Oh no! Am I SOL!?

[sgorich]

Our cruise leaves this week Saturday! However we did NOT book ANY excursions for ANY of the ports! I tried, but I was so darn indecisive. Plus I kept asking the SO on what we should do, but kept getting the reponse of " Oh, I don't care, you just decide for us" Argh this whole vacation I planned on my own and got no help for my SO, just this board!

 

Anyhoo, I went to Carnival's Website today and its too close to the Cruise to book them anymore!

So will I be SOL? Has anyone wanted to book an excursion on the ship, but it was full? Will all the good ones be taken? Just trying to see how bad it really will be to book once we are on the ship.:(

Well I guess thats what I get for being a procrastinator.:mad: And thats what my SO gets for being a no help, just coming along for the ride, lazy person!

[GORDONCHICK]

You will be able to book once on board, and I think Carnival has the option where you can book from the tv in your cabin. But some excursions may be sold out. But keep in mind, you don't have to book any excursions to have a good time!

[Lv2Camp&Cruise]

You will not be SOL. Just pick out the excursions you want to take and go to the shore excursion desk when you first get on board. We have booked our excursion on board before and had no problems. The only excursions you may have a problem with are the really popular ones.

[mom-of-twokids]

I don't know about Carnival, but we missed the deadline for RCI and they told us that they reserve 30% of their excursions for people who don't use the internet or don't book them online. It is possible that you'll be able to get something good once you board. Call the cruise company and ask them HOW to book them once you are onboard. We were told that the TV was interactive (in the stateroom) and that would be the fastest way to book (while still in port). Apparently, the purser's desk will be very busy, so this is the way around it.

 

Have a wonderful time and remember, you'll have fun no matter what you do. R&R although often overlooked... is good for the body and soul! :D

[carlmm]

Additionally you might check on the forums for the ports you will visit for the many options you have without booking an excursion.

Often there are private companies who will offer their service at the port and there are alwasy things you can do on your own.

[Cotton]

Our cruise leaves this week Saturday! However we did NOT book ANY excursions for ANY of the ports! I tried, but I was so darn indecisive. Plus I kept asking the SO on what we should do, but kept getting the reponse of " Oh, I don't care, you just decide for us" Argh this whole vacation I planned on my own and got no help for my SO, just this board!

Calm down!:D My goodness, even if you don't go on a planned excursion, it certainly isn't the end of the world.

I haven't booked any excursions since my very first cruise 'way back in 1987! There's lots to do on your own, or through a private company. Besides - there will be some excursions for you to choose from once you get on board....they don't all sell out. Every passenger isn't scrambling around trying to book excursions.

So will I be SOL? Has anyone wanted to book an excursion on the ship, but it was full? Will all the good ones be taken? Just trying to see how bad it really will be to book once we are on the ship.:(

 

Well I guess thats what I get for being a procrastinator.:mad: And thats what my SO gets for being a no help, just coming along for the ride, lazy person!

Yep, you said it - you procrastinated, but are putting most of the blame on your SO. Sounds as if SO is in for a really fun cruise.:rolleyes:

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Some ideas for you....as soon as you can do so after you board the ship go to the Excursions desk and see what they have available. There are always cancellations, so put your name on the waiting list.

 

Do some more research on each port. You may be able to see a lot without going on an excursion. After 17 cruises and an 18th in two weeks, my DW and I often use public transportation or rent cars and see as much if not more than an excursion.

 

Above all, you are not going on a cruise for the excursions but for all the other great things that a cruise will bring...romance, aesthetics (the beauty of the sea, sunsets, sunrises) , new friends, something great to read and so on.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[KarenR_UK]

Sometimes it can be better not to pre book

 

Cunard (which admittedly is only just starting to allow pre-booking), and P+O (who have been doing it for a while) have both introduced completely new excursions once on board - this year, the whale watching, which I would have been interested in, but I had already prebooked another at that port. P+O introduced shopping & beach transfers which had not been available on-line/in advance.

 

They have all added extra capacity on full tours where they were able to.

 

One thing I really did learn this year, after 8 tours in 8 ports over 9 days (and 2 timezones), its tiring doing a tour in every port and some ports its just better to amble on the pier, or just stay by the pool:D

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

Karen

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've never had any trouble booking an excursion on the ship. If you are very set on a certain excursion, get to the excursion desk as soon as you can.

 

Also, as soon as you step off the ship at any port there will be lots of independent tour operators selling a wide variety of tours--many just like the ship's tours--forless money.

 

We usually do independent tours, booking ahead of time using this site for ideas for good tour companies, but we've booked right on the dock quite a few times and never had a really bad tour. Of course, some are better than others.

 

Many times you can just catch a taxi to a beach, shopping area or for sightseeing right at the port. Some ports have interesting things to do within walking distance.

 

Or, you can just relax on the ship or do your own thing, wander around (in most ports) and explore the area. There may be a few ports where it's not wise to walk around on your own.

[Scootercruise]

No need to be worried about excursions, you can book them on your TV on Carnival. They also have a briefing about each port before you reach them, you will get a paper each day with your Carnival Capers that will have all of the ships excursions listed in it. If not, it's also great fun just to take a taxi to the places listed as an excursion, and you can usually save money and spend more time at your pace and not theirs. Just remember, this is your vacation, and nobody elses, so do what YOU want or don't want. :o

[NthernLgts]

Just know what youre interested in before you go on the ship, then try to book right away! You will probably get something.

[hockeymom97]

You could also try to look at some of the independant excursions - there are many mentioned on these boards - especially if you look at the thread for a specific port of call. Or do a google seach for a specific island and the words "shore excursion" and you should be able to find something.

 

Most of all - DON'T worry about it :) Many people don't book any "planned" excursions. You can always get off the boat and find a taxi driver to take you where you want to go :) You'll have a great time regardless of what you have planned.

[TravlinChick]

My hubby never helps plan a vacation either. He always tells me to decide. You know what, that's really not a bad deal. The end result of my making all the decisions is that I've been to some really great places (Yellowstone, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite, etc.), and it was ALL places I wanted to go & he happily went along.

Just go with it the next time he tells you that. Do exactly what you want to do!

[mjmalino]

My DH is the same way. However, once everything is booked he starts with the "how much did THIS cost?" thing. As we were planning the cruise (we just took our first) I told him, if you don't want to have input, you don't have a right to be concerned about how much money the excursions are costing. If he wants to know, he will give input when I ask him.

[KC_fn]

You are NOT SOL! Very likely you'll still be able to get your excursion of choice if you visit the excursion desk first thing when you get on the ship. Have a couple of back-ups in mind, just in case.

 

Personally, I'm of the "no excursion" school of thought. We took one excursion on our previous cruise and found it sooooo not worth the money. This time, we're just going to use our own two feet to wander around, maybe catch a cab if the fancy strikes, get a local meal -- and then head back to the ship, which to us is the whole of point of cruising anyway!

[NJ2FL]

Where are you going?

[eh2zed]

:o Not to fear. But you should book the popular ones asap once on board. If sold out get put on the waitlist. There are usually cancallations and Excursion Office staff are usually pretty good at predicting your chances. If you don't clear the wait list for a tour you really want to take there is always the option of picking it up on the pier in most ports.:)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

My hubby never helps plan a vacation either. He always tells me to decide. You know what, that's really not a bad deal. The end result of my making all the decisions is that I've been to some really great places (Yellowstone, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite, etc.), and it was ALL places I wanted to go & he happily went along.

 

Just go with it the next time he tells you that. Do exactly what you want to do!

 

My DH is the same way, and I love it! :D He does give a little input at the beginning--like whether we should do a land vacation or a cruise and he generally has an opinion on destinations. Once those major things are decided, I take it from there--I love the planning! I choose the excursions and let him know what I have planned. The family teases me leading up to the vacation because I spend so much time on Cruise Critic and planning our vacations, but once we're on them they all thank me profusely for all the planning I did!

 

Cheers!

Jayne