booking excursions

[jetsfan]

I am new to Princess, and have a question. DH and I will be cruising the 4/22 sailing on the Golden. When can you usually book your excursions? Is it weeks or a few days in advance? Thanks so much.

[lannp]

For some strange reason Princess says you can book 120 days prior. But in reality it's usually 60-75 days out. As you get closer to your date, check the cruise personalizer. The status on shore excursions will then let you go in and book.

[booboo4031]

Also.. not all available excursions appear online. When I was on the Star in October there were many available on ship that were not available for online booking. They do allow you to change once onboard up until the cutoff time for the excursions for that port.

[cezovski]

Here's something I'm curious about. We booked our excursions as soon as they became available -- 6 weeks ago maybe. Why do all the excurions still state that there are "20 available". Shouldn't the number of excursions available be getting smaller as people sign up for them? Or is no one signing up? :)

[Hulagirl]

I would definitely start checking. For our Grand P. cruise here in a week, the excursions opened up 96 days ahead. On April 1, 2006 we will be sailing on the Sapphire Princess. Couldn't believe it, but those excursions opened up last weekend, basically 120 days out. Of all our cruises, this was a first. So definitely check every few days once you hit 120 days away from your cruise. You never know, you may have the same thing happen.

 

You will love the Golden. We were on the 5th sailing of the ship in 2001.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Hulagirl

[yogibear]

BooBoo: If you see that the excursions open up for our cruise, Call me.....Yogibear

 

 

PS: I've been working alot. Will call Friday or Saturday:D

[AuntBea]

Here's something I'm curious about. We booked our excursions as soon as they became available -- 6 weeks ago maybe. Why do all the excurions still state that there are "20 available". Shouldn't the number of excursions available be getting smaller as people sign up for them? Or is no one signing up? :)

 

I was curious about this too, as I am experiencing the same thing. Can anyone answer this? :confused: Rather than both of us individually selecting our trip, my friend & I just signed up for two adults under one of our names. Is that the problem? Oh, and great to know there may be other options once onboard and we could possibly switch. Can anyone tell me where I'd find this out once onboard?? Thanks!

[spiritkat090909]

Also...we were waitlisted for an excursion that sold out rather quickly. There was another excursion that was similar, but we didn't want that one & decided if we didn't clear the waitlist, we just wouldn't get off the ship at that port. We leave in 4 days & cleared the waitlist today.

[jetsfan]

Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond. We have cruised many times before, but every line does things their own way. I will check periodically, as you gius have suggested.

[chasetf]

Can anyone answer this? :confused: Rather than both of us individually selecting our trip, my friend & I just signed up for two adults under one of our names. Is that the problem? Oh, and great to know there may be other options once onboard and we could possibly switch. Can anyone tell me where I'd find this out once onboard?? Thanks!

No problem one person signing up for both. The only thing to realize is the one signing up will be charged on their account. If sharing cost then you will have to settle up seperately.

 

It is always possible to switch. If signing up pre cruise your tickets should be available in your room when you arrive (or soon after). Even signing up onboard you can switch by turning in your ticket(s) prior to the close out date. All transactions are handled at the tour office, which should be in the vicinity of the pursers desk. :)

[AuntBea]

Thank you! :D

[cjh]

I am on the 2/25 sailing on the Caribbean and yesterday my shore excursions became available

[jmrfamily]

I am new to Princess, and have a question. DH and I will be cruising the 4/22 sailing on the Golden. When can you usually book your excursions? Is it weeks or a few days in advance? Thanks so much.

 

According to the website, you can do it 120 days before your cruise. We are 89 days from our cruise and have been checking frequently on the availability since 120 days out and have not been able to book. We received an e-mail yesterday stating we could now book our excursions -- I went to the website and... nothing. It still says "Not Available".

 

I call 800-Princess a few weeks ago and asked when they would be posted and was told they had no idea when they would be posted but that I could book my excursions when I got ON THE SHIP" (great.. that is encouraging!) I am not waiting until I get on the ship to book my excursions.

 

Another person that posted a reply on a similar question a few weeks ago said when they called, they were told it is usually ready at about 75 days.

[Hulagirl]

Really I don't think there is anything definite when excursions open up. We have had them open up at 120 days out, 96 days out and even at 60 days out on our cruises. All you can really do is just keep checking. Like I said, once the 120 mark hits I look just about every day to see if they are open. It is always a bit of a surprise when you look and it says "Available". We have cruised quite a bit and like I said, each cruise is different on their timing. Have never heard the 75 day thing and really don't put much creedance in that. I think it was just a guess or that was when that person had theirs open up.

 

Now that would have been discouraging to hear, "book on the ship." Obviously they haven't cruised and don't realize that these things fill up, especially if the excursion is popular. Truly this is just a test of patience.

 

Hulagirl

[Cruisin' Chick]

"According to the website, you can do it 120 days before your cruise. We are 89 days from our cruise and have been checking frequently on the availability since 120 days out and have not been able to book. We received an e-mail yesterday stating we could now book our excursions -- I went to the website and... nothing. It still says "Not Available".

 

I call 800-Princess a few weeks ago and asked when they would be posted and was told they had no idea when they would be posted but that I could book my excursions when I got ON THE SHIP" (great.. that is encouraging!) I am not waiting until I get on the ship to book my excursions."

 

When we got our email, I got the same message on the website. Called Princess and the best answer I got was "check every week." Obviously Princess doesn't train their phone staff. Later that day, I checked my roll call and someone was able to book.

 

The best thing to do is have everyone on your roll call checking from 120 days on. When the excursions do become available, someone can post that info on your roll call here.

[cjh]

When we got our email' date=' I got the same message on the website. Called Princess and the best answer I got was "check every week." Obviously Princess doesn't train their phone staff. Later that day, I checked my roll call and someone was able to book.[/quote']

 

Someone on my roll call got an email saying they could book excursions but couldn't. I never received an email but a few days after the person on the roll call's email I was able to book.

[AuntBea]

In case Cezovski, or anyone else, is still wondering - I checked with my TA about the whole excursion thing and she said there are usually more than 20 spots available but the computer can only show 20, that's why the number doesn't change. She said not to worry and just print out your confirmation to bring with you. She also said it was safer to have one person sign up for the group, otherwise you could be separated for the excursion...

[hotshot99]

I was wondering about the same thing. Why don't the numbers get smaller as people are booking the excursions???

[AZPam]

I wonder if final payment has anything to do with it? Our excursions were unavailable until about two days after we made our final payment. Hmmmmm??

[n12290]

On our first several cruises we waited to book excursions until very late to see what the weather would be like and never had any problems. But then on a cruise from Seattle to Osaka the desirable excursions were pre-booked and I missed them at three ports. Lesson learned!

Also, at many ports (Boston, Dublin, Baltimore, Muroran, for instance) there are very inexpensive shuttle buses which take passengers to and from port cities. In my experience, these are not made known prior to embarkation, but are announced just before arrival. And in some cities the ship docks "downtown" (Falmouth, Hamburg, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Cobh, Nagasaki, & Charleston among others) and one can walk and/or ride local streetcars.

[seastar2]

I am booked on the Dawn for March 10 and our excursions have been available for several weeks..could diffrent itineraires have diffresnt dates?? :D

 

Was told a while back that the system on Princess can only show 20 spaces..seems strange but who knows. Guess if there are less then 20 that the tour is really selling out!

[Maddle]

My first question is - how late can you pre-reserve excursions? We depart on the 15th on the Star. Mydesired excursion was still available, and we are "confirmed."

 

My mail-in reservation form (which I ignored) said the last available date was December 16th - is that irrelevant?

 

Second question - do I understand correctly that we may cancel our reservation up until the cut-off for that excursion? and when does the cut-off usually occur, the night before, or some other time? (Okay - that's three questions, I guess.)

 

Thanks -

Maddle

[dsl laber]

Maddle - We are on the 1/28/06 Golden So. Caribbean, and 6 of us just booked an excursion through the cruise personalizer.

[Katie333]

Since there is mailing and human processing required for the mail in form I can see it having a shorter deadline.

 

Once the Cruise Personalizer can no longer accept your reservation, it simply won't allow you to make one.

 

The nice thing about using it is that you can check, cancel, and order and see everything right after you do it.

 

To those wondering where their options are, ours become available only 60 days before our cruise and since that was when it started, we got our excursions quite easily. Of course, now we book private tours anyway, which have no 'waiting time' to book but you should still do them early.