NCL Shore Excursion Question

[Lexi731]

We are taking our first NCL cruise on POA in July and i have a question regarding ships shore excursions.

 

On some lines the ships wil wait if you are late returning from a shore excursion booked thru the ship and some won't wait. I've read thru the NCL terms and conditions for shore excursions online and there is no statement one way or the other about if they will wait.

 

I ask this about ship shore excursions only because I am fully aware that there is no obligation to wait for any passengers if you have gone off on your own and didnt make it back in time. I have watched many run down the dock to try to catch the ship as it is pulling away from my aft balcony - and don't ever want to be one of those folks - which is why I ask the question.

 

Thanks!

 

Karen

[punkincc]

I have seen instances where the ship did wait for passengers off on their own ( they were on a ferry coming back to Cozumel from the mainland ). Someone was obviously in communication with the ship and they were aware of the situation.

 

But I don't think there are any guarantees whether you are on a ship excursion or off on your own. A lot of factors come into play. How much time to reach the next port, weather conditions, are they willing to burn up narrow profit margins in extra fuel needed to catch up to schedule, are they willing to inconvenience the entire ship for these few passengers. I don't think any ship would leave you if they knew you were minutes away, but there will be a limit.

 

I would say the ship's excursions are very well run and reliable, with some time cushion for unforeseen events. Many people do take independent excursions, which are often cheaper and superior to those offered by the cruise line and are just as reliable. Just do your homework and checkout their reviews either here or on Trip Advisor.

[jdkirkp]

Yes, NCL will wait for you if you are on an NCL sponsored excursion. I believe there is something on the excursion page that states that as an advantage to not going to outside vendors, but I could be mistaken.

[jdvmd]

We are taking our first NCL cruise on POA in July and i have a question regarding ships shore excursions.

 

On some lines the ships wil wait if you are late returning from a shore excursion booked thru the ship and some won't wait. I've read thru the NCL terms and conditions for shore excursions online and there is no statement one way or the other about if they will wait.

 

I ask this about ship shore excursions only because I am fully aware that there is no obligation to wait for any passengers if you have gone off on your own and didnt make it back in time. I have watched many run down the dock to try to catch the ship as it is pulling away from my aft balcony - and don't ever want to be one of those folks - which is why I ask the question.

 

Thanks!

 

Karen

Not exactly sure what you are asking here. If you are on a ship-sponsored excursion, the ship will wait for you and the other passengers. If you book independently, you are on your own if you don't make it back to the ship on time.

[Da-Painter]

A few years ago we were on a ship shore excursion in Costa Rica. While coming back to the ship, the traffic came to a halt. The folks were in contact with the ship letting them know of the circumstance. We were about 30-40 minutes past the departure time, the bus drove us right up to the ship, we hopped onto the ship, the gangplank was pulled up and we were off.

If you are late to the ship, past the departure time, the ship can leave without you, it has happened to many folks.

Then the port agent will assist you in getting to the next port, to catch up with the ship. The expense for doing so is your responsibility.

Sometimes folks are out shopping, at a bar, lose track of the time, etc. Many times we have seen the ship wait for folks, running towards the ship, and everyone on the ship booing the folks for being late.

Search the previous posts, and you will find more about this.

Dont be late.:)

[punkincc]

I looked up the Shore Excursion Terms and Conditions on the NCL website, and no where did I see a guarantee that you would not be left behind. They do point out that they provide access to these tours for the "convenience of the passenger" and that "NCL does not act on behalf of or supervise the parties or persons who own, furnish or operate such excursions, and the same are provided by independent contractors" and goes on to say they "assume no responsibility for nor guarantees the performance of, any such provider"... and assume no liability, etc, etc.

 

I called the shore excursion department and the person I spoke to said that in the event an excursion is late, the tour guide will be in contact with the ship. I asked if there was a guarantee in writing. She insisted there is one, but could not point it out. She will look for it and email it to me. I am not holding my breath as I would bet there is nothing in writing.

 

In general, yes, I'm sure the ship would wait, but there are no absolute guarantees. There will always be extreme or unusual circumstances as there was when a ship left port stranding hundreds of passengers ashore as a storm approached.

[sanger727]

If having a commitment in writing is a big deal for you. The shore excursions group (think they're related to orbitz, booked them through orbitz's activity page); has a guarantee that if you book an excursion through them and miss the ship, they will make arrangments and pay to get you to the next port to catch up.

[rbrugler]

NCL has changed its policy and no longer do they guarantee that they will wait for you if an NCL shore excursion is late. They do, however, guarantee that they will put you up and fly you to the next port at their expense.

[delily]

I don't think I'd worry too much about this. First of all, they do so many of these excursions they have the time down pretty well. But even if the other poster is right and there's no guarantee that they'll wait, I can't see NCL leaving you unless you are horribly late. It just wouldn't be in their best interest. They're certainly not going to want to go to the expense of flying a whole bus load of people to the next port when all they have to do is wait a few minutes. I can't find an actual written policy, but in the past couple of weeks I've read lots of reviews and lots of stories about shore excursions. I've not read a single story where NCL left one of their shore excursions behind. Everyone has said they've had no problem getting onto the ship even if their NCL tour was late. It's supposed to be one of the benefits of booking your excursions through the ship. Now if you're on your own or on a tour with an outside company that would be a different story. In that case, you have to be on time or they will leave you there. And don't forget, the policy is that you must be on the ship at least one hour (or is it two?) before sail time. You can't just stroll aboard at the last minute just because the ship is still sitting there.

[skbaw]

You will be in Hawaii. Should you miss the boat - it is much easier to get to your next port than it might be on another itinerary.

[johnql]

I don't know if there has ever been a guarantee that NCL would wait for late, ship-sponsored excursions. However, in practice, they always have and still do wait - within reason. To me, within reason means 10-15 minutes but even that will vary depending on the needs of the port (and the cost to stay longer than contracted). The guarantee, as rbrugler pointed out, is that they guarantee to get you to the next port. I believe that was the policy before, too, but perhaps not in writing.

[billie5]

Yes, NCL will wait for you if you are on an NCL sponsored excursion..

 

If you are on a ship-sponsored excursion, the ship will wait for you and the other passengers..

Wow. I think this must be a Carnival thread -- people posting "facts" on a subject they evidently do not know about. :) I don't understand why posters don't at least begin "I think .... " or "I would guess ...."

 

Of course there has never been a guarantee that a ship in any cruise line will wait for a ship's excursion. How could such a guarantee possibly be given? There are ports, for example, where a ship would be trapped by a low bridge for many hours if the departure is not timed within a certain interval. There are port location commitments to other vessels. Etc.

 

The guarantee has always been that if a sponsored excursion is delayed and the departure is missed, the cruise line will take total responsibility for your care and your return to the ship at a subsequent port. That having been said, where it is practical, the ship will attempt to delay its departure to accommodate late sponsored tour returns.

[puddles99]

I don't think there's a guarantee, but in Hawaii there isn't a long distance between ports so the likelihood that a Captain will have to make the call to push out of port to avoid messing up the next day's schedule is slim. We've decided that we're completely comfortable with the risk in Hawaii and we are splitting our excursions between NCL and private tour operators.

 

As others have said, the biggest advantage to an NCL excursion is their communication with the ship. In the end you need to make the decisions that you're most comfortable with. Hope you enjoy your adventure!

[Lexi731]

Thank you all for your replies and information.

 

Karen

[bonvoyagie]

There are only two ports on this cruise where you are there for only one day - the rest you overnight in - and really have two full days.

 

Having done the POA back in 06 I suggest that you buy a good tour book and rent cars ie tour on your own. I found that pretty soon all of the ships tours sorta blended together - a few things do stand out. Snorkeling in Kona, cave tubing on Lenai and of couse Pearl Harbor and the PCA on Maui.

[Pszaffveauhraunne]

And don't forget, the policy is that you must be on the ship at least one hour (or is it two?) before sail time. You can't just stroll aboard at the last minute just because the ship is still sitting there.

 

Actually, I believe the "passengers must be onboard 2 hours early" policy only applies to embarkation on the first day. For ports of call, passengers are typically required to be aboard 30 minutes before sailing.