Excursions List

[omah1975]

Can someone tell me how long before the sailing date the full Excursions List should be on my Cruise Personalizer? I'm booked on the October 25th sailing on Emerald Princess and currently the last two ports of call (Fort Lauderdale & Houston) don't have any excursions listed. I realise sailing date is still a long way away yet but I'm just interested to know how long before sailing they usually are fully listed as I've never sailed with Princess before and I'd like to book them as soon as they are available to guarantee a space as I have Special Needs.

 

Thank you.

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

It depends on contracts. We just saw a full list for our June cruise last week (105 days out)

[dbeckett]

When excursions go on often depend on how often they have done the cruise before. As you are going to Houston I had a look to see what they are showing based on the fact I am not booked and all the comes up for both Fort Lauderdale and Houston are disembarkation and no mention of special needs. My own excel countdown shows your cruise as being 230 days away and they usually say 180 (but for the Regal cruise it was earlier than that) so sorry you'll just have to keep an eye out.

[skynight]

Can someone tell me how long before the sailing date the full Excursions List should be on my Cruise Personalizer? I'm booked on the October 25th sailing on Emerald Princess and currently the last two ports of call (Fort Lauderdale & Houston) don't have any excursions listed. I realise sailing date is still a long way away yet but I'm just interested to know how long before sailing they usually are fully listed as I've never sailed with Princess before and I'd like to book them as soon as they are available to guarantee a space as I have Special Needs.

 

Thank you.

 

These are the two debarkation ports. In Houston there may be tours that drop you off at the airport. These are normally only offered once on board. Fort Lauderdale is also a debarkation port for your cruise, and probably a number of passengers will be getting off in Florida. No one will be embarking (not allowed for your voyage by U.S. law). Princess may offer tours on line, or they may just offer them once on the ship. Also, in Fort Lauderdale it is very easy and quick to take a taxi to the beach area. Cost is about $20. Don't forget the tip in the U.S. There is lots to see along the beach walk. Another intresting place is the downtown Las Olas Blvd. area and riverwalk. Also nice. In Fort Lauderdale there will not be any tour operators at the pier like you see in so many ports. It will just be taxis, shuttles, cars, buses. People getting dropped off and picked up. Fort Lauderdale is a very busy port area.

[caribill]

They may not offer any tours in those two disembarkation ports until you are on the cruise and maybe not until a few days into the cruise.

 

Just check with the shore excursion desk once on board.

 

If Fort Lauderdale there should be tours that can return you to the ship. In Houston they will probably offer two tours that end up at IAH.

 

To see what might be offered, go to the Princess web site, "Learn About Cruising" drop down menu for "Shore Excursions". Then select Caribbean and look at both Fort Lauderdale and Houston.

Edited March 9, 2014 by caribill

[omah1975]

Sorry I guess I need to be more specific in my posts, I know what excursions are available I just wanted to know when they are made available for booking.

[OCruisers]

Sorry I guess I need to be more specific in my posts, I know what excursions are available I just wanted to know when they are made available for booking.

 

For places like Ft. Lauderdale and Houston they may not be available until you actually get on the ship.

On our recent Crown Princess cruise, some friends from London were In-Transit and wanted to do something on their turn-around day in Ft. Lauderdale but they we not able to find out what was offered and book one until they were on the ship.

LuLu

~~~

[skynight]

These are the two debarkation ports. In Houston there may be tours that drop you off at the airport. These are normally only offered once on board. Fort Lauderdale is also a debarkation port for your cruise, and probably a number of passengers will be getting off in Florida. No one will be embarking (not allowed for your voyage by U.S. law). Princess may offer tours on line, or they may just offer them once on the ship. Also, in Fort Lauderdale it is very easy and quick to take a taxi to the beach area. Cost is about $20. Don't forget the tip in the U.S. There is lots to see along the beach walk. Another intresting place is the downtown Las Olas Blvd. area and riverwalk. Also nice. In Fort Lauderdale there will not be any tour operators at the pier like you see in so many ports. It will just be taxis, shuttles, cars, buses. People getting dropped off and picked up. Fort Lauderdale is a very busy port area.

 

I think I may have misled you here. If your special needs is mobility the taxi idea might not be very good. In Fort Lauderdale, Princess runs a number of disembarkation tours. Passengers normally book these once on board. My understanding is that passengers that are staying onboard may also book some of these tours. The bus will drop departing passengers off at the airport and then return to the ship. You would need to book one that goes to Fort Lauderdale airport, not Miami. These may also be available on line at some point once Princess sets up the tour pricing and schedules for the 2014/2015 Caribbean season.

[omah1975]

I think I may have misled you here. If your special needs is mobility the taxi idea might not be very good. In Fort Lauderdale, Princess runs a number of disembarkation tours. Passengers normally book these once on board. My understanding is that passengers that are staying onboard may also book some of these tours. The bus will drop departing passengers off at the airport and then return to the ship. You would need to book one that goes to Fort Lauderdale airport, not Miami. These may also be available on line at some point once Princess sets up the tour pricing and schedules for the 2014/2015 Caribbean season.

 

Well I guess I misled everybody in my posts, I am from the UK and am doing the whole cruise from Southampton to Houston then flying back home from Houston. Anyway I have contacted Princess here in the UK and they tell me that all the excursions will be available to book 120 days before departure.