our family is crusing dec.7-14 on the ncl-sun we are going to ocho rio, grand cayman, costa maya, cozmel, (we had to rebook at the last minute on this cruise because we were booked on the s/s norway) anyway we made this decission in a matter of one hour as we had non-refundable flights, taken time of ect. well, we have no idea what the ship is like or what to do in the ports or what to expect with free style dinning we need help! any information will help. we have 8 in our group ages from 16-65yrs.(16,17,19,20,23,45,47,65) how do we go about seeing things without paying the big $$

angeldust

Ocho Rios definitely Dunn's River Falls. Grand Cayman go to Sting ray city to swim w/sting rays & then snorkel too. Have not been to the other place. If you do a little research (the message boards are great for this) you can book your own excursions directly. If you book them from the cruise line they are much more. Good luck!

Definitely check out the cruise reviews for the Norwegian Sun. If there are any "mega-reviews" they may also include pictures, or links to same. Also check out port-reviews.com (also linked to this website) for information on the ports of call. The ship's shore excursions usually do cost more, but if you are new to cruising or to these ports (especially in Jamaica), I would still suggest going thru the cruise line's shore excursion office, at least for the longer excursions. Remember, if you are late back to the ship and have not gone ashore as part of the cruise line's shore excursions, you can miss the boat, literally - and the cost of catching up to your cruise is entirely up to you.

Have a wonderful time!

beautiful beaches, snorkeling there. December I'm not sure. They are tourist orientated , very

joe smoe

Go shopping in cozumel!! very cheap prices on everything from jewelry to real hand crafted mexican blankets to liquor. Take cab to foroum shops and walk the strip back towards the ship.
also in the middle of the strip there is another shopping area just off to the left when your walking back towards the ships it is where you can get the most for your dollar. they love to barter for the american dollar. Blankets started at $20.00 and we got them dowm to $4.00 each. buy jewelry at Rochet's they are great ask for liz she is the manager and she will give you free double shots of tequilla just for saying hello. we bought a two carat garnet flawless,had it mounted into a 14kt. gold pendant for $60.00 when we got home in appraised for over $1100.00 p.s. ask her to take a shot with you and she will and then give you the best price she possibly can. She is very cool!

Cozumel has a lot of land and sea excursions. We did the dolphin swim...it wasn't cheap but it was a once in a lifetime experience.
I found a lot of info at www.cozumelinsider.com

Thanks so much for the tip on this website -- it's terrific!

Time to Paradise:<BR><IMG SRC="http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=191970&cdt=2003;09;21;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500">

Costa Maya and Cozumel are two different ports. Costa Maya very new and not much to do there but shop. There is a small beach. The shopping there is very reasonable. Cozumel, you will want to take a cab and take a tour around the island and see the lovely beaches and great bars. Coconuts is a favourite of ours. They have a pet iquana named ELvis, you don't want to miss him. So, shop in Costa Maya and tour around Cozumel.

Angel Dust,

If you want to have a wonderful time with your group, visit this magnificent pool complex at Costa Maya. There is not charge.

We were amazed at what the business people of costa Maya have accomplished in building such a magnificent dockside complex. If you aren’t interested in going into town or booking an excursion and instead enjoy swimming in a luxurious pool, you must visit Costa Maya. The dockside complex consists of a perimeter of very attractive stores and an amphitheater on three sides, surrounding one of the most beautiful pools we have seen. The pool is a free form design and it is immense. It is the same depth of 4ft6 for the entire pool. The servers are dressed in very colorful attire and come pool side to serve you drinks. The amphitheater is just a short distance from the pool. You can watch the shows and take a dip during intermissions. They have continuos’ shows from mid morning until mid afternoon. They performed a number of Mexican folk dances with many costume changes. Each of the shows was very professional and the costumes were beautiful. We really enjoyed the shows. We took another swim before we had lunch in a restaurant near the pool. Next to the pool was a large indoor-outdoor restaurant with a beautiful thatched roof. During lunch we were serenaded by a male vocalist who sang some of the great old ballads. He had a real good voice and we found the lunch to be delightful. The open-ended side of the pool faces the ocean. They also have a salt water pool that you can join in a continuous Volley Ball game. Within fifteen feet of the pool is a beach area with thatched huts shading the lounge chairs underneath.

We have often used the beautiful and extensive pool at the Jamaica Grande, in Jamaica. It is our opinion it pales in comparison to the Costa Maya complex. Costa Maya is without a doubt our new favorite port in the Western Caribbean.

Warm regards,
Tom & Mary
Tom@TomMilano.com

Tom & Mary
(The Honeymooners)

Hello Angeldust,

The best way to travel is to contract a private tour operator they offer personalize tours with unlimited time,since your group comprises of different age groups,with different interest your driver could arrange to take members of your group to Dunns Falls while they are climbing the falls he could take the others to a plantation tour and pick up both groups within intervals.
If you need additional information you can contact me at marco@anngel.com.jm

mark morris

I have been to Jamaica twice, and last time me and the kids took the Dunn River Falls Tour. It was great! Tours ARE more expensive than going alone, but much easier to arrange. Take your pick. In fact, On a Carnival Cruise I took last year, I wanted to go on a Canopy Trip which I was arranging on my own through the internet. But the Tour company told me they were sold out due to the cruise tour. So don't tell them that you are on a cruise ship if it is a large tour company, I guess!

You CAN NOT miss stingray city in Grand Cayman, it is incredible!!!

We've gone with a few operators there and I recommend the one of the following for your group.

My first would be to suggest a private sailing charter to stingray city, you can charter a sailboat called the

XANAX

yep, the name says it all, relaxing . Is $350 including everything !!! The Captain was amazing, really nice and helpful.

The other option would be Snorkelers Dream Catamarananother great trip but its a bigger catamaran an they take more people but is only $34 for adults and $20 for kids.