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Yeah Ilana, the new 2024 top 10 cruise youtubers subscribers list was just released, and " Life Well Cruised" jumped up from # 8 to # 4. How wonderful to see you rewarded for all the ah-mazing work you do. Take a bow, you've earned it. You and your husband, should be very proud.
@@LifeWellCruised Very true, Ilana. You're welcome! What it does show is, the content creators who put that much dedication in to their craft, are duly appreciated by their audience; and your following enjoys what you bring!
MINE TOOO!! After I went climbing the Dunn's River falls which was sooooooooooo fun and unique BUT the sales people were sooo pushy to the point they were dang near holding my arm back. Will never go there again because of the pushy sales people that will not take a "NO" or "LEAVE ME THE EFF ALONE" nor can I ignore them because they will grab your arm. Just stay on the boat for safety!!
I am a museum guy. One of the VERY best museums I went on, was during our port day in Halifax. The Halifax Maritime Museum. Super fascinating. Learned about the Halifax Explosion which blew my mind. Never heard of it before. Alot of Titanic artifacts as well.
Larry right next door to the port shops is the Canadian Version of Ellis island check it out next trip We lucked out one of our enrichment me speakers spoke on the Explosion part of the cemetery with Titanic victims has an explosion area too
P.S. I believe we will enjoy further reviews of your excursions. They really do help us decide for ourselves when we get a clearer picture of an excursion.
We were just at the sloth sanctuary last week and had a totally different experience. Our bus was the only one there at the time so things went very smoothly. Saw the sloths, got our canoe ride , got immediately back on the bus and then had a short stop at a plantation on the way back to the ship. Very enjoyable excursion.
Whenever I book a cruise, I always go to the websites of the ports we will be visiting and see how many ships will be there on the day we will be there. If it’s more that 2 ships, we don’t book an excursion. Early in our cruising life, we found out real quick how unrelenting crowds and traffic can ruin an excursion. I’m older now and I just cannot stand crowds and big buses. Especially when it’s HOT outside. Not a fan of tendering either.
Great video!! In the Caribbean, we saw a lot of tours with glass bottomed boats. However, for our stop in January in Barbados, we took the Atlantis Submarine, which dove down 150' below the surface and along a coral reef. I would never go on a glass-bottom boat after that excursion. Everyone had porthole windows, and the fish came right up to look inside the sub. It was terrific! The real deal!
We took a Princess cruise to the Caribbean in January. For our St. Thomas visit, we took an excursion to St. John, and I liked it MUCH better than St. Thomas. It was absolutely beautiful and much less busy.
We're also taking a Princess Cruise in March 2025 to the Caribbean and are looking for a good snorkling adventure - if you have any suggestions I'd appreciate it!
St. John has a snorkle trail, open water requires strong swimming ability. Grand Cayman has clear water, lots of fish, several great sites. Belize has the second largest reef system, second to Australias great barrier reef.did a Belize excursion that offered snorkeling inside the reef, or outside for strong swmmers and larger fish!
I agree with those folks who said that long bus tours are a waste of time for me. Not being a shopper that too does not appeal to me. When you have seen so many gift shops they get very tiresome. I love tours where I can be more active.
Don't book alligator boat tour with HAL out of Fort Lauderdale. None seen from crowded air boats. Just ones in cages on land. Plus really long line ups for everything
On my most recent cruise (Southampton to Cape Town on QM2) we did a mix of ship excursions and private excursions booked through Viator. The private excursions (booking a car and driver) were Soooo much better than the ship excursions - it was just the two of us and the driver in a regular car - no waiting around for all those other people and much easier on the knees than all those bus steps. We could go where we wanted, stay the amount of time we wanted, and were able to see so much more than the people on the bus did.
Simply loved the Alexander G.Bell Museum in Sydney but it was only a part of an excursion which included a restored village walk and a great lunch at a local eatery. The land area outside the museum is beautiful also. There is a short boardwalk in Sydney that has relaxing views and dining ops.
I do not like going on excursions on buses when the guide is not miked and if you are in the back of the bus and cannot hear anything, the excursion is a bust. I take very few excursions on buses anymore (especially in the Caribbean) where that is a real possibility.
Man, about to take my first cruise ever in September with my family, many of whom taking their first cruise ever as well. Short and inexpensive cruise, just the 4-day Coco Cay/Nassau cruise on Allure. Been watching a ton of your videos to get prepped for what to expect. I honestly think whatever we end up doing is gonna be a blast regardless. Love it or hate it, we're getting out of the house and out of the country for once! Even if only slightly lol
If you don't mind a suggestion,I always book Atlantis hotel.the locker rooms are clean,we can swim in all the different pools and I love the aquarium! Slightly pricey but worth it
In St. Thomas, I can’t recommend Seas the Day charters enough. We had a group of 6 total. They picked us up right from the pier and took us out to a snorkeling spot. I felt completely safe as there were 3 staff members with us. After an hour or two of snorkeling, we spent a couple hours at Water Island which was not crowded at all. We ate lunch there and had some quality beach time. They have several pre-planned trips you can take or you can customize your trip. They were so friendly and accommodating. They also got in touch with us the day before while we were in port in San Juan the day before to alert us of some changes. One of the best excursions I’ve ever taken!
I just got back from Explorer of the Sea, Royal Caribbean ship and a 9 day Eastern Caribbean cruise. It was amazing. There were a couple of excursions that disappointed though. The first one was the zip line in Puerto Plata. It was fun but not much different than other zip lines and the views were minimal, just the country side. The next, was the eBike tour on St Maarten. 2 Countries on an eBike. The views were great but you have to share the road with big buses and trucks. It was scary. The other thing is the steep hills and the extremely hot weather combined with the fact that my eBike wasn't working well in Turbo mode which made me have to peddle very hard. I was so exhausted we couldn't complete the tour and took a bus back to the cruise port. The next was our snorkeling in St Kitts. The masks weren't in good condition and the areas they took us to were underwhelming. I was extremely disappointed as when I signed up through my travel agent, it said I would be snorkeling with sea turtles. I was told on the excursion that had we gone in the morning, I might have seen a sea turtle but not in the afternoon. I wasn't given a morning option to sign up for. It felt like a scam. My favorite excursion was in Antigua where we snorkeled with sting ray! They were wild, coming in from the ocean on their own because they are used to getting fed. We were able to feed them and they loved being petted. They were so gentle. It was wonderful. When we returned to Miami, we did an excursion through the ship that was a tour of the Everglades and then a bus ride to the airport when done. That was the absolute worst. There were so many busses from many different ships (there were 5 in port when we disembarked) that the lines were so long it was insane. The airboat tour was worthless. They took you out for 15 minutes in the same route as all the other boats and told about the Everglades but didn't even try to find alligators. Most of the time we stood around in the hot sun, waiting our turn. We did get to see the alligator show, which was the only positive thing about the tour but even that made us stand around what felt like forever. The show lasted 25 minutes or a little less, the airboat ride was 15 minutes and we were there for 4 hours. I'll never do that again.
I'm absolutely a museum person! I spent several hours at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, on my own, while in Miami during a recent cruise on the MSC Meravligia. It was fabulous!
Just returned from my very first cruise aboard MSC Seascape, and LOVED IT! The ship was gorgeous, spotless, food & drinks were amazing & was the hot stone massage I had ! There was all kinds of things going on, casino, shows, or just lounging on deck - it was a great experience - I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I love your videos, I started watching them before we booked, and they are VERY informative, helpful, and much appreciated> Keep them coming Ilana, I am planning a Mediterranean cruise next! Thanks!
I don’t have a specific excursion that was bad but I will say I’ve learned to stay away from ones that include either a lunch or a restaurant of their choosing. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with the food but I always feel like they are places tourists go and I really like experiencing where the locals eat.
There was an excursion in Saguenay, Quebec with NCL It was "Discover the Fjord Secrets". The excursion had two different groups, one took the boat first and one group took the bus first. The boat ride went down the exact river, location that the cruise ship came on, so saw the same scenery. Then it ended in a small small town with one place to eat. Picture the buses from the one group and the boat from the other group arriving at the same time and needing to eat at the same time. Not long enough for everyone to stand in line at the one eating place and get food.
I agree about the glass bottom boat. We took one in Bermuda at night, to see "coral and fish." Everything was grey. Sunset on the way out was gorgeous, and seeing the ship all lit up from the water on the way back was beautiful, but I'll skip the boat in the future. Was also too crowded with everyone smooshed together to see the glass.
Boo! I'm going to Bermuda in a few months and have a glass-bottomed Bermuda Triangle excursion booked. Should I cancel? I was imagining a large portion of the boat being made of glass, guess that's not the case. It's also at night (like 10PM, way after sunset - I have a sunset rum cruise booked as well!)
@@jds2001nyc Oh no. It's very squished and uncomfortable and there isn't anything to see at night. I would certainly not do it again. I'd choose something else.
Hiking over museums any day! I appreciate this video and I'd love to see more of this opinion based type video from your experiences. It helps so much when planning what to do while cruising. Thanks! 🙂
When we did that cruise, we would get off the ship and go to where the tour busses waited and hired a local driver to drive us around for an hour for a tour. We would get them to drop us in the downtown area, where we would window shop and find an interesting restaurant for lunch. We found interaction with a local cab driver gave us more interesting and personalized information.
We booked a private excursion in Cartagena so we could go to the Gold Museum. It's not very large but very interesting (and free). The video on the ground floor was about a current archeological project dealing with ceramic flutes. Had never heard of these before. Absolutely fascinating!
You are so right about Halifax excursion - we had a combo of the fortress and Bell museum. It didnt help it was raining that way. And fortress is at one end and Bell museum is at another. So we were mostly on the bus and saw looooooots of wet pine trees on the sides of the road. The one amazing thing that day - we stumbled upon some tiny inn that had a restaurant - our guide said it was closed so most people went for a bite at the supermarket across the road, but I called and the inn people said they are open. We had lobster rolls to die for! Amazing!!! and they were a fraction of cost of what the restaurant in Bar Harbor wanted (like 15CAD vs 30+usd)
On our New England Boston to Montreal this summer, we've booked a walking tour in Bar Harbor (wasn't sure if tender was free, but this way it's included), and the Confederation Bridge in Charlottetown PEI (a very early morning adventure, so time to enjoy the port too), as part of our Holland America "Have it All". The rest we plan to explore ourselves, except for Quebec City, hubby came from there, so, been there, done that. The Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River cruise last summer had mostly museums, the first being the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. My first visit was in 1968, when my grandfather was invited to be interviewed by the museum. Afterwards, he gave 7 year old me a private tour of which planes he flew, actual and type, and writing on each pertaining page of the souvenir booklet. I think he spent the most time in Canadian Airways Fairchild G-CART.
I agree with your thoughts on the Magen's Bay excursion. I instinctively did the same thing you recommended--walked all the way down to the left where it was much less crowded! We finally found an open picnic table there where we could enjoy our lunch. Unfortunately, by the time we got to splash around in the water for a while, and get drinks and food (at the VERY busy pizza place & bar), it was almost time to leave! I'm not sorry I went, but will probably do things a little differently if I ever go back to St. Thomas.
I grew up going to museums in Boston (The Peabody Museum [now Peabody-Essex], The Science Museum [The Planetarium & Omni Theatre included], The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum & The Museum of Fine Arts).
Great video! The only "glass bottom boat" tour we ever really liked was the see through kayaks in Roatan. The guide sang while we followed in our kayaks and we could easily see the fish under us.
We went to a different sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica with Holland America. It was much smaller and even though we couldn't hold the sloths we really enjoyed it.
Puerta Plata tip....there is such a nice resort style pool area at the port, that if you don't do any excursions, you'll be perfectly happy. Especially because many people are concerned about safety when in Dominican Republic. We did take a tour, had a great time. But when in the pool, lazy river area, it was very relaxing and I could stay there all day. You can just float around, and they have many hammocks hanging over the eater. There are swim up bars, restaurants, etc. So if you want to save money, or just not leave port, get off the ship, and enjoy that area. It's free, and its that Caribbean Vacation feel you are really seeking.
The most disappointing excursion we did was from Allure of the Seas last January; it was at Cozumel and we were going to tour the Mayan Ruins at Tulum. Between the Ferry Ride (they were LITERALLY passing out motion sickness bags...which were being utilized in abundance!), the 10 block (give or take) walk from the ferry (in the rain!) to where we got on the buses to be taken to the ruins, there was absolutely NO TIME to shop for souvenirs or even take pictures with monkees or iguanas. We barely had enough time to go the the bathroom before we were paraded about a mile through the jungle to the ruins. At the ruins, we didn't even have enough time to see everything and never got NEAR the Temple. Same rushed agenda on the way back, though with 1.5 hour stop for lunch and swimming time. We got back to the ferry but had to wait FORTY-FIVE MINUTES for two women who decided to shop for souvenirs m, but since they were on a ship's excursion, we had to wait for them. There were three ship's in Port that day so we don't know what ship they were from, but they caused the Allure to depart almost an hour later than scheduled! Thankfully, we HAD booked the excursion through RCCL, so the ship couldn't leave without us! It was just too rushed, even if we didn't have to wait for the two women!
I agree the sloth sanctuary Roatan was so much fun love being able to hold them and have them fall asleep in your arms. If you go to San Juan look online and book the old San Juan Segway tour. It's a great time and well worth the $96.00 for two hours.
I prefer walking tours. Especially those that include food tastings and even cooking experiences. My fave in Cozumel is the one at IxCool right outside the port. It was lots of fun and food was great.
That would have been so much better than the Mayan ruins walk in high heat and humidity with a walk thru area of shops---FYI the advertised shuttle up to the ruins has been out of service and unavailable for over a year now, but Princess has it as a 'part' of the tour and available for $2. Complained at cruise desk but they really don't care!
So glad to hear you enjoyed Peggy’s cove. We’re doing the Canada cruise for the first time in September and will definitely put it on our list. As for Nassau-the best thing to do in Nassau is stay on the ship and enjoy the space while everyone else is is onshore. Also agree about the glass bottom board. I’ve done it before while on vacation in Mexico. A real disappointment with everyone clambering around the small viewing windows. Couldn’t really was anything.
I love the Bell Museum in Nova Scotia. I had no idea what all he did. I am a museum person. I listened to his biography after we got back. I have several excursions I didn’t enjoy. One in Iceland we didn’t get to spend enough time in a thermal area and too much time at a restaurant.
Went to the blow hole (LA bufadora) Ensanada, Mexico. It was supposed to be a three hour excursion. Upon arrival, we had to go through an open market and was bothered by the different shop workers on the way to and back. The excursion lasted 5 hours instead. The blow hole was about 10 minutes for us to see and want to go back. Waited hours to get on the bus back to the cruise port.
We did that tour to Ensenada also. Blow hole wasn’t even functioning very much the day we went. A complete bust. Just vendors selling junk or overpriced jewelry. I probably would just stay on the ship if we ever went back
I find any of the excursions where you leave the ship, just to sit on a beach a waste, since I can do that on the ship, at the pool. Though, I do love the shopping excursions where you can grab lunch and eat local food, then do some shopping. Museums are okay, especially if it’s a hot day and they’re cool inside. But really, I’m a ship-body, and I prefer to explore activities when everyone else is off the ship.
#1. My favorite activity on St. Thomas is to go to St. John and snorkel Trunk Bay. But not on a ship excursion. If you get right off the ship and take a cab to the ferry port, you can beat the ship crowd by several hours. #2. I enjoy some museums. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam is a favorite. This May, going back there, I'm looking forward to the Reich museum with art by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and some other classics. Among my favorite excursions ever was Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica. So beautiful. We walked up the falls and had a ball. Then it turned into one of my lease favorite excursions. Never in my life have I been around such an aggressive group of vendors. Not ever, and I live in San Diego and have shopped in Tijuana, which is very aggressive, nowhere near as bad as Jamaica.
When we went to Alaska, my sister=in=law booked a bicycle trip for all of us that was a waste of money & time. I don't remember what port of call we were in but you were taken by van to the top of a hill where you were given a bike & it was all down hill. If you stopped or put your foot down, they made you get off of your bicycle & had to ride in the van. I did not do the excursion as I have asthma & had a bad breathing day. My late husband said it was the worst excusion he has ever been on. You had to go all the way down the hill watching where you were going & saw absolutely nothing, plus, you had to keep your brakes applied. I was glad I missed it. My most favorite excursion was in Cozumel & we swam with a dolphin. It was very expensive but worth every penny. I have photos & a CD of both my late hubby & me.
In 2019 we did ANOTHER Alaskan cruise but this time it was only activity based activities. Rafting down the Chilcoot river in Hanea, off roading in Ketchican, hiking up and awaybon Mount Roberts on Juneau. It beat the stuffing out of boring blah blah bus tours.
We did Margaritaville when it first opened and was only about $60. It is now much more and doesnt include the infinity pool. It was clean and nice and you could walk to it.
Loved our excursion in Juneau to see the Alaskan StateMuseum and a Nature Preserve. We only did it because rain cancelled several others but it was great The Museum was far better than expected and just the right amount of time maybe 45 min. Then the ride around the nature park with steep inclines was exciting.
Last time we were in Bar Harbor I did some research online and found out there were free hop on and off busses from downtown to Acadia. The only cost was $5 admission to the park. The tour of park offered through the cruise line was about $90. The only thing they were supposed to do which we couldn't was go to the top of Cadillac mountain. But since it was drizzling, the tour ended up not going there either. My husband had fun telling people how cheaply we had done that port. 😊
Yup, all the way left for Magen's Bay -- which is unfortunately the opposite direction from probably the best painkiller I ever drank lol! But plan ahead, bring bottled water, and stay left and it's a great visit.
We loved Magens bay, took a taxi on our own, and yes walked left, beautiful and much less crowded, there was a woman who would bring drinks from the bar, or we sent our hubby's, and then that bar/snack place was much less crowded at the end of the day.
😂 do not go back and order another pain killer!! Made that mistake. Thank God our cab driver was a good guy-4 people hardly remember getting back to the ship. He even stopped and took pics of us at some look out 😂
I did an excursion to tortola and hiked to virgin Gorda. Best snorkeling ever.crystal clear blue water and the hike went from wetlands to desert,through caves and down one more hill to snorkeling paradise
I do have to agree with the sloth sanctuary tour not including a meal makes for a very long and very hot day. Definitely a day to bring 2-3 water bottles from the ship because that tour definitely needs a drink and food option that is included. That tour will take up your entire port day so there's very little option to get food in the port for an authentic taste of Costa Rica. I liked the sanctuary and I liked the canoe ride, but no food or water on that tour was just painful. It would be so easy for the tour operator to offer a sandwich and a bottle of water or a plate of rice and beans or something. Offer a cup of coffee! Costa Rica is known for its amazing coffee!
We went to Megan's Bay in January and got there by 9:30. The Beach was pretty much empty, is was great. By the time we left at about 11- 11:30 it was filling up.
Hi, Ilana! You are right about Magens Bay. It is a beautiful beach and I have had the chance of visiting it twice and, lucky me, it was not crowded. It was November and maybe that's why.
About 18 months ago we were on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise with 3 nights in Israel. We booked the Holocaust museum tour. I am an avid reader of historical fiction so I wanted to see this. It was so well presented and moving . The big problem is there is not enough time on a tour to give it all the attention it deserved. I could have probably spent most of the day there. That's just me though 😊
My wife and I stayed in St. Thomas for a week and did go to Meagan's Bay. We went VERY early thankfully. We found it amusing to see the waves of cruisers come in and not find anywhere to sit. Only the first few groups found chairs. I was lucky in that I was there early and not stuck to the schedule of an itinerary.
On our recent HAL port stop in Limon Costa Rico, we went to the sloth sanctuary. On the canoe trip, we saw a small caiman, the Jesus lizard, many tiny crabs, howler monkeys and a wild sloth high up in a tree. It was a 45 minute bus trip each way, much of it along the coast, as well as around the city on Limon ( including the McD's).
The challenge in recommendations is hard as for us it totally depends on the guide and if they are miked which can change each day. We have started looking for audio tours that can be downloaded to our phone. When we are ready to start you are given the starting point, play and walk at your own pace. Have really enjoyed each one we have used and always look for those.
We book our diving or snorkeling excursions in the morning and if time allows we go to museums and points of interest in the afternoon. We have stayed on board in port and really enjoyed the ship. I went to Megan’s Bay many many years ago and the beach was completely empty! Chair, tables, and grills stacked in the trees just off the beach. No fees or attendants.
My son and I did a beach excursion from the Resort For A Day company in Nassau, and it was great. Not crowded at all. The $60.00 cab fare was steep, and several times my son was asked if he wanted to buy drugs! Still loved it, because they weren't doing it openly.
Just did the Panama Canal on Holland America. The excursion started after the ship when through the eastern locks. We took a tender to shore and a bus took us to a small ferry that took us through the locks on the western side. The guide was great and you are up close and seeing everything; how it all works; as well as the history.
my sweet st. thomas. ❤😊🇻🇮 had a rental property there and always told my guests to check the cruise schedule before going to Magens. it IS beautiful, but on boat days it is completely obnoxious. also, there is no feature on the sea bed, so snorkeling is pretty much a bust. Try Lindquist Beach…quieter and good snorkeling. Yes to Trunk on St. John, too. probably one of the most beautiful beach’s on this planet.
You provide such an exceptional service to cruisers! Thanks ever so much for sharing your "mishaps". The bit about the "glass bottomed" boat and crowded excursions was (I thought) common knowledge. And never take any highlights of whatever city, as they are for "windshield tourists". There are 40 plus pax crowded on a bus, all taking forever to get off and back on at the few quick stops. Research is your friend! I must spend more time planning the cruise than on the actual trip, surfing the web until my eyes bleed. What a blessing to have people like Ilana and others that post of their experiences. It is imperative that one checks the port schedules to see how many ships will be docked with you and plan accordingly. Touristy areas like Magen's Beach, Peggy's Cove and others are packed with pax and one can barely move. Anything we can get to on our own that is not too complicated (like the Freedom Trail in Boston) gives one much more time than the ship's excursions. We take private excursions whenever possible. At least CCL is more transparent and lets pax rate their excursions on the site. Ilana, for your future reference in Sydney, the Fort of Louisbourg is excellent, but we really like historical places and forts. Unfortunately, we had to take an excursion (which was too short) from the ship. There is no other way (excepting car rental) to get there.
I actually went to that sloth/monkey sanctuary in Roatan on my NCL cruise back in July. You're right, it was a small place, but it was such a great experience. My mother fell in love with the sloths, and I had a blast with monkey's jumping on my head.
We are going to roatan for the second year in a row to see the monkeys and sloths. Last year, we didn't make the port because of weather. So, my wife is very happy to hear you recommending it!!!
I loved the sloth and monkey tour in Roatan. The tour also went to the iguana farm. I would do that tour again so I could hold the sloth one more time. I hope you and your wife enjoy it as much as I did.
@@CandiPinki I went to Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth Hangout. I took the ship excursion in November 2023. I was originally planning to book AJ’s, but the person I was traveling with did not want to go. So I decided to go with the group ship excursion, and they went to Daniels.
I completely agree regarding Magen’s Bay. We went on that excursion last January and were totally underwhelmed. While the beach was fine, it was definitely crowded and honestly nothing special. Some other friends on our cruise went to Trunk Bay in St. John and they raved about it so I wish we had done that excursion instead. Everyone on our cruise tour bus was back on the bus and waiting to leave before our time was even up so we ended up leaving Magen’s Bay early; we weren’t the only ones underwhelmed by it. Then we stopped at a giant gift shop at the top of the island on the way back to the ship. While the view was nice it was also very crowded and nothing special in terms of shopping. Oh well, lesson learned!
Peggy’s Cove is well worth the ride from Halifax. I was underwhelmed by the Citadel and because a group of women were late we got to Peggy’s Cove closer to sunset so we didn’t get as much daytime experience but the sunset photos were pretty. I agree about Trunk Bay at St. John’s. I didn’t get to see St. Thomas though because it didn’t leave much time so I am looking for an excursion on St. Thomas for then next time I hit that island.
For our Canada / New England cruise we did a lot of independent self-driving … renting a car and following our own schedule was easy. Loved having port days in our own currency! 🇨🇦🍁
So interesting reading the comments. Take away - think about what you really enjoy doing and do your research on each port stop!! We tend to only do ship excursions when it is something that would be difficult to book on our own - for example our ship excursions to Marrakech. Expensive but we loved it and the ship waited for us! Otherwise we arrange lots of tours when we get of ship sometimes we just join in on a group especially in the Caribbean stops as we love getting to a beach. In other countries often we have pre booked walking tours. Do research, and evaluate what the reviews say as some comments might get not even be relevant to you. Always have cash and some small bills
I recently did the Costa Rica Sloth excursion, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me so much information It did stay within the 5 hours. Knowing that these sloths were rescues explained why we couldn't hold them . I hope to go to the one you referenced 😊
We are not too much on the museums. We are finding that the ship excursions are getting worse every time we cruise. A guide for excursions and companies that are trustworthy would be greatly appreciated.
I was enticed to go on a catamaran excursion once. I love the tranquility that comes from being under sail. Just gliding alone with just the sounds of wind and ocean and some soft music. It was none of those things. The sails never went up, and the music was loud so as to be heard over the engines. Not peaceful at all. The meal and the snorkeling was good though.
Skip the Bioluminescence kayaking in Puerto Rico. Its not like advertised. They take out a huge group and chain all the kayaks together. Then throw a dirty tarp over your head to see very little bioluminescence. It was very disappointing.
Generally a cruise ship excursion, 4-hour Island Tour, we in the future would limit to one per cruise. On a recent past cruise we went on island tours two days in a row and it got to be strenuous and unpleasant the second day. It was in the Caribbean and hot, and you got on and off the bus a total of eight times in two days
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Yeah Ilana, the new 2024 top 10 cruise youtubers subscribers list was just released, and " Life Well Cruised" jumped up from # 8 to # 4. How wonderful to see you rewarded for all the ah-mazing work you do. Take a bow, you've earned it. You and your husband, should be very proud.
Super kind of you! Truthfully anyone creating consistent content that people enjoy on UA-cam is doing a great job
@@LifeWellCruised Very true, Ilana. You're welcome! What it does show is, the content creators who put that much dedication in to their craft, are duly appreciated by their audience; and your following enjoys what you bring!
Staying on the ship is our favorite excursion in Nassau.
Good to know! Thanks
MINE TOOO!! After I went climbing the Dunn's River falls which was sooooooooooo fun and unique BUT the sales people were sooo pushy to the point they were dang near holding my arm back. Will never go there again because of the pushy sales people that will not take a "NO" or "LEAVE ME THE EFF ALONE" nor can I ignore them because they will grab your arm. Just stay on the boat for safety!!
Agree - will never get off at Nassau again - it’s always nice to stay on a near empty ship anyway
@@Tam-te5nh terrible advice
Same!!! 😜 The ship is the destination (at some ports)!
I am a museum guy. One of the VERY best museums I went on, was during our port day in Halifax. The Halifax Maritime Museum. Super fascinating. Learned about the Halifax Explosion which blew my mind. Never heard of it before. Alot of Titanic artifacts as well.
are there any museums you recommend in Nassau or San Juan?
Larry right next door to the port shops is the Canadian Version of Ellis island check it out next trip We lucked out one of our enrichment me speakers spoke on the Explosion part of the cemetery with Titanic victims has an explosion area too
I can't say I regret any of the excursions I have taken, but there are certainly some I wouldn't take again.
Totally get that
P.S. I believe we will enjoy further reviews of your excursions. They really do help us decide for ourselves when we get a clearer picture of an excursion.
We were just at the sloth sanctuary last week and had a totally different experience. Our bus was the only one there at the time so things went very smoothly. Saw the sloths, got our canoe ride , got immediately back on the bus and then had a short stop at a plantation on the way back to the ship. Very enjoyable excursion.
Whenever I book a cruise, I always go to the websites of the ports we will be visiting and see how many ships will be there on the day we will be there. If it’s more that 2 ships, we don’t book an excursion. Early in our cruising life, we found out real quick how unrelenting crowds and traffic can ruin an excursion. I’m older now and I just cannot stand crowds and big buses. Especially when it’s HOT outside. Not a fan of tendering either.
Good tip
Agree 100%.
How do you see this information? Just google the port?
@@amandagynn7010 cruisemapper
Great video!! In the Caribbean, we saw a lot of tours with glass bottomed boats. However, for our stop in January in Barbados, we took the Atlantis Submarine, which dove down 150' below the surface and along a coral reef. I would never go on a glass-bottom boat after that excursion. Everyone had porthole windows, and the fish came right up to look inside the sub. It was terrific! The real deal!
We took a Princess cruise to the Caribbean in January. For our St. Thomas visit, we took an excursion to St. John, and I liked it MUCH better than St. Thomas. It was absolutely beautiful and much less busy.
We're also taking a Princess Cruise in March 2025 to the Caribbean and are looking for a good snorkling adventure - if you have any suggestions I'd appreciate it!
St. John has a snorkle trail, open water requires strong swimming ability. Grand Cayman has clear water, lots of fish, several great sites. Belize has the second largest reef system, second to Australias great barrier reef.did a Belize excursion that offered snorkeling inside the reef, or outside for strong swmmers and larger fish!
I agree with those folks who said that long bus tours are a waste of time for me. Not being a shopper that too does not appeal to me. When you have seen so many gift shops they get very tiresome. I love tours where I can be more active.
Don't book alligator boat tour with HAL out of Fort Lauderdale. None seen from crowded air boats. Just ones in cages on land. Plus really long line ups for everything
My kids did the ziplining excursions in both Belize and Roatan and they loved it both times. You really get your money’s worth and it’s a lot of fun.
My most favorite cruise UA-cam site. Others try to be sensational... hate it. I love this no-nonsense, realistic,informative approach
On my most recent cruise (Southampton to Cape Town on QM2) we did a mix of ship excursions and private excursions booked through Viator. The private excursions (booking a car and driver) were Soooo much better than the ship excursions - it was just the two of us and the driver in a regular car - no waiting around for all those other people and much easier on the knees than all those bus steps. We could go where we wanted, stay the amount of time we wanted, and were able to see so much more than the people on the bus did.
Simply loved the Alexander G.Bell Museum in Sydney but it was only a part of an excursion which included a restored village walk and a great lunch at a local eatery. The land area outside the museum is beautiful also. There is a short boardwalk in Sydney that has relaxing views and dining ops.
I do not like going on excursions on buses when the guide is not miked and if you are in the back of the bus and cannot hear anything, the excursion is a bust. I take very few excursions on buses anymore (especially in the Caribbean) where that is a real possibility.
I only go on ones that are less than 3 hours. Preferable 2 and half if possible.
Makes sense
Man, about to take my first cruise ever in September with my family, many of whom taking their first cruise ever as well. Short and inexpensive cruise, just the 4-day Coco Cay/Nassau cruise on Allure. Been watching a ton of your videos to get prepped for what to expect. I honestly think whatever we end up doing is gonna be a blast regardless. Love it or hate it, we're getting out of the house and out of the country for once! Even if only slightly lol
Positive attitude.. 👍have a great trip 😊
You’re going to have a great time!
I bet you like Coco Cay the best
If you don't mind a suggestion,I always book Atlantis hotel.the locker rooms are clean,we can swim in all the different pools and I love the aquarium! Slightly pricey but worth it
Just like me when I prepared for my 1st cruise 2024 New year day.
I, too, watched all of her videos, read all of comments. 😀
Happy cruising 🛳
In St. Thomas, I can’t recommend Seas the Day charters enough. We had a group of 6 total. They picked us up right from the pier and took us out to a snorkeling spot. I felt completely safe as there were 3 staff members with us. After an hour or two of snorkeling, we spent a couple hours at Water Island which was not crowded at all. We ate lunch there and had some quality beach time.
They have several pre-planned trips you can take or you can customize your trip. They were so friendly and accommodating. They also got in touch with us the day before while we were in port in San Juan the day before to alert us of some changes.
One of the best excursions I’ve ever taken!
Thanks so much for the info, as I nearly always book private tours.
I just got back from Explorer of the Sea, Royal Caribbean ship and a 9 day Eastern Caribbean cruise. It was amazing. There were a couple of excursions that disappointed though. The first one was the zip line in Puerto Plata. It was fun but not much different than other zip lines and the views were minimal, just the country side. The next, was the eBike tour on St Maarten. 2 Countries on an eBike. The views were great but you have to share the road with big buses and trucks. It was scary. The other thing is the steep hills and the extremely hot weather combined with the fact that my eBike wasn't working well in Turbo mode which made me have to peddle very hard. I was so exhausted we couldn't complete the tour and took a bus back to the cruise port. The next was our snorkeling in St Kitts. The masks weren't in good condition and the areas they took us to were underwhelming. I was extremely disappointed as when I signed up through my travel agent, it said I would be snorkeling with sea turtles. I was told on the excursion that had we gone in the morning, I might have seen a sea turtle but not in the afternoon. I wasn't given a morning option to sign up for. It felt like a scam. My favorite excursion was in Antigua where we snorkeled with sting ray! They were wild, coming in from the ocean on their own because they are used to getting fed. We were able to feed them and they loved being petted. They were so gentle. It was wonderful. When we returned to Miami, we did an excursion through the ship that was a tour of the Everglades and then a bus ride to the airport when done. That was the absolute worst. There were so many busses from many different ships (there were 5 in port when we disembarked) that the lines were so long it was insane. The airboat tour was worthless. They took you out for 15 minutes in the same route as all the other boats and told about the Everglades but didn't even try to find alligators. Most of the time we stood around in the hot sun, waiting our turn. We did get to see the alligator show, which was the only positive thing about the tour but even that made us stand around what felt like forever. The show lasted 25 minutes or a little less, the airboat ride was 15 minutes and we were there for 4 hours. I'll never do that again.
Yes! We walked all the way to the left on Megen's Bay and it was barely occupied. Plus we were near the bathrooms.
Awesome!!
I'm absolutely a museum person! I spent several hours at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, on my own, while in Miami during a recent cruise on the MSC Meravligia. It was fabulous!
Just returned from my very first cruise aboard MSC Seascape, and LOVED IT! The ship was gorgeous, spotless, food & drinks were amazing & was the hot stone massage I had ! There was all kinds of things going on, casino, shows, or just lounging on deck - it was a great experience - I'd do it again in a heartbeat! I love your videos, I started watching them before we booked, and they are VERY informative, helpful, and much appreciated> Keep them coming Ilana, I am planning a Mediterranean cruise next! Thanks!
Megan's Bay has fallen out of favor with experienced cruisers.
So glad you loved your cruise!! Watch for med cruise content coming soon too
I don’t have a specific excursion that was bad but I will say I’ve learned to stay away from ones that include either a lunch or a restaurant of their choosing. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with the food but I always feel like they are places tourists go and I really like experiencing where the locals eat.
That’s a great point
I wouldn’t do that
Museum is Crete is a must see. Only an hour tour, but it gives you an ideal how advance the Myciean society was.
There was an excursion in Saguenay, Quebec with NCL It was "Discover the Fjord Secrets". The excursion had two different groups, one took the boat first and one group took the bus first. The boat ride went down the exact river, location that the cruise ship came on, so saw the same scenery. Then it ended in a small small town with one place to eat. Picture the buses from the one group and the boat from the other group arriving at the same time and needing to eat at the same time. Not long enough for everyone to stand in line at the one eating place and get food.
I agree about the glass bottom boat. We took one in Bermuda at night, to see "coral and fish." Everything was grey. Sunset on the way out was gorgeous, and seeing the ship all lit up from the water on the way back was beautiful, but I'll skip the boat in the future. Was also too crowded with everyone smooshed together to see the glass.
Haha! At least the sunset was memorable
I imagine the "glass-bottomed boat" to be ALL glass of some kind on the bottom of the boat, not little square portholes.
Boo! I'm going to Bermuda in a few months and have a glass-bottomed Bermuda Triangle excursion booked. Should I cancel? I was imagining a large portion of the boat being made of glass, guess that's not the case. It's also at night (like 10PM, way after sunset - I have a sunset rum cruise booked as well!)
@@jds2001nyc Oh no. It's very squished and uncomfortable and there isn't anything to see at night. I would certainly not do it again. I'd choose something else.
Hiking over museums any day! I appreciate this video and I'd love to see more of this opinion based type video from your experiences. It helps so much when planning what to do while cruising. Thanks! 🙂
I appreciate you watching & I’m glad you liked it :)
Me too!!! That’s what I’m looking for. I love hearing her opinion because she’s a seasoned cruiser.
When we did that cruise, we would get off the ship and go to where the tour busses waited and hired a local driver to drive us around for an hour for a tour. We would get them to drop us in the downtown area, where we would window shop and find an interesting restaurant for lunch. We found interaction with a local cab driver gave us more interesting and personalized information.
We booked a private excursion in Cartagena so we could go to the Gold Museum. It's not very large but very interesting (and free). The video on the ground floor was about a current archeological project dealing with ceramic flutes. Had never heard of these before. Absolutely fascinating!
Very interesting
You are so right about Halifax excursion - we had a combo of the fortress and Bell museum. It didnt help it was raining that way. And fortress is at one end and Bell museum is at another. So we were mostly on the bus and saw looooooots of wet pine trees on the sides of the road. The one amazing thing that day - we stumbled upon some tiny inn that had a restaurant - our guide said it was closed so most people went for a bite at the supermarket across the road, but I called and the inn people said they are open. We had lobster rolls to die for! Amazing!!! and they were a fraction of cost of what the restaurant in Bar Harbor wanted (like 15CAD vs 30+usd)
On our New England Boston to Montreal this summer, we've booked a walking tour in Bar Harbor (wasn't sure if tender was free, but this way it's included), and the Confederation Bridge in Charlottetown PEI (a very early morning adventure, so time to enjoy the port too), as part of our Holland America "Have it All". The rest we plan to explore ourselves, except for Quebec City, hubby came from there, so, been there, done that. The Ottawa River/St. Lawrence River cruise last summer had mostly museums, the first being the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. My first visit was in 1968, when my grandfather was invited to be interviewed by the museum. Afterwards, he gave 7 year old me a private tour of which planes he flew, actual and type, and writing on each pertaining page of the souvenir booklet. I think he spent the most time in Canadian Airways Fairchild G-CART.
I agree with your thoughts on the Magen's Bay excursion. I instinctively did the same thing you recommended--walked all the way down to the left where it was much less crowded! We finally found an open picnic table there where we could enjoy our lunch. Unfortunately, by the time we got to splash around in the water for a while, and get drinks and food (at the VERY busy pizza place & bar), it was almost time to leave! I'm not sorry I went, but will probably do things a little differently if I ever go back to St. Thomas.
I grew up going to museums in Boston (The Peabody Museum [now Peabody-Essex], The Science Museum [The Planetarium & Omni Theatre included], The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum & The Museum of Fine Arts).
Love the Peabody-Essex and ISG museum!!! Was just there for first time last fall. ISG is stunning!❤
Loved Peggy's Cove and the lobster lunch!
Gran Cayman. Swim with the Stingrays. It was also
Great video! The only "glass bottom boat" tour we ever really liked was the see through kayaks in Roatan. The guide sang while we followed in our kayaks and we could easily see the fish under us.
We went to a different sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica with Holland America. It was much smaller and even though we couldn't hold the sloths we really enjoyed it.
can you give us some more informations? This would be very nice! Thank you!
Glad to hear!
Puerta Plata tip....there is such a nice resort style pool area at the port, that if you don't do any excursions, you'll be perfectly happy. Especially because many people are concerned about safety when in Dominican Republic. We did take a tour, had a great time. But when in the pool, lazy river area, it was very relaxing and I could stay there all day. You can just float around, and they have many hammocks hanging over the eater. There are swim up bars, restaurants, etc. So if you want to save money, or just not leave port, get off the ship, and enjoy that area. It's free, and its that Caribbean Vacation feel you are really seeking.
The most disappointing excursion we did was from Allure of the Seas last January; it was at Cozumel and we were going to tour the Mayan Ruins at Tulum. Between the Ferry Ride (they were LITERALLY passing out motion sickness bags...which were being utilized in abundance!), the 10 block (give or take) walk from the ferry (in the rain!) to where we got on the buses to be taken to the ruins, there was absolutely NO TIME to shop for souvenirs or even take pictures with monkees or iguanas. We barely had enough time to go the the bathroom before we were paraded about a mile through the jungle to the ruins.
At the ruins, we didn't even have enough time to see everything and never got NEAR the Temple.
Same rushed agenda on the way back, though with 1.5 hour stop for lunch and swimming time. We got back to the ferry but had to wait FORTY-FIVE MINUTES for two women who decided to shop for souvenirs m, but since they were on a ship's excursion, we had to wait for them. There were three ship's in Port that day so we don't know what ship they were from, but they caused the Allure to depart almost an hour later than scheduled!
Thankfully, we HAD booked the excursion through RCCL, so the ship couldn't leave without us!
It was just too rushed, even if we didn't have to wait for the two women!
Add 90+ degrees, 85% humidity and no bus to the ruins-----most people on our excursion would have danced in the rain---only (+) was bus A/C!
The ferry ride from Cozumel to the mainland is almost always a rough ride.
I agree the sloth sanctuary Roatan was so much fun love being able to hold them and have them fall asleep in your arms. If you go to San Juan look online and book the old San Juan Segway tour. It's a great time and well worth the $96.00 for two hours.
I prefer walking tours. Especially those that include food tastings and even cooking experiences. My fave in Cozumel is the one at IxCool right outside the port. It was lots of fun and food was great.
I’m going to have to try a food tour
That would have been so much better than the Mayan ruins walk in high heat and humidity with a walk thru area of shops---FYI the advertised shuttle up to the ruins has been out of service and unavailable for over a year now, but Princess has it as a 'part' of the tour and available for $2. Complained at cruise desk but they really don't care!
We LOVED Peggy's Cove. I had to purchase a jacket there.
I have been to Costa Rico a few times. Found it boring. Learned to stay on the ship.
So glad to hear you enjoyed Peggy’s cove. We’re doing the Canada cruise for the first time in September and will definitely put it on our list.
As for Nassau-the best thing to do in Nassau is stay on the ship and enjoy the space while everyone else is is onshore. Also agree about the glass bottom board. I’ve done it before while on vacation in Mexico. A real disappointment with everyone clambering around the small viewing windows. Couldn’t really was anything.
I love the Bell Museum in Nova Scotia. I had no idea what all he did. I am a museum person. I listened to his biography after we got back.
I have several excursions I didn’t enjoy. One in Iceland we didn’t get to spend enough time in a thermal area and too much time at a restaurant.
Went to the blow hole (LA bufadora) Ensanada, Mexico. It was supposed to be a three hour excursion. Upon arrival, we had to go through an open market and was bothered by the different shop workers on the way to and back. The excursion lasted 5 hours instead. The blow hole was about 10 minutes for us to see and want to go back. Waited hours to get on the bus back to the cruise port.
We did that tour to Ensenada also. Blow hole wasn’t even functioning very much the day we went. A complete bust. Just vendors selling junk or overpriced jewelry. I probably would just stay on the ship if we ever went back
Love your videos! Thanks for posting! Agree w/you on Glass Bottom Boat tours, they were underwhelming to us too. Love shopping tours!
Yup, I don’t think I’ll ever book another 😂. I do enjoy a bit of shopping 😉
@@LifeWellCruisedDo a semi-sub expedition instead. Those are always cool.
I find any of the excursions where you leave the ship, just to sit on a beach a waste, since I can do that on the ship, at the pool. Though, I do love the shopping excursions where you can grab lunch and eat local food, then do some shopping. Museums are okay, especially if it’s a hot day and they’re cool inside. But really, I’m a ship-body, and I prefer to explore activities when everyone else is off the ship.
Taking my first cruise at the end of March! Taking the NCL Pearl on a Caribbean cruise!
#1. My favorite activity on St. Thomas is to go to St. John and snorkel Trunk Bay. But not on a ship excursion. If you get right off the ship and take a cab to the ferry port, you can beat the ship crowd by several hours. #2. I enjoy some museums. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam is a favorite. This May, going back there, I'm looking forward to the Reich museum with art by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and some other classics. Among my favorite excursions ever was Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica. So beautiful. We walked up the falls and had a ball. Then it turned into one of my lease favorite excursions. Never in my life have I been around such an aggressive group of vendors. Not ever, and I live in San Diego and have shopped in Tijuana, which is very aggressive, nowhere near as bad as Jamaica.
When we went to Alaska, my sister=in=law booked a bicycle trip for all of us that was a waste of money & time. I don't remember what port of call we were in but you were taken by van to the top of a hill where you were given a bike & it was all down hill. If you stopped or put your foot down, they made you get off of your bicycle & had to ride in the van. I did not do the excursion as I have asthma & had a bad breathing day. My late husband said it was the worst excusion he has ever been on. You had to go all the way down the hill watching where you were going & saw absolutely nothing, plus, you had to keep your brakes applied. I was glad I missed it. My most favorite excursion was in Cozumel & we swam with a dolphin. It was very expensive but worth every penny. I have photos & a CD of both my late hubby & me.
The roatan sloth excursion was awesome
The museum in Athens and Olympia in Greece were amazing and combined with walking tours so I definitely recommend them
I may do this :)
If you have the time go to Hellenic parliament building you can watch the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier
In 2019 we did ANOTHER Alaskan cruise but this time it was only activity based activities. Rafting down the Chilcoot river in Hanea, off roading in Ketchican, hiking up and awaybon Mount Roberts on Juneau. It beat the stuffing out of boring blah blah bus tours.
In Saint-Thomas I would suggest Coki Beach which is a bit further from the port and less crowded even if it is a lot smaller.
We did Margaritaville when it first opened and was only about $60. It is now much more and doesnt include the infinity pool. It was clean and nice and you could walk to it.
I'm staying on the ship in San Juan. In St. Thomas I have a selfie tour and beach break. My first solo cruise. Nervous and excited!
Loved our excursion in Juneau to see the Alaskan StateMuseum and a Nature Preserve. We only did it because rain cancelled several others but it was great
The Museum was far better than expected and just the right amount of time maybe 45 min. Then the ride around the nature park with steep inclines was exciting.
The wife and I also did Peggie's Cove and LOVED it and don't forget the warm gingerbread with ice cream yum yum 😋😋
Last time we were in Bar Harbor I did some research online and found out there were free hop on and off busses from downtown to Acadia. The only cost was $5 admission to the park. The tour of park offered through the cruise line was about $90. The only thing they were supposed to do which we couldn't was go to the top of Cadillac mountain. But since it was drizzling, the tour ended up not going there either. My husband had fun telling people how cheaply we had done that port. 😊
One of our favorites was glass BLOWING in…..Skagway? I think it was. My blown glass hangs in my craft studio!
I have this on my list for our upcoming Canada cruise in September
Yup, all the way left for Magen's Bay -- which is unfortunately the opposite direction from probably the best painkiller I ever drank lol! But plan ahead, bring bottled water, and stay left and it's a great visit.
We loved Magens bay, took a taxi on our own, and yes walked left, beautiful and much less crowded, there was a woman who would bring drinks from the bar, or we sent our hubby's, and then that bar/snack place was much less crowded at the end of the day.
😂 do not go back and order another pain killer!! Made that mistake. Thank God our cab driver was a good guy-4 people hardly remember getting back to the ship. He even stopped and took pics of us at some look out 😂
NO to museums on a my cruise. Thanks for the tips
Definitely a museum/gallery person. I would never book a beach excursion.
I did an excursion to tortola and hiked to virgin Gorda. Best snorkeling ever.crystal clear blue water and the hike went from wetlands to desert,through caves and down one more hill to snorkeling paradise
I do have to agree with the sloth sanctuary tour not including a meal makes for a very long and very hot day. Definitely a day to bring 2-3 water bottles from the ship because that tour definitely needs a drink and food option that is included. That tour will take up your entire port day so there's very little option to get food in the port for an authentic taste of Costa Rica. I liked the sanctuary and I liked the canoe ride, but no food or water on that tour was just painful. It would be so easy for the tour operator to offer a sandwich and a bottle of water or a plate of rice and beans or something. Offer a cup of coffee! Costa Rica is known for its amazing coffee!
We went to Megan's Bay in January and got there by 9:30. The Beach was pretty much empty, is was great. By the time we left at about 11- 11:30 it was filling up.
The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is beautiful and has amazing Hawaiian artifacts. Especially good on a rainy afternoon.
Hi, Ilana! You are right about Magens Bay. It is a beautiful beach and I have had the chance of visiting it twice and, lucky me, it was not crowded. It was November and maybe that's why.
Peggy's Cove is a must. My favorite excursion in Canada.
Depends on the museum! Have to see the Hermitage!
About 18 months ago we were on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise with 3 nights in Israel. We booked the Holocaust museum tour. I am an avid reader of historical fiction so I wanted to see this. It was so well presented and moving . The big problem is there is not enough time on a tour to give it all the attention it deserved. I could have probably spent most of the day there. That's just me though 😊
My wife and I stayed in St. Thomas for a week and did go to Meagan's Bay. We went VERY early thankfully. We found it amusing to see the waves of cruisers come in and not find anywhere to sit. Only the first few groups found chairs. I was lucky in that I was there early and not stuck to the schedule of an itinerary.
On our recent HAL port stop in Limon Costa Rico, we went to the sloth sanctuary. On the canoe trip, we saw a small caiman, the Jesus lizard, many tiny crabs, howler monkeys and a wild sloth high up in a tree. It was a 45 minute bus trip each way, much of it along the coast, as well as around the city on Limon ( including the McD's).
The challenge in recommendations is hard as for us it totally depends on the guide and if they are miked which can change each day. We have started looking for audio tours that can be downloaded to our phone. When we are ready to start you are given the starting point, play and walk at your own pace. Have really enjoyed each one we have used and always look for those.
We book our diving or snorkeling excursions in the morning and if time allows we go to museums and points of interest in the afternoon. We have stayed on board in port and really enjoyed the ship. I went to Megan’s Bay many many years ago and the beach was completely empty! Chair, tables, and grills stacked in the trees just off the beach. No fees or attendants.
We loved the Gumbalimba animal Sanctuary in Roatan. The animals aren't caged, an amazing experience
My son and I did a beach excursion from the Resort For A Day company in Nassau, and it was great. Not crowded at all. The $60.00 cab fare was steep, and several times my son was asked if he wanted to buy drugs! Still loved it, because they weren't doing it openly.
Hated the glass bottom boat in Roatan. Loved the sloths and monkeys.
Just did the Panama Canal on Holland America. The excursion started after the ship when through the eastern locks. We took a tender to shore and a bus took us to a small ferry that took us through the locks on the western side. The guide was great and you are up close and seeing everything; how it all works; as well as the history.
Doing panama canal in 2 weeks. I am 😊
I Agee with you regarding your reviews. In St. Thomas we took the Rum tour and love seeing how Rum is made and tasting the various Rums.
my sweet st. thomas. ❤😊🇻🇮 had a rental property there and always told my guests to check the cruise schedule before going to Magens. it IS beautiful, but on boat days it is completely obnoxious. also, there is no feature on the sea bed, so snorkeling is pretty much a bust. Try Lindquist Beach…quieter and good snorkeling. Yes to Trunk on St. John, too. probably one of the most beautiful beach’s on this planet.
You provide such an exceptional service to cruisers! Thanks ever so much for sharing your "mishaps". The bit about the "glass bottomed" boat and crowded excursions was (I thought) common knowledge. And never take any highlights of whatever city, as they are for "windshield tourists". There are 40 plus pax crowded on a bus, all taking forever to get off and back on at the few quick stops.
Research is your friend! I must spend more time planning the cruise than on the actual trip, surfing the web until my eyes bleed. What a blessing to have people like Ilana and others that post of their experiences. It is imperative that one checks the port schedules to see how many ships will be docked with you and plan accordingly. Touristy areas like Magen's Beach, Peggy's Cove and others are packed with pax and one can barely move. Anything we can get to on our own that is not too complicated (like the Freedom Trail in Boston) gives one much more time than the ship's excursions.
We take private excursions whenever possible. At least CCL is more transparent and lets pax rate their excursions on the site.
Ilana, for your future reference in Sydney, the Fort of Louisbourg is excellent, but we really like historical places and forts. Unfortunately, we had to take an excursion (which was too short) from the ship. There is no other way (excepting car rental) to get there.
Thanks for the info :)
LOVE Peggy's Cove !!!
Def agree Roaton animal santuaru was more hands on. I bought the whole package of pics. The sloths and monkeys were the cutest!!!!
I really enjoyed the Bell museum! I had not realized how many things he had a hand in. I could have stayed longer!
I actually went to that sloth/monkey sanctuary in Roatan on my NCL cruise back in July. You're right, it was a small place, but it was such a great experience. My mother fell in love with the sloths, and I had a blast with monkey's jumping on my head.
We are going to roatan for the second year in a row to see the monkeys and sloths. Last year, we didn't make the port because of weather. So, my wife is very happy to hear you recommending it!!!
I loved the sloth and monkey tour in Roatan. The tour also went to the iguana farm. I would do that tour again so I could hold the sloth one more time. I hope you and your wife enjoy it as much as I did.
Which sloth place did you go to in Roatán?@@KimberlyStephenson-FL
@@CandiPinki I went to Daniel Johnson’s Monkey and Sloth Hangout. I took the ship excursion in November 2023. I was originally planning to book AJ’s, but the person I was traveling with did not want to go. So I decided to go with the group ship excursion, and they went to Daniels.
I love st johns. It is beautiful.
I completely agree regarding Magen’s Bay. We went on that excursion last January and were totally underwhelmed. While the beach was fine, it was definitely crowded and honestly nothing special. Some other friends on our cruise went to Trunk Bay in St. John and they raved about it so I wish we had done that excursion instead. Everyone on our cruise tour bus was back on the bus and waiting to leave before our time was even up so we ended up leaving Magen’s Bay early; we weren’t the only ones underwhelmed by it. Then we stopped at a giant gift shop at the top of the island on the way back to the ship. While the view was nice it was also very crowded and nothing special in terms of shopping. Oh well, lesson learned!
Peggy’s Cove is well worth the ride from Halifax. I was underwhelmed by the Citadel and because a group of women were late we got to Peggy’s Cove closer to sunset so we didn’t get as much daytime experience but the sunset photos were pretty. I agree about Trunk Bay at St. John’s. I didn’t get to see St. Thomas though because it didn’t leave much time so I am looking for an excursion on St. Thomas for then next time I hit that island.
I did a stingray excursion which I loved!
Us too!
For our Canada / New England cruise we did a lot of independent self-driving … renting a car and following our own schedule was easy. Loved having port days in our own currency! 🇨🇦🍁
So interesting reading the comments. Take away - think about what you really enjoy doing and do your research on each port stop!! We tend to only do ship excursions when it is something that would be difficult to book on our own - for example our ship excursions to Marrakech. Expensive but we loved it and the ship waited for us!
Otherwise we arrange lots of tours when we get of ship sometimes we just join in on a group especially in the Caribbean stops as we love getting to a beach. In other countries often we have pre booked walking tours. Do research, and evaluate what the reviews say as some comments might get not even be relevant to you. Always have cash and some small bills
Thinking of blue lagoon island excursion...
I recently did the Costa Rica Sloth excursion, and I really enjoyed it. It gave me so much information
It did stay within the 5 hours. Knowing that these sloths were rescues explained why we couldn't hold them . I hope to go to the one you referenced
😊
This is such a helpful video! This is the kind of content I love.
We are not too much on the museums.
We are finding that the ship excursions are getting worse every time we cruise. A guide for excursions and companies that are trustworthy would be greatly appreciated.
I was enticed to go on a catamaran excursion once. I love the tranquility that comes from being under sail. Just gliding alone with just the sounds of wind and ocean and some soft music. It was none of those things. The sails never went up, and the music was loud so as to be heard over the engines. Not peaceful at all. The meal and the snorkeling was good though.
I took one of those and we saw flying fish! It was amazing!
Skip the Bioluminescence kayaking in Puerto Rico. Its not like advertised. They take out a huge group and chain all the kayaks together. Then throw a dirty tarp over your head to see very little bioluminescence. It was very disappointing.
Generally a cruise ship excursion, 4-hour Island Tour, we in the future would limit to one per cruise. On a recent past cruise we went on island tours two days in a row and it got to be strenuous and unpleasant the second day. It was in the Caribbean and hot, and you got on and off the bus a total of eight times in two days