Should you book cruise excursions

Is it better to book shore excursions through your cruise ship, or should you arrange port activities on your own, independently of your cruise line. We routinely book excursions through the cruise line, but will happily book independent excursions. The primary benefit of booking excursions through the cruise line is that they guarantee your return to the ship. Alaskan cruise excursions, ship vs book your own pros. Its convenient and easy to book online through the cruise lines site before the voyage or on board. Get to know the planned activities each port of call has to offer prior to your departure. Here are some insights that might prove useful, should you choose to book excursions the next time you go on a cruise. For example, if you are someone relatively new to travel it can be very intimidating to plan your own excursions in cities you dont know well or there might be a big language barrier. If you get the alaska toursaver book and there is another one, but the name escapes me, there are coupons in there that you may be able to use to reduce the cost of your excursions. By booking alaskan cruise excursions early, you can guarantee that youll get your preferred time slot. Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through the. Yes, after you make the final payment on your cruise, you can prebook your shore excursions directly with the cruise line or online with. You may view and purchase available shore excursions once youve reserved a cruise, received your cruise reservation number, and have made at least one payment toward your cruise. The tour will be perfectly timed with the cruise ships schedule, so you wont miss your ship.

Were going to norwegein fjords 30th july our excursions are now on the website to book, so do you book when they first come out or just before your cruise date. These are usually the more active type excursions such as snorkeling, diving, kayaking, horseback riding, etc. Your advance booking window is determined by your castaway club membership level, as specified below. You will find that with some research and preplanning and bartering you might be able to do the same excursions for half the price. You will have a guaranteed seat for a relatively good price. Firsttimers guide to shore excursions cruise critic. The longer you wait, the higher the price and the lower the availability. Perhaps the most compelling reason to book a shore excursion through the cruise ship is the promise if the tour runs late or is delayed, royal caribbean will get you back on the ship. Thats why you should always try to book your own cruise excursionseither through a website that specializes in excursions and tours or with credit card rewards like chase ultimate rewards book excursions with. Popular shore excursions tend to sell out quickly, but thats not the only reason you want to plan ahead. Some sights, like mexicos chichen itza, are difficult to reach without an organized shore excursion. Review the cruise booking material, which should include a list of shore excursion options. Theres always so much to see and do and a limited amount of time to fit it all in. What to know about booking cruise excursions before you.

There is a good argument to be made for doing either one, so here is what you need to know about booking shore excursions and if you are better off going through the cruise line. The sea at its most adventurous seek the extraordinary and make your cruise holiday an unforgettable adventure. There are several ways for cruise guests to book a shore excursion with certain pros and cons. When it comes to cruise excursions, it pays to plan ahead and book in advance. But, there is still one detail to decide and it is often one of the last things for cruisers to book. The seven pros and five main cons are discussed by gary bembridge, cruise expert and author. Once your cruise holiday has started you can always book excursions on board. Hi just wondered how soon you book your shore excursions with your cruise company. Should you book your cruise excursions with your cruise. Is it better to book shore excursions through your cruise ship, or should you. This question is a bit tricky so i have highlighted some of my reasons to book shore excursions with your cruise line as well as when it is a good idea to go third party.

If you book through the cruise line, then the ship will wait until you return before it departs. If you opt for a cruise line excursion and you know very well which one to choose, book as early as possible. Should you book your shore excursions on your own, independently of your cruise line and likely save a few quid, while enjoying a bit more. Create a list of all of the potential shore excursions that interest you, then add up each. Should you book cruise excursions with your cruise line. Well, if you book your trip through the cruise line, youre guaranteed not to be left if the trip is delayed. In some situations purchasing a shore excursion from the cruise line does make sense. Contact the shore excursion manager onboard if you have any concerns. The truth about cruise ship excursions in europe are.

They have validated and verified the quality and reliability of the operator and guides. Do you book your excursions prior to your cruise or while on your cruise. You can book it before you leave or onboard before you arrive. Regardless of when you book the shore excursions they will always be more expensive if you book with the cruise line direct. If you do anything other than take the cruise lines offerings, you. To ensure you get to enjoy the port adventures excursions you want, we recommend you make reservations as soon as your cruise reservations are paid in full and you have entered into your advance booking window. They wait til they are on board to book excursions. Cruise lines will offer you all kinds of reasons for booking your alaska excursion with them, but there are some things they just cant or wont tell you since they don. I hate spending my time standing on lines while on a cruise so i book all my excursions ahead of time. Why you should book an excursion through royal caribbean. Should you book shore excursions with the cruise line. In terms of pricing you ll of course find any number of prices depending on the excursions you re looking at, but if you compare booking a tour independently vs a nearly identical tour through the cruise line you re very likely to find it cheaper to go at it on your own, leaving more money for say booking another cruise.

Is it better to book excursions through the cruise ship. Near the reception you can find a shore excursion desk. We offer an incredible choice of shore excursions to suit every taste. But when should you book their tours, and when and how should you. There are some places in the world where i prefer that the cruise line be responsible for my tours, especially in thirdworld countries or offthebeaten types of destinations. Many cruise lines have this information available online. Firsttime cruisers guide to cruise excursions allianz. Booking your shore excursion through the cruise line provides the safety net of. Should you book shore excursions through the cruise line. They have run the tours many times and know that passengers like you enjoy them. Some cruise lines charge penalty fees for canceling shore excursions onboard or within 24 to 48 hours of the port call, so you might want to wait to see how the weather is or how you like the line. Are belize and roatan or any planned excursions worth it. Should i book my shore excursions on my own or through the. To help you make your decision, ive listed the pros and cons of booking excursions with the cruise line.

One of the biggest questions about shore excursions is whether you should book them independently or. In episode 6 of the cruise diaries i talk about how to book shore excursions, staying in touch with a travel group, and money. There are excursions heavily promoted on board ships and organised by cruise lines. On a cruise are shore excursions cheaper if you wait to. For sure these will be cheaper, than cruise line tour, and for sure they will tell you something to purswade you to book their tour. One of the biggest questions about shore excursions is whether you should book them independently or book them through the cruise line. What to know about booking cruise excursions before you board. Some passengers do not want to spend any time preparing for a cruise.

Once onboard, shore excursions can also be purchased at the ships shore excursion desk. How to book shore excursions on your cruise vacation usa. Guests with disabilities should email the access office for assistance with accessible shore excursions. Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through. Give yourself time to research the available excursions in each port, as well as the local attractions you can tour on your own for free. This will give you a good idea of whats available and give you more details on booking the tour. Next the cruise line tells you that booking your shore excursion months before your cruise, eliminates the need for you to waste time during your cruise in standing in line and shopping at the cruise excursions desk, only to get the skimpy, or unpopular cruise excursions selections that are left available. Book your cruise excursions shore excursion programme.

The benefits of booking shipsponsored tours are many. Guests may also visit cruise planner to purchase excursions before they cruise. Should i book a shore excursion with the cruise line. This website offers many of the same excursions your cruise. What excursions should i bookalaska cruise alaska forum. Should you book hawaii shore excursions with the cruise. In terms of pricing youll of course find any number of prices depending on the excursions youre looking at, but if you compare booking a tour independently vs a nearly identical tour through the cruise line youre very likely to find it cheaper to go at it on your own, leaving more money for say booking another cruise. An updated listing of shore excursions is available approximately 6 months prior to the first sailing of each cruise destination season. The first time booking your own shore excursion can be daunting whether its your first visit to a new port or maybe your third or fourth, chances are youll want. Pros of booking packaged cruise ship shore excursions. When i cruise i want to make the best use of my time in port.

Guests can book a shore excursion by visiting the shore excursion desk onboard during their cruise. Look up your cruise lines list of shore excursions with tour descriptions and prices. Find out if you should book a guaranteed cruise stateroom for your cruise vacation. Of course, you can assume the opposite applies for touring on your own. If you book an excursion and find the same thing cheaper somewhere else, then the cruise line will refund you 110% of the price difference. Some excursions in alaska, like the glacier point wilderness safari in skagway or the mendenhall glacier trek in juneau can book up.

But if you make your own arrangements, you run the risk of missing the boat should something go off schedule. Do i need to book shore excursions in the caribbean. My husband and i are taking a cruise on ncl and want to book some great excursions. You can check what coupons are available in the book before purchasing it. Furthermore, excursions booked through the cruise line also give you peace of mind. Many readers ask if it is better to book an excursion through the cruise line or do one independently. Book your alaskan cruise excursions as soon as possible. Reserving your excursions ahead of time will allow you to take part in the activities you want, and ensure your cruise is stressfree. Cannot say a lot about the actual tour operators choice, but you are free to take any of authorised travel operators tours in st. In wellvisited major ports, you may find a better deal by booking a tour on your own. For these stops, you have a couple of options if you dont want to book through the cruise line. How to book cruise excursions for less travelpulse.