andio2of5 Posted October 9, 2014 #1 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Will be sailing NCL for the first time next March....if i book a tour online (like right now), is payment made right now via my credit card? Or is it like on Princess where payment is not made until you sail via your onboard account? Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaldosPepper Posted October 9, 2014 #2 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Payment is at the time of booking, so if you book online you pay with your credit card immediately. If you book onboard the ship, the charges go on your onboard account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andio2of5 Posted October 9, 2014 Author #3 Share Posted October 9, 2014 thanks for that quick reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amindu Posted October 9, 2014 #4 Share Posted October 9, 2014 If you book on the ship do you run the risk of the excursion being sold out? Or does the ship not have a max capacity on its sponsored excursions Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAWTONCRUISE Posted October 9, 2014 #5 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Let me see if I understand your question. If you wait to select a tour on the ship, you can't book it if tour is sold out. So, if you want a particular tour, time, date, etc, book online. You can always change your mind and cancel up to the day before the tour. We did this on our last cruise and I just did it (cancelled online) a couple of days ago when our plans changed. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amindu Posted October 9, 2014 #6 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Let me see if I understand your question. If you wait to select a tour on the ship, you can't book it if tour is sold out. So, if you want a particular tour, time, date, etc, book online. You can always change your mind and cancel up to the day before the tour. We did this on our last cruise and I just did it (cancelled online) a couple of days ago when our plans changed. Hope this helps. Thank you it does Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe d Posted October 11, 2014 #7 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Just signed up for my first NCL cruise in a long time and this policy "SUCKS". Lately we have been sailing Princess and their policy on shore excursions is MUCH better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triptolemus Posted October 11, 2014 #8 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Just signed up for my first NCL cruise in a long time and this policy "SUCKS". Lately we have been sailing Princess and their policy on shore excursions is MUCH better. Then perhaps you've chosen the wrong cruise line for your upcoming voyage. Most find the booking policies for shore excursions to be quite reasonable. What would you prefer? Reserve everything you might do for free? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leekel619 Posted October 11, 2014 #9 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) I'd be surprised if excursions sold out before boarding. They can just schedule another! They'd love that $$$ maker. The desk is always open and the fliers come in your stateroom. We always pre-booked ours but not since it turned into pre-pay. I'm sure it's simple but we don't want to deal with third-party billing if we have to cancel the tour for some reason. Does NCL just return the charge to your credit card while you're standing there and give you a receipt? Not that we'd cancel...but sh*t happens. Edited October 11, 2014 by leekel619 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMLady Posted October 11, 2014 #10 Share Posted October 11, 2014 I'd be surprised if excursions sold out before boarding. They can just schedule . ... Does NCL just return the charge to your credit card while you're standing there and give you a receipt? Not that we'd cancel...but sh*t happens. They often cannot just schedule another tour if one is sold out since they are using local companies. Not always another tour available. If you pre-book but cancel after you're onboard, the credit will go on your shipboard account. So you know you got the refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azappraiser Posted October 11, 2014 #11 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) Just signed up for my first NCL cruise in a long time and this policy "SUCKS". Lately we have been sailing Princess and their policy on shore excursions is MUCH better. The policy isn't that new... it went into effect in June of 2011. Edited October 11, 2014 by azappraiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant@sea Posted October 11, 2014 #12 Share Posted October 11, 2014 (edited) I had an issue with paying for something prior to my cruise. I purchased transfers, and it bumped my total fare into the next hundred dollar bracket. I had also purchased NCL insurance, so that once the total fare want up, my insurance price jumped by $40.00!!! My agent had to remove the outbound transfer so that it balanced out. Or else, a $25 transfer actually would have cost me $65! Keep this in mind if you start pre booking tons of extra cost items before you board. Edited October 11, 2014 by Ant@sea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvsullivan Posted October 11, 2014 #13 Share Posted October 11, 2014 The tours sell out routinely if they are good ones. Every year when we are in Cozumel, the tour we like sells out on the first day, and no, they don't add another. The policy started because folks were booking every excursion they could think of (just in case) and then canceling late and NCL was scrambling to fill them. I think it's a great program. If you prepay and cancel before boarding you are credited back to the credit card you used. If you cancel on board, it is returned as OBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toberman Posted October 11, 2014 #14 Share Posted October 11, 2014 I too am one that likes NCL policies. It gives you the opportunity to book a tour, and pay, in advance. No big bills when you get home!! Plus, always able to cancel up to 24 (48??) hours in advance of the cruise date. It also gives NCL the opportunity to add additional tours (service companies available), which they can either sell in advance or on-board. OTOH - Princess will let you cancel up to 24 hrs prior to the tour 'while on-board' - doesn't leave much time for anyone to book while they're on the ship. IMO Princess can loose many $$ this way. Cruise lines make big $$ from these tours !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisecritiquer Posted October 12, 2014 #15 Share Posted October 12, 2014 NCL keeps some of the available reservations for tours back for booking on the ship so as long as you make the reservation on embarkation day, the chances of it selling out are slim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMLady Posted October 12, 2014 #16 Share Posted October 12, 2014 NCL keeps some of the available reservations for tours back for booking on the ship so as long as you make the reservation on embarkation day, the chances of it selling out are slim. This is not true for all tours. Some tours sell out completely before embarkation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow1 Posted October 12, 2014 #17 Share Posted October 12, 2014 (edited) If you see a tour you want you should book it! Don't wait till you are on the ship. Popular excursions do sell out before embarkation day. If you change your mind you can always cancel it if it's booked through NCL. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited October 12, 2014 by snow1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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