Are The DCL shore excursions good value?

[smile750]

Cool - do you basically start your search with Trip Advisor to find activities in the specific ports? I hadn't thought of starting my search there, I typically use the reviews after I've identified a few possibilities, but I'll have to try the reverse approach if that is working well for you..

thanks

I usually get ideas from reading these forums (here and cruise critic) and sometimes I may google something like, "best snorkeling trip Cozumel from cruise" or something like that. Most of the time, the google query turns up lots of trip advisor forums so I just pursue that way. For instance, originally I was going to scuba in Cozumel so I think I did a search here for scuba cozumel and I came up with "scuba with Alison" - one of the companies there. I then saw lots of reviews about her on cruise critic and trip advisor. I then contacted her via email and she was very responsive. Unfortunately, while working on my PADI certification here in NJ I developed some problem with my ear so I have to stay with snorkeling so I had to cancel with Alison.

So once I get the names of a few companies, I check them out on trip advisor, cruise critic, and just plain google them. Once I get enough info, I email them and if they respond promptly and professionally (they usually are already working with many of the cruise lines so know the schedule and are very accommodating (working with me in terms of what time we arrive in port - this was important in Grand Cayman because for some reason the boat doesn't arrive until 10:45 instead of the usual 8:00 or so) I feel comfortable booking with them. Sounds like a lot, but it really isn't and it's fun to hear the experiences of others.

Jen

 

[NancyIL]

Cool - do you basically start your search with Trip Advisor to find activities in the specific ports? I hadn't thought of starting my search there, I typically use the reviews after I've identified a few possibilities, but I'll have to try the reverse approach if that is working well for you..

thanks

Hi, Illini_Fan! (I'm in Champaign ) For cruise destinations - I start with the Ports of Call forums at Cruise Critic: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5. I also use the Trip Advisor Forums, as well as read the tour and hotel reviews.

 

[Illini_Fan]

Hi, Illini_Fan! (I'm in Champaign ) For cruise destinations - I start with the Ports of Call forums at Cruise Critic: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5. I also use the Trip Advisor Forums, as well as read the tour and hotel reviews.

I haven't lived up there in many years, but was actually back up there in May for commencement of our oldest

Thanks for the input.

 

[Alexander]

To put it bluntly, no the excursions offered by Disney are not a good value whatsoever. You are better off arranging one yourself and, in turn, saving yourself a lot of money. The only true benefit of booking an excursion through Disney is that if for some reason the excursion is late returning to the ship, the ship will not leave. However, if you go on your own, you assume the risk of missing the boat if you come back late. I had a situation where the Disney excursion came back about 30 late, and the boat was still there.

This is not entirely true. We booked El Rio Secreto (The Secret River) through DCL for our visit to Cozumel. It included admission to The Secret River, the high-speed ferry boat to the mainland and back, and r/t transportation from the port to the park. It cost $109 to book through DCL. Admission and transportation to El Rio Secreto is $99. The cost of the ferry is $12 each way, so $24.

We ended up saving money by booking this excursion through DCL. We also had no concerns about times, missing the ferry or our ride to the park or the ship. It could not have been easier.

Now, with this being all said, for MOST excursions, it is considerably cheaper to book them yourself. I always look at the DCL price and what it includes and then do some research to see what it would cost to do the same on our own. The Secret River, hands down was a money saver. Again, this is rare!

 

[dclpluto]

if you are a worrier like me than they are a good value, you dont have to worry about anything.

 

[MickeyMinnieMelanie]

If the ship excursion is running VERY late, the ship will leave and DCL will arrange to get you to the next port at their expense. With a 14 yo, the prices won't make a huge difference but we have found that once the kids turned 9 there was a big difference in the pricing of excursions between private vendors and DCL. Most vendors charge a kid rate for kids 12 & under, but with DCL once your child turns 9 you will pay the adult rate. Some even offer kids free with a paying adult, like the trolly in Key West.

Am I reading this right?? If you book an excursion through DCL and the excursion is running really late (which I don't know how really late is) then DCL will pay for you to get to the next port? What about your hotel, food? time lost on disney ship? It's not your fault the excursion ran late that you booked through them.

 

[lbgraves]

I don't know the extent to which DCL will go to take care of you, but they will get you to meet the ship at the next port. You would think that would involve airfare, hotel and food.

 

[shburks]

When we travel to some place for the first time, we usually take a tour, when we return, we're a little more comfortable about arranging something independently.

This is my general thing, too. Cruised Hawaiina few years back on NCL but we had lived in HI for three years and felt very comfortable booking rental cars and exploring islands on our own. In a new foreign country where I don't speak the language, feel better about a ship sponsored excursion.

 

[jlwhitney]

This is my general thing, too. Cruised Hawaiina few years back on NCL but we had lived in HI for three years and felt very comfortable booking rental cars and exploring islands on our own. In a new foreign country where I don't speak the language, feel better about a ship sponsored excursion.

You would be surpraised how easy it really is to tour places you never been, even with a different language.

Look how many people just fly to another country, book a hotel and tour on their own.

There are many people that can't afford the insanely high price of DCL excursions and if they want to do something they have to do it on their own, and they are usually the one that don''t come back complaining that thier day was bad. I have heard so many people complain about excursions. They don't like all the waiting around for people, they don't get enought time where they like and too much somewhere else. Something wasn't provided on the tour that was listed...etc...

 

[KashasMom]

I book through DCL for two reasons. The first is what PPs have mentioned about the boat waiting. The second is for safety in areas that I am not familiar with. My cousin and her friend booked an excursion independently when they were in Mexico. They hopped in a cab and trusted that the cab driver was bringing them to the right area. He really brought them out to the middle of no where, stopped the car, and demanded a $100 if they wanted to get back. Of course this is an isolated incident and many people book on their own and have no problem. However when travelling with a baby I am not taking chances. Next cruise we are stopping in Key west and we will book on our own, but in other countries we pay a little more for DCL to get us there safely.

I almost never book with the cruise line. If you get recommendations for reputable guides/drivers (cruise critic is the best source for that), the kind of thing described above does not happen.

 

[COASTIEandMATE]

To give you a comparison...on Grand Cayman we did the Boatswain's Park (turtle farm) with DCL. I know others did it independently. I think we paid about $20 more per person for the DCL excursion. The "independents" were able to just get off the ship, find the bus, get on, and go. We had to wait in one of the lounges for our group to be called, then were led off the ship like kids on a field trip, then bussed to the Park, etc.

We got on one of the last buses back to the ship and it got stuck in traffic. We were not "late", but did get to the last tender just in time.

So, the trade off was that the independent folks got to the park earlier, but I'm sure they had to then leave earlier to make sure they didn't miss the ship. We were able to take the last bus back and rest easy, knowing the ship would not leave (or DCL would get us to the next port).

omething else to remember is that if the tour bus breaks down, as has happened here in Hawaii, the last tender will be waiting for you if you booked thru DCL! ALOHA, Karen

 

[jlwhitney]

This is not entirely true. We booked El Rio Secreto (The Secret River) through DCL for our visit to Cozumel. It included admission to The Secret River, the high-speed ferry boat to the mainland and back, and r/t transportation from the port to the park. It cost $109 to book through DCL. Admission and transportation to El Rio Secreto is $99. The cost of the ferry is $12 each way, so $24.

We ended up saving money by booking this excursion through DCL. We also had no concerns about times, missing the ferry or our ride to the park or the ship. It could not have been easier.

Now, with this being all said, for MOST excursions, it is considerably cheaper to book them yourself. I always look at the DCL price and what it includes and then do some research to see what it would cost to do the same on our own. The Secret River, hands down was a money saver. Again, this is rare!

We have done this as well. For some reason, it is a dollar for dollar value. But that is not the case in general. I am assuming Disny gets a group rate which is why its a decent value.

I agree with you, this is the rare excursions that is worth its money.

 

[shburks]

You would be surpraised how easy it really is to tour places you never been, even with a different language.

Look how many people just fly to another country, book a hotel and tour on their own.

There are many people that can't afford the insanely high price of DCL excursions and if they want to do something they have to do it on their own, and they are usually the one that don''t come back complaining that thier day was bad. I have heard so many people complain about excursions. They don't like all the waiting around for people, they don't get enought time where they like and too much somewhere else. Something wasn't provided on the tour that was listed...etc...

I'm sure you're right AND I've done that...flown to another country and toured where I don't speak the language, but I didn't have the added pressure of needing to be back to my HOTEL before it sailed away!