The Mysterious Case of the Missing Excursions

[commodoredave]

For the last several months I have been getting this same message from Seabourn about booking shore excursions:

“Very soon you will be traveling on board a South America Seabourn voyage, discovering new places on an ultra-luxury cruise. Enrich your vacation with our optional shore excursions and our world-famous spa treatments.

Take a few minutes now and plan your optional shore excursions and spa experiences. Then, when you arrive on board, you’ll be ready to immerse yourself in the adventure. Let’s get started!”

However, there are never any new excursions to book. Of the six destinations where we will be going ashore that are not included as expedition excursions, only 2 have optional excursions listed and they have been there for months.

So why am I getting these same messages every week? And when will the missing excursions finally be listed so I can see them? The cruise departs October 10. Please help solve the mystery.

[skybluewaters]

I, too, have a cruise that departs in October and I received the very same email today, but for the first time. I didn't interpret it to mean that there are any new excursions, just a reminder to check out whatever currently is being offered. I doubt you're going to see any new or missing excursions. These seem to be boilerplate advertisements targeted to passengers with upcoming cruises. 

 

Overall, I'm not thrilled with the excursions and I'm certainly not thrilled with the prices, but for the convenience they offer I'll be going on quite a few of them.

[commodoredave]

14 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

I, too, have a cruise that departs in October and I received the very same email today, but for the first time. I didn't interpret it to mean that there are any new excursions, just a reminder to check out whatever currently is being offered. I doubt you're going to see any new or missing excursions. These seem to be boilerplate advertisements targeted to passengers with upcoming cruises. 

 

Overall, I'm not thrilled with the excursions and I'm certainly not thrilled with the prices, but for the convenience they offer I'll be going on quite a few of them.

At least the emails I am getting now say my cruise is on the Pursuit. For several months, they said I was on the Venture! In any event, I guess patience truly is a virtue!!

[reposado]

Im guessing on the expedition ship many excursions will be on zodiac thus already included. 

[commodoredave]

On 9/18/2023 at 12:00 PM, reposado said:

Im guessing on the expedition ship many excursions will be on zodiac thus already included. 

All the days for zodiac excursions on the Amazon are noted, while the excursions for ports like Devil's Island are missing. Seabourn just added the excursion choice for Port of Spain, Trinidad last Friday. Still a couple of others missing. All excurions listed so far have been a choice of free or upgraded for a fee. It's a small ship, so I'm guessing there will always be room on a particular excursion no matter how late it is posted.

Edited September 20, 2023 by commodoredave

[cruiseej]

4 hours ago, commodoredave said:

It's a small ship, so I'm guessing there will always be room on a particular excursion no matter how late it is posted.

 

I wouldn't make that assumption. If the excursion is a bus, and there isn't another bus available from the ground operator, they may not be able to add capacity. If the excursion is a trip on a small boat, there is likely no additional capacity available. Sometime for short excursions, they may be able to add a second time, but not always.

[commodoredave]

17 minutes ago, cruiseej said:

 

I wouldn't make that assumption. If the excursion is a bus, and there isn't another bus available from the ground operator, they may not be able to add capacity. If the excursion is a trip on a small boat, there is likely no additional capacity available. Sometime for short excursions, they may be able to add a second time, but not always.

You could be right. I’ve only done one other expedition cruise (Galapagos) and while everything was always available it was a much smaller ship (100 people).