How to tell if excursions sold out without purchasing cruise

[itmustbeso]

I have never cruised before and am trying to find one with Carnival that has the types of excursions I like.

 

I found this excursion in Cozumel, but the cruise I'm looking at (here) doesn't seem to show it (I'm looking in "Things to Do" section).

 

Am I looking in the wrong place? I don't want to book a cruise with certain excursions that I would really want to do being sold out.

 

I'm also looking to cruise in either Feb or March 2017, so will that being so soon be a problem if I want specific excursions?

[robc1972]

Usually not a problem.

Best bet will be to call carnival.

Edited December 21, 2016 by robc1972

[firemanbobswife]

You can't see which excursions (including FTTF) are available until after you book.

[riffatsea]

Many folks book the excursions they like whether or not Carnival offers them. You can often get excursions from local tour operators in addition to the ones offered by the cruise line.

IF you don't get specific answers by calling what I have done it so find the Roll Call for the cruise that interests you and ask the folks there to check as they have already booked it.

There is a separate Roll Call section on this web site where you can talk to the folks on that specific cruise.

[sanger727]

You can call and may get more info. It's hard to say, shore excursions are provided ultimately by local operators so any single excursion could be missing as an option because of the time you are in port doesn't work for it or carnival is negotiating a contract with them. This is one I would probably book through carnival. It's a 7 hour excursion with 9 hours in port and takes a water ferry to the mainland with a bus trip. Too many variables and too little buffer time for me to try and do that one independently

 

I think it's unlikely that it's sold out at this point. But if this shore excursion is your main reason for choosing this cruise, that's a recipe for disaster. Ports and excursions are cancelled at the last minute for any number of reasons.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited December 21, 2016 by sanger727

[itmustbeso]

Thank you for the tips, everyone. It sounds like I may have unrealistic expectations about excursion availability - but I will try the roll call forums just in case. :)

[Wheatie59]

If going on a certain excursion on a certain island is make or break for you for this trip, cruising may not be the best choice. You are NEVER guaranteed to get to any of the scheduled port stops on any cruise. Ports can get skipped or substitutions can be made. Its possible that your entire itinerary could be different than expected. Excursions may be cancelled at the last minute for a variety of reasons. Mostly likely you will be able to do the excursion as scheduled. But if your trip is going to be spoiled by missing one specific excursion, you might consider flying to that destination.

[cruise pup]

May I suggest you visit the Cozumel thread under Caribbean in the Ports of Call section and enquire about the tour and see if anyone can suggest a similar independent company. Usually the indies give you better value and have less passengers making for a more pleasant time. I can't tell you how much money I saved going indy in Israel thanks to this site.

[crewsweeper]

Your selected excursion, Mystic River, is one that goes across to the mainland to the cenotes and takes about 7+ hours. So whether or not your ship/cruise will offer it will be dependent upon how long the ship is in port. Carnival Cozumel Plus port stops will probably offer this. Ships in port 8a-5p probably won't, as ferry schedules wouldn't allow enough time to enjoy the excursion.

 

But it is the type of excursion you would want to use the ship sponsored excursion versus and independent operator or DIY (which you can also do for this). If there are any delays the ship will wait for your excursion group to return.

[cruise pup]

I looked at an Indy and it goes for the same price, and yes, since it involves ferry rides it's best to do the ship sponsored excursion. Just be aware that ferry ride can be extremely bumpy so take Bonine with you if you are prone to seasickness. I took the ferry once and did not get sick but the ride wasn't comfortable and we were seated in a special section with padded airplane-type seats. You will spend a good part of the excursion just traveling to and back. The ferry alone is about 1 hr each way.

[HeidiHo]

The Mystic River excursion that you are interested in will most likely be offered. It's offered on my cruise on the Dream Feb. 12th and we are in port 10-6. It's not considered a Cozumel Plus sailing and we are in port one hour less than the cruise you are looking at which IS considered a Cozumel Plus sailing. As others have said, ask someone on the roll call of that sailing to check or try calling Carnival. You would think a Carnival rep would be able to check that for you but then again, sometimes the Carnival reps aren't all that helpful.

[winddawn]

I have never cruised before and am trying to find one with Carnival that has the types of excursions I like.

 

I found this excursion in Cozumel, but the cruise I'm looking at (here) doesn't seem to show it (I'm looking in "Things to Do" section).

 

Am I looking in the wrong place? I don't want to book a cruise with certain excursions that I would really want to do being sold out.

 

I'm also looking to cruise in either Feb or March 2017, so will that being so soon be a problem if I want specific excursions?

You cannot tell what excursions are available for a particular ship/sail date prior to booking. Even Carnival staff cannot tell you.

 

I once wanted to book a cruise that called at Half Moon Cay and book a cabana excursion for the day. Since I couldn't tell if the cabana excursion was available, I had my PVP book the cruise using a refundable rate. I then went online and looked at the excursions available to see if the cabanas were sold out yet for a certain ship/sail date. Luckily for me the cabana excursion was still available, so I did not have to cancel the booking. But booking with the refundable rate would have allowed me to immediately cancel the booking if the excursion I wanted was not available. If you try this, be aware the dollar amount of the deposit will be charged to your credit card, and then subsequently refunded if you cancel.

 

In shopping for cruises in the past, I've also noticed that not all excursions are available for all ships and sail dates that call in the same port, so there are issues with that in addition to the possibility of a particular excursion being sold out.

Edited December 22, 2016 by winddawn

[zdcatc12]

Not sure, but would this be able to be seen if you put a hold on a reservation?

[Rogueperson]

There's never any guarantee about the excursion. Carnival and all others use local tour agencies to provide for excursions. If there is no one to provide this excursion, than it won't be offered. Also, if the time frame of the excursion cannot be done in the time you are at port, then it will also not be offered.

 

If the excursion is not very well booked, they too may cancel that excursion. I've had an excursion cancelled on me by the cruise line because not enough people signed up for it.

 

As this one is located on the mainland, I would not recommend doing this one independently as you will be solely responsible for the logistics of the ferry, which if there's a problem, could cause you to miss the ship.

 

*edit* I just looked at your second link. Cozumel is a port that has one of the most diverse offerings of excursions. That things to do list, is absolutely not complete. There is WAY more stuff offered than those three tabs. That's just a teaser.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Rogueperson

[firemanbobswife]

Not sure, but would this be able to be seen if you put a hold on a reservation?

 

 

No, you need have a deposit down.

[serene56]

I dont think its a good idea to book a cruise based on a port excursion== suppose if the ship doesnt make it to that port.

 

small disappointments can lead to a bad cruise