Reserving NCL excursions prior but paying on the boat

[Scurrent]

We have an upcoming cruise on NCL leaving out of Cape Town, South Africa in 2025.  Although we have used outside vendors in the past for shore excursions, we are tending towards using NCL excursions for this particular cruise, especially those in the more remote ports.  Is there any mechanism available to reserve the cruise now, but pay after we board the ship?  I am loathe to lay out money now, only to fight with NCL to get our money back when a port is cancelled.  On our recent Norway cruise with NCL, they cancelled a port and tried to offer our sailing mates a nonrefundable onboard credit for a prepaid excursion, which they refused, eventually receiving a refund.  We would like to avoid this situation if possible.  Any assistance is appreciated.  -  Steve

[quillwercruisers]

We have been cruising with NCL since 2009, and I have never been able to do that. If you call in and have it added via a Rep, you would still have to pay for it by final payment or your cruise could get cancelled. You can always wait until you board, but then you run the risk of the excursions you want being sold out. 

[bonvoyagie]

On my last cruise we had two excursions cancelled on us. The credit showed up as OBC which they cashed out at the end of the cruise. It was all automatic and made tipping the butler, cabin steward, and concierge easier.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@Scurrent and @quillwercruisers

 

Up to about 5 years ago it was possible to book Shore Excursions and then pay through your folio on board.

 

That stopped and now if you "book" they have to be paid at the time of "booking".   

 

It just so happens that there was a paragraph in their T&Cs that did, supposedly, allow the old system as NCLs wording had, as usual, two possible meanings.   I fought them over it but got nowhere.

 

We have always found that if a port is cancelled the refund appears on your folio, as a Refundable OBC, overnight as @bonvoyagie found.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Scurrent said:

 I am loathe to lay out money now, only to fight with NCL to get our money back when a port is cancelled.  On our recent Norway cruise with NCL, they cancelled a port and tried to offer our sailing mates a nonrefundable onboard credit for a prepaid excursion, which they refused, eventually receiving a refund.  We would like to avoid this situation if possible.  Any assistance is appreciated.  -  Steve

Someone misunderstood. They give a refundable credit for a prepaid excursion. It is applied to your account, you get cash back from guest services if you have a positive balance at the end of your cruise. They cannot refund to your credit card due to banking rules.

Any consideration for a missed port will be nonrefundable OBC, I believe port fees/taxes are given as a refundable credit.

Edited August 7 by julig22

[pghflyer]

I have done this on multiple ships. Reserved and paid in advance online via credit card.  Then once on the ship:

 

1) Gone to excursion desk and asked to have excursion refunded (as refundable OBC) and rebooked against my non-refundable OBC. No problem.

2) Had an excursion cancelled (either by the ship or on my own within cancel window) and received refundable OBC

 

I always pick up my refundable OBC balance as cash the night before disembark, but I understand they may issue as a credit back to your card as well (I've never done it).

Edited August 7 by pghflyer

[gymbomb]

You used to be able to, at least in some cases, but I tried to earlier this year and was told they will only allow it if your account is already showing a minimum of $200 onboard credit. We had $100 OBC but they wouldn't allow us to book without pre-paying even if the excursion cost less than that. They said I could wait and book onboard and use the OBC, but we all know if you want a specific excursion that is a very risky move.

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, Scurrent said:

 On our recent Norway cruise with NCL, they cancelled a port and tried to offer our sailing mates a nonrefundable onboard credit for a prepaid excursion, which they refused, eventually receiving a refund.  We would like to avoid this situation if possible.  Any assistance is appreciated.  -  Steve

We had a port cancelled last summer by NCL prior to the cruise. We had bought an excursion. I called to get the money I paid credited back. I was first told that we would be getting a nonrefundable credit, and I should be grateful because they did not have to give anything for a cancelled port. I said no I was asking for money back I had already paid, not a credit for a missed port. The representative then told me that she had to consult another department. When she came back, she credited my card back explaining that what in effect was being done was we were cancelling the excursion and were within the time limit allowed for doing that and getting it refunded.

 

All references to cancelled excursions going to refundable onboard credit actually are true for when this happens on the ship, not pre-cruise.

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 hours ago, pghflyer said:

I always pick up my refundable OBC balance as cash the night before disembark

I never prepay DSC's, so this step is usually not necessary.

[Turtles06]

15 hours ago, pghflyer said:

I have done this on multiple ships. Reserved and paid in advance online via credit card.  Then once on the ship:

 

1) Gone to excursion desk and asked to have excursion refunded (as refundable OBC) and rebooked against my non-refundable OBC. No problem.

But this would be a problem if the excursion were sold out. 

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 8/7/2024 at 3:00 PM, Scurrent said:

We have an upcoming cruise on NCL leaving out of Cape Town, South Africa in 2025.  Although we have used outside vendors in the past for shore excursions, we are tending towards using NCL excursions for this particular cruise, especially those in the more remote ports.  Is there any mechanism available to reserve the cruise now, but pay after we board the ship?  I am loathe to lay out money now, only to fight with NCL to get our money back when a port is cancelled.  On our recent Norway cruise with NCL, they cancelled a port and tried to offer our sailing mates a nonrefundable onboard credit for a prepaid excursion, which they refused, eventually receiving a refund.  We would like to avoid this situation if possible.  Any assistance is appreciated.  -  Steve

 

There will be no fight.  Simply turn in the ecursion ticket before the date of the excursin whether NCL cancels or you simply decide not yo attend.  Refund will be posted to your on board account shortly/

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

@PartyPlannerLady

 

Simply turn in the ecursion ticket before the date of the excursin

 

If YOU are cancelling a booked and paid for Shore Excursion while ON BOARD you have to give at least 48 hours notice prior to the departure time of the Shore Excursion.

[zqvol]

23 hours ago, pghflyer said:

I have done this on multiple ships. Reserved and paid in advance online via credit card.  Then once on the ship:

 

1) Gone to excursion desk and asked to have excursion refunded (as refundable OBC) and rebooked against my non-refundable OBC. No problem.

2) Had an excursion cancelled (either by the ship or on my own within cancel window) and received refundable OBC

 

I always pick up my refundable OBC balance as cash the night before disembark, but I understand they may issue as a credit back to your card as well (I've never done it).

The only way that this doesn’t work is if the excursion is waitlisted. If it is and you cancel you go to the bottom of the list, so likely no excursion. 

[julig22]

18 minutes ago, zqvol said:

The only way that this doesn’t work is if the excursion is waitlisted. If it is and you cancel you go to the bottom of the list, so likely no excursion. 

Do you have personal experience with this? I've seen lots of speculation but no reports of someone actually losing their excursion because of a waitlist. It's been a long time since I was on a waitlist but when I was, it was always a written sign-up sheet, all additions were done manually. Plus I do know that they can change how an excursion is priced, it you have to request your latitudes discount after the fact.

[pghflyer]

I have done this on NCL and HAL and both times the excursions were waitlisted. They don't actually cancel your booking in the system, they just update the accounting for it.  Not saying some poorly trained staff might do it incorrectly, that is definitely a risk.....but it wasn't an issue for me.

[deefer]

On 8/7/2024 at 12:00 PM, Scurrent said:

We have an upcoming cruise on NCL leaving out of Cape Town, South Africa in 2025.  Although we have used outside vendors in the past for shore excursions, we are tending towards using NCL excursions for this particular cruise, especially those in the more remote ports.  Is there any mechanism available to reserve the cruise now, but pay after we board the ship?  I am loathe to lay out money now, only to fight with NCL to get our money back when a port is cancelled.  On our recent Norway cruise with NCL, they cancelled a port and tried to offer our sailing mates a nonrefundable onboard credit for a prepaid excursion, which they refused, eventually receiving a refund.  We would like to avoid this situation if possible.  Any assistance is appreciated.  -  Steve

 

We did a 12 day cruise out of Cape Town in Jan 2023.    All ship excursions were sold out by the time we boarded.   I also do not like paying ahead of time but if you want to do ship excursions I would not recommend waiting until on board for this itinerary.  

 

Having said that we had private excursions booked for most ports and had no issues.

 

I did a live review - here's a link if you want contact info for some of the tours we did.

 

 

 

[zqvol]

13 hours ago, pghflyer said:

I have done this on NCL and HAL and both times the excursions were waitlisted. They don't actually cancel your booking in the system, they just update the accounting for it.  Not saying some poorly trained staff might do it incorrectly, that is definitely a risk.....but it wasn't an issue for me.

What you meant to say is that some staff might do it correctly, but you have had untrained staff do it your way.

[pghflyer]

48 minutes ago, zqvol said:

What you meant to say is that some staff might do it correctly, but you have had untrained staff do it your way.

I don' t mean that at all. I don't have a copy of the operating procedures for either cruise line, so I cannot speak to the expected method.  Frankly, adjusting my payment method due to flaws in the online pre-booking method shouldn't count as a true cancellation.