Ahoy there, Kim, and welcome to planDisney! Thank you for sailing my way with your question about the Eastern Caribbean itinerary you're looking at with your crew!
Ah,
Port Adventures! Even with all the incredible activities available on the ship, there's something about disembarking in a far-flung Port of Call and experiencing the thrill of another country - then getting back on the ship and doing it all over again! I was just about 15-years-old on my first Disney Cruise Line vacation, and can still remember how cool it was to step off the ship and explore St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and other places I'd only dreamed of!
When it comes to estimating how much to budget for Port Adventures, Disney Cruise Line makes it easy to search for and pre-plan whatever options fits your crew's wishes! I know most Eastern Caribbean itineraries call on St. Maarten, as well as St. Thomas and Tortola, so I took the liberty of
searching for Port Adventures in those Ports of Call for you! From the world's steepest zipline in St. Maarten to Catamaran Sailing with snorkeling in St. Thomas, and so much more, I'm sure your entire sailing party can have a great time finding the Port Adventures that interest you.
Now, one other bit of important information I'll pass on is while this list of Port Adventures is very broad, your specific sailing may have a smaller selection available to reserve when your booking window opens. Still, the larger list should give you a sense of what different types of Port Adventures exist in each port so you can work with your crew to determine who wants to do what!
As for planning for the potential cost, each Port Adventure is listed with its current cost for each Guest, and even has the breakdown by age group! So once you've all picked your favorites, some quick back-of-the-envelope math and you'll have a great idea of how much to budget! A quick look shows that current prices range from roughly $29 for some light sightseeing to more than $4000 for private yacht sailings! Those prices are subject to change at any notice, so as Captain Barbossa said, "they're more like guidelines than actual rules..."
One last planDrew-approved tip: my wife and I always like to choose one Port of Call where we definitely will do a Port Adventure, and let the other stops on our cruise be more spontaneous! This way, we can concentrate on our "must-dos," and spend the rest of our vacation be as relaxed and stress-free as possible - sort of the same way we plan our
Walt Disney World Resort vacations!
Well, Kim, I hope that helps you set your course for adventure later this year with you and your crew! I can't wait for you all to be in the pristine waters of the Eastern Caribbean, surrounded by Captain Mickey, Captain Minnie, and all their friends!
Thank you so much for your question, and if any others arise as you continue planning, please don't hesitate to drop me another line!
Until then, may your anchor be tight and your compass true,
Andrew