Shore Excursion Questions

[3littlepigs]

I have put some bookings in for shore excursions on our upcoming cruise.

How far in advance of the trips could we potentially cancel, in case of bad weather, illness, issues in port etc?

 

I have had a look on the site but they don't seem to have any detail, wondered if anyone had any personal experiences

 

Thanks

[4774Papa]

Generally, you can cancel the entire cruise and excursions prior to final payment.

I believe that you can cancel excursions, even on the ship, but there is a time limit, that I cannot remember.

 

Here is what X says on their website:

RESERVATIONS/CANCELLATIONS: Shore Excursions are available for purchase once you are aboard the ship and en route to your destinations except where otherwise noted, within the deadline advertised in the ships daily program. Very shortly after each closing time and date, final confirmations are sent from the ship to the Agencies concerned informing them of the definite and final requirements for meals, seats, number of automobiles and coaches, etc. If notice of cancellation is received after closing date and hour, a refund can be assured only in the event of the ticket being resold. However, in the event of any of the shore excursions having to be canceled, full refund will be made and upon tendering of same Celebrity Cruises shall be free of all liability in respect thereof. The closing dates and hours for all tours will be announced in the daily issue of the ships program.

REFUNDS: No refunds are made to any guest who might cancel, deviate, leave, or otherwise not utilize all of the services scheduled to be provided by an excursion. Members of any excursion who elect to leave the automobiles or coaches, in the shopping area, or elsewhere, must provide their own transportation at their expense back to the landing place of the ship. Should any such excursion, however, be abandoned through force majeure the best possible refunds will be arranged according to the circumstances. Any refund request of prepaid excursions received by Celebrity Cruises 10 days prior to sailing will be made in full. Refund requests made on board after the Shore Excursion Office closes ticket sales for that particular port will not be accommodated.

TOURS PURCHASED ON BOARD will be charged to your Celebrity Signature Account Card.

GUIDE SERVICES AND TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT: In certain interesting but off the beaten track places, professional guides are at a premium. The best available and obtainable guides of competence are engaged. It is exceptional for drivers of public hire vehicles to speak any language but their own. Transportation equipment used for the shore excursions is the best available in the ports of call. Air-conditioned vehicles are not always available nor do all tour buses have rest-room facilities on board.

ENTRANCE FEES: Entrance fees to all museums and sites are included in the price of the respective shore excursions unless otherwise stated. Occasionally, a small extra charge is levied if photographs are taken, and this is not included.

[3littlepigs]

Thanks 4774Papa looks like there is no issue if I book now and cancel up to the cruise date, don't want to risk leaving it until we are on board as the ship is looking pretty full and we want particular tours.

 

One more question...slightly different theme.

 

At one of our ports the ship is tendered, the excursion we are looking at leaves right when the ship docks, will they have a special arrangement to get people booked on their own shore excursions off to get to the bus...probably a silly question but we havent been to a tendered port with X before.

 

Thanks again

[4774Papa]

Thanks 4774Papa looks like there is no issue if I book now and cancel up to the cruise date, don't want to risk leaving it until we are on board as the ship is looking pretty full and we want particular tours.

 

One more question...slightly different theme.

 

At one of our ports the ship is tendered, the excursion we are looking at leaves right when the ship docks, will they have a special arrangement to get people booked on their own shore excursions off to get to the bus...probably a silly question but we havent been to a tendered port with X before.

 

Thanks again

Different ships, different tours, different answer.

 

Most of the time, if your excursion is early in the morning, you will be told to meet in the theater or some such place and be assigned a number then taken in a group to the tender, then to the bus. One advantage is that while on a ship's excursion, you get to tender first.

 

Sometimes, when excursions are later, so people can go ashore earlier, you are told to meet at where the tender docks at a specific time.

[3littlepigs]

Thanks for that, the excursion we are lookng at leaves as soon as the ship docks so I imagine they will meet on board somewhere as you described.

[Lsimon]

You can cancel shore excursions on board up to a closing/cancellation deadline. This deadline is usually sometime in the late afternoon or evening two days before your port day. For example the cancellation deadline for a Thursday excursion will usually be sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening. The deadline, or closing time, is usually listed in the excursion listing that is left in your cabin on embarkation day. If you have a question about the time check with the excursion desk once on board.

 

I've heard of people cancelling last minute and getting a refund in the event of illness but it might have involved an illness for which they visited the ship's doctor and not just self reporting to the excursion desk that they didn't feel up to it.

 

Also - you can cancel online up to something like four days before the cruise and in that case the refund will be issued to the credit card you charged the excursion to. Cancellations made on board will be refunded by a credit to your ship-board account.

[GranthamMommy]

Thank you OP for reading my mind and asking the question....and to all those that answered. I was going to ask this evening!