Do we really have to book excursions in advance?

[soon2Bwed]

We've read the excursions are overpriced and we're overwhelmed by the number available. Do we really need to book these in advance? Can't we just decide when we get there?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

you can do whatever you want to do. If you are booking a ship excursion for sure then unless you have a suite a popular excursion might well be sold out before you even embark.

 

On the other hand you can just about any excursion the ship offers from independent sources for less money and you usually have more time on the independent excursions.

 

The choice is yours.

 

Have a great cruise

 

Bill

 

 

 

Caribbean Princess Eastern Caribbean cruise page

[prarie cruiser]

If you want to book excursions through the ship you may do so before the cruise by surface mail or by going to the Princess online cruise personalizer site.

 

You can wait until you get on the ship to book ship excursions. However, there usually is a cut off time to both book and cancel excursions.

 

An advantage to the Princess tours is they are almost always the best of the available excursions on shore. They also guarantee the ship does not leave without you. If the bus breaks down, they wait or make other arrangements to care for you.

 

On the other hand, shore excursions from the end of the pier tours can also be good and save you money.

 

In general, I play the conservative side and book all my tours online well before my sail date. I especially book the ship tours for ports in which I have not traveled before. I do sometimes use end of the pier excursions, but am selective about where and when. If you want to cancel a ship booking, you can always do so up until the "booking close" which they will announce on board.

[Nitemare]

Princess also doesn't charge you for the excursion until you actually go (and you can cancel up unti 24 or 48 hours prior to the excursion at no penalty, last time I checked), so there's no harm in reserving a spot.

 

Celebrity charges you when you book the tour, even 90 days in advance.

[lacruisecat]

There are several reasons I book my excursions in advance...

 

1. Hassle free vacation - I don't have to waste my cruise time trying to decide what to do. I have traveled with friends and we spent several hours at the beginning of the cruise trying to decide what everyone wanted to do. One of the things I love about a cruise is that I pay for it in advance, I plan for it in advance and as soon as I am on the ship,everything is planned out and I can spend my time relaxing

 

2. No dissapointment - On the same cruise with these same friends - we were on a Western Caribbean and everyone wanted to swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman. But when we decided to book, ALL the stingray excursions were sold out. My friends were really dissapointed. Book early - the very popular excursions sell out quickly

 

3. Part of the fun of planning my trip is doing research on the various ports of call. 8 hours in a port is really not a lot of time. I like to do research, look at the possibilities so I won't miss out on an opportunity.

 

4. I can budget accordingly. You reserve now and pay when you get on the ship.

 

If this is your first cruise, you may want to book through the ship. However, I usually book in advance through independent contractors or taxi drivers on the various islands I visit. It is usually cheaper and I get a better quality tour (less crowding, take you to places unique and off the beaten path, etc). I have never had a problem missing the ship and I always try to book my independ. tour at a time where I have plenty of time to get back to the ship.

[CaptData]

If you do pre-book on line and you find one cheaper a little later you can cancel the on line booking before you go (about 2 weeks before they close on line booking). If you miss that date you can cancel as soon as you board.

 

Another thing, if you book Princess and the port is cancelled (weather/tides), they will refund your money on your Ship card ASAP. If you booked locally, you will have to contact them and cancel according to their policy (you could lose your money).

 

Hopfully a Hawiian Cruise

 

 Until we sail away on the ocean blue

 

 

 

Navigator of the Seas Western Crib 08/03

Dawn Princess - Eastern Carb 01/03

Dawn Princess Panamal Canal 11/02

 

[ambergj]

Depending on your destination, you should book ahead. Meaning, when I went on the Medit. cruise last summer, we had booked a head and thank goodness we did b/c they were all literally sold out. There are cxllations, however it is good to be prepared. The excursions are expensive, but they are definitley worth it. Just make sure that you give yourself sometime to look over the excursions a lot of them are very simliar so week out what you do and do not want.! GOODLUCK!

 

Sea Princess: 08/2000

RCCL Voyager of the Seas: 12/2002

Golden Princess: 07/2003

 

Can NEVER get ENOUGH cruisin

 

Keep on Cruisin!

 

[Jacqueline]

You didnt say where you were traveling to and what your interests are.

YOu may not always need to book in advance but you should PLAN in advance.

Some things you should to book in advance- helicopters in Alaska , scuba, dolphin ancounters, special interest tours that may have limited capacity. In the Carribean my daughter did not even get off the ship on three ports. But in Europe this summer we plan to get off and do something everywhere. It doesnt mean that we will pay for a tour. Perhaps we will take a cab or a train to an attraction.

 

Jacqueline

Constellation 3/20/04

HAL Westerdam 7/30/04

Tahitian Princess August 2003

Grand Princess Western Caribbean 2003

Brilliance of the Seas Baltic 2002

Ocean Princess- Alaska 2001

Celebrity Zenith- Bermuda 2001

Grand Princess Med 2000

 

[trixie54]

SSOceanlover: If we're in a suite, does that mean we can get in on any tour after boarding?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

trixie,

 

Someone posed that question to me the other day. I didn't know the answer so i called Princess and this was the answer I received.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>

 

Princess:

We hold aside a certain number of excursions for people in suites. They also said they would contact you the first day you board to see if there are any excursions you want before they sell them all out to the rest of the passengers.

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hope this helps

 

Bill

 

 

 

Caribbean Princess Eastern Caribbean cruise page