Shore Excursions - book on board or before?

[lonig]

I realize if you book shore excursions early before you get on board you have to use a credit card and pay for them. If you book them on board, are they just added to your account and you pay for them at the end?

 

Do Aussies and New Zealanders do a lot of shore excursions, or if I wait until I am on board will I be able to book an excursion at that time?

[KirkNC]

I realize if you book shore excursions early before you get on board you have to use a credit card and pay for them. If you book them on board, are they just added to your account and you pay for them at the end?

 

Do Aussies and New Zealanders do a lot of shore excursions, or if I wait until I am on board will I be able to book an excursion at that time?

 

Yes they just add it to your account. One advantage to booking early is the excursion might fill up if you wait until you are on the ship.

 

Kirk

[Kiwi Kruzer]

If there is an excursion you particularly want , it pays to book beforehand. You can always cancel once on board if you wish.

 

Most excursions are no problem, as if numbers build up they just put on another bus , and/or guide. However, we have been on some cruises around Australia/NZ where we have visited some of the smaller ports where limited space is available on the tours, and found on boarding that the most popular tours were sold out, the wait list was full and bookings were closed.

 

 

[cjm66]

I realize if you book shore excursions early before you get on board you have to use a credit card and pay for them. If you book them on board, are they just added to your account and you pay for them at the end?

 

Do Aussies and New Zealanders do a lot of shore excursions, or if I wait until I am on board will I be able to book an excursion at that time?

 

Not all cruise lines charge upfront if you book online before the cruise. E.g. RCI do but Princess and P&O do not. I think HAL also charge onto your cruise card but cannot recall for certain. If they charge on the ship it will appear on the first day statement of charges. You can cancel once on board but check the policy on penalties - they vary from line to line - and check your statement for the refund. Some tours will book out on line - E.g. the shopping tour in Nadi (go figure!) - so if you are reasonably sure you will want to do a ships tour it is "insurance" to book on line, provided you have checked the cancellationn policy.

 

Just noticed you are from US - perhaps this advice is not valid for cruises booked outside Australia.

 

Colleen

[rugbypopsie]

Don't forget to check what your roll call is doing also. Aussie and Kiwi cruisers are quite good at organising their own tours and you will have a bus load of personal guides.:)

[Debsta]

Apart from the above advice.......the queues onboard to book a tour can sometimes be very loooooooooooooooooooooooooong. I personally prefer to book beforehand of what I think I might want to do, then cancel onboard if I decide against it. Saves queuing :D

[jannandjohn]

I

Do Aussies and New Zealanders do a lot of shore excursions,?

I'm sure we do just as many as you guys over there do., when you cruise:)

..as you have done 10 already, as in your sig, I imagine you to be "" in the know" about excursions by now..so just do as you would in the US.