Booking shore excursions is now so confusing

[Daisysgrandma]

When did we have to start pre-paying for shore excursions? Starting with the November Panama Canal cruise we have booked, shore excursions need to be paid for in advance. We don't even have all our OBC showing yet (Shareholder, for instance) so they want me to put it on a credit card or PayPal.

 

What is the benefit to this policy?

Hi, I've just been onto the Princess Website and after logging in it says

 

Pay Before You Sail, Or Pay Later Onboard

You have the option to pay for shore excursions in advance of your cruise. If you wait, we will add the charges to your onboard account which is settled at the end of the cruise.'

 

I've booked excursions and it says you can cancel up to 24 hours prior to the date. Not sure if this is because we booked sometime ago. Pauline

[cherylandtk]

Pauline, it's not because you booked a while ago, its because you are sailing in June. As noted above, the new change starts for cruises this fall-- Sep/Oct/Nov--depending on ship and itinerary.

[Daisysgrandma]

Pauline, it's not because you booked a while ago, its because you are sailing in June. As noted above, the new change starts for cruises this fall-- Sep/Oct/Nov--depending on ship and itinerary.

 

Sorry. Noted you were sailing later but didn't realise changes started now. We did the Panama in 2014 and loved it. Picked up a taxi in Columbia with friends we made on the cruise and it was excellent. Did trip in Costa Rica with Princess and it was superb. Enjoy.

[crooz4fun]

If some of your credit is issued upon booking (TA, FCD, Princess promotion, military) then you can use that credit to 'pay' for your excursion upfront. That's the new wrinkle in this recent change. If your credit comes later, as with Stock, then you have to wait until that credit hits your account before using it.

 

I'm not sure how early you can add the Shareholder benefit, but I'm booked on a December cruise and requested the credit at the end of April (using my March broker statement) and it was added to my booking pretty quickly. No problem using it for the excursion bookings.

[cherylandtk]

Croo4fun-Either you got very lucky or things might be changing. Normally (or at least in the past) you were only able to apply shareholder credit 90 or less prior to sailing. I'm going to hope that this restriction is being phased out?? Would sure be nice.

[Go-Bucks!]

Since it's no longer as easy & convenient to book excursions with Princess as it once was, many may seriously consider independent tour operators.

 

 

But you have to book with Princess for Princess Cay. We wanted a clam shell and had no choice but to pay ahead of time using OBC (for a Nov cruise). I also liked the previous way of booking, but I rarely use ship tours.

 

Also, you can use OBC in the casino - I did it in March. I'm sure they're more than happy to let you use your OBC to make a casino "donation" to Princess!! ;)

[casofilia]

Especially when a shorex is cancelled by Princess and your TA does not tell you about it!! I had one cancelled on 22 April according to Princess and found out about it after reading about it on CC in the middle of May!!! The replacement I could have booked on 22 April was either "waitlist" or "sold out" when I found out about the cancellation.

[Grego]

Pauline, it's not because you booked a while ago, its because you are sailing in June. As noted above, the new change starts for cruises this fall-- Sep/Oct/Nov--depending on ship and itinerary.

 

That's what we found as well. We are doing a BTB starting Sept 22 from Southampton and the excursions are reserved and don't offer the prepay or pay onboard choice. The next voyage is prepaid only or wait and book onboard.