Shore Excursions

[FLOURTOWN]

Sailing on the Escape in February in the Haven. Should we wait until we board the ship to book shore excursions or book them before we leave?

[BirdTravels]

Popular shore excursions will sell out. Book now unless there is a reason not to.

[poohdreaming]

Call the NCL Shore Excursion line to book those shore excursions you might be interested in when those bookings are opened up for your cruise.

It is $50 credit per each port, use it or lose it. If a shore excursion is under $50, they will not apply the whole $50.

[VideoTech]

Sailing on the Escape in February in the Haven. Should we wait until we board the ship to book shore excursions or book them before we leave?

 

If there's an excursion you particularly want to do, you should book it in advance. Excursions can and do sell out, particularly the more popular ones.

 

If you have the $50 per port excursion credit, you can still book in advance online. The credit will be applied to your final on board balance once you've taken an excursion.

[CruisingNole]

Excursions through the cruise line are overpriced and overcrowded. Trip Adviser is your friend, there are many reputable companies that will provide a better experience for a fraction of the cost.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Excursions through the cruise line are overpriced and overcrowded. Trip Adviser is your friend, there are many reputable companies that will provide a better experience for a fraction of the cost.

 

Because of the one time NCL had the ship wait for 30 minutes because our excursion of 15 was running late. We did not stress (the tour operator was going nuts), because it was an NCL excursion.

[zqvol]

Sailing on the Escape in February in the Haven. Should we wait until we board the ship to book shore excursions or book them before we leave?

 

The fact that you are in the Haven will not have any impact if you wait to book after boarding. If an excursion you want is full, they will not remove someone from it to put you on it just because you are in the Haven. If there are excursions that you really want, it is smart to book them before sailing.

[zqvol]

Excursions through the cruise line are overpriced and overcrowded. Trip Adviser is your friend, there are many reputable companies that will provide a better experience for a fraction of the cost.

 

I see this common misconception mentioned often. It is only partially true. There are times when ship excursions are a much better option than private ones. To determine which ones this applies to you have to know all the details, including the number of travelers, where the tour meets, how long each version lasts and what is involved.