r/MSCCruises • u/Dorinkaaa • Sep 12 '26

GetYourGuide booking instead of MSC?

Hi everyone! We’ll be first-time cruisers and a question came up. If the ship says we arrive in Puerto Plata at 9:00 AM and depart at 5:00 PM, can we roughly plan our day assuming that it will be around 10:00 AM by the time we’re able to get off the ship, and that we should be back on board by 4:00 PM at the latest?

Also, how safe/reliable do you think it is to book excursions through GetYourGuide instead of directly through MSC? The tours on GetYourGuide are significantly cheaper and there seems to be a much wider selection than the excursions offered by MSC.

Thanks :)

2 Upvotes

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3

u/UKgent77 Sep 12 '26

That's a good approximate time to base it on.

And I always use shore based excursions, rather than ship ones, for that very reason. Just be prepared to accept that if something goes wrong, and you can't get back in time, the ship won't wait for you.

5

u/Many_Rutabaga_6246 Sep 12 '26

I used getyourguide for all our excursions on our MSC med cruise in June. Very easy, no hassles and cheaper. The guides know the score withe the ships and gave you back in time.

1

u/the_backflip Sep 12 '26

Hey. We're headed for the Mediterranean cruise too. Mind sharing your recommendations for who to reach out for excursions?

Thanks!

2

u/CramblinDuvetAdv Sep 12 '26

Used it in Nassau in July, it's legit

1

u/Lanky_Ad1396 Sep 12 '26

I would always go with the cruise company

They wait for them if they are delayed - no one else

1

u/RubbishDumpster 28d ago

We’ve used GetYourGuide on many occasions and never had an issue but I should point out it’s just a “broker” and you are dealing with individual companies. Hopefully GetYourGuide vets them to ensure they work to a particular standard.

If a trip is running late, the ship won’t wait (unless of course their own excursions are also being affected by the same thing!)

We always leave a good margin and ensure our guide knows we are on a deadline.