Shore excursions

[Bocadude85]

When does NCL usually offer the shore excursions for sale? We are not sailing until May but I remember being able to book shore excursions before final payment on our previous cruises, at least I thought we did.

[KeithJenner]

There is no set time. On some cruises I have seen them available over a year out, but on others it can be a lot later than that.

 

Your example does sound quite close to sailing though. Is it an unusual sailing?

[Bocadude85]

There is no set time. On some cruises I have seen them available over a year out, but on others it can be a lot later than that.

 

Your example does sound quite close to sailing though. Is it an unusual sailing?

 

The sailing is a Venice to Barcelona Grand Med cruise. We did this cruise two years ago and I remember looking at the excursions well before final payment.

[hawkeyetlse]

The shorex page says that if the Shore Excursions option is unavailable on your MyNCL, "you may need to wait at least 60 days prior to your vacation date". It's still quite early for a May saildate.

[KeithJenner]

I just checked my bookings and my Epic cruise in May only has excursions listed for the French ports. Nothing for the Italian ones.

 

The Star in August has none listed yet.

 

It looks like they have a lot still to list for this summer.

[tree.star]

I am also sailing in May (though to Alaska) and they have been gradually adding excursions over the past month or so. This past week about 10 more were added. There are still a couple of ports where the excursions lists are not there or extremely light. I am hoping things speed up a bit after the new year.

[casofilia]

"You pays your money and you takes your chances". There seems to be no rhyme nor reason why some cruises have shorex a year out and others not till less than 100 or even 60 days out.

 

I presume it depends on the frequency of the cruise and also when it was last cruised.

 

I bet the Caribbean ones have plenty very early while the Asia cruises will be very late.

 

Mike

[KeithJenner]

It doesn't seem to have much to do with frequency. As I said, the French ports for our Epic trip in May are available, whereas the Italian ones which NCL visit pretty well every week (with more than one ship visiting on many weeks) have none.

 

I may just be an admin issue in getting them added on the system.

[cb at sea]

Read a guidebook on your ports. You might find that what interests you requires no excursion at all!

[fdpevey]

When we did this cruise, some of our favorite tours were ones we found on TripAdvisor's review listings. Enter the town, check "Things To Do" and then "Tours". The reviewers are almost as much help in planning as CruiseCritic folks!

 

We are tour people - we prefer someone showing us around to us finding our own way - and I found the local tour companies were often a great option.

[Bocadude85]

Read a guidebook on your ports. You might find that what interests you requires no excursion at all!

 

We have done this cruise before and have been to most of the ports multiple times. I just like to look at the tours NCL offers and see what is new. Just seemed odd to me that no tours are showing up yet.