Excursion Timing Question

[dmacleod]

We are doing a Greek isles cruise in June. We have signed up for our excursions through NCL since it is our first cruise. In Santorini the excursion is scheduled at 1:45, but the schedule says the ship docks at 1:30. I assume, since it is booked through NCL that this works, but I'm not  sure how. Can we really get off the ship and to wherever the excursion leaves from that quickly?

[The Traveling Man]

7 minutes ago, dmacleod said:

We are doing a Greek isles cruise in June. We have signed up for our excursions through NCL since it is our first cruise. In Santorini the excursion is scheduled at 1:45, but the schedule says the ship docks at 1:30. I assume, since it is booked through NCL that this works, but I'm not  sure how. Can we really get off the ship and to wherever the excursion leaves from that quickly?

The 1:45 time listed may be the meeting time of the tour, the time you need to be in the auditorium (or wherever the designated meeting point is) prior to taking the tender to the island.  The ship does not dock at Santorini.  The 1:30 time is the estimated time for the ship to drop anchor in the harbor.

[KeithJenner]

22 minutes ago, dmacleod said:

We are doing a Greek isles cruise in June. We have signed up for our excursions through NCL since it is our first cruise. In Santorini the excursion is scheduled at 1:45, but the schedule says the ship docks at 1:30. I assume, since it is booked through NCL that this works, but I'm not  sure how. Can we really get off the ship and to wherever the excursion leaves from that quickly?

In Santorini the excursion starts on the ship, as there is a special tender for tours.

 

All shore excursions start at a central meeting place (usually the theatre), so there is no need to get ashore to meet your tour for the scheduled time.

[dmacleod]

The excursion technically starting on the ship makes sense. Thanks for the responses.

[genealogyfan]

34 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

In Santorini the excursion starts on the ship, as there is a special tender for tours.

 

All shore excursions start at a central meeting place (usually the theatre), so there is no need to get ashore to meet your tour for the scheduled time.

On my last two cruises, our NCL ship excursions met at the dock not inside the ship. Some excursions met inside the terminal where we docked. In my last two cruises, none of the excursions met inside the ship.

Edited March 24, 2023 by genealogyfan

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, genealogyfan said:

On my last two cruises, our NCL ship excursions met at the dock not inside the ship. Some excursions met inside the terminal where we docked. In my last two cruises, none of the excursions met inside the ship.

Were those at ports where the ship actually docks, or were they tender ports like Santorini?

[genealogyfan]

4 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Were those at ports where the ship actually docks, or were they tender ports like Santorini?

Both tendering and at docks, but not in Santorini. I have been on other cruises with Norwegian, where specific excursions met inside the ship, like in a restaurant, etc..

Edited March 24, 2023 by genealogyfan

[The Traveling Man]

2 minutes ago, genealogyfan said:

Both tendering and at docks, but not in Santorini. I have been on other cruises (before Covid) where specific excursions met inside the ship, like in a restaurant, etc..

We have sailed a half dozen times since the post-COVID restart.  Out of more than two dozen excursions I think we have had maybe two that met on shore, with most of the rest meeting in the theater.  I suppose different ships and different ports have different procedures.