Can you do two excursions on the same day?

[oskidunker]

Perhaps two included ones or one included and one pay.  My new Zealand cruise has two included in several,ports. 

[Hanoj]

We did so on 2018 and 2019 cruises (haven’t cruised with VO since the resumption). I recall there was a minimum time requirement (I recall 30 minutes) between the scheduled end of one and the beginning of another, with no guarantee of making the second one. Of course, reserving two the same day was subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply.

[Mike07]

35 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Perhaps two included ones or one included and one pay.  My new Zealand cruise has two included in several,ports. 

 

 

From experience, I believe I have seen two included tours that would work timing wise... e.g. 8-10 AM tour and then 1PM to 3 PM tour... but I think the system prohibits more than one included shore excursion per day.

 

An included and paid shore excursion are allowed. I would venture two paid shore excursions are allowed as well. But, included shorex, even if the times worked, the system didn't let me sign up for both.

[SantaFe1]

If the timing is right, it is possible to do two excursions in one day, but you need about an hour in between or you are blocked from booking.  For example, we just got back from British Isles Explorer and one morning had the paid Ancient History of the Shetlands tour and in the afternoon, the included  Shetland and ponies tour.  What you cannot do is have two included tours in one day.  You cannot have more than one included tour per port, even if they offer two and even if you are there multiple days.  For example, in Bergen there were two included tours offered, a panoramic tour and a walking tour.  You could only book one.  And if two days in port, you can still only book one. The advertised promise is one included tour per port, period!

Edited May 24 by SantaFe1

[kctwinmommy]

Yes, we knew several people who did 2 excursions on our cruise. Typically they had 2-3 hours between them as well, so that helped. But like someone else already said, you most likely can't do 2 included ones, but definitely an included and optional one.

 

We actually had 2 booked for our day in Barcelona. We did the included one in the morning, but we decided a few days before that we'd rather just go on our own afterwards. We had booked an optional evening tour, but it was going to be pretty similar to our included one, so we saved the $200. After our included one that morning, we went back into town on our own anyway.

[CDR2001]

We have learned from experience that 2 excursions close together on days with tenders may not allow enough time to return to the ship for lunch. We had one rushed lunch day, and the second time we attempted it, we just ate near the pier and Viking excursion buses. 

[formernuke]

Frequently do two per day (combo of included and optional) as long as times work out. Have schedule as close as 30 minutes between. If you are concerned, and if the tour schedule allows, do the pay tour first in case you are late then you can punt the free tour.

[CDNPolar]

Like others have said we pack as many in a day as possible.  We are not on the ship - river or ocean - to relax during the day.  We will go until we drop.

 

Sometimes however you may sacrifice lunch, or have a severely short lunch period.  We have literally scoffed down a small plate of food in the WC in 15 minutes to turn around to the next excursion.

[janetcbl]

We are on a Viking ship now and have book and have booked two excursions for a single day. We left enough time between the two for a quick lunch in the WC or Pool Grill. No problem.
 

 

[CCWineLover]

Viking will not let you do 2 included tours in the same port.  
yes, we often do 1 optional and 1 included tour.  If we do we try to do the optional in the morning. That way if you get tired, cancelling an included in the afternoon does not cost.

 

we have ports which span 2 days and Viking will not let us take included tour 1 on day 1 and included tour 2 on day 2.  I even asked how about if there is space available?  Not allowed, period.

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

On 5/25/2024 at 5:39 AM, CDNPolar said:

Like others have said we pack as many in a day as possible.  We are not on the ship - river or ocean - to relax during the day.  We will go until we drop.

 

Sometimes however you may sacrifice lunch, or have a severely short lunch period.  We have literally scoffed down a small plate of food in the WC in 15 minutes to turn around to the next excursion.

Ditto

its not a true “vacation “ unless you need a “vacation from your vacation “ when t

you return home.   
this policy has gotten stricter over the years…. In 2016 we were allowed to do two in several ports (one being an “on your own” trip by bus to a different town that was relatively empty).   Since then, we have been limited to one included excursion per port.

[CDNPolar]

4 minutes ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

Ditto

its not a true “vacation “ unless you need a “vacation from your vacation “ when t

you return home.   
this policy has gotten stricter over the years…. In 2016 we were allowed to do two in several ports (one being an “on your own” trip by bus to a different town that was relatively empty).   Since then, we have been limited to one included excursion per port.

 

So just a limitation on the included tours, not how many other tours you can do?

[OneSixtyToOne]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

So just a limitation on the included tours, not how many other tours you can do?

Correct. Your only limitation on optional excursions is time.

[Insanityx4]

On Expedition ships most excursions are included and you can book more than one if time allows. On our last cruise on Octantis, in one port the first excursion ran late so we missed the second one (both included).

Our next cruise coming up on VO we booked both included and not included tours for the same day. The problem with that is if our included tour runs late, we will miss the tour that we have already paid for. I recommend leaving at least 1-2 hours between tours and more if you are in a tender port.

Edited Thursday at 05:53 PM by Insanityx4

[deec]

sometimes I think Viking could adjust the included tours just a bit so that the optional tours could be scheduled.  I really like being able to take 2 each day.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Insanityx4 said:

On Expedition ships most excursions are included and you can book more than one if time allows. On our last cruise on Octantis, in one port the first excursion ran late so we missed the second one (both included).

Our next cruise coming up on VO we booked both included and not included tours for the same day. The problem with that is if our included tour runs late, we will miss the tour that we have already paid for. I recommend leaving at least 1-2 hours between tours and more if you are in a tender port.

Absolutely correct!  We always try to do 2 tours if available (one in morning, one in afternoon).  If the times work out, we always try to book the optional one first and take the last included available.  If the first tour is late, not that big a deal missing the included.  And . .  it seems the final included tour is always the last one to be booked (people seem to book up first the mid-late morning tours, then the mid-afternoon and first in the morning ones, and the last one is always open the longest.

[vslparis]

I have been on several tours that have run late and people on those that have another one get very anxious ( and sometimes aggressive to the tune of insisting the guide cut the original tour short 😬) about getting back in time for the next tour.  Sometimes it is about grabbing something to eat before the next one other times it is about just making the next tour departure time .   I would try to make sure that I had at least an hour or more between tours and as someone else suggested, if you have to tender, to not even go back to the ship unless you have plenty of time to do so. 

Viking allowing people to book 2 excursions with a short connection is like an airline booking you with a short "legal" connection.  It is allowed, but it is never smart 😂