Question about how excursions 'work'

Yes, it's probably really dumb to ask this but how are the muster points for the prebooked excursions arranged? Example, we are docking somewhere at around 9am in the morning [nominal] and my excursion has a start time of 11am. I'm just wondering how I find out where I go to meet up for this excursion, is there an appointments board or something? I was planning to run out and look round the port but maybe I won't do that if I have to be at a specific point an hour or so after disembarking

Disclaimer: Just trying to minimise my anxiety pinchpoints, am under treatment but the cruise has reduced me to jelly again so I'm trying to prepare for any issues before I encounter them. This is the last uncertainty I think :)

When you book an excursion with the cruise line the excursion information will be in your cabin when you board,

Tickets, where to meet and time :)

You will be informed of the meet time and location, regardless if it's a ship excursion or private tour. Once you get off, the tour staff or guide will have a sign to identify the tour groups' meet location.

Yes, it's probably really dumb to ask this but how are the muster points for the prebooked excursions arranged? Example, we are docking somewhere at around 9am in the morning [nominal] and my excursion has a start time of 11am. I'm just wondering how I find out where I go to meet up for this excursion, is there an appointments board or something? I was planning to run out and look round the port but maybe I won't do that if I have to be at a specific point an hour or so after disembarking

 

Disclaimer: Just trying to minimise my anxiety pinchpoints, am under treatment but the cruise has reduced me to jelly again so I'm trying to prepare for any issues before I encounter them. This is the last uncertainty I think :)

On Royal Caribbean, the meeting place and time are printed on the excursion tickets which are in your stateroom when you arrive.

Super - thanks all for the information and confirmations :)

It is all well organized. Your tickets will have the time and place for you to meet for your excursions.

"Muster" is the safety drill...has nothing to do with leaving at ports@

As previos posters have mentioned, excursions booked through the ship will be on tickets that are delivered to your cabin at the beginning of the cruise. They will have the time you should meet, the place, and the time of the excursion.

Sometimes ship excursions meet somewhere on the ship, such as the theater. If that's the case, there will be employees in that room who will have signs listing the excursions. If the excursion meets on the pier, there will be people with signs on the pier. You just line up next to the sign of your excursion. They will have a clipboard with a list of the people who signed up.

For excursions not booked through the ship, your receipt should list the time and place to meet.

If you are unsure at the time of your excursion, just ask an employee and they will be able to guide you to the right place. I remember being a bit stressed about excursions before my first cruise, but was pleasantly surprised at how organized they are.

Tacu ... Seems you're under enough stress already so book your excursions with your cruise line.

Tickets for the excursions you booked will be in your cabin. They'll tell you where & when to meet, pick you up, take you to have fun, return you to the ship , and wait if your excursion is late returning .

Stress Free way to do it! :D

I have a question related to the excursion process. I understand you purchase an excursion that is roundtrip to the destination and return back to the ship. Some of the ports, town is at the dock and others a few miles away. Is there an option to not return with the group back to the ship if there is still many hours left of port time? Or do I have to return and then taxi or bus back to the main town area? I ask as we have 1 port we are in for 12 hours and we booked 3-4 hour morning tour and will be done by noon. The ship is not departing until 9 pm. I would like to continue to explore before returning to ship.

thanks for your help & guidance ~ Marsha

"Muster" is the safety drill...has nothing to do with leaving at ports@

Muster means to assemble or gather, the OP was asking where to gather. Of course on a cruise most people think of it as for emergencies however it does have other usages.

I have a question related to the excursion process. I understand you purchase an excursion that is roundtrip to the destination and return back to the ship. Some of the ports, town is at the dock and others a few miles away. Is there an option to not return with the group back to the ship if there is still many hours left of port time? Or do I have to return and then taxi or bus back to the main town area? I ask as we have 1 port we are in for 12 hours and we booked 3-4 hour morning tour and will be done by noon. The ship is not departing until 9 pm. I would like to continue to explore before returning to ship.

 

thanks for your help & guidance ~ Marsha

We have been offered this option on a few excursions, when the ship isn't too far away, or if our coach was passing quite near to a shuttle bus service. I can remember this in two Turkish ports and in Corfu, and possibly others. :)

I have a question related to the excursion process. I understand you purchase an excursion that is roundtrip to the destination and return back to the ship. Some of the ports, town is at the dock and others a few miles away. Is there an option to not return with the group back to the ship if there is still many hours left of port time? Or do I have to return and then taxi or bus back to the main town area? I ask as we have 1 port we are in for 12 hours and we booked 3-4 hour morning tour and will be done by noon. The ship is not departing until 9 pm. I would like to continue to explore before returning to ship.

 

thanks for your help & guidance ~ Marsha

1. You can do this.

2. At any point during the excursion, not only near the endpoint.

3. For the sake of others, do let the driver, the guide, and at least one or two other passengers know that you are getting off with no intention off getting back on the bus. This way they won't be holding the bus while asking "Where did Marsha go? Did anybody see Marsha? Is she lost? Kidnapped? How bout that dude she was with? Did he get back?"

4. For the sake of your own comfort level, verify ahead of time that there is plenty of reliable transportation from your preferred drop-off point back to your dock.

Stan

1. You can do this.

 

2. At any point during the excursion, not only near the endpoint.

 

3. For the sake of others, do let the driver, the guide, and at least one or two other passengers know that you are getting off with no intention off getting back on the bus. This way they won't be holding the bus while asking "Where did Marsha go? Did anybody see Marsha? Is she lost? Kidnapped? How bout that dude she was with? Did he get back?"

 

4. For the sake of your own comfort level, verify ahead of time that there is plenty of reliable transportation from your preferred drop-off point back to your dock.

 

 

 

Stan

Thank you... you make me laugh the way you replied [emoji2]I would never just disappear and never return without sharing my plans. I just didn't know the options for not returning to the ship at the end of the tour.

Marsha

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Just back from my first cruise ever, so here's a detailed description of how example excursion worked:

The first evening we received actual tickets for each excursion giving the name, date, and time. The daily newsletter, delivered by our steward, gave the time our group should meet in the ship lounge.

At the appointed time, a cruise line member would announce "Whale watchers - go to disembarkation." Staff scan your key card, sort of like an airline boarding pass, you go down the steps to the dock, where you are shown your exact coach, with the tour guide collecting your ticket. My mom forgot hers one day, but as she was on the ship's "paid" list, they didn't really care.

You'll be just fine!

Just back from my first cruise ever, so here's a detailed description of how example excursion worked:

 

The first evening we received actual tickets for each excursion giving the name, date, and time. The daily newsletter, delivered by our steward, gave the time our group should meet in the ship lounge.

 

At the appointed time, a cruise line member would announce "Whale watchers - go to disembarkation." Staff scan your key card, sort of like an airline boarding pass, you go down the steps to the dock, where you are shown your exact coach, with the tour guide collecting your ticket. My mom forgot hers one day, but as she was on the ship's "paid" list, they didn't really care.

 

You'll be just fine!

I just returned from my cruise today too. Thanks to everyone for your helpful answers and (in case anyone stumbles across this thread when they have the same concerns) Geezer describes it perfectly. I found there were usually excursion staff onshore by the port gates too so in the couple of occasions where I still wasn't sure, they were very helpful and always pointed me in the right direction. Wandering around looking lost also seemed to prompt people to help :)

Tacu ... Seems you're under enough stress already so book your excursions with your cruise line.

Just to add - I'd already booked my excursions with pando for precisely this reason and saw the wisdom of it in our last stop. The All Onboard time in Bergen was 14:30. Two tour buses didn't arrive back until 14:25, which was cutting it horribly fine in my book :eek: