Excursion refunds

[azcruzers]

How soon do you have to cancel shore excursions . And also if you arrive at shore excursion destination and it is determined that you are unable to do it is a refund given? For instance, if you are over the weight limit or dont appear fit enough to do

[stargate fan]

How soon do you have to cancel shore excursions . And also if you arrive at shore excursion destination and it is determined that you are unable to do it is a refund given? For instance, if you are over the weight limit or dont appear fit enough to do

The specifications are clearly spelled out when you book the excursions, so why would you book if you don't qualify? Maybe I am misunderstanding...

[beachbum6264]

If there's any question don't book. Once you've started on the excursion you're not going to get a refund if you KNOW you're over the weight limit or not fit enough to do whatever the excursion is. You take that chance, don't expect them to give you your money back, you knew going in.

[ricew001]

I just can't believe how rude some of you are. SMH.

 

Maybe the OP is close to the weight limit and is concerned they may be over by the time of the excursion.

 

AZCruzers - yes do read the rules for the excursion closely. Good luck. And I'm sorry people have to be so negative out here. (Funny thing, on the cruises I've taken I've only encountered very nice people. I guess they lose the meanness when they come out from behind a keyboard.)

[HawkIVette]

I just can't believe how rude some of you are. SMH.

 

 

Take it easy a bit. You're overreacting.

 

Anyway, if there is a question on whether you are over weight for an excursion, don't take the chance. Just find another excursion.

 

And if the question is that you bought an excursion and decide later you don't want to go, just go to the excursion desk and ask for a refund. I have done it several times that we change our mind at the last minute and have never has a problem. If it is a question of bad weather, same thing. Just get a refund.

 

Bu, if you go on the excursion and then can't do it for some reason, I wouldn't expect a refund.

[azcruzers]

Thank you for the replies.

[stobe1]

I just can't believe how rude some of you are.

 

I think you are reading the rudeness into it. Getting straight to the point is different than being rude.

[coevan]

Rain will rarely cancel an excursion. Usually a Harbour Master will close the island to water sports and everyone gets a refund, including private excursions.

[stobe1]

Rain will rarely cancel an excursion. Usually a Harbour Master will close the island to water sports and everyone gets a refund, including private excursions.

 

I find it hard to believe a harbor master would make that call. It would be beyond the scope of his/her duties. It would be the tour operator or cruise line that would cancel an excursion.

[HawkIVette]

I find it hard to believe a harbor master would make that call. It would be beyond the scope of his/her duties. It would be the tour operator or cruise line that would cancel an excursion.

True. Our last cruise in April had high surf warnings in Grand Caymen. Couldn't go to Stingray City. So Carnival cancelled it but offered other tours on land. Just got an exchange for the new excursion. Nothing to do with the Harbor Master.

[coevan]

Carnival has nothing to do with shore excursions. They are all independently farmed out to private tour companies. BTW, it "is" the scope of their duties to close ships to harbor. Land excursions are a different animal.

[stobe1]

Carnival has nothing to do with shore excursions. They are all independently farmed out to private tour companies. BTW, it "is" the scope of their duties to close ships to harbor. Land excursions are a different animal.

 

This statement is almost true. What is not true was in your previous post you said the harbor master would "close the island to water sports". Those are two entirely different things. Also, he/she may close the harbor to ships, not the other way around.

[dmdiver]

Check the details for the excursion you are considering - they should post the activity level & any weight restrictions. I think you can cancel up to the night before and still get a refund. I know there is a written policy somewhere - either in your documentation for the cruise or in Carnival's FAQs. When we were in Grand Cayman once, our dive excursion was cancelled at the last minute by the vendor. We received a full refund. We were a bit upset, though, that they didn't let us know until after we had tendered ashore with only the items needed to dive. So, we had to tender back to the ship, change clothes & repack backpacks, then turn around and tender back to shore. No, it wasn't the end of the world, but it was mighty inconvenient & took up precious time that would have been spent enjoying the port.

 

As far as getting to the excursion & then being turned away due to physical limitations, I wouldn't hold my breath about getting a refund. We took a snorkeling excursion once & one of my daughters refused to get in the water. She sat on the boat while everyone else snorkeled. No refund offered, although one of the staff on the boat brought a stingray to the surface so she could get a close up look.

[cruziJenn]

Just fyi, on our last cruise we canceled at the GS desk about 30 minutes before the excursion start time because DH wasn't feeling well. Carnival excursion of course. It was no problem at all and they refunded it right away to our OBC account.

[Badfinger]

How soon do you have to cancel shore excursions . And also if you arrive at shore excursion destination and it is determined that you are unable to do it is a refund given? For instance, if you are over the weight limit or dont appear fit enough to do

 

I have never seen any excursion company weight anybody. But on the other hand, if the description says the weight limit is 250 pounds, and you are pushing 300, well you might not pass the eye test. We did a biking excursion and the limited was 250lbs. The bikes were pretty rickety, so I suppose if the bike broke they might question your weight.

 

As for cancellation, in August we were in Cozumel going on a Jet Ski excursion. At the port, we were told of potential bad weather (there were sprinkles, heavy clouds and some breeze at that time), and were given three options....back out and get a refund, wait one hour for better weather for the next departure, or go as planned. We chose to go as planned and had to sign a waiver...basically saying that upon signature of the waiver we were committing to the planned excursion and there would be no refund after that point, even if severe storm forced cancellation. Frankly it was only a few hundred dollars so not the end of the world if it was cancelled after our signature Worth the risk to us!

[GMRPHRN]

I have canceled excursions twice the night before for different reasons. They didn't like it, but they did cancel them.

[Ziggy7]

Not being physically able to do the excursion will not be refunded. Nor will weight restrictions, as if there is a restriction, it will be listed under excursion details. That said, we somehow missed the weight restriction of 250 at the time we booked it. Later we found out and our friend weighted 260 at the time and but was never weighed for the segways in grand turk. But I have heard most weight restrictions are for safety reasons so if there is doubt, I would pass :) Have a great time doing whatever you choose!.

[mulewagon]

I'm glad to hear that there's no problem canceling on the ship. We have one expensive excursion and my mother is elderly, so I'd worried about whether we could get a refund if she isn't feeling well that morning.

 

On the weight limits: At the zip-lining in Mahogany Bay, the guides hoisted us up on their knees to clip us onto the lines. And they were not big guys! So think about the risk to everyone when you choose an excursion.

[Shaded Lady]

I read a review several years ago about someone who booked the Dunns River Falls excursion. Their older inlaw didn't bring the appropriate water shoes and refused to buy swim shoes at the site, claiming they were outrageously expensive (probably true but not unexpected). Anyway she insisted that since she couldn't take the excursion she should get a full refund. The tour operator politely declined.

 

The follow up to the story was this woman's relative (I think it was her mother-in-law but as I said, it was quite a few years ago) really embarrassed the family by screaming at Guest Services later that day that she was entitled to a full refund because Carnival didn't tell her before her cruise that she needed swim shoes (OP had told everyone going on the excursion that they needed them). The woman's bad behavior didn't get any better when she was reminded that this was a private tour, not one booked through Carnival!

 

I always remember this story when I think about booking an excursion to Dunns River Falls in Jamaica!