Princess Cruise Line Excursions

The last time I cruised, Royal Caribbean swept me away with their shore excursions. They cater to cruisers who prefer to stay active rather than sunning away the days on deck chairs. Or doing laps around the midnight buffet.

Princess isn't floating my boat - yet.

Caribbean Island ExploringI cruise to explore the islands, to whet my appetite for when/if I want to come back and explore further. I want to get out there and enjoy every last drop of each Caribbean island I visit.

Princess is geared to light adventurers, shoppers and historical sight-seers. Most outdoor activities are ½ day. The mountain biking adventure is described as mostly downhill... A hike, one hour through a rainforest and a relaxing soak in volcanic-fed pool sounds lovely - for my mother....

We're visiting 11 islands (2 of them we visit twice) and after pouring over available excursions, I think I've found something.

Dominica is my saving grace with Princess Cruises. According to the Princess website, an 8-hour adventure filled with hiking, snorkelling and swimming awaits. We'll traverse Dominica's Champagne Reef, Trafalgar Falls, Ti Tou Gorge and the Emerald Pool.

I'm in!

Price-checking shows that booking privately might save me $10-$15 per person. But an adventure that's 8 hours long in a port we only dock for 9 hours is risky. I don't want to pay for a flight to the next island to catch up with my ship. Booking through the cruise line lets me relax while someone else worries about delivering me to the ship on time.

It's settled. My lover and I are diving headfirst into the day-long adventure and plan to see as much of this luscious port of call as possible.

Have you ever visited Dominica? Did you spend the whole time in the rainforest (like we will) or did you find other hidden gems?