Cruise Excursions

In my last blog I discussed what is included and not included on some cruises. Today I am going to talk a bit more about excursions. I have done 2 cruises so far and have done a few different options for my tours.
In Tortola a fellow agent used a contact she had on the island to arrange a group tour for forty of us. Two vehicles with drivers, included beverages brought us to the beach after showing us a few sites with stunning views and had us back to the ship in time. In St Thomas four of us got off the ship and negotiated with a taxi to again take us to a beach and to come and pick us up at a certain time to take us back to the ship. He was running a bit late and called the restaurant/bar he left us at, we still made it back to the ship. We did get a bit of a scare.
Now for my Royal cruise I booked all of my excursions through Royal. I did enjoy their system for getting everyone off the ship and into the right tour. It was very efficient. Although you did sometimes have to wait for a while to be called but you were at least a couple of hundred in the auditorium. I did find some excursions pricey and honestly you can spend more on these than the actual cruise depending on what you want to see and do.
So here I am 154 days before my cruise and trying to decide what the six of us are going to do. My children will be 9, 11, 13, 14 and I will be 45 and my mom will be 69. We need to take a lot into consideration. So I am going to compare a few and maybe some of you will chime in with your personal feedback.
This blog will feature the first port of my December cruise which happens to be Roatan. Honduras.
The first options I have looked at are with the Norwegian so the cruise line itself. They have ten excursion options from $59 CAD per adult up to $307 CAD per adult. Some offer children's pricing and some do not allow children on them at all. So again something I will have to take into consideration with the wide range of my group.The excursions also run from 2 hours up to 6 hours. The options are as follows: The best of west Roatan, Ultimate Resort Gateway, Ultimate Big French Key Beach Experience with Lunch, Sightseeing for people with limited mobility, South shore Zip line Adventure,  Ultimate Extreme Adventure Combo, Ultimate Fishing Adventure, Boss Underwater Adventure, Semi Submarine Adventure, and Black Pearl Golf Course.
The second options I have looked at are with Shore Excursions. There prices range from $29 USD per adult to $159 USD per adult. An hour and 45 minutes is the shortest with 5 hours being the longest. They have the same issues with adults and children as the cruise line does. They have 21 options available so double what the cruise line has to offer. The options are as follows: Roatan by Land & Sea, Roatan Zip and Splash Beach Break, Zuperman Zip line and Beach, Glass Bottom Boat, Exclusive Two-Tank South Island Dive, Reef Snorkel by Boat, Roatan Fun & Sun Tour, Roatan Zip line Adventure, Zip & Snorkel Adventure, Zip line, Horseback Ride & Shipwreck Snorkel, Roatan Zip, Eco walk & Beach Break, Roatan Zip & Eco Walk, Eco Walk & Suspension Bridges, Eco walk & Beach Break, Snorkel & Kayak Combo, West End Island Beach Tour, The Path to our Past and Future Tour, Catamaran Cruise, Padi Discovery Scuba, Roatan VIP Free Style Private and Private East End Tour & Garifuna.
The third option is my own website there are 21 options for just shore excursions in Roatan. There are also other tours available but they usually mean finding your own transportation and coordinating arrival times etc.. much more carefully. The price range for these tours is from $33.47 CAD per adult to $176.51 CAD per adult. The time on them range from one hour to six hours. The options are as follows: Zip n' Dip Canopy Tour, Hanging Bridges Eco Tour & Beach Break, Paradise Beach Club Day Pass, Bodden's Beach Break Bus, Roatan West Bay Beach Break Excursion, 1 tank full dive west side Island plus ground transportation, relax with a professional massage, Roatan Hiking Adventure With Butterfly Garden & Beach, Tour & Day at a Private Beach, Wildlife Rescue Park & Beach, Best of Roatan plus Sol y mar Beach Excursion, Tour & Day at a private beach Cub, West Bay Beach with Lunch, Small group tour with dolphins, snorkeling by land & Sea, Small group glass bottom boat tour, Private tour to animal Sanctuary & Lagoon, Small Group West Bay Beach Tour, Mangrove Cruise, West Island Tour, East Island Tour, Snorkeling Tour, Roatan Zip lines Beaches and Monkey Park.
Fourth option is of course doing your own research finding places you want to go and then grabbing a taxi to the place or places you want to visit. Some of the items that showed up on my google search and trip advisor were as follows: Scuba & Snorkeling, Boat Tours, Sightseeing Tours, Fishing Charters & Tours, Water Sports, Donnie Johnson Monkey & Sloth Hang Out, Dolphin Encounter, Half Moon Bay, Shark Diving and Dolphin and Whale Watching.

 Snorkeling in Roatan (photo courtesy of ncl.com)

 (photo courtesy of ncl.com)

(photo courtesy of ncl.com)

So many choices and options and again I can not stress how much value you get in having a travel agent that can help you navigate all the options and make your vacation dreams come true by helping to take away some of the stress,

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

Cruising- What you get

December 2018 my family will be aboard the Norwegian Getaway Western Caribbean cruise. The cruise starts and end in Miami with ports in Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel.I do hold group space on this cruise and it is not too late to join us. Final payments are due by September and you can chose from 2 perks to cruise.

NCl Getaway (photo courtesy of NCL.com)

When planning a cruise there are many things to consider and take into consideration. There are different levels of "all inclusiveness". Norwegian, Royal and Carnival are less inclusive. While some of the more moderate lines are more inclusive such as Azamara, Celebrity and Cunard and then you have the more expensive lines that are even more inclusive such as Oceania and Seabourn just to name a few.

What I mean by this having sailed Norwegian and Royal you can eat at any buffet or main dining room no problem it is included in the cost of the cruise. However both lines offer specialty restaurants, at these restaurants you pay a fee to eat at them. Now you can also buy dining packages or sometimes you can get them included as part of your cruise offer. Same thing applies to drinks everyone can help themselves to juice, water, milk and coffee it is included in your cruise price. Pop, specialty coffees,  smoothies, fresh juice, beer, wine and specialty drinks these are all extra. Again both lines have different levels of drink packages that you can order or sometimes you can get drink packages included as a bonus offer.

Gratuities are expected on a cruise you are expected to pay a certain amount per day per passenger, These are not included in your cruise price and are charged to your account when you board in USD. You can however prepay them. Drink and drink package also have an 18% gratuity attached. You can also chose to pay more directly to your cabin attendant or your servers in the dining room.

Excursions are another option that is not included in your cruise price. First and foremost just because the ship stops in a port does not mean you have to get off. If you want to stay on the ship you can. If you want to get off you can get off. In your daily newsletter you will know what time you can get off the ship and what time you have to be back on at. So this means you have options.

Option # 1 is book an excursion with the cruise line. They will offer many choices for each port with a different range in price, duration and activity level. These excursions come with a guarantee they will get you back to the ship in time or they will get you to the next port of call. Cruise ships can not wait long for late passengers as they receive rather hefty fines/charges if they do not leave a port on time.

Option # 2 you get off the ship hire a taxi and go where you wish. You can research in advance what you would like to see or do. You may even take a train, bust etc,, The problem with this is of course making sure you get back on time and don't get stranded or lost.

Option # 3 is nook an excursion but not through the cruise line. This option will also have many options available to chose from. You can get off the ship and there will be many locals ready and willing to set you up with many tour options. Many of the same tours the ship offers. Keeping in mind you can often barter with price this way. Also you are still the one who ultimately has to make sure you get back to the ship on time. Another option is using your travel agent to book something for you. There are companies that specialize in shore excursions and who even offer the same guarantees the cruise ship supplier offer. Some of them even have advantages of private groups which the ships can not usually offer. On one of my excursions on the Mediterranean sent out 6 buses of at least 40-50 people on the same tour. Now think if another ship or two docks the same day you do and also offers the excursion they are busy. You also have options with some travel suppliers that have day trips which again are perfect for a cruiser and sometimes offering better pricing
Travel agents all offer the same pricing. If Deck C cabin 2 is $500 with Royal direct it is $500 with me the travel agent. If they are offering perks to book that cabin the travel agent will have the same perks. The only real time pricing would be different is if an agent has group space booked and did so relatively early their pricing and incentives could better otherwise we are all the same.
By booking with a travel agent you are getting an added value in the service that is provided.We can explain all the little extras I have just touched on in this blog that you may or may not stumble upon on your own. So hopefully you will not have sticker shock when all the extra's get added. We can help you with pre booking things so that everything is taken care of and runs smoothly. Most cruises start in a port and return to the same port at the end of the sailing, but there are some who do not. Do you know how many people who get stranded at the end of a cruise they booked themselves because they missed that detail, These are the things that can turn a pleasant vacation into a nightmare. So honestly what does it cost you to go to a small business owner a reputable travel agent and let them help you make your dream vacation come true.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

Freedom of the Seas - Palma de Mallorca

There are not as many tours in Palma de Mallorca as there were in some of the other ports. Here were some of the options available. Mallorca Beach Transfer, Kayaking Mallorca's West Coast, Segway in Palma, Best of wine Tasting and Palma Aquarium Family Discovery. We had signed up for the Aquarium visit but it was cancelled due to lack of interest. With my mother not feeling well still with her knee and back we made the decision to stay on board the ship and do more exploring, with the added benefit of a lot lee people on board.
We started out our morning in one of the 2 hot tubs that are canter-levered over the side of the ship. We were the only two in the tub and the view was amazing. The soak in the hot tub actually made my mother feel better.

 the sunrise

 my mom

 this side you can see other ships in port

 dome top

We decided to go up and check the sports deck. We saw Basketball, mini golf, the Flo Rider and more. There were people playing mini golf but the Flo Rider was closed at the time, so I did not get to see it in action.

 Mini golf

 Rock Climbing Wall

 Multi purpose courts

Flo Rider

I decided to check out the arcade and my mom decided to sit out on the deck. I enjoy playing some of the games and could be there for quite a while. Thankfully I gave myself a limit and when it was spent I was done. Key cards make it easy not to be accountable for what you are spending. But you can keep track of it on the television in your room.

We decided to have lunch at Johnny Rockets. An awesome diner. Unlimited fries and onion rings. We had hamburgers and milk shakes. There are mini jukeboxes at the tables and at the hour the waiters perform a show. This restaurant also has a nominal fee. It was another experience. The only problem with this restaurant was the location. It is hidden at the back of the ship we almost missed it.

 Menu

 Menu

 Mini Juke Box

 Fries and Rings

 Smiley Face Ketchup

 Hamburger

Dance show

In the afternoon we went to Schooners Bar where they had different games, coloring and social connections going on. This had been going on all week but this was the first opportunity we had ti participate. Not many people were here because so any were ashore. In the late afternoon early evening 90% o the ship went to shore to attend a a free Gypsy King Concert because of the President's cruise. Again we skipped because we felt it would be too crowded for my mother and that seating is any would not be comfortable. We stopped at the Italian restaurant for a slice of pizza in the afternoon. 

 Schooners (nautical themed)

 Schooners

Italian Restaurant

After supper my mother headed to the casino. Mary and another agent kept her company while I sat in Schooners bar away from the smoke and read. The casino is the only place on the ship for smoking so all of them end up there. I am not a big gambler so skipping the casino is a good thing or I probably would have lost a lot.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

At Sea Day - Training and a Wedding

So while we were at sea we had a half day in the morning of learning about Royal Caribbean products and what they have to offer clients. This particular cruise was special as I have mentioned before it was a President's cruise. This meant that the President of Royal Michael Bayley was on board the ship as well as many of the top executives. This particular morning there was a meet and great with the President in the auditorium.
Many of the cruisers on board were avid cruisers many Emerald and higher for cruise and anchor benefits. They took this opportunity to ask questions of the President and his entourage. We were invited to sit in for an hour. It was amazing to hear some of the things these veteran cruisers had to ask. There were questions about destinations, ships, improvements to their Crown & Anchor membership. There was also discussion about Royal's humanitarian efforts they undertook during the hurricane.The hurricanes impacted Puerto Rico and many Caribbean Islands. Royal provided clean water, shelter, food and other supplies.
After our training we had the afternoon free. I did a bit of exploring and got caught up on some work. In the evening we got to attend a wedding of one of my fellow travel agent performed by our National Manager Mary Ogaki who was hosting our seminar and who got ordained as a minister for the occasion.
The chapel on the ship was tiny and intimate similar to the chapel I got married in. On Royal's ships you are not limited to having the ceremony in just the chapel. Other rooms can be used to accommodate guests. Some guests choose to get married in destination but it all depends on each countries rules and regulations. In this particular case the bride and grooms family were there but it was strictly ceremonial, they had gotten officially married at city hall back home before leaving.

 The chapel

 More Chapel

 Mary (the officiant and the groom)

The lovely bride

We had a cocktail party after the ceremony and then it was on to a late dinner. It was surf & turf night. I will admit I was bad and ordered two lobster tails. The Sea night was the second last night of the cruise and the last night of normal seating in the dinning room. The next night you could eat at the time you want and were you want instead of your regular table and time. You can also leave tips for your regular wait staff as well at this time.

 One of the lobster tails

The prime rib

It was our last evening together as a group. I met many awesome agents. Some from the Travel Agent next Door and some from other host agencies. The managers from Royal Mary and Linda were a joy to get to know and to learn from. I had met both of them in April at my conference. They represented the Royal Brand so well. I can not wait to attend another Seminar at Sea.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

Freedom of the Seas -Character Breakfast

Character Breakfasts are offered on Royal Cruises with Dreamworks characters. They are only offered on Sea Days, so this cruise only has one opportunity as there are so many port days. There is a nominal charge for this opportunity. I inquired as to why there was a fee for adults and was shocked but I suppose I shouldn't have been with the answer. When they first launched the dreamworks breakfasts everyone would sign up and there would be waiting lists. This is a good thing right? But unfortunately because there was no fee people would not show up and not cancel. So to stop this from happening and to make sure everyone got a chance to attend a nominal fee was added for adults. Here are some pictures of the menu.

The characters at the meal were Alex the Lion and King Julian from Madagascar. They did pictures with each table getting called up one at a time.They also had singing and dancing. The kids were so excited it was amazing to watch. My mom and I got great joy out of it as well. The way the characters and handlers interact with the people is so great.

Here are some of our character pictures!!

 Alex the Lion and I

 Alex the Lion with mom and I 

 King Julian and I 

King Julian with mom

On top of the character breakfasts they also have character meet and greets. I got to meet Alex the Lion and Po the Panda from Kung Fu Panda. There was also an opportunity to meet Puss n' Boots from Shrek but I missed him. You can get them to take your picture with your camera or they do also have photographers and you have the opportunity to buy photo's take of you on board.

Po and I

My breakfast was a bit rushed as part of doing my seminar at sea meant I had to attend class that day but here is a picture of my breakfast.

Yummy omelete

I can not wait for my next Royal Caribbean cruise. Hopefully on one of the newer/bigger ships. It's just to decide which itinerary.

Where would you cruise if you could go anywhere today?

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area

Freedom of the Seas - Naples

So here we are at Day 5 and in the port of Naples. This was another full day in port with us arriving at 7:00 am and the all on board scheduled for 10:30 pm. The cruise compass has daily activities and specials for spas/drinks etc that you may be interested in. So much you can take in at this port with Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast and Capri so close.
Of course being the President's cruise their was of course an excursion with him. This one was the Bourbon Tunnel & Naples Sights with Michael Bayley. Some of the other tours are the following: Exclusive Amalfi Coast, Postiano, Sorrento & Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii, Island of Capri, Naples City Sights, From Lemons to Liqueurs and Sorrento with Pizza Making for Families.
My mom was in so much pain that she decided to spend the day on the ship. We had scheduled the Taste of Sorrento & Pompeii (small group). So while she stayed on the ship I decided to go on the excursion which was eight hours. I am very thankful that the other people on this tour were very friendly and I never really felt alone.

 this port is populated so easy to go and explore

 On the way to Sorrento everything is built up the mountain

a view of the bay as we were winding ourselves up narrow roads

We started with a tour of a Sorrento farmhouse which was an old monastery. It is now a hotel/farm. The winding road to get to the top of the mountain were an experience in themselves. The roads in Italy are very narrow and if you suffer from Vertigo I definitely do not recommend this excursion. I do suffer from a fear of heights put happened to be on the right side of the bus to not have it bother me too much. When we got to our destination we were treated to a demonstration on how to make fresh cheese. We then got to try fresh cheese, bread, olive oil, meat and wine. The farms was full of lemons, olives, walnuts and animals. I bought a bottle of olive oil and a small bottle of leminocello.

 statue at the monastery

 making fresh cheese

 the plate of food we got to try

 they put these nets up to catch the olives as they ripen and the lemons

 walnuts waiting to be roasted

Outside the farmhouse

On our way back down from our stop at the farmhouse we stopped at a Lemonicello factory. As I had already bought some at the farmhouse I ended up buying chocolate. It was pretty good chocolate too. We then it made it the rest of the way down to the village of Sorrento where we had about an hour of free time. I wondered trough the shops buying some Sorrento ornaments featuring the lemon for myself and my mother and a a lovely scarf for myself.

this is the lovely wood shop we met at

Once we finished our free time we boarded back onto the bus to head to our tour of Pompeii. The ruins of Pompeii cover so much land. What is fascinating is how much ended up preserved after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius covered the town. Our tour was special as we had virtual reality sets. At certain spots we able to stop and see what life was like before the eruption based on the ruins. It was a very unique experience. It made the ruins come to life. I would recommend this tour.

 a body that was preserved by the ashes

Once we were done we headed back to the ship. It was a very long day but so worth it. I am glad I went ahead on my own.

Where you can find me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniethetravelagentnextdoor

Website: http://www.exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

Email: slough@exclusivetoyoutravel.ca

TICO 500212282

55 York Street, Suite 803

Toronto, On M5J 1R7

Please keep in mind that while my head office is in Toronto I am a home based travel agent and I live in South Dundas and can service clients anywhere in Canada but I meet with clients in the SDG area