Do you have to call Celebrity to book exercusions?

[leallison]

I cannot seem to find any booking option on their website. Am I missing something? is it better to book the celebrity brand exersions or just do your own research and book your own?

[Lsimon]

There are several ways to get to the Excursions section of the Celebrity web site - here is one link:

https://secure.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/bookShorex.do;jsessionid=0000RzDhSCMOq-w4YUzdpL0cHlO:12h3rnd1c?pagename=book_shore_excursions&cS=SIDENAV

 

General information is also here:

http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/shoreExcursions/home.do;jsessionid=0000RzDhSCMOq-w4YUzdpL0cHlO:12h3rnd1c

The link above usually goes to a page full of information with a search engine for excursions at each port and a link to download a brochure for your cruise. Right now it is a blank page - perhaps that is why you couldn't find anything . If all you get is a blank page try again in a day or so as the site must be broken or being updated.

 

The best way to investigate shore excursions offered by the ship are through the web site and booking them in advance. You can download a brochure or look at the descriptions online, then research them on the Cruise Critic port of calls message boards to see what others have to say about them - learn to use Cruise Critic's "search' feature to do this and you find some great information.

[Sail Girl]

I cannot seem to find any booking option on their website. Am I missing something? is it better to book the celebrity brand exersions or just do your own research and book your own?

 

After you make your final payment you can sign on and fill out the info for your cruise docs and book your excursions.

[sailor2010]

I cannot seem to find any booking option on their website. Am I missing something? is it better to book the celebrity brand exersions or just do your own research and book your own?

 

They also only make them available online at a certain time before you cruise, if it is too early you won't be able to book them yet.

[Lsimon]

After you make your final payment you can sign on and fill out the info for your cruise docs and book your excursions.

 

You don't' have to wait for final payment. The excursions for your cruise will be available for booking well before your final payment time. There is not set time in advance they are online, but it is usually in the 4 to 6 month range.

[CathyCruises]

Please research carefully. You are guaranteed to pay a lot more booking through the cruise line, and will usually be in a huge group. There may be folks on your roll call who have already found private excursions that you could join, normally much better experiences for a lot less money. Of course this depends on where you are going, but I have had my LAST bad ship's tour and have vowed never ever to do that again!

 

Just a for instance. In Civitavecchia, for Rome, you can book the "Rome on Your Own" which is basically just a bus ride into Rome, for something like $89/pp. OR you can take the train for 9 euros r/t, about $11. There are a gazillion more examples! Be a good consumer and do your homework!

[biker1972]

Be aware that if you book shore excursions thru X you will pay at the time you book. This money is refundable, but your cc is charged today and the charge is not added to your on board account. If you have an OBC (on board credit) it cannot be used for prebooked excursions.

[Chicago Boy]

Go to Celebrity and log in to your account. If you go to the tour section you can select the tours you want and by them. You will pay for them right away and they will not be added to your on board account. The tickets will be left on the desk in your cabin. We've done it this way several times.

[boogs]

Please research carefully. You are guaranteed to pay a lot more booking through the cruise line, and will usually be in a huge group. There may be folks on your roll call who have already found private excursions that you could join, normally much better experiences for a lot less money. Of course this depends on where you are going, but I have had my LAST bad ship's tour and have vowed never ever to do that again!

 

Just a for instance. In Civitavecchia, for Rome, you can book the "Rome on Your Own" which is basically just a bus ride into Rome, for something like $89/pp. OR you can take the train for 9 euros r/t, about $11. There are a gazillion more examples! Be a good consumer and do your homework!

 

Some people will try to convince you that booking through the cruise line is a less than desireable option. I do not agree. I have done ship's excursions, and done my own thing, and have enjoyed both ways. Some of the best excursions I have enjoyed were booked through the cruise line. Sure, you pay more, but you also avoid any worries about how to get somewhere, or not getting back before the ship sails, and sometimes it's the only way to gain entrance to an exclusive location, such as a palace or a private church, where the general public is not allowed.

 

I compare deciding on how to do an excursion to deciding on a dining experience. Sometimes it's more enjoyable to prepare a nice meal for yourself and your friends, where one might be doing all the planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up, and sometimes it's more enjoyable to go out to a nice restaurant with dozens of people around you, and enjoy being waited on and the atmosphere.

 

Nothing wrong with either choice.

[Lsimon]

Some people will try to convince you that booking through the cruise line is a less than desireable option. I do not agree. I have done ship's excursions, and done my own thing, and have enjoyed both ways....

 

I agree! There is nothing wrong with ship's excursions. We do some at a lot of ports. At many ports we would not think of ship's excursions but at some ports they have the very best tours all locked up, and at other ports they offer a lot of security for us. We'd never think of going to the beach in the Caribbean on a ships tour - take a taxi for that. But there are many options where the ship's excursions are what we want!!