Shore Excursions

For some people, a cruise is all about the shore excursions. For others, it's all about the experiences on the boat. For me, it's a mix of the two. I think a cruise is a great way to see a lot of fun, new places at once but it is more than simply a means to an end because most of your time will be spent on the boat.

If given a choice, I probably would have preferred a cruise to the Bahamas because I've never been there. But between my schedule at the hospital and the desires of other family members, this is what was available. And I'm ok with that because there are some places I have never been and there will be other cruises in the future.

One thing I have noticed about shore excursions is that they are quite expensive. And while it is cheaper to take advantage of the offers from those simply hanging around the port, there is a certain level of risk to that! One good thing about researching the shore excursion options through Carnival has been to simply learn what is popular and available.

We haven't booked any "official" excursion, but there is one we are thinking about and that is the beach on Isla Roatan. It costs $30 and covers 2 people, including your transportation to and from the beach (as often as you want) and two beach chairs. I was ok with that.

Cozumel and Costa Maya I don't anticipate our doing much of anything except wandering around when we get off the boat. Especially in Cozumel, the port kind of reminds me of a mall and I am guessing we will probably just wander around and maybe have a few drinks before we get back on the boat to enjoy the peace and quiet! The last time we were there, there was a mariachi band playing right where people got off the boat, so from the deck we could see and hear them. I think "tequila" is the only song they knew and after about an hour, it got really old!

Belize I'm still undecided because we are supposed to have to take a tender boat in. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Still, it would be fun to say I've been to Belize so I may at least tender in and wander for a while. From what I can tell, there's no beach and most of the attractions are the rainforest, but that requires driving for a while and I don't know if it's worth it this trip. We'll wait and see how I feel when we get there.

There are some major advantages to staying on the boat while in port, but that's another story...