I typically book shore excursions on my own, not through DCL. I am not usually opposed to DCL excursions (we have done three: one was fantastic, one was not very good, and one was just okay) and I am not ruling them out in the future if they happen to align with what we want to do, but I have found that booking them on our own gives us 1) more choices and flexibility 2) less strict age requirements 3) cheaper prices, and 4) in my experience, a better overall experience. I have a post dedicated to the subject of ship sponsored vs. independent excursions in which I discuss the pros and cons of each and you can read it here.
Several people have asked me how I go about finding and booking the excursions so this is what I will discuss today. It will be short and easy because I really only have one tool which is called TripAdvisor. So far, everything I have booked based on the feedback from this site has been spot on. Maybe one day it will steer me wrong but so far it has worked beautifully so I plan to stick with it.
The way I search TripAdvisor is this: I type in the location and then click on “Things to Do.” This usually gives locations to visit, like beaches or museums. I am typically searching for tour operators though, so then I narrow my search further and select “Tours” under the attraction type. I then rank the results in order of feedback/reviews and start at the top, working my way down until I find options that fit with what we want to do and how much we want to spend. I spend a lot of time reading the reviews until I get a few options that I feel would be a good fit, and then I send out some emails asking about availability. Based on availability and how responsive the tour operator is to the emails, I eventually choose one.
If you would like to read reviews of some of the excursions I have found through TripAdvisor, you can do that here:
Grand Cayman – Cayman Luxury Charters
Grand Cayman – Cayman Luxury Charters – Take 2
St. Thomas – Second Wind Charters
St. Maarten – Top Secret Private Excursions (this company is unfortunately no longer in business)
Cozumel – Nachi Cocom All-inclusive Beach Day
Here are the excursions we have done through DCL:
Dolphin Discovery Cozumel 2013
Dolphin Discovery Cozumel (Guest Blogger, 2017)
Blue Lagoon Beach Day (Nassau)
To see my complete list of excursion reports, click here.
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It is good to know that you typically book shore excursions on your own. I am happy to learn that so far, everything you have booked has been spot on from what sites say. My cousin has said that it is a good idea to cater excursions to your children if you are looking to bring them on the trip for a fun time for everyone involved.
This blog is amazing!! Thank for all the info. We are leaving in about 3 weeks in the Disney Magic to the Bahamas.
My question, when do you start booking your excursions with DCL? I am going to check TripAdvisor too as you mention it. Thanks!
Hi Dani! First time cruisers can reserve things online, including port adventures, on the DCL website starting 75 days before the cruise. So, you can do it now!