Should we book excursions ahead of time?

[westjones]

I saw on the Disney Cruise Line website that you could book your excursions ahead of time. Should we do this? Do they fill up? We are going on the Western 7 Day cruise in September. How early should we book (if we should book early)? When do they hit your credit card? Right away, or after you do the excursion?

Thanks!
DJ

 

[prymsu]

I would book ahead on the ones that have limited availability for sure if you really want to do them. For instance the fishing at CC is very limited. You are not charged until your cruising date, and it will show up on your room charges.

 

[TootyJane]

Originally posted by prymsu
I would book ahead on the ones that have limited availability for sure if you really want to do them. For instance the fishing at CC is very limited. You are not charged until your cruising date, and it will show up on your room charges.

I agree. If you see an excursion you want to do that is limited then by all means book it in advance. As for when you are charged, you are not charged until the actual day of your excursion then the charges will show up on your stateroom account. HTH

 

[bambilin]

Hi,

We are booked on the 7/13 Disney Magic Cruse. I booked shore excursions for St Maarten and St Thomas for 5 people. Less than 2 weeks later, 2 of my friends tried to add on 2 people each. One was able to, the other was told they were both sold out. So, if it's something you really want to do, go ahead and book it early. You can always cancel!

 

[atigeg]

Definitely book ahead of time! This was one thing I loved about RCCL, and I was so happy when Disney added it too. You can plan ahead and have a good chance of getting the popular excursions that sell out early. It also saves you from having one more thing to do while on board...use that time to make Palo and spa reservations instead!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[DARWIN91]

If you are interested in the Stingray city tour in Cayman Islands then I would book it early. My DH was doing it alone and it was sold out so he had to book another excursion that included Stingray City.

 

[westjones]

I was wondering about the stingray excursion. Aren't stingrays dangerous? How is it OK to swim with them? It looks neat, but how is this possible?
Thanks!
DJ
PS. Did you DH like the excursion?

 

[atigeg]

Although rays can sting you with their sharp (but not venomous) tails, the ones at Stingray City are as gentle as puppies. They are not contained there in any way...they come of their own free will. It started when fishermen used to dock by the sand bars to clean their catch and throw the scraps overboard. The rays quickly learned to hang out there for a free meal, and then someone got the bright idea of bringing tourists. They very quickly learned to beg for free meals. We saw many people handling and even picking them up. Our guide held them over our heads for photos, and they never tried to sting at all. They come to you and "bump" you for food...it's really neat! You can pet them, but you have to be careful not to touch the sharp spines on their back. If you do and get a cut (or in the very unlikely event that you get stung), you would be okay but the wound would need to be disinfected...it's like getting cut on coral. Hubby got a bad scar on his chin after a coral cut at Castaway Cay.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[DARWIN91]

My husband loved Stingray City. He got a good pic of himself holding/touching the Stingray.

 

[Bbgrizzle]

I would book your excursions in advance. HOWEVER, I don't recommend booking Castaway Cay packages early. We booked the package with the floats, snorkeling, and bikes, and we didn't have enough time to do everything. All we did was ride our bikes and lay out a little bit and the day flew by! We wished we had snorkeled, especially since that was the main component of the $30 fee per person. It was a waste of money.