Reserving Princess shore excursions

[Appygirl]

We're on our first Princess cruise for the Panama Canal next month. I've booked a tour for my husband and I - it says we're both confirmed when I look at the Cruise Personalizer. The term it used when I booked said "pre-reserve" and 20 spots were available.

 

When I've booked shore excursions on HAL, process was a little different. I booked online, got email confirmation, and my credit card was immediately charged. This was a few weeks before the cruise set sail.

 

This "pre-reserve" lingo has thrown me off a bit. No email from Princess confirming that we have pre-reserved and confirmed.

 

Anyone know if this is normal? When does Princess run the credit cards through? I was hoping to put our tour on my credit card. When my husband and I completed our profiles we each inputted our own credit card. Anyone know how put the shore excursion for both of us onto my credit card only? In the greater scheme of things, its not a big deal if both credit cards are charged. I'm just trying to keep track of all expenses on my card.

 

Thanks!

[Toto2Kansas]

Your excursions won't be charged until you board the ship, they will be placed on your shipboard account. Unlike some of the other cruise lines, Princess doesn't make you pay for them when booking.

Also, the number 20 on the excursion doesn't mean there are only 20 spots, that is just the default number they use. When it gets down to 2 or 3, that tells you the excursion is selling out, but that could also mean another 10+ slots are still available.

So, when you book, that number 20 won't necessairly go down at all.

[Colo Cruiser]

It works well, you will have the tickets in your cabin upon your arrival. :)

[Cruising Bev]

We're on our first Princess cruise for the Panama Canal next month. I've booked a tour for my husband and I - it says we're both confirmed when I look at the Cruise Personalizer. The term it used when I booked said "pre-reserve" and 20 spots were available.

 

When I've booked shore excursions on HAL, process was a little different. I booked online, got email confirmation, and my credit card was immediately charged. This was a few weeks before the cruise set sail.

 

This "pre-reserve" lingo has thrown me off a bit. No email from Princess confirming that we have pre-reserved and confirmed.

 

Anyone know if this is normal? When does Princess run the credit cards through? I was hoping to put our tour on my credit card. When my husband and I completed our profiles we each inputted our own credit card. Anyone know how put the shore excursion for both of us onto my credit card only? In the greater scheme of things, its not a big deal if both credit cards are charged. I'm just trying to keep track of all expenses on my card.

 

Thanks!

When you reserved your excursions you should have received a "confirmed" note and a list of "pre-reserved" excursion are shown on your Shore Excusion Cruise Personalizer web page. Princess does not charge you "up front" and your tickets will be waiting for you in your cabin!

[Cruising Bev]

When you reserved your excursions you should have received a "confirmed" note and a list of "pre-reserved" excursion are shown on your Shore Excusion Cruise Personalizer web page. Princess does not charge you "up front" and your tickets will be waiting for you in your cabin!

As to the charges being put through on one card, make the reservations under you and the charges will go on your card only

[paul929207]

You are all set. The cost of the excursion will go to your onboard accoount. You don't prepay

[Colo Cruiser]

as to the charges being put through on one card, make the reservations under you and the charges will go on your card only

 

 

I agree but not until the cruise is over.

[Pam in CA]

We're on our first Princess cruise for the Panama Canal next month. I've booked a tour for my husband and I - it says we're both confirmed when I look at the Cruise Personalizer. The term it used when I booked said "pre-reserve" and 20 spots were available.

 

When I've booked shore excursions on HAL, process was a little different. I booked online, got email confirmation, and my credit card was immediately charged. This was a few weeks before the cruise set sail.

 

This "pre-reserve" lingo has thrown me off a bit. No email from Princess confirming that we have pre-reserved and confirmed.

 

Anyone know if this is normal? When does Princess run the credit cards through? I was hoping to put our tour on my credit card. When my husband and I completed our profiles we each inputted our own credit card. Anyone know how put the shore excursion for both of us onto my credit card only? In the greater scheme of things, its not a big deal if both credit cards are charged. I'm just trying to keep track of all expenses on my card.

On HAL, you pre-pay for your excursions at the time of booking. On Princess, you merely "reserve" the excursion. The charge will be made on your onboard account when you check in for your cruise. Your tickets will be either waiting in your cabin when you board or will be delivered shortly by your cabin steward.

 

If you decide you don't want to take a tour or want to book another one, all you have to do is to drop the ticket(s) in a drop-off box in front of the Shore Excursion Desk. You can book a new tour by filling out the form and dropping that in the box as well. The day and time that tours for a port are closed will be posted in the Princess Patter. There is no penalty for canceling a tour as long as you turn in the ticket by then.

 

HAL doesn't give refunds once you board unless you book another tour; Princess allows you complete freedom to book or cancel a tour as long as it's by the port's deadline. IMHO, it's a better system and more customer-friendly although some people would prefer to pre-pay tours so their onboard account isn't so high.

[Appygirl]

Thank you everyone for the clarification that I confirm now, pay later. I agree. I prefer that Princess does it this way, not that we're planning to cancel and rebook something else. I can see how that would be a huge benefit to people who just aren't sure or change their mind. It was a little confusing booking it. I was under my profile for shore excursions and it asked how many tickets I wanted. I started to say 2 (one for each of us) and then changed my mind and booked each of us 1 tour separately, thinking that my name will be down twice for the tour and my husband will be out of luck. I guess I can wait till we're on the ship and ask the shore excursion people about making changes for putting them both on the same credit card.

[Toto2Kansas]

Thank you everyone for the clarification that I confirm now, pay later. I agree. I prefer that Princess does it this way, not that we're planning to cancel and rebook something else. I can see how that would be a huge benefit to people who just aren't sure or change their mind. It was a little confusing booking it. I was under my profile for shore excursions and it asked how many tickets I wanted. I started to say 2 (one for each of us) and then changed my mind and booked each of us 1 tour separately, thinking that my name will be down twice for the tour and my husband will be out of luck. I guess I can wait till we're on the ship and ask the shore excursion people about making changes for putting them both on the same credit card.

 

If you would like, you can both use a seperate credit card for your charges onboard, that way his excursion will go on his shipboard account, and you on yours, if you book the excursions as one on each account. ;)

[caribill]

It was a little confusing booking it. I was under my profile for shore excursions and it asked how many tickets I wanted. I started to say 2 (one for each of us) and then changed my mind and booked each of us 1 tour separately, thinking that my name will be down twice for the tour and my husband will be out of luck.

 

It is OK to book all of your excursions under one name. The tickets will have that name, but it does not matter what name is printed on the ticket as the names are never checked when you take the tour. Just having a ticket in hand for an excursion is what matters.