How to book excursions

[frozensmoke99]

So I have an excursion booked for my cruise on 9/19-9/22 (on 9/20) to do the Sea Explorer at 11:15AM through NCL. That is suppose to be for 2 1/2 hrs. Well, I would like to do the Atlantis and Harbour Cruise excursion but b/c of my time i can't (I can't book anything else and don't think that will do for the day). How can I book something else or where and what else can i book through other than NCL that would be nice to visit/:)

[uppitycats]

So I have an excursion booked for my cruise on 9/19-9/22 (on 9/20) to do the Sea Explorer at 11:15AM through NCL. That is suppose to be for 2 1/2 hrs. Well, I would like to do the Atlantis and Harbour Cruise excursion but b/c of my time i can't (I can't book anything else and don't think that will do for the day). How can I book something else or where and what else can i book through other than NCL that would be nice to visit/:)

 

I'm not real clear about what you're asking: you've booked an excursion through NCL for 2-1/2 hours..

 

and you want to do a different excursion? Or you want to book the second excursion in addition to the one you've booked?

 

I don't know where you'll be, but you can always google the name of the city, see if the Atlantis and Harbour Cruise is offered independently, and see if you can figure out when you might be able to it, based on when you anticipate getting back from your first excursion. Many of the excursions offered by the various cruise lines are really already being offered by companies on shore -- and sometimes for way less than what the cruise line will charge.

 

Just be aware that -- if you take the second excursion not offered by NCL and get back to the ship late (they like you on board at least 1 hour before sailing)...you'll get left behind, and will have to make your way yourself -- at your expense -- to the next port to get back on the ship!

[frozensmoke99]

I'm not real clear about what you're asking: you've booked an excursion through NCL for 2-1/2 hours..

 

and you want to do a different excursion? Or you want to book the second excursion in addition to the one you've booked?

 

I don't know where you'll be, but you can always google the name of the city, see if the Atlantis and Harbour Cruise is offered independently, and see if you can figure out when you might be able to it, based on when you anticipate getting back from your first excursion. Many of the excursions offered by the various cruise lines are really already being offered by companies on shore -- and sometimes for way less than what the cruise line will charge.

 

Just be aware that -- if you take the second excursion not offered by NCL and get back to the ship late (they like you on board at least 1 hour before sailing)...you'll get left behind, and will have to make your way yourself -- at your expense -- to the next port to get back on the ship!

 

 

Yes, I have a Sea Explorerexcursion booked on 9/20 at 11:15AM (which is scheduled for 2 1/2 hr so hopefully we will be finished at 1:15PM). I would like to visit the Ardastra gardens, zoo and conservation center after and the aquarium. The only thing I was thinking was when we finish to hop a taxi to the zoo for like an hr and 1/2, hop another taxi to the aquarium or vice versa and be finished around 3:45 or 4:00PM, then hop a taxi back to the ship. Is that okay, has anyone done that before. How will it work? Does anyone have any suggestions?

[uppitycats]

Yes, I have a Sea Explorerexcursion booked on 9/20 at 11:15AM (which is scheduled for 2 1/2 hr so hopefully we will be finished at 1:15PM). I would like to visit the Ardastra gardens, zoo and conservation center after and the aquarium. The only thing I was thinking was when we finish to hop a taxi to the zoo for like an hr and 1/2, hop another taxi to the aquarium or vice versa and be finished around 3:45 or 4:00PM, then hop a taxi back to the ship. Is that okay, has anyone done that before. How will it work? Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

We rarely book any excursions through the cruise line...and instead, simply get off the ship and catch a cab. Most of the local cab companies are smart -- they are waiting in long lines as close to the ship as they can get, trying to snag customers like us. We jump from cab to cab, or sometimes, depending on the city, even rely on local bus transportation, to get to the places we want to go. Obviously we've done a ton of pre-planning, and mapquesting, to be sure we know where we're going, the approximate time from ship to location and back, and so on.

 

One thing you need to be sure of: sometimes "ship time" is different from local time, so make sure you know what "ship time" is, and when you are expected to be back on board -- and BE there! And of course make sure your watches are set for "ship time", and don't get so caught up in your excursion that you lose track of time.

 

Be sure to pay attention to things like weather, and traffic patterns, too -- rush hour in most cities can delay traffic badly, and if you find on your way to the zoo or aquarium that there's road construction or something that has made the trip a LOT longer than you anticpated, that you plan for that for the return.

 

But otherwise -- it's YOUR vacation. You can do what you want...just so you're back on board on time!

 

Oh -- a 2-1/2 hour excursion, starting at 11:15 -- would not end until 1:45, not 1:15. If that time is counting travel time to/from the ship, another alternative might be to catch a cab from your last stop at your excursion, and go from there to the zoo or whatever. But you would need to be sure to tell the guide, so they're not looking for you!