Book excursions online or wait until on board

[jem16]

Going on the Celebration on 4th April. We did the same cruise 2 years ago so not doing all the trips this time around. However will do Petra again for definite.

 

I was intending booking online but read that some had been offered a 4 for the price of 3 on excursions.

 

Anyone got any updated info on this?

[gizzie4]

We did ours onboard Jem, had no problems and also had a better idea of what the weather was going to be like. Also good to go to the showcase as it gives you a better idea of what you would like to do. However we found we could do similar tours independently and a little cheaper

[kruzseeka]

Going on the Celebration on 4th April. We did the same cruise 2 years ago so not doing all the trips this time around. However will do Petra again for definite.

 

I was intending booking online but read that some had been offered a 4 for the price of 3 on excursions.

 

Anyone got any updated info on this?

 

 

From reports on here posters definitely said if all of the 'big three' (I guess Pyramids, Petra and Luxor?) were booked on board you got a fourth one free (half day trip somewhere). There was a lot of discussion about it - not least of all about the claim that the excursions booked on-line would be cheaper.

 

Not heard any more about that - perhaps it was only offered on a given sailing when bookings were down. If it is a regular thing though it's going to cause some complaints - understandably if, say, you'd bought the 'big three' on line and weren't offered the freebie once on board. No idea what the current situation is - but one thing for sure - if you book on-line it should be a bit cheaper than on board - and if it isn't, or you sense you have had a bad deal, you can always cancel up to 24 hours before departure of the excursion with no penalty.

 

Don't forget that there is a 2.5% surcharge for using a credit card though - so a debit card is better as you will lose all if not most of on-line the saving otherwise.

[jem16]

We did ours onboard Jem, had no problems and also had a better idea of what the weather was going to be like.

 

Booked them all onboard 2 years ago but they didn't have online excursion booking then.

 

Also good to go to the showcase as it gives you a better idea of what you would like to do.

 

We went to the showcase 2 years ago so we know what we want to do.

 

However we found we could do similar tours independently and a little cheaper

 

For this particular trip we wouldn't book independently owing to the distance most tours are from port. At least with Thomson's bookings the ship is guaranteed to wait if there is a problem.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

I find the main problem about booking on-line (apart from having to pay for it out of my bank account:D:D) is that there are no details of when the trip goes. We quite like afternoon trips or not too early morning ones (as we don't like getting up too early on holiday :o:D) but you don't know until you get on board exactly what time the trips go, so I think it would be a good idea for Thomson to put more details on their website.

[jem16]

From reports on here posters definitely said if all of the 'big three' (I guess Pyramids, Petra and Luxor?) were booked on board you got a fourth one free (half day trip somewhere). There was a lot of discussion about it - not least of all about the claim that the excursions booked on-line would be cheaper.

 

We're likely only to be doing one major tour this year - Petra. We did all the others 2 years ago and plan to be a little less hectic this year.

 

Not heard any more about that - perhaps it was only offered on a given sailing when bookings were down. If it is a regular thing though it's going to cause some complaints - understandably if, say, you'd bought the 'big three' on line and weren't offered the freebie once on board. No idea what the current situation is - but one thing for sure - if you book on-line it should be a bit cheaper than on board - and if it isn't, or you sense you have had a bad deal, you can always cancel up to 24 hours before departure of the excursion with no penalty.

 

Sounds like a plan.

 

Don't forget that there is a 2.5% surcharge for using a credit card though - so a debit card is better as you will lose all if not most of on-line the saving otherwise.

 

Thanks.

[jem16]

I find the main problem about booking on-line (apart from having to pay for it out of my bank account:D:D) is that there are no details of when the trip goes. We quite like afternoon trips or not too early morning ones (as we don't like getting up too early on holiday :o:D) but you don't know until you get on board exactly what time the trips go, so I think it would be a good idea for Thomson to put more details on their website.

 

Yes I agree that would be a good idea. They do say half day but not which half of the day.

[happy v]

I think with all you've said I would just book now, then at least it's over and done with.

[latchlap]

From reports on here posters definitely said if all of the 'big three' (I guess Pyramids, Petra and Luxor?) were booked on board you got a fourth one free (half day trip somewhere). There was a lot of discussion about it - not least of all about the claim that the excursions booked on-line would be cheaper.

 

Not heard any more about that - perhaps it was only offered on a given sailing when bookings were down. If it is a regular thing though it's going to cause some complaints - understandably if, say, you'd bought the 'big three' on line and weren't offered the freebie once on board. No idea what the current situation is - but one thing for sure - if you book on-line it should be a bit cheaper than on board - and if it isn't, or you sense you have had a bad deal, you can always cancel up to 24 hours before departure of the excursion with no penalty.

 

Don't forget that there is a 2.5% surcharge for using a credit card though - so a debit card is better as you will lose all if not most of on-line the saving otherwise.

 

Are you sure, when i read the details it only says Amend not cancel unless i`ve missed the cancel wording somewhere.:)

[kruzseeka]

Are you sure, when i read the details it only says Amend not cancel unless i`ve missed the cancel wording somewhere.:)

 

 

Hi latchtop,

 

We have booked and cancelled three trips on separate occasions on board. Twice was on account of the information given at the port show-case which made us think it wasn't the right trip for us and once because an excursion was advertised in the Destinations Guide (on board) which hadn't shown up on-line and we liked the look of better than the one we booked.

 

These were on two different cruises on Dream and one on Spirit - there was absolutely no problem with going to Destinations Services and saying you wanted to change - provided it was 24 hours before the trip was due to depart. They weren't really bothered about the reason and were very amenable.

 

Twice we re-booked a different trip and on one occasion didn't book an alternative having decided we could adopt a DiY approach in port instead. There was no attempt to make you transfer the credit from the cancelled trip to another one. It was literally a cash back refund (so to speak - see below).

 

The only issue though was that the refund has to be made to the card you used to pay so it is credited to your Credit or Debit card which ever you used and cannot go into your on-board account. Since there is a Credit Card charge of 2.5% I'm not sure if that charge will be refunded - perhaps not - but as we used a Debit Card there was a full refund and no charge associated with it. It arrived in our account a couple of days after we got home.

 

I hadn't noticed the 'Amend' bit but that has been our experience of cancelling trips. (In fact you can cancel trips which you have booked on board too if you change your mind - with the same 24 hour proviso. I got sunburnt one day and decided it wouldn't be a good idea to go on one of the trips to the beach where there was no shade - again they were happy to let me cancel.) I must commend them on their customer service in this respect - they are very good.

 

Hope that helps. :)

[latchlap]

Hi latchtop,

 

We have booked and cancelled three trips on separate occasions on board. Twice was on account of the information given at the port show-case which made us think it wasn't the right trip for us and once because an excursion was advertised in the Destinations Guide (on board) which hadn't shown up on-line and we liked the look of better than the one we booked.

 

These were on two different cruises on Dream and one on Spirit - there was absolutely no problem with going to Destinations Services and saying you wanted to change - provided it was 24 hours before the trip was due to depart. They weren't really bothered about the reason and were very amenable.

 

Twice we re-booked a different trip and on one occasion didn't book an alternative having decided we could adopt a DiY approach in port instead. There was no attempt to make you transfer the credit from the cancelled trip to another one. It was literally a cash back refund (so to speak - see below).

 

The only issue though was that the refund has to be made to the card you used to pay so it is credited to your Credit or Debit card which ever you used and cannot go into your on-board account. Since there is a Credit Card charge of 2.5% I'm not sure if that charge will be refunded - perhaps not - but as we used a Debit Card there was a full refund and no charge associated with it. It arrived in our account a couple of days after we got home.

 

I hadn't noticed the 'Amend' bit but that has been our experience of cancelling trips. (In fact you can cancel trips which you have booked on board too if you change your mind - with the same 24 hour proviso. I got sunburnt one day and decided it wouldn't be a good idea to go on one of the trips to the beach where there was no shade - again they were happy to let me cancel.) I must commend them on their customer service in this respect - they are very good.

 

Hope that helps. :)

 

Ok thanks.:cool:

[jsy44]

If you book the big 3 onboard you can choose any half day excursion.

 

Don't rule out doing Petra independently though. It's a 90 minute taxi ride and the roads are excellent.

[jem16]

If you book the big 3 onboard you can choose any half day excursion.

 

Do you have the onboard prices for the excursions?

[jsy44]

I do indeed.

 

Wadi Rum 4x4

Adult £46 Child £34 Departs 11.30 Day 1 08.30 Day 2 Approx 5 hours

 

Petra A £120 CH £82 Dep: 07.30 9.5 hours

 

Dead Sea A £76 CH £38 Dep: 07.00 12 hrs

 

Petra Trek to Monastery A £152 CH £152 (!) Dep: 07.30 9.5 hrs

 

Classic Egypt

Pyramids & Cairo Museum A £102 CH £58 Dep: 07.30 10.5 hrs

 

Also Pyramids, mosque & Nile lunch - same price and details

 

Also Pyramids, Memphis & Tombs of Cairo - same price and details

 

Luxor overnight A £164 CH £126 Dep: 12.30 Overnight

 

Luxor - Karnak & Valley of Kings A £104 CH £68 Dep: 06.30 15 hours

 

Let me know if you want to know any of the minor ones.

 

I've put the departure times as that was one of the things I most wanted to know when I was booking.

[jdc82]

Hi, we are also on the Celebration on 4th April, we've booked an excursion for 1st day but think we will leave the others until on the ship, very excited now, after being on the same ship last August we're looking forward to seeing the updates! :)

[jem16]

 

Let me know if you want to know any of the minor ones.

 

I've put the departure times as that was one of the things I most wanted to know when I was booking.

 

Thanks - that's great. Seems to be about a 5% reduction for booking online.

 

We're not planning on doing the major excusrsions this year apart from Petra as we'd like to see that again.

 

Do you have the price and departure time for the Desert 4X4 & Stars? Wondered about doing this one but it may be rather like the Wadi Rum excursion.

[jsy44]

Yup - Desert 4x4 Departs 13.45 on the Tuesday and Wednesday, approx 6 hours. Journey time to camp is 90 mins

 

Adult £48 Child £38

 

I liked the sound of this but I have to say the skies were very cloudy. Wouldn't advise booking this one in advance.

[bk1234]

Already booked it but I don't suppose you know the time of the Oceans Snorkelling Boat Trip at Safaga do you?

[jem16]

Yup - Desert 4x4 Departs 13.45 on the Tuesday and Wednesday, approx 6 hours. Journey time to camp is 90 mins

 

Adult £48 Child £38

 

I liked the sound of this but I have to say the skies were very cloudy. Wouldn't advise booking this one in advance.

 

OK thanks for the info.

 

What's included on the excursion?

[jsy44]

Already booked it but I don't suppose you know the time of the Oceans Snorkelling Boat Trip at Safaga do you?

 

It's just so annoying they don't give this information when you book isn't it?

Departs 08.30 Approx 8.5 hours.

[jsy44]

OK thanks for the info.

 

What's included on the excursion?

 

"Head out into the desert in your 4x4 for an adrenaline pumping journey to the bedouin camp. The adventure isn't all sitting down, be prepared to get active and climb up a sand dune for some amazing views. At the bedouin camp sip bedouin tea and smoke traditional sheesha pipes as you learn all about their way of life. The bedouins will rustle up your dinner and you'll see the night sky like you've never seen it before. Crane your neck to see an indigo sky flecked with millions of jewel-like stars, while your guide points out famous constellations. Then, take a look through a state-of-the-art telescope for a closer view. Just so you know...the journey time to the camp in total is 90 mins, the jeeps are enclosed but make sure you wrap up warm. It's cold in the desert! Not for pregnant women or those with back problems."

[jem16]

"Head out into the desert in your 4x4 for an adrenaline pumping journey to the bedouin camp. The adventure isn't all sitting down, be prepared to get active and climb up a sand dune for some amazing views. At the bedouin camp sip bedouin tea and smoke traditional sheesha pipes as you learn all about their way of life. The bedouins will rustle up your dinner and you'll see the night sky like you've never seen it before. Crane your neck to see an indigo sky flecked with millions of jewel-like stars, while your guide points out famous constellations. Then, take a look through a state-of-the-art telescope for a closer view. Just so you know...the journey time to the camp in total is 90 mins, the jeeps are enclosed but make sure you wrap up warm. It's cold in the desert! Not for pregnant women or those with back problems."

 

Thank you. Will think about this but wait till onboard.