Several Excursions in St Maarten being canceled?

Did something happen in St Maarten? Got an email from RCI that our excursion was cancelled (tall ship experience). Figured it was an isolated thing but when I went to look at excursions it appears that at six or more excursions were cancelled.

Don't know if this is just on our cruise (Dec 10 Freedom) or if it is more widespread.

Bummed about ours, it was the first time we were trying something like this but stuff happens.

when they don't get enough people for certain tours they will cancel

Did something happen in St Maarten? Got an email from RCI that our excursion was cancelled (tall ship experience). Figured it was an isolated thing but when I went to look at excursions it appears that at six or more excursions were cancelled.

 

Don't know if this is just on our cruise (Dec 10 Freedom) or if it is more widespread.

 

Bummed about ours, it was the first time we were trying something like this but stuff happens.

Yes, we had an excursion cancelled in St. Maarten as well last week. We were supposed to do an Island tour by boat with several stops arranged by Marriott (it was part of our Marriott Owners Cruise package) through the RCI Shore Excursions. We got a vague explanation about why it was cancelled after being kept waiting at the meeting point at the Attic for almost an hour while they stalled to try to make other arrangements. By the time we were told it was cancelled it was just about too late to get on any other tours. Fortunately our daughter and Son in law were just getting ready to leave on a different tour and we were able to get on that. It was the Maho Beach airport/ snorkel trip. It was fun and well run but we saw more planes than fish.

We never did find out what the real issue was but we suspect that the fact that there were 7 cruise ships in port that day, the St Maarten touring resources were overwhelmed. Imagine at least 20,000 passengers coming in in 1 day, many wanting various excursions.

Wasn't handled well but we did get a credit for the value of the tour we missed.

Brian

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Yes, we had an excursion cancelled in St. Maarten as well last week. We were supposed to do an Island tour by boat with several stops arranged by Marriott (it was part of our Marriott Owners Cruise package) through the RCI Shore Excursions. We got a vague explanation about why it was cancelled after being kept waiting at the meeting point at the Attic for almost an hour while they stalled to try to make other arrangements. By the time we were told it was cancelled it was just about too late to get on any other tours. Fortunately our daughter and Son in law were just getting ready to leave on a different tour and we were able to get on that. It was the Maho Beach airport/ snorkel trip. It was fun and well run but we saw more planes than fish.

We never did find out what the real issue was but we suspect that the fact that there were 7 cruise ships in port that day, the St Maarten touring resources were overwhelmed. Imagine at least 20,000 passengers coming in in 1 day, many wanting various excursions.

Wasn't handled well but we did get a credit for the value of the tour we missed.

 

Brian

 

 

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I'm wondering if that is the case for us as well. There are six ships in port that day and we are the fourth to arrive with Harmony arriving first. Going to be crazy that day with that many ships in.

I'm thinking that since we are fourth ship in, our excursion and others got bumped due to too many reservations from the first four ships to arrive. Too bad since we did this excursion, in part, to avoid the crowds (and I always thought the tall ships look fun).

The tall ship experience is still showing available on our upcoming cruise. I haven't looked to see how many ships are in St. Maarten. I did see that the horseback riding is showing that it can't be reserved on line. Other than that, there seems to be about the same excursions available. Well, except the airport/beach excursion going to Maho but that could have simply sold out online.

I'm sorry to hear your excursion was cancelled.

May I offer a suggestion?

Capt. Bob offers small boat tours around the entire island which includes a few snorkel stops plus lunch which is included in the price!

He only runs small group private tours.

http://https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147347-d2083816-r153907977-Soualiga_Destinations_Boat_Tours-Philipsburg_Sint_Maarten_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html

The reviews are incredible!

The boat even stops out a few meters off Maho beach for a unique view of the aircraft landing!

Joe

Halifax, NS

The tall ship experience is still showing available on our upcoming cruise. I haven't looked to see how many ships are in St. Maarten. I did see that the horseback riding is showing that it can't be reserved on line. Other than that, there seems to be about the same excursions available. Well, except the airport/beach excursion going to Maho but that could have simply sold out online.

Maho beach can be easily accessed from the pier by cab for $8 pp one way. May cabs waiting both directions. Have done it several times - no need for a tour unless the snorkeling is important as part of the day.

Wasn't handled well but we did get a credit for the value of the tour we missed.

 

Brian

 

 

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Was this in addition to a full refund of the cost of the tour? If not, it seems that you weren't made whole, instead of the refund they should have given for not being able to deliver on the contract. Any time a cruise ship cancels a shore excursion, the refund should go back on the credit card it was charged to, not to a ship credit requiring you to spend more money with them--or stand in line to get it back at the end of the cruise. Total rip-off.

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Was this in addition to a full refund of the cost of the tour? If not, it seems that you weren't made whole, instead of the refund they should have given for not being able to deliver on the contract. Any time a cruise ship cancels a shore excursion, the refund should go back on the credit card it was charged to, not to a ship credit requiring you to spend more money with them--or stand in line to get it back at the end of the cruise. Total rip-off.

 

 

 

 

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While I understand your point, the OBC is in part to allow for use with another excursion if so interested. And it is applied back to the card used for the on board account when the account is reconciled and closed. We've never had to stand in line to get it back at the end of the cruise - it was automatic.

While I understand your point, the OBC is in part to allow for use with another excursion if so interested. And it is applied back to the card used for the on board account when the account is reconciled and closed. We've never had to stand in line to get it back at the end of the cruise - it was automatic.

I would rather have it automatically refunded to my card. If I choose to book another excursion, I can do so and have that on my on board account, and don't need to worry about the cruise line actually doing the accounting properly. Besides, if it isn't back in the original card and doesn't get accounted properly, it's going to be a lot harder to get the card to intervene, because the line will say they gave it back into the account which is difficult to get the card to look at because there are so many various charges rolled into one.

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Was this in addition to a full refund of the cost of the tour? If not, it seems that you weren't made whole, instead of the refund they should have given for not being able to deliver on the contract. Any time a cruise ship cancels a shore excursion, the refund should go back on the credit card it was charged to, not to a ship credit requiring you to spend more money with them--or stand in line to get it back at the end of the cruise. Total rip-off.

 

 

 

 

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Ducklite,

No, it was an onboard credit only that we received. As I had 3 cabins and daily gratuities for 8 people that I was paying, it was certainly no problem to use up the credit against our onboard account.

As it turned out, we didn't end up being charged for the Maho Beach snorkeling trip anyway.

I guess it worked out OK for us this time.

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I'm sorry to hear your excursion was cancelled.

May I offer a suggestion?

 

Capt. Bob offers small boat tours around the entire island which includes a few snorkel stops plus lunch which is included in the price!

 

He only runs small group private tours.

 

http://https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147347-d2083816-r153907977-Soualiga_Destinations_Boat_Tours-Philipsburg_Sint_Maarten_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html

 

The reviews are incredible!

The boat even stops out a few meters off Maho beach for a unique view of the aircraft landing!

 

Joe

Halifax, NS

I second this! We took Capt.Bob's tour a few weeks ago and it was great.

Not sure if this is affecting the tours since I don't know which were cancelled... but this was recent news that might affect if people wanted to go to Maho beach to see the jets landing...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a23599/boeing-747-st-maarten-landing/

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