pre cruise sold out excursions

[sunsetme]

some excursions disappear and I assume they are full, but are some spots held back for booking once on board?

[SilkySal]

2 minutes ago, jdechter said:

some excursions disappear and I assume they are full, but are some spots held back for booking once on board?

Possibly. I would continue checking on-line or first thing when you board.

[Clarea]

16 minutes ago, jdechter said:

some excursions disappear and I assume they are full, but are some spots held back for booking once on board?

 

We've been told by the excursions people that a certain percentage of slots are held back for onboard booking.

[Spidybabe1]

Yes, there should be available spots once onboard.  They leave a certain % for onboard bookings for people who do not have or are not computer savvy. 

Safe sailing 

[nalrudaini]

You could also benefit from those who cancel their excursions. So keep checking onboard. 

[CRUISEFAN0001]

16 minutes ago, nalrudaini said:

You could also benefit from those who cancel their excursions. So keep checking onboard. 

That's very good advice. 

 

Inevitably...there are almost always some cancellations...so even being put on a "wait list" at teh Excursions desk is a good approach. Sometimes (but not always)...they even discount those late bookings.

Edited June 13, 2019 by CRUISEFAN0001

[h20skibum]

Just make sure you board as soon as you can, and go directly to the excursion desk.  Even then, there is no guarantee.  

 

We did that for an excursion that was sold out online, and they put us on a wait list.  We never did get it, and we were at the top of the list.  

 

Just make ale sure you look for an alternate plan.  

[FionaMG]

It's also worth being somewhat obsessive about checking your cruise planner because you may just be lucky enough to catch a spot if someone cancels, releasing it back to inventory.

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

We've been told by the excursions people that a certain percentage of slots are held back for onboard booking.

I was told the same.  It applies to excursions and entertainment, that need reservations.

 

However, I would look each day as excursions for my August Anthem's sail sometimes disappear and then re-appear. 

[maryred]

Just today I was looking over excursions for 1 of our upcoming cruises and poof in the hour between when I saw (and place it in my cart) an excursion in Boston my mother would like and when I saw her it disappeared and I won't be surprised if tomorrow it's available once again online. Royal's Cruise Planner is full of IT issues, so I would check online right up to the cut off point whenever the thought strikes me.

[cured]

8 hours ago, nalrudaini said:

You could also benefit from those who cancel their excursions. So keep checking onboard. 

This is so true. An excursion I wanted has said "check onboard" for the longest time. I have been checking daily and just today it was available to book online again. I grabbed 6 spots. Now I can relax 🙂

[erby2283]

Question. So if the excursion sells out, is it pulled from the planner? BC I am booked on one that some time shows up and sometimes doesn't.  One day, RC had a sale and a cheaper price showed up. I called RC to have them cancel and rebook the excursion at the sale price and it hasn't shown up again since.  Makes me worried that it's been cancelled. Would they email me if they cancelled the excursion so I could plan something else?

[basictek]

I bought an excursion with another cruise line, then saw it sell out, and disappear from the list, only to see it reappear later at a different time slot. So there ended up being two excursions at different times. I noticed because I would have booked the later one if it had been available originally, it wasn't a big enough deal for me to cancel and re-book. So depending on the type of excursion that's a possibility too.  

[maryred]

8 hours ago, basictek said:

I bought an excursion with another cruise line, then saw it sell out, and disappear from the list, only to see it reappear later at a different time slot. So there ended up being two excursions at different times. I noticed because I would have booked the later one if it had been available originally, it wasn't a big enough deal for me to cancel and re-book. So depending on the type of excursion that's a possibility too.  

You do realize many cruise lines will allow you to "exchange" your tour tickets on board for the same tour different time with just a simple phone call or visit to the excursion desk. 

[Clarea]

9 hours ago, erby2283 said:

Question. So if the excursion sells out, is it pulled from the planner? BC I am booked on one that some time shows up and sometimes doesn't.  One day, RC had a sale and a cheaper price showed up. I called RC to have them cancel and rebook the excursion at the sale price and it hasn't shown up again since.  Makes me worried that it's been cancelled. Would they email me if they cancelled the excursion so I could plan something else?

 

Yes, you would get a notification (and see a credit on your credit card statement) if the excursion was cancelled.

[basictek]

8 hours ago, maryred said:

You do realize many cruise lines will allow you to "exchange" your tour tickets on board for the same tour different time with just a simple phone call or visit to the excursion desk. 

Did not know that, and I wasn't really sure why it had a different time until the day we got off the ship, then I realized they had opened a 2nd time slot.