Epic excursions

[davecttr]

Cruising on Epic soon at it looks as if I won't be going on any excursions :eek:

 

the NCL site has never worked properly and as far as I know you can't book excursions aboard :confused:

 

I am looking for something for Naples and Marseille

[KeithJenner]

You can certainly book excursions onboard. There is a department specifically for it.

[Trickster999]

I expect you know the ncl excursions are very expensive compared to independently booked ones. But at least you know the ship won't leave without you,

[MarkCheshire]

But at least you know the ship won't leave without you,

Very reassuring to know the ship will wait.

But how often does it happen that private excursions get customers back too late for the ship? Surely if this were common the private excursions wouldn't be used.

Or is it just a scare story so the cruise lines can overcharge?

[Huntingdon1701]

You'll be able to book on board and there will be information about all the excursions on offer. Some do sell out beforehand though, so book early if you really want something. The website should let you book them though, so why not give them a call on 0845 201 8900 or email excursions@ncl.com

 

In Naples, I did the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii tour through NCL and it was amazing.

 

There are also a number of alternative providers who are reliable and you can be confident they will get you back in time before the ship departs.

[BirdTravels]

Very reassuring to know the ship will wait.

But how often does it happen that private excursions get customers back too late for the ship? Surely if this were common the private excursions wouldn't be used.

Or is it just a scare story so the cruise lines can overcharge?

 

Depends. If you are doing a tour of the port city, not a problem.

 

Major cities on the Epic, like Rome, Florence, Pompeii, are a long way from the port. One accident on the motorway and you could get stuck for hours.

Edited September 7, 2016 by BirdTravels

[KeithJenner]

One accident on the motorway and you could get stuck for hours.

 

 

 

Along with the ship tours, which the ship will be waiting for.

 

Ship tours are slightly safer than private tours, but in reality, the chances of missing the ship are slim with either.

[don1976]

When we went on the Epic in July, whilst we were in the Garden Cafe eating and waiting to leave Naples, we saw 4 or 5 hire cars rushing back to port over a period of time, well after the all aboard time.

 

We must have left port approx an hour late if I recall.

 

So ships DO wait in some instances, but of course you can't bank on it.

[SullytheBFG]

We have arranged to do a non NCL one to Pompeii, it is not that far from the port. NCL were ridiculously expensive, it is a half day one leaves in the morning and gets back at lunchtime so plenty of time to get back onboard.

[davecttr]

I have been to Naples several times and have seen Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Amalfi coast so only only Capri left?

[Crazy planning mom]

Capri is gorgeous. Highly recommend visiting Capri. NCL definitely has an excursion to Capri.

[stejul]

hi we are travelling on the epic 9th october 2016 from barcelona and are horrified at the prices show for excursions can anybody please help us find cheaper options.

[KeithJenner]

hi we are travelling on the epic 9th october 2016 from barcelona and are horrified at the prices show for excursions can anybody please help us find cheaper options.

 

 

 

There are many cheaper options:.

 

In descending order of cost, I'd suggest:

 

Do some research online and find some private excursions to book. These are likely to be cheaper than the NCL options and will be better. However, if it is just your group then they can still be quite pricey.

 

Have a look at your roll call and see if anyone else has spaces available on any private excursions that they have arranged. This will result in slightly larger groups, so the per person cost will be less. This is a very popular way to find tours.

 

Or just do it yourself. You have to do your own research and plan your trains etc, but it is generally extremely cheap compared to any other tours, and you have more flexibility to do what you want. Some ports are better for this than others.

 

Your roll call is a good starting point.

[Trickster999]

Yes, the ncl trips are very pricey. Looking at the one to Pisa and Florence.... If you are uk based, for a little more money you could get a long weekend rather than be rushed around.

If you do your own thing you will have the worry of getting back to the ship before it sails.

[Sanlin]

I can highly recommend the Share A Shore Excursion in Italy tour provider. I used them for a tour to Pisa and Florence and they were excellent. They used a small van at 1/4 the cost of the RCI excursion and got us right into town to all the sites. You pick the tour you want and start or add to a current group. Check them out. They are also in other countries.

[BirdTravels]

hi we are travelling on the epic 9th october 2016 from barcelona and are horrified at the prices show for excursions can anybody please help us find cheaper options.

 

Yeah. Mostly because they are all day tours because the big cities are far from the port. That being said, one accident on the motorway and you could miss the ship's sailing.

 

We were on a cruise recently where some NCL tour buses arrive after sailing time. The ship waited.