By booking and paying for all Carnival excursions before departure, passengers can better budget their expenditure once the cruise is underway. Since there are no hidden fees, and all excursion prices listed are all-inclusive, the only variable cost is the discretionary tip at the end.
Carnival compiles a list of approved operators, but does not run the tours themselves. Most tours do not charge for children under 3 and offer child and teen discounts, but this cannot be guaranteed by the cruise line. Should a tour be canceled because of bad weather, a full refund is given. If a passenger cancels within 24 hours of arrival in the appropriate port, the full cost of the tour is payable.
During the course of a Carnival Legend cruise, passengers can find themselves snorkeling, hiking, touring cultural landmarks or even zip-lining. It pays to conduct a little research to find out if a particular destination is renowned for an activity or landmark, and to seize a spot on the right tour accordingly. While passengers are free to book their own tours from the port, these are not promoted on board and carry no guarantee. All Carnival's operators must carry insurance and be sufficiently reputable. Also, if there is any hold-up on an approved tour, the ship will wait in port.
Excursions range from the sybaritic to the strenuous. Passengers can quite easily complete a cruise in a spectator's capacity, riding in coaches, submarines or on catamarans, or take to the rainforest by mountain bike or mangroves by kayak. It is even possible in some ports to take two excursions, since some trips last around an hour and a half, whereas others are full-day. Passengers are typically required to sign a personal liability waiver for any tour requiring exertion or even the slightest risk, and passengers with heart or other medical conditions may not be able to undertake activities such as scuba diving. Carnival even operates its own Behind the Fun onboard tour on the final day of sailing, which visits the ship's otherwise off-limits areas.
The difference between Carnival-approved tours and local destination tours is significant. All tours booked through Carnival Legend include an English-speaking guide and the promise of an alternative tour or full refund should a proposed tour be canceled. The tour operator will typically pick up guests right from the port or pier where tenders disembark passengers. Pick a local tour on the spur of the moment, on the other hand, and the worst case scenario would be finding yourself stranded on an island with an uninsured tour operator who can't speak English.
