Shore Excursions with Dawn

[nyc1dxo]

Is it possible to book an excursion when on the ship? In other words, do these excursions book up fast that they are limited. I am looking to go to Universal Studios but not sure about the weather conditions until the week comes. Any help?

[crystalloubear]

We booked one for Miami while on board with no problem. I don't think it was as popular as Universal Studios. If it is sold out on board, renting a car in Port Canaveral is real easy. Driving over there is a straight shot. Depending on the number of people in your group, this option may be more economical.
We rented a car at Canaveral when we were there on the Dawn last week for 2 reasons. #1 we had 8 people and everything was so expensive #2 If the weather was too hot or rainy - we could change at the last minute!!
You can always reserve a car ahead of time. All the companies Hertz, Avis, Budget are all less than 10 minutes from the port.

[ally10169]

but you run the risk of the popular ones being booked up. I think you have 24 hrs to cancel the ones you do book in advance. You could book it and then cancel once you get on board if Tuesday is looking like bad weather the week you are there. Or do the car rental. That is what we did. It was very easy and we liked being on our own time and not having to wait for a bus.

Allyson :)

[Joanne G.]

For what it's worth, on 11 cruises, I have always booked excursions after getting on board, never in advance. And not necessarily on the first day, either. I've always gotten what I wanted. That's no guarantee, of course, that the one you want won't fill up. But I suspect the shore excursions are a big money-maker for the cruise lines, thus they make every effort to accommodate all who want to go. I imagine they study the popularity of the various excursions and plan accordingly so they don't have to turn people away. For something like Universal Studios, I wouldn't be surprised if their arrangement with the tour operator includes some buses on back-up to be called into service if needed.

If you are interested in something that has very limited capacity - like a helicopter ride, for example - it may be in your interest to book in advance. But for more general things, if you are not ready to commit ahead of time (and be charged in advance which is what I think happens), from our experience your chances are good for getting what you want if you wait until you are on the ship.

One of my pet peeves about both the cruise lines I have been on, NCL and HAL, is the limited hours of their shore excursion desks. But both have a drop-box where you can submit your request 24 hours a day. We've used that frequently, and tickets appear in our cabins usually the same day.

[nyc1dxo]

Thanks for your comments. How do I go about renting a car? Just walk-in or book via the phone?

[crystalloubear]

You can rent online via the different agencies web sites. The best thing to do is go to a few and get price quotes. They are probably all about the same distance from the ship so go with whatever one has the best deal or is open later. You can check their hours online too.
One word of caution if you have never rented a car before. The rental agencies will try to talk you into all kinds of additional insurance and offer that you can return the car empty and they will refill the gas. Your best bet is refuse additional coverage, your regular policy covers it. Refill the gas right before returning so that the gauge lies on the F when you return it. It sounds like a good deal to let them refill it, but you end up agreeing to prebuy a full tank of gas at a slightly elevated charge. Most times you don;t use the full tank.