Symphony of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Q&A

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Has anyone booked excursions outside of Royal Caribbean? If so which company did you use and what was your experience like? Most of them are sold out for the June 4th departure and I need feedback if it’s safe to book excursions with a 3rd party.

Asked on April 28, 2022 by bj007

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8 Answers

real deals in Roatan

Answered by needsun on April 29, 2022

I've been on many cruises and stopped getting ripped off on their cruise line excursions many years ago. I've had great success with Viator, Shore Excursioneer, and the Shipmate app. Never had an issue. They have the ship schedules down like clockwork and make a living by being on time. do yourself a favor and try an independent excursion provider - you'll find they're better and cheaper!

Answered by kdlady on May 04, 2022

Yes, it is a gamble, but lots of times it is fine. For example, have you checked some of the Excursions offered by places that are listed on the Explore Page, right here on Shipmate?

Answered by Dadm on April 28, 2022

We have booked local tour companies a few times, though now days we tend to explore on our own.... Sometimes rent a scooter or ATV/Jeep / Smart car and get away from the normal tourist spots. MUCH better deals when dealing with locals vs tourist spots! 👍 The only downside is when you boom with RCL your guarwnteed to get on the ship. So if your a newbie traveler, it might be best to stick with the ship.

Answered by CVCruiser on April 29, 2022

Personally i would not go anywhere except with the cruise line excursions. Just my opinion. If something happened and your group was late getting back- the ship would wait. If another excursion company- they wouldn’t. It’s safer. We did do a bus thing in Belize right at port - not thru ship- and started out kinda scary since it was just us and our kids- but the bus driver was very nice. I just would only sign up thru cruise lines

Answered by bmastin67 on April 30, 2022

Get tours on shipmates. They are smaller but nice

Answered by pmt707 on May 03, 2022

We have used Viator for excursions with no problems. The excursion tour companies are well aware of the ship departure times, and the last thing they want is for anyone to miss their ship and rightfully risk a bad review from said passengers. They also tend to have more of a selection from which to choose. We’ve had no problems with Viator at all. Best of luck to you, and I hope y’all enjoy your cruise!

Answered by cruisinzaps on May 04, 2022

We have booked outside the cruise line. Do the research and check reviews on several sites for the tour company you’re thinking of using.

Answered by agfstamps on May 02, 2022

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