DIY Touring

It seems that almost everyday I get complaints from my customers about how expensive the tours are on board cruise ships, and too be fair I can’t argue with that. The main reasons for this are that the cruise line will guarantee the ship will wait for you if you have any issues getting back to the ship late. Also every tour is fully insured and will include an air conditioned coach with a representative from the ship to look after you for the duration of the tour.

Well all that sounds great but, how about organising a tour yourself, while are worked on cruise ships in the Caribbean I only ever organised my own tours with the local government run taxis, you would always find them waiting outside the port ready to take you on a tour around the islands. WOW how much fun, meeting the locals and getting a more personalized tour at a fraction of the cost that the cruise lines were charging.

I have lost count how many families of the taxi drivers I have met, almost every time the taxi driver would ask me if I was hungry and I would end up at his home with his wife cooking me lunch herself. I have even spent Xmas day with one of the taxi drivers families that I met on one of the many tours I took.

I would never have experienced something like this taking a tour organised by the cruise line.

I guess you have to be a confident traveller to organise your own tour but trust me they are all very safe and strictly controlled by the local government.

So if you are looking for a one off special experience, next time don’t drop your head a rush past the local taxi drivers, as you might just be missing an experience you would never get from a tour organised by the ship.