In this article, our alaska travel experts highlight 7 particularly highdemand alaska cruise tours you ll want to book well in advance of your trip. Cruise ship shore excursions on the cheap tripsavvy. This is the time when the bookings for the excursions in that port close and we notify the local operators of the final excursion requirements. They also had the last car on the train reserved which was awesome for. Any pre cruise discounts manifest themselves during a cruise planner sale most often.
This question is a bit tricky so i have highlighted some of my reasons to book shore excursions with your cruise line as well as. Should i book my shore excursions on my own or through the. In that case, you should let the cruise line know in advance, and inquire if they divide the group by walking ability. We booked our skagway excursion a couple months ahead of time. You may cancel an excursion if it is prior to the closing time whether you reserve an excursion in advance of the cruise or book onboard. Some excursions in alaska, like the glacier point wilderness safari in skagway or the mendenhall glacier trek in juneau can book up nearly a year in advance. Reserving your excursions ahead of time will allow you to take part in the activities you want, and ensure your cruise is stressfree. If you plan to book on your own you would be wise to hurry. I dont know much about cruises at alli want to book it as soon as possible so i dont miss out on getting a good room and what notbut i dont know if there are last minute sales. This should be a flag to anyone attempting to book an outside excursiontouror private car, and may have been the reason for noone to greet you as was expected. The biggest factor that allows me to travel to alaska as often as i do my trip next month will be my fourth time this year is that i book way in advance. When it comes to cruise excursions, it pays to plan ahead and book in advance.
Getting the delicate balance right on booking a cruise can be tricky. Before you set foot on board, you can line up all your shore excursions, specialty dining reservations, entertainment, spa appointments and more. Compare and book shore excursions for your next cruise. The shore excursions staff on the ship have taken most of. How far in advance do you book your shore excursions. Should you book your cruise excursions with your cruise line. Guests can book a shore excursion by visiting the shore excursion desk onboard during their cruise. Get to know the planned activities each port of call has to offer prior to your departure. For september or october new englandcanada trips, and june through august baltic sailings, the same holds true. Sightseeing excursions are typically bus tours that take passengers to the highlights and shopping areas of the port city or nearby destinations.
Book too early and you risk paying through the nose. Once your cruise holiday has started you can always book excursions on board. Ticketed passengers who 1 purchased the cruise in us dollars, can dollars, gbp or euros, and 2 do not have a shore excursion, dining or entertainment reservation on record prior to june 29, 2011. To ensure you get to enjoy the port adventures excursions you want, we recommend you make reservations as soon as your cruise reservations are paid in full and you have entered into your advance booking window. Near the reception you can find a shore excursion desk. Although you are never required to book excursions, they give you peace of mind and enhance your trip should you choose to purchase any. One of the biggest questions about shore excursions is whether you should book them independently or book them through the cruise line.
The longer you wait, the higher the price and the lower the availability. Activitybased trips might feature a day at the spa or beach, a pleasure cruise on a sailboat, wine or food tasting, a cultural performance or a visit to a museum. To ensure you get to enjoy the port adventures excursions you want, we recommend you make reservations as soon as your cruise reservations are paid in full and you have entered into your advance booking window your advance booking window is determined by your castaway club membership level, as specified below. We did book one cruise excursion because was same price there was a substantial savings and the private company guarantees making your cruise departure. Outside of a sale, the price for a royal caribbean shore excursion is often the same online or onboard. Cruise lines will almost always charge a bit more than booking a similar or sometimes exact same tour elsewhere. Yes, after you make the final payment on your cruise, you can prebook your shore excursions directly with the cruise line or online with. One advantage to booking with them verses the cruise line was that they use mini coaches so our tour group was less than 25 people about 15 actually. I assume that i should go ahead and get my rental car soon and make any lodging arrangements that really interest me. Many travelers book their cruise vacation within just a few months of sailing, hoping for a lastminute discounted price. Im wondering when it comes to tours like flightseeing, kenai fjords cruise, homer excursions, kayak trips and things of that nature, how far in advance do you need to make reservations.
Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through. It is getting late in the season to look for private alaska excursions. There will be an excursion desk on every ship for lastminute bookings, you can also book online in. I book ours as soon as we decide what we want to do. Book your own tour in advance you can easily book what amounts to the same excursion directly with a local tour operator and avoid the cruise lines middleman profit. Click here to explore all of our ketchikan, skagway, and juneau alaska cruise tours. Most cruises are about both the fantastic onboard experience as well as the ports of call you visit. Top things to consider when booking cruise shore excursions. How far in advance should you book excursions, tours etc. The price for the cruise now is 499 for an ocean view which is a. You can book shore excursions directly through cruisesonly by. What to know about booking cruise excursions before you. You may view and purchase available shore excursions once youve reserved a cruise, received your cruise reservation number, and have made at least one payment toward your cruise. Firsttimers guide to shore excursions cruise critic.
Alaskan cruise excursions, ship vs book your own pros. Once your cruise holiday has started it will be more difficult to stay in contact with local companies. Booking a shore excursion can be a complicated process, so weve answered. I m wondering when it comes to tours like flightseeing, kenai fjords cruise, homer excursions, kayak trips and things of that nature, how far in advance do you need to make reservations. In this article, our alaska travel experts highlight 7 particularly highdemand alaska cruise tours youll want to book well in advance of your trip. In alaska as many people book private excursions or go off on their own as use ship excursions.
How early or late should you book a cruise to get the best. The downside to booking excursions through the cruise line are primarily cost and options. Alaskan cruise excursions, ship vs book your own pros and cons. The bennet scenic journey was what looked most appealing to us and i decided to book with chilkoot charters. It is wise to book shore excursions ahead of time, as popular.
Click here to explore all of our ketchikan, skagway, and. Shore excursions advanced booking or not alaska forum. Alaskan cruise excursions, ship vs book your own pros and. We recommend booking shore excursions well in advance, as they tend to fill up quickly. If the cruise line offers a choice of excursions in select ports, you will. If you opt for a cruise line excursion and you know very well which one to choose, book as early as possible. There are definitely pros and cons to booking yourself vs. The most popular excursions sell out in advance lots of us like to take each day as it comes, but thats not the best approach if you want to book a tour sponsored by a cruise ship. Should you book a cruise excursion with your cruise line. What to know about booking cruise excursions before you board.
Your advance booking window is determined by your castaway club membership level, as specified below. Dec 06, 2019 here are some insights that might prove useful, should you choose to book excursions the next time you go on a cruise. Following is a set of rough rules that will help you decide between booking independent cruise excursions or booking cruise line travel. Cruise lines will offer you all kinds of reasons for booking your alaska excursion with them, but there are some things they just cant or wont tell you since they don. You can book shore excursions directly through cruisesonly by visiting our shore excursions website. Should you book your cruise excursions with your cruise. I dont know much about cruises at all i want to book it as soon as possible so i dont miss out on getting a good room and what notbut i dont know if there are last minute sales. I want to go on a cruise the 2nd week of january from baltimore, md to the bahamas. Aug 16, 2010 i want to go on a cruise the 2nd week of january from baltimore, md to the bahamas. Guests who do not meet all of these criteria will be able to pre book activities, but will not be asked for payment at the time of booking. We recommend booking shore excursions in advance, as they tend to fill up quickly. There will be an excursion desk on every ship for lastminute bookings, you can also book online in advance.
We have booked all of our excursions through private companies including car rental in skagway. If you decide you want to experience shore excursions, you will want to book them directly with norwegian and as far in advance as possible because they can and will sell out. But if you want to cruise alaska from midjune to midaugust, youll need to pick a date and book it well in advance. Many travelers book their cruise vacation within just a few months of sailing, hoping for a. Shore excursions are optional, guided tours in a cruise ships port of call. On this page good times to book excursions through your. Jan 08, 2020 theres much debate among cruisers about how far in advance to book a cruise. Guests who do not meet all of these criteria will be able to prebook activities, but will not be asked for payment at the time of booking. Aug 26, 2014 the most popular excursions sell out in advance lots of us like to take each day as it comes, but thats not the best approach if you want to book a tour sponsored by a cruise ship. The cruise lines tell us to book early, announcing itineraries 18 months or more in advance. I am wondering how far in advance i should book this cruise.
Should you buy precruise purchases now or wait to buy it. Having everything prearranged means less time coordinating and more time enjoying. The primary reason to book a shore excursion before your cruise is not necessarily to lock in a discount, but to reserve a spot. Whether sailing the warm caribbean or historic mediterranean, youll likely want some sort of plan for while youre in port. Booking shore excursions independently vs booking through the. I was under the impression that they open excursions to be booked 90 days out. If you decide you want to experience shore excursions, you will want to book them directly with norwegian and as far in advance. Please select your cruise line, cruise ship and departure date to start booking your shore excursions at discount rates that are lower than the cruise lines. Since 2002 we have worked to provide the best independent cruise ship excursions in the industry.
The access office works in partnership with our shore excursion department who will assist and advise you directly of your options. Secrets of cruise ship shore excursions revealed cruise. You can book local excursions at local prices through shorebee. Mar 15, 2010 book your own tour in advance you can easily book what amounts to the same excursion directly with a local tour operator and avoid the cruise lines middleman profit.
The biggest question on every cruisers minds is, when should i book my cruise to get the best price. How soon in advance should i book restaurantsexcursions. Sometimes i find something i really like and go ahead and get it, but you can also walk up to the shore excursion desk on the ship, visit facetoface with them, ask questions, pick up brochures and purchase them there. I booked my flight for next june in july 2008 using frequent flyer miles then i booked the car rental the same day. I corresponded directly with paul to confirm our reservation date and confirm a nonseafood menu for my wife. These local companies often run tours for smaller groups.
From guided tours to resort passes, or even helicopter rides to glaciers, you can book a number of tours through the cruise line but should you book. We have earned our reputation for value, quality and dependable and reliable services. How early or late should you book a cruise to get the. You can book the shore excursions online at carnival as soon as your final payment is made. But book too late and youre limited in your cabin selection or may miss the lowerpriced cabins altogether. Should you book cruise excursions with your cruise line. You will have a guaranteed seat for a relatively good price. You can often save money by eliminating the cruise line middleman, or customize the trip to your interests. We are cruise excursion pioneers and experience matters. Theres much debate among cruisers about how far in advance to book a cruise. Book your own tour in advance through a local provider.
We always book our reservations through the resort concierge before we arrive. To check out prices and options for these excursions, you can generally log in to the cruise lines website in advance of your cruise, ask your travel agent, or inquire onboard but you may not want to wait until the last minute. They are the best way to enhance your cruise experience by allowing you see and do more in the places you visit. The seven pros and five main cons are discussed by gary bembridge, cruise. Its worth checking prices however because there have been a few occasions weve found cruise lines. The primary benefit of booking excursions through the cruise line is that they. Guests with disabilities should email the access office for assistance with accessible shore excursions. Jan 08, 2020 the biggest question on every cruisers minds is, when should i book my cruise to get the best price.
The rest of us mere mortals who have to deal with leave requests, babysitters, scheduling conflicts, and just life in general, should book our cruises about six months in advance and then keep a savvy eye on the price to see if it drops. Jul 06, 2011 however, the thing that concerns me is that the cruise line will not allow us to book our excursions prior to the cruise, we have to wait until we are on board, i am thinking that perhaps the good excursions will have been prebooked and we will not be able to use much of those ship board credits. You can book your shore excursion with cruise personalizer from approximately 180 days before travel, and up to 5 days before you depart. This question is a bit tricky so i have highlighted some of my reasons to book shore excursions with your cruise line as well as when it is a good idea to go third party. Here are some insights that might prove useful, should you choose to book excursions the next time you go on a cruise.
Something i get asked quite often is whether or not cruisers should book shore excursions with their cruise line or independently through thirdparty tour companies. Cruise excursion tourswhere should i book and when. Should i book a few excursions now boatsnorkle tour, etc or wait until closer to our arrival in order to more predict the weather situation. One drawback to booking shore excursions yourself is the need to have. Guests may also visit cruise planner to purchase excursions before they cruise. By booking alaskan cruise excursions early, you can guarantee that youll get your preferred time slot.
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