How far in advance do you book your excursions?

[jeanneful]

We are a year out on our cruise to Europe, there are several excursion we’d love to do but afraid they will be sold out. Is a year too early to book?

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

It's never too early.  If you see something you like, book it, you can always cancel (but if they sell out you may not be able to fix!)

[FionaMG]

5 minutes ago, jeanneful said:

We are a year out on our cruise to Europe, there are several excursion we’d love to do but afraid they will be sold out. Is a year too early to book?

 

Some of them will sell out so if you have your heart set on them and budget allows you to lay the cash out now, then go ahead and book them. You can always cancel and rebook later on if you see the price go down, or cancel for a refund if you change your mind completely.

[HappyTexan44]

You can cancel later if you change your mind.  

 

Ours is in Feb with two ports. They keep adding new excursions, which made it hard to decide.   I used the trick mentioned in a recent thread here to look at the shore excursions offered for the same cruise as mine, but in just a few days.   I figured that was the complete list, then I decided from there.  We ended up not buying through the Royal.  

 

[firefly333]

28 minutes ago, jeanneful said:

We are a year out on our cruise to Europe, there are several excursion we’d love to do but afraid they will be sold out. Is a year too early to book?

Very easy to cancel if you change your mind. My next January cruise goes to Panama and excursions to the locks for a day have long ago sold out. Depends on the port, but I buy as soon as I see a price I like. There are some that sales hardly affect. All the others go on a good sale, but ones that are selling well wouldnt. 

[lovesthebeach2]

17 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Very easy to cancel if you change your mind. My next January cruise goes to Panama and excursions to the locks for a day have long ago sold out. Depends on the port, but I buy as soon as I see a price I like. There are some that sales hardly affect. All the others go on a good sale, but ones that are selling well wouldnt. 

We had booked the same itinerary to Panama well over a year before the trip, and as soon as the excursion to the locks was available, I grabbed it. It sold out quickly and so many didn’t get to go. 
 

[firefly333]

7 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

We had booked the same itinerary to Panama well over a year before the trip, and as soon as the excursion to the locks was available, I grabbed it. It sold out quickly and so many didn’t get to go. 
 

I did this one on radiance and the one with gatum lake never went on sale and sold out. Never saw the all day one offered to us.

 

I'm on carnival next jan who had the $189 all day to the locks. It's been sold out for months. They dont have sales before the cruise like rcl ..but full priced sold out. .a year in advance. 

 

Less expensive rcl excursions sell out. Most run of thr mill dont sell out. It really depends on what it is and the price etc.

[lovesthebeach2]

13 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I did this one on radiance and the one with gatum lake never went on sale and sold out. Never saw the all day one offered to us.

 

I'm on carnival next jan who had the $189 all day to the locks. It's been sold out for months. They dont have sales before the cruise like rcl ..but full priced sold out. .a year in advance. 

 

Less expensive rcl excursions sell out. Most run of thr mill dont sell out. It really depends on what it is and the price etc.

Ours was a full day. We took a bus to the big lake, then the boat through three locks to the Pacific. Then a bus ride back to the ship. It was awesome.
Got back exhausted around 645pm. Ran up to WJ for food because we were starving (I should have brought snacks), grabbed a couple of glasses of wine each, then Up to the room to shower and that was the extent of the night.  It was totally worth it!

BTW we were on Serenade

Edited May 19, 2023 by lovesthebeach2

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Ours was a full day. We took a bus to the big lake, then the boat through three locks to the Pacific. Then a bus ride back to the ship. It was awesome.
Got back exhausted around 645pm. Ran up to WJ for food because we were starving (I should have brought snacks), grabbed a couple of glasses of wine each, then Up to the room to shower and that was the extent of the night.  It was totally worth it!

BTW we were on Serenade

Yes I know it was 7 hours.

 

What I meant was we were not offered a full day just the locks. We had either the lake or 2 cities and the welcome centre. 

 

Carnival offers a full day without a add on to fill time. Also more expensive. We had the lake one at $99. It was popular. I took a city and we were out 7 hours. A full day to me.

 

I wanted one just the locks like carnival has .. carnivals just the locks is $189. Much more expensive then the lakes one we were offered. I did this march 27 so recently. I was supposed to have done it also jan 30 but didnt go. But I was in the roll call and booked excursions. Rcl prices were better but we werent offered the all day go to the locks and here is lunch while we do only the locks.

 

A lot of cruisers on my roll call were unhappy at the offerings who wanted only the locks. Not offered.

 

Anyway ... my pt was that one was more popular than others offered and never really went on big sale like the others.

[Peachestravels]

We booked ours the minute they became available. Our cruise is not for another 500 days. I booked those puppies fast. Didnt want to lose the spot. 

[lovesthebeach2]

33 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yes I know it was 7 hours.

 

What I meant was we were not offered a full day just the locks. We had either the lake or 2 cities and the welcome centre. 

 

Carnival offers a full day without a add on to fill time. Also more expensive. We had the lake one at $99. It was popular. I took a city and we were out 7 hours. A full day to me.

 

I wanted one just the locks like carnival has .. carnivals just the locks is $189. Much more expensive then the lakes one we were offered. I did this march 27 so recently. I was supposed to have done it also jan 30 but didnt go. But I was in the roll call and booked excursions. Rcl prices were better but we werent offered the all day go to the locks and here is lunch while we do only the locks.

 

A lot of cruisers on my roll call were unhappy at the offerings who wanted only the locks. Not offered.

 

Anyway ... my pt was that one was more popular than others offered and never really went on big sale like the others.

this was what we did, I see I booked it less than a year before the cruise, but in early 2021 things took longer to show up in the planner. The OP shouldn't wait to book excursions. The good ones go fast