Carnival Enhances Shore Excursions | Cruise News – July 13, 2015

Carnival Enhances Shore Excursions

Cruise News – July 13, 2015

Carnival Cruise Line has dramatically expanded its shore excursion offerings, adding exclusive new experiences and customized private tours, as well as family-friendly enhancements, including complimentary beach activities, value pricing, and free tours in select ports for children under 5.

In select Caribbean ports, Carnival now offers guests access to private villas as well as opportunities to immerse themselves in local culture and cuisine. The new tours include:

• La Casa en la Playa (Cozumel) – A luxurious 5-hour-long tour grants 30 participants access to a beach house with five-star service for the day, complete with a personal chef and wait staff. Participants can learn how to cook authentic Mexican cuisine, make refreshing margaritas and mojitos, or simply relax on a white-sand beach.
• Eat, Drink & Dance (Ocho Rios)– An “island time” tour pleases guests’ palates with Jamaica’s unique food, music, and culture.  After savoring spicy samples at a traditional jerk hut, guests enjoy a delicious meal at Miss T’s Kitchen (as featured on Guy Fieri’s Family Vacation), then a visit to a beachside bar where mixologists create Jamaican rum cocktails, and finally a reggae dance lesson.
• Jamaican Home for the Day (Ocho Rios)– A day-long tour offers guests their own Jamaican home for a day where they can relax and enjoy a home-cooked island lunch. The expansive property features a beautiful secluded beach where guests can enjoy refreshing frozen daiquiris and other rum-infused cocktails.
• Photo Safari & Beach Expedition (Cozumel) – This 2-day experience starts with a 1-hour, onboard photo seminar led by the ships’ photographers, followed the next day with a visit to gorgeous beaches and a national park where participants are offered a hands-on demonstration in capturing the moments that matter.
• Eat, Drink & Walk (St. Thomas) – This “walking culinary/culture tour” of St. Peter Mountain Great House & Botanical Gardens offers guests a view of the 15 islands of the Virgin Islands chain, and a chance to sample 24 different island rums, learn how to make banana daiquiris, and nosh on Caribbean treats like saltfish, plantains, johnny cakes, and West Indian pumpkin soup.

New family-friendly shore-excursions give children 5 and under a free beach excursion with their parents’ paid tour, which can include:

• Family Beach Escape (Freeport) – After an air-conditioned ride to a beachside resort, kids enjoy sandcastle-making competitions, treasure hunts, and face-painting (under trained supervision) while parents relax under oversized umbrellas and sip tropical drinks.  Lunch is included and beach toys, paddle boats, kayaks, and other watercraft are available for rent.
• Island Beach Escape for Families by Power Catamaran (Cozumel) – A power catamaran takes families to the white-sand beaches of Passion Island, where resort facilities include plentiful beach chairs and hammocks, volleyball, water trampolines, and pedal boats. Kids get their own special beachside play area.  A Mexican-style buffet with guacamole, grilled mahi-mahi, and a kids’ menu is included.
• Family Treasure Hunt with Lunch at Blue Lagoon (Nassau) –Participants must discover hidden treasures, collect clues, and answer trivia questions on their journey to win the Pirate’s Bounty!  After their plunder, families can soak up the sun on Blue Lagoon Island’s powdery beach as they enjoy a grilled lunch and icy beverages.
• All-Inclusive Family Beach Resort Getaway (Montego Bay) – Hosted at Jamaica’s luxurious Seawinds Beach Club, this tour includes island entertainment and a complimentary buffet lunch and drinks. Families can take a dip in the ocean or one of the many on-property pools and enjoy water sports like sailing, snorkeling and kayaking.

For guests seeking a more authentic shoreside experience, experienced local guides lead off-the-beaten-path excursions. Plus, with Carnival’s new onboard lounge tour dispatch system, excursions depart from a shipboard venue – where tour operators come on board to meet participants – instead of tour operators assembling large groups of guests on the pier.

All new offerings are covered by Carnival’s Shore Excursion Best Price Guarantee, providing a 110-percent refund (in shipboard credit) if you find a better price on a similar tour.

^{Photo: Wall of Moments/Carnival Cruise Line}

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