Excursions for Adults only group?

[bobandkevin]

Hi everyone-
I'm hoping the expertise of the group can help us out. We are diehard WDW fans who have been to the World tons of times, but we're finally taking our first cruise (Western Carribean over New Year's Eve). Can anyone make any suggestions for the ports (Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel) for a group of four adults?
Some (most) of the suggestions online seem to be for families (obviously) so any "adult" info would be helpful.
Thanks in advance for sharing!
K

 

[CraftyMouse]

Unless you are looking for a "party" type of cruise (in which case DCL really isn't your best option) any of the excursion suggestions could also apply to parties of adults. There really aren't many (any?) DCL excursions that are not appropriate for any group...although some are too strenuous for those with kids.

Again, it depends on what you are looking for. Key West will certainly provide you with opportunities to have an "adult" time. There are also sunset cruises and other water activites. Check out the DCL excursions page for more info.

In Grand Cayman I highly recommend any tour that includes Stingray City. I would book through Captain Marvin's directly, however, instead of going through DCL.

In Cozumel we have done the Tulum ruins tour and it was terrific. The island also offers dolphin swims, lots of great beaches and plenty of places like Carlos and Charlies with real "party" atmosphere. There is also a DCL excursion that includes beach time and a lesson in Mexican cooking (with open bar!).

 

[bobandkevin]

That's great info. We are definitely not the party type. I guess what I should have said is tell me some great suggetions that aren't child focussed. Thanks for the greeat ideas. I'll take any others as well!

 

[birkner]

Hi everyone-
I'm hoping the expertise of the group can help us out. We are die hard WDW fans who have been to the World tons of times, but we're finally taking our first cruise (Western Caribbean over New Year's Eve). Can anyone make any suggestions for the ports (Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel) for a group of four adults?
Some (most) of the suggestions on line seem to be for families (obviously) so any "adult" info would be helpful.
Thanks in advance for sharing!
K

If you are on the Magic NYE, please come join our thread and introduce yourselves. We are in the Walt suite this time and are really looking forward to a wonderful cruise!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1059645&page=37

I can make a few suggestions. DH and I are traveling with our kids and GK's but are doing quite a few adult things on our own.

In Key West, we are going to rent an electric car and visit some of the museums such as Truman Winter White House, Hemingway House, Mel Fisher Museum and . You can also pre-purchase tickets for these venues or take the trolley, if you prefer not to drive.

http://www.conchelectriccars.net/

http://www.historictours.com/keywest/

On Grand Cayman, if you are not divers or want to go to the beach, you might want to visit Pedro St. James Historic Site. At the end of a quiet, mango and mahogany tree-shaded road in Savannah, Grand Cayman, high atop a limestone bluff, lies one of the Caribbeans most spectacular historic restorations, the Pedro St. James Historic Site. After seven years and a $7.5 million transformation, the Cayman Islands government has created the country's most ambitious heritage attraction to date and its first national landmark. Behind a traditional coral stone wall rises an authentic, three-story early 19th century great house and outbuildings, with traditional "grounds" planted with pineapple, banana and other provisions. The adjacent acres are covered with luxuriant tropical plants, palm-lined walkways and a splendid manicured Great Lawn sprawling to a jaw-dropping view of the Caribbean. At the main entrance is the Visitors Centre featuring a state of the art multimedia theater where visitors experience 200 years of Cayman history in 20 minutes.
.

On Cozumel, you may want to visit the Mayan Ruins at Tulum which is an all day trip. Here is some information about the ruins:

http://www.differentworld.com/mexico/areas/caribbean-coast/tulum/guide.htm

One of the posters on our WB Panama Canal thread gave us this information about the beaches of Grand Cayman and Cozumel

GC - there are 2 popular beach spots, 7 Mile Beach and Rum Point. 7 Mile Beach is close to the port and a cab can be easily found at the port, as well as at the beach to take you back. I believe they may charge per person, around $5, each way. Always know the price Before getting into a cab (and that goes for anywhere in the world). There are several nice spots on 7 mile and you can get recommendations on cruise critic, but I hear there is a nice area called Public Beach, which is on 7 mile beach. You can rent things on the beach and they have public restrooms that are supposed to be clean, and food to purchase as well. Sounds very doable on your own. If you look on a map, Rum Point is on the farthest tip of the island, so it takes a while to get there. I am not sure what a cab costs, but I am sure it is a lot more $$$. It is supposed to be nicer than 7 mile, but I am sure they both have their pluses and minuses. Disney has an excursion that goes to Stingray City as well as Rum Point, and includes lunch. You can book the same excursion through a private company and also get a stop at the Barrier Reef for snorkeling. It also includes lunch, the stingrays and rum point - here is a link http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/tours.htm - they have great reviews from others and they keep their boats to only 25 passengers; which I assume is much smaller than what Disney does. They also have other trips that include the stingrays, and they are less expensive than Disney. We were going to use this company but decided to go with a private boat for just the 5 of us. Here is the link for that - http://www.grandcaymancruiseexcursio...ageEcoTour.htm - (thanks to WaveGirl for directing us here) it is more expensive of course, but it is our big splurge excursion for the trip. Others have also suggested Captain Marvin's for private charters - but I prefer smaller groups on the boat, but here is the link if you are interested - http://www.captainmarvins.com/

Cozumel - this was a little more difficult to figure out, as the information out there is somewhat coded. There are several companies that offer beach outings, including Disney, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure it out at first because they didn't really give the names of the beaches or resorts they are tied to - but here are some ideas. Disney offers a beach excursion that basically goes to Playa Mia - http://www.playamia.com/ - this is like the Disney World of beaches, where the price includes food and drinks, water activities, etc. It is also supposed to be very crowded (like Disney World) as all of the cruise lines offer this excursion. Disney is not out of line on their pricing because this place charges a lot if you come on your own as well. There are outside companies that offer beach excursions as well, and many of these include transportation to and from the port and/or are all-inclusive including food and drinks. There are different variations for different locations. Here is a decent site to give you an idea of what each beach is like - http://cozumelmexico.net/Cozumel-Beaches.html - or you can try this one as well - http://thisiscozumel.com/content/blogcategory/78/65/ - we decided to not use any tour company as we would have to come and go when they say so, as they have arranged for transportation. Instead, we are going to catch a cab and head here - http://paradise-beach-cozumel.com/location.php - Paradise Beach. It is essentially free to get in, but they expect that you will spend $10 per person on food or drinks, which gives you access to the lounge chairs, etc. They also have a huge climbing inflatable thingy in the water and trampolines in the water. You can buy a wrist band to cover all day use of these things for $9 per person. Cab back and forth should run about $10 to $15 or so each way (this is per cab and not per person like on Grand Cayman) - and I understand that the fares are posted right at the port, so this should be easy for you. I have read reports of cabbies trying to charge more to get back to the port, so just turn them down if that happens and take the next cab.

Hope this helps!!

 

[Wavegirl]

yes in Cayman you have to do a private charter, have a look at http://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/StingrayCityCharters.htm we have booked the 46 ft sailboat, it was amazing and we asked them to put beer onboard for us We have also done the Outrage on the Boston whaler, also incredible

In Coz Nachi Cocom beach club is more adult oriented http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/CozumelBeachBreak.htm and the ATV tour is also more for adults too or the island tours, tequila testing etc http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/CozumelIslandTours.htm