Here are some tips & instructions for booking shorex using the $50/port shorex promo

[mgel728]

Very new to this and we have this perk. I would prefer to prepay for shorex but what kinds of things will I then be able to use my OBC on? Can that be used towards buying cruisenext certificates?

[Tinyturtle22]

8 minutes ago, mgel728 said:

Very new to this and we have this perk. I would prefer to prepay for shorex but what kinds of things will I then be able to use my OBC on? Can that be used towards buying cruisenext certificates?

Yes that’s how I use the credits. And on spa services.

[casofilia]

Personally I would always phone NCL and Reserve my shore and then I don't have to FIND something on board to spend the OBC on.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, mgel728 said:

Very new to this and we have this perk. I would prefer to prepay for shorex but what kinds of things will I then be able to use my OBC on? Can that be used towards buying cruisenext certificates?

 

It will offset anything charged to your on board account, except the DSC.

[Ozzieru1e]

On 8/13/2019 at 2:43 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

Understood.  But for folks who have OBC to use, and who may already have the four Free at Sea promos, there's not a ton left to spend money on onboard, so until NCL joins other cruise lines (including Celebrity and HAL) in allowing OBC to be used for pre-cruise purchases, the only way to use OBC for shorex is by not paying in advance.  

 

Funny 😁 I find a lot to spend money on onboard🛍...jewelry💍📿, $10 special sale items, photos, ship magnets, tee shirt 👚, bingo, casino 🎰.   I never had problems using up OBC!!!🛳😎

[joreey85]

If there are two friends in a room with two separate bills, will they split the $50 and give each person in the room $25?  It shows that the first person in the room is getting the entire $50 excursion credit per port.  

[LaCal]

Thanks to Tallnthensome and his post about additional excursion credit I called NCL

 

 

So Check out your current reservations to see if the Additional $50 per port excursion credit can apply to you....Just called NCL and we have 2 cruises booked 
in 2020 and already had the 5 perks including the $50 per port excursion credit.

 

Called just now and with this new perk of Airfare OR a ADDITIONAL $50 per port excursion credit they easily added on the EXTRA $50 per port excursion....So now we get $100 per port excursion credit 😜💰

 

Only difference in our bookings was our Free specialty dining package went up a total of $8.00 on each cruise due to changing it......Had a third additional cruise booked where they had already given us a $100 OBC And on that cruise we would of lost the OBC but gained the extra $50 excursion credit....only doing 1 excursion that cruise so left it alone w the original perks....Not all cruises have this New additional $50 excursion perk but you can easily do a Mock booking on your cruise and when you get to the perk section it’ll tell you.......Ours was Get all 5 and at the bottom we could ALSO pick EITHER free airfare or Free $50 additional excursion perk 

 

GREAT additional savings for sure 😜

[LaCal]

1 hour ago, joreey85 said:

If there are two friends in a room with two separate bills, will they split the $50 and give each person in the room $25?  It shows that the first person in the room is getting the entire $50 excursion credit per port.  

They should be able to split it up once you’re onboard and actually get the credit...:they’ve split OBC for us before by going to Guest services and asking 

[erdoran]

Yeah, I sailed May 2019 and didn’t get my latitudes credit either, even though we had booked over the phone.  The Shorex desk said we had to get it when we booked!  but ultimately gave me the credit - for an upcoming excursion, but didn’t retroactively credit the excursion I had already taken - which I didn’t realize until I had left the desk.  ARgh!  From the postings here, it seems to be the norm NOT to give the credit, so either you don’t catch it or have to stand in a long line during the times the excursion desk is open and then argue with them to get the credit.  And silly me didn’t realize I had to go to the excursion desk, so I waited 30 mins at guest relations first, then got sent to the (closed) shorex desk first!

[odie1024]

Just got off the Jewel and also did not get my Latitudes discount on my excursions. Went to guest services on disembarkment day and all they could say was shore excursions are not back till 1 PM and she would send them a message. Will have to watch statement for adjustment. 

[Kalum]

14 hours ago, LaCal said:

Thanks to Tallnthensome and his post about additional excursion credit I called NCL

 

 

So Check out your current reservations to see if the Additional $50 per port excursion credit can apply to you....Just called NCL and we have 2 cruises booked 
in 2020 and already had the 5 perks including the $50 per port excursion credit.

 

Called just now and with this new perk of Airfare OR a ADDITIONAL $50 per port excursion credit they easily added on the EXTRA $50 per port excursion....So now we get $100 per port excursion credit 😜💰

 

Only difference in our bookings was our Free specialty dining package went up a total of $8.00 on each cruise due to changing it......Had a third additional cruise booked where they had already given us a $100 OBC And on that cruise we would of lost the OBC but gained the extra $50 excursion credit....only doing 1 excursion that cruise so left it alone w the original perks....Not all cruises have this New additional $50 excursion perk but you can easily do a Mock booking on your cruise and when you get to the perk section it’ll tell you.......Ours was Get all 5 and at the bottom we could ALSO pick EITHER free airfare or Free $50 additional excursion perk 

 

GREAT additional savings for sure 😜

I just emailed my TA about that new promo for my 6 upcoming cruises. 

Lets see if I can get it for a few at no extra cost. Some of those europe cruises are pretty port intensive and those extra bucks could really make a difference when comparing ncl ex (pretty expensive) and local tours, but my wife actually prefers ncl just in case a tour runs late or so.

 

So thx for the info!

[LaCal]

6 hours ago, Kalum said:

I just emailed my TA about that new promo for my 6 upcoming cruises. 

Lets see if I can get it for a few at no extra cost. Some of those europe cruises are pretty port intensive and those extra bucks could really make a difference when comparing ncl ex (pretty expensive) and local tours, but my wife actually prefers ncl just in case a tour runs late or so.

 

So thx for the info!

Post back and let us know how many of your cruises it was able to be used on 

[disneylover89]

Question:

I have a $100 short excursion credit per port, since the Endicott Arm & Glacier Explorer excursions is listed under Juneau and leaves from their harbor, does that count as a Juneau excursion or is it considered a separate port excursion and I would get the $100 credit for both a Juneau excursion and an Endicott Arms excursion?  Thanks again

[julig22]

On 9/10/2019 at 8:59 PM, odie1024 said:

Just got off the Jewel and also did not get my Latitudes discount on my excursions. Went to guest services on disembarkment day and all they could say was shore excursions are not back till 1 PM and she would send them a message. Will have to watch statement for adjustment. 

Same here - but I got to Guest services before the crowds and they called someone who said they'd review it and to come back, someone would be there at 7.  Came back, nobody there but guest services had a new print-out, with the discounts applied so I avoided the dreaded hope-I-get-it-back-someday.

 

And just for clarification, my $50 excursion bonuses are listed as a $50 credit to my account, not OBC - so it should apply to anything, including DSC.  So if I didn't spend any money onboard (hah!) it should result in a credit to my credit card.

[Kazzygirl]

Hi fellow cruisers,

 

I am from Australia and finding it very difficult to book my shore excursions for my December cruise.

I get different answers from NCL

I have $100 shore excursion credit per port.

If I book now I am told I have to pay upfront in full with my credit card being deducted immediately.

So do I get the OBC credit for the shore excursions back onto the credit card after I take each one or is the credit then only to be used for other things on board?

NCL cant give me a straight answer.

As I have the Fee at sea offer there is not much else to buy on board and I certainly don't want to have to spend " extra"

The only other option is to risk booking onboard and missing out as the excursions are full.

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

Thanks Karen

[julig22]

13 minutes ago, Kazzygirl said:

Hi fellow cruisers,

 

I am from Australia and finding it very difficult to book my shore excursions for my December cruise.

I get different answers from NCL

I have $100 shore excursion credit per port.

If I book now I am told I have to pay upfront in full with my credit card being deducted immediately.

So do I get the OBC credit for the shore excursions back onto the credit card after I take each one or is the credit then only to be used for other things on board?

NCL cant give me a straight answer.

As I have the Fee at sea offer there is not much else to buy on board and I certainly don't want to have to spend " extra"

The only other option is to risk booking onboard and missing out as the excursions are full.

 

Any help would be appreciated

 

Thanks Karen

I think we are on the same cruise.  For USA, you can call to reserve excursions and you don't have to pay until your credit card is charged at the end of the cruise.  If you are using a debit card or paying cash, the charges will hit your account on day 1.  If you try to reserve your excursions using the web site, then you have to pay at that time and you will be issued credits as you go on your excursions.  It's a credit, not OBC so it should be OK to use for your DSC if you didn't pay that in advance.  Since it is a credit, you should also be able to get it back at the end of the cruise if you didn't spend it.

 

I don't know why there would be a difference because you are in Australia, but anything is possible.  If it were me, I would call and try to book your excursions - and if they ask for a credit card you can always say oops, not ready for that and then go to plan b, whatever that might be.  Good luck - sometimes just doing with NCL is better than asking first, since you are bound to get different answers.

[Kazzygirl]

17 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I think we are on the same cruise.  For USA, you can call to reserve excursions and you don't have to pay until your credit card is charged at the end of the cruise.  If you are using a debit card or paying cash, the charges will hit your account on day 1.  If you try to reserve your excursions using the web site, then you have to pay at that time and you will be issued credits as you go on your excursions.  It's a credit, not OBC so it should be OK to use for your DSC if you didn't pay that in advance.  Since it is a credit, you should also be able to get it back at the end of the cruise if you didn't spend it.

 

I don't know why there would be a difference because you are in Australia, but anything is possible.  If it were me, I would call and try to book your excursions - and if they ask for a credit card you can always say oops, not ready for that and then go to plan b, whatever that might be.  Good luck - sometimes just doing with NCL is better than asking first, since you are bound to get different answers.

Thnanyou for that I think I will ring USA NCL not thr Aussie branch

Prdon my ignorance what does DSC mean?

[julig22]

5 minutes ago, Kazzygirl said:

Thnanyou for that I think I will ring USA NCL not thr Aussie branch

Prdon my ignorance what does DSC mean?

Daily service charges - I don't know if that's something you have to pay.  Seems like the promos and extras vary by country.

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Kazzygirl said:

Thnanyou for that I think I will ring USA NCL not thr Aussie branch

 

 

Don’t call the main NCL number. You want to call the Shore Excursion Dept. They are the people who can take a booking over the phone; you will pay on board. Their number is (866) 625-1167. Before you call, please go back and read my tips in the first post in this thread. 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Since it is a credit, you should also be able to get it back at the end of the cruise if you didn't spend it.

 

The Terms and Conditions specifically state that the credit is non-refundable. It’s helpful to read them. 

[julig22]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The Terms and Conditions specifically state that the credit is non-refundable. It’s helpful to read them. 

I'm going by the final accounting sheet from my cruises, where the $50 excursion credit simply shows as a credit to my account, not a non-refundable credit.  I get where T&C says it's a non-refundable credit but I believe that is in reference to the use it or lose it aspect (meaning go on an excursion), not spend it or lose it.  If I've steered anyone wrong, I apologize but I don't believe that to be the case.

Edited October 26, 2019 by julig22

[Tinyturtle22]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The Terms and Conditions specifically state that the credit is non-refundable. It’s helpful to read them. 

If you prepay your excursions it’s is refundable. That part of the T&C applies to just reserving them. They are then charged to your account on the first night of the cruise and you are given the $50 after the excursion is completed. 

[SouthLyonCruiser]

On 8/13/2019 at 2:33 PM, Tinyturtle22 said:

I have never had the latitudes discount applied correctly onboard when I called to reserve. I always had to go down to the desk and tell them. That’s one of the reasons I prepay them online. 

 

When you just just reserve them by phone they charge them all to your onboard account the first night anyway. That starts you off on the cruise in the negative. A lot more opportunities for mistakes and more line items to go through on your bill. I would rather get $50 in extra put back every day.

The only problem I find with that is that the $50 in in non refundable credits which we have no use for.

[Tinyturtle22]

1 hour ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

The only problem I find with that is that the $50 in in non refundable credits which we have no use for.

If you prepay it is refundable. I have done it dozens of times. If you don’t want to do it that way then don’t.

Edited October 26, 2019 by Tinyturtle22

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

The only problem I find with that is that the $50 in in non refundable credits which we have no use for.

 

I'm with you.  With the Take All perks, plus the two "free" Platinum dinners we get, there's very little left of value to spend OBC on, which is why we prefer to book the shorex by phone and pay on board.  This way, we get to use other OBC (and the $50 of the shorex promo) to help pay for them.   All of this would be easier if NCL, like some other cruise lines, including Celebrity and HAL, would let you use OBC to pay for pre-cruise purchases.