the operators are
vetted by the cruise line (they will send crew members on the tours both as
recreation for the crew and a way they can get a first-hand knowledge of any
problems), and they will hold the ship if one of those tours is running
late. They will also have shopping maps with their recommended stores.
While the shops pay a "fee" to be listed, and pass this cost onto the
customers, these stores are also vetted by the crew and are also less likely
to jip you since too many complaints would cause Carnival to from them from
their recommended list.
Tom Smith
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