Western Itinerary - GREAT EXCURSIONS!
About This Page: This is a discussion on Western Itinerary - GREAT EXCURSIONS! within the Sharing Your Adventure: Disney Cruise Reports, part of the PassPorter Community - Message Boards and Forums; Hi! I'm new to posting on Passporter, though I have been a loyal Passporter holder for years. We just ...

Beauty luvs Beast · 11-11-2007, 11:33 AM

Hi! I'm new to posting on Passporter, though I have been a loyal Passporter holder for years. We just returned from our 7-nite cruise on the Magic last night and wanted to share 2 AWESOME excursions with you all (as they were too new to be reviewed by cruisers in the current Passporter, which we own).

GRAND CAYMAN - Thriller Boat Ride - go for it!! It is run by 2 really great guys - Collin (from Canada) and Grant (from South Africa) who really know the island and really love the seas! You WILL get wet (even wetter than being in a shower - really!) - very, very wet in fact. But it is amazing and so much fun. The boat goes very fast. They stop along the coast to give a few "historical" tidbits - very interesting, too! We got extra wet as the seas were pretty rough and high - but we didn't care - we laughed and had fun. As I said, you will get wet, so wear your bathing suit and sunglasses to protect your eyes from the salt water. Collin and Grant will put your day bag in a safe, dry place. BRING YOUR UNDERWATER/WATERPROOF CAMERA.

Then you get dropped off at a beach where you can snorkel or just hang out in the water or on a lounge chair. There are restrooms, showers and a bar for drinks and food. Included in your cost is a ticket for a soft drink or soda. You get to stay on the beach for about 1.5 hours when the boat picks you up and brings you back to the dock at George Town.

COZUMEL - Dune Buggy Excursion - AWESOME! You need to know how to drive a manual transmission. Our guides, Luis and Rene were amazing. One was the "lead" car and the other the "caboose", to make sure we all stayed together. Wear a hat, put on sunscreeen and wear a hat - there is no roof! First you drive through town - fun to see. Then you drive up the coastline where you eventually get to a National park/preserve - unbelievably amazing. You go to a snorkel beach - preserved eco-system - for about an hour. Then you all pile into your buggys and head further into the park where you see some crocs! Pile in again and head around the coast where you stop for lunch/beach break - beautiful!

Our suggestion is to bring your own water and wear your swimsuit.

Good luck and have fun!!

**Kenny** · 11-12-2007, 07:08 AM

Thank you for the reviews! We will be on the Western next October, so I found them very interesting!

Kenny

**DyanKJ130** · 11-12-2007, 04:02 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun!

for sharing your experiences with us and

to the boards!!

**Colexis Mom** · 11-12-2007, 04:26 PM

Thanks for sharing your reviews with us

**iamgrumpy** · 11-12-2007, 08:23 PM

Sounds like a great time and will look into the dune buggy's if we do the western itinerary!

Marcel · 12-23-2007, 02:38 AM

Thanks for the update

EeyoreNeedsLoveToo · 12-23-2007, 08:53 AM

sounds very fun and adventurous!

cal2net · 01-28-2008, 04:42 PM

Great reviews! We will be on the Western in August 2009. Can you tell me if these were Disney excursions or did you locate them on your own? DD will be 10 at the time we cruise, would this be something for her or would it be too much?
Thanks!

Annette

Beauty luvs Beast · 01-29-2008, 09:39 AM

Hi Annette!

You will L-O-V-E this cruise!! We booked all excursions through Disney because, the nervous-Nellie that I am, I feel its much safer for ONE REASON ONLY: If there is a problem w/the excursion, THE DISNEY BOAT CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!!

. If you book on your own, and you get stuck on the island for some reason, Disney has no obligation to hold the boat for you.

However, I've read many, many reviews of cruisers who booked on their own and had absolutely no problems. But, I like to have a safety net wheneve possible...

Our DD was 13 for all of our excursion and she loved them as well (her fave was the dune buggy - even sitting in a less than plush backseat!).

I think for a 10 year old, these excursions are great and lots of fun!

Something for you, may I suggest, is a massage at the Spa onboard. I had a hot stone massage as a birthday gift from my parents and , well, it was amazing! When we're together as a family, I rarely do stuff like that for myself, but I figured "why not?" and I am so very glad I did (DH and DD survived without me for 2 hours!).

If you need anymore suggestions, I'm full of them. Please post!!

Oh, one more very important suggestion - get up early the first day or two and watch the sunrise. I woke up (hadn't planned to do so) the first 2 mornings while we were cruising and sat alone on our verandah - it was priceless! Something I will never forget.

Okay, you're giving me the bug - I might just book for August 2009, too!

Would love to hear from you again (if you can stand my long-windedness....).

All the Best-

Mulan2 · 01-30-2008, 11:11 PM

Thanks for the reviews! Somthing to keep in mind when our kids get a little bit older.

alysjack · 01-31-2008, 09:04 PM

Hi I just read your post and I am sitting here at my computer with paper on top of paper trying to make the right decisions when booking these excursions. I have a 13 year old and a 16 year old (both daughters). Would you recommend this speed boat for a family of 4? How many people are on the boat with you? I need help I want to snorkel but refuse to step foot in the water with stingrays! Looking forward to hearing some tips from you. Thanks!
Terri

Beauty luvs Beast · 02-01-2008, 08:26 AM

Hi Terri-
I must admit, when we first considered the Thriller speedboat excursion, my DH and DD (13) were all for it. I was the hold-out wimp. Then I agreed, so we booked it. The day of our excursion on Grand Cayman, the water was VERY, VERY choppy (we were on the heels of hurricane/tropical storm Noel in November 2007). So at this point, I'm thinking to myself "what the *&$# did I get myself into?". IT WAS GREAT - TOTALLY SUITABLE FOR YOUR GIRLS' AGES. I would say there are approximately 20-ish people total on the boat (it's like a cigarette-type boat (Miami-Vice) with rows of bench seats). I must prepare you (and your girls, who are probably very hair-conscious): YOU WILL GET WET, VERY WET!

Regarding the stingrays, I'm with , Terri. No way, no how. Did you look into the Dune Buggy excursion in Cozumel? You snorkel in an eco-park/preserve with a guided group. The snorkeling is just one part of a 5-hour adventure - AWESOME!!

I hope I answered your questions. Keep them coming - I'd love to share whatever I can to help you. I know exactly how you feel - completely overwhelmed and not wanting to make the wrong decision...

I also have some Key West ideas for you, if you're game...

I just realized you PM'd me. Sorry I didn't see that sooner.

I'm getting the bug to go! This was an unbelievable cruise!

julie

alysjack · 02-01-2008, 02:42 PM

Hi Julie. You are going to be sorry you told me to write you again! I just looked at the dune buggy ride excursion. How safe did you feel "riding through town"? I have been to Cozumel once before and snorkeled at some national park (this was BK- before kids) and remember the armed guard! Also, did you do your snorkeling right off the beach here? My oldest daughter (who will have just turned sweet 16) has her heart set on the Dolphin excursion. I would LOVE to do it but it's just so much money for 30 minutes! I think I am going to show DH your post about the speed boat. This sounds like a ton of fun. Does the boat anchor at some sort of island for you to swim at? I like that they do show you around and give you some history of the island. If you can give me some more info on the speed boat excursion and dune buggy I would greatly appreciate it. You can e-mail me if you prefer.
Also, we are thinking about the catamaran snorkel at Key West. What did you do? Did you get to eat at Palo's while you were there? I saw you mention about eating out on deck. Did you eat breakfast in the dinning room at all? How formal was formal night? My older DD doesn't enjoy dresses she feels more comfortable in dressy pants. Don't know what I am going to do about that. Please keep the info coming. I was getting nowhere with the DCL web site and I have to tell you I made 500 phone calls and still don't feel like I am getting the answers I need. Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for all your input!
Terri

cal2net · 02-02-2008, 07:17 PM

Julie

I would love to hear about your ideas for Key West. We are debating wether or not to bring along our DD (10) on this excursion or not. I wasn't sure if there would be enough to "entertain" her or not. Please let me know what all you and your family did or what ideas you might have for great excursions or things to "definitely" see.

Annette

**FanOfMickey** · 02-02-2008, 07:28 PM

Sounds like fun!! Thanks for sharing your reviews!!

11-11-2007, 11:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
Beauty luvs Beast Community Rank: Day-Tripper Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5	Western Itinerary - GREAT EXCURSIONS! Hi! I'm new to posting on Passporter, though I have been a loyal Passporter holder for years. We just returned from our 7-nite cruise on the Magic last night and wanted to share 2 AWESOME excursions with you all (as they were too new to be reviewed by cruisers in the current Passporter, which we own). GRAND CAYMAN - Thriller Boat Ride - go for it!! It is run by 2 really great guys - Collin (from Canada) and Grant (from South Africa) who really know the island and really love the seas! You WILL get wet (even wetter than being in a shower - really!) - very, very wet in fact. But it is amazing and so much fun. The boat goes very fast. They stop along the coast to give a few "historical" tidbits - very interesting, too! We got extra wet as the seas were pretty rough and high - but we didn't care - we laughed and had fun. As I said, you will get wet, so wear your bathing suit and sunglasses to protect your eyes from the salt water. Collin and Grant will put your day bag in a safe, dry place. BRING YOUR UNDERWATER/WATERPROOF CAMERA. Then you get dropped off at a beach where you can snorkel or just hang out in the water or on a lounge chair. There are restrooms, showers and a bar for drinks and food. Included in your cost is a ticket for a soft drink or soda. You get to stay on the beach for about 1.5 hours when the boat picks you up and brings you back to the dock at George Town. COZUMEL - Dune Buggy Excursion - AWESOME! You need to know how to drive a manual transmission. Our guides, Luis and Rene were amazing. One was the "lead" car and the other the "caboose", to make sure we all stayed together. Wear a hat, put on sunscreeen and wear a hat - there is no roof! First you drive through town - fun to see. Then you drive up the coastline where you eventually get to a National park/preserve - unbelievably amazing. You go to a snorkel beach - preserved eco-system - for about an hour. Then you all pile into your buggys and head further into the park where you see some crocs! Pile in again and head around the coast where you stop for lunch/beach break - beautiful! Our suggestion is to bring your own water and wear your swimsuit. Good luck and have fun!!

01-29-2008, 09:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
Beauty luvs Beast Community Rank: Day-Tripper Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5	Hi Annette! You will L-O-V-E this cruise!! We booked all excursions through Disney because, the nervous-Nellie that I am, I feel its much safer for ONE REASON ONLY: If there is a problem w/the excursion, THE DISNEY BOAT CANNOT LEAVE WITHOUT YOU!!. If you book on your own, and you get stuck on the island for some reason, Disney has no obligation to hold the boat for you. However, I've read many, many reviews of cruisers who booked on their own and had absolutely no problems. But, I like to have a safety net wheneve possible... Our DD was 13 for all of our excursion and she loved them as well (her fave was the dune buggy - even sitting in a less than plush backseat!). I think for a 10 year old, these excursions are great and lots of fun! Something for you, may I suggest, is a massage at the Spa onboard. I had a hot stone massage as a birthday gift from my parents and , well, it was amazing! When we're together as a family, I rarely do stuff like that for myself, but I figured "why not?" and I am so very glad I did (DH and DD survived without me for 2 hours!). If you need anymore suggestions, I'm full of them. Please post!! Oh, one more very important suggestion - get up early the first day or two and watch the sunrise. I woke up (hadn't planned to do so) the first 2 mornings while we were cruising and sat alone on our verandah - it was priceless! Something I will never forget. Okay, you're giving me the bug - I might just book for August 2009, too! Would love to hear from you again (if you can stand my long-windedness....). All the Best-

01-31-2008, 09:04 PM	#11 (permalink)
alysjack Community Rank: Sightseer Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 55	Going Western on April 19th Hi I just read your post and I am sitting here at my computer with paper on top of paper trying to make the right decisions when booking these excursions. I have a 13 year old and a 16 year old (both daughters). Would you recommend this speed boat for a family of 4? How many people are on the boat with you? I need help I want to snorkel but refuse to step foot in the water with stingrays! Looking forward to hearing some tips from you. Thanks! Terri

02-01-2008, 02:42 PM	#13 (permalink)
alysjack Community Rank: Sightseer Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 55	more questions :) Hi Julie. You are going to be sorry you told me to write you again! I just looked at the dune buggy ride excursion. How safe did you feel "riding through town"? I have been to Cozumel once before and snorkeled at some national park (this was BK- before kids) and remember the armed guard! Also, did you do your snorkeling right off the beach here? My oldest daughter (who will have just turned sweet 16) has her heart set on the Dolphin excursion. I would LOVE to do it but it's just so much money for 30 minutes! I think I am going to show DH your post about the speed boat. This sounds like a ton of fun. Does the boat anchor at some sort of island for you to swim at? I like that they do show you around and give you some history of the island. If you can give me some more info on the speed boat excursion and dune buggy I would greatly appreciate it. You can e-mail me if you prefer. Also, we are thinking about the catamaran snorkel at Key West. What did you do? Did you get to eat at Palo's while you were there? I saw you mention about eating out on deck. Did you eat breakfast in the dinning room at all? How formal was formal night? My older DD doesn't enjoy dresses she feels more comfortable in dressy pants. Don't know what I am going to do about that. Please keep the info coming. I was getting nowhere with the DCL web site and I have to tell you I made 500 phone calls and still don't feel like I am getting the answers I need. Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for all your input! Terri

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01-28-2008, 04:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
cal2net Community Rank: Wayfarer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 112	Great reviews! We will be on the Western in August 2009. Can you tell me if these were Disney excursions or did you locate them on your own? DD will be 10 at the time we cruise, would this be something for her or would it be too much? Thanks! Annette

02-01-2008, 08:26 AM	#12 (permalink)
Beauty luvs Beast Community Rank: Day-Tripper Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 5	Hi Terri- I must admit, when we first considered the Thriller speedboat excursion, my DH and DD (13) were all for it. I was the hold-out wimp. Then I agreed, so we booked it. The day of our excursion on Grand Cayman, the water was VERY, VERY choppy (we were on the heels of hurricane/tropical storm Noel in November 2007). So at this point, I'm thinking to myself "what the *&$# did I get myself into?". IT WAS GREAT - TOTALLY SUITABLE FOR YOUR GIRLS' AGES. I would say there are approximately 20-ish people total on the boat (it's like a cigarette-type boat (Miami-Vice) with rows of bench seats). I must prepare you (and your girls, who are probably very hair-conscious): YOU WILL GET WET, VERY WET! Regarding the stingrays, I'm with , Terri. No way, no how. Did you look into the Dune Buggy excursion in Cozumel? You snorkel in an eco-park/preserve with a guided group. The snorkeling is just one part of a 5-hour adventure - AWESOME!! I hope I answered your questions. Keep them coming - I'd love to share whatever I can to help you. I know exactly how you feel - completely overwhelmed and not wanting to make the wrong decision... I also have some Key West ideas for you, if you're game... I just realized you PM'd me. Sorry I didn't see that sooner. I'm getting the bug to go! This was an unbelievable cruise! julie

02-02-2008, 07:17 PM	#14 (permalink)
cal2net Community Rank: Wayfarer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 112	Julie I would love to hear about your ideas for Key West. We are debating wether or not to bring along our DD (10) on this excursion or not. I wasn't sure if there would be enough to "entertain" her or not. Please let me know what all you and your family did or what ideas you might have for great excursions or things to "definitely" see. Annette

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