How accurate are excursion times

[Kohara]

The website says it starts at 3pm and is 3.5 hours long. Will we be back at the ship at 6:30 or heading back at 6:30? When listing length of excursion do they include transfer time to/from location or should I add on extra time?

[hansolosmom]

Usually the times are ship to ship, so you should be back by 6:30. The times are pretty accurate, things that can cause them to vary are if people are late getting back to the bus - for example the tour guide gives you free time and tells you to be back at x time & someone is late, obviously traffic can also cause you to be late.

Edited July 8, 2015 by hansolosmom

[Kohara]

Do you get together with excursion group early? And how do you find them?

[emcelh]

Do you get together with excursion group early? And how do you find them?

 

I assume you're talking about an excursion you purchased through the cruise line. Your tickets, which should be in your cabin when you board, will have a meeting place and time printed on them.

[zqvol]

Do you get together with excursion group early? And how do you find them?

 

You are given a time and location to meet. Usually on the dock at the stated excursion time. You should plan on being 15 minutes early or you might get left behind.

Edited July 8, 2015 by zqvol

[OCruisers]

The exact time and place to meet for your excursion thru the ship will be on your excursion tickets. Normally, this is 10 - 15 minutes earlier than the actual excursion.

The return time is when you will normally be back to the ship. If there are delays, the ship will wait when booking excursions with the ship. :)

 

LuLu

[cb at sea]

You need not worry about the time with ship excursions. They will meet when they say, and you'll get back around the time they show on the schedule.

[Demonyte]

If there are delays, the ship will wait when booking excursions with the ship.

 

 

That is incorrect rumour. Yes, they will do greater effort to wait if there is a larger group of people getting in late, but nowhere does it say that ship sponsored excursions are guaranteed to arrive before the ship sails.

 

Of course on ship sponsored excursion the cruise line pays the extra costs compared to passenger or their insurance paying them after getting left behind after a third party excursion.

 

With current economics the bean counters will decide when it becomes cheaper to pay a hotel night and a flight to the next port compared to having to pay penalties for overtime for being tied to the dock (extra dock fees can be thousands too) and pushing the ship to the limit and thus burning easily tens of thousands of dollars worth of extra fuel (the normal cruising speed is much more economical than going full speed ahead).

Edited July 8, 2015 by Demonyte

[sverigecruiser]

That is incorrect rumour. Yes, they will do greater effort to wait if there is a larger group of people getting in late, but nowhere does it say that ship sponsored excursions are guaranteed to arrive before the ship sails.

 

 

The European brochure:

 

"The ship won't leave until all shore excursion guests are back on board".

[Demonyte]

The European brochure:

 

"The ship won't leave until all shore excursion guests are back on board".

 

Ok, sorry. I should have added the word "legally" in that sentence. Guest ticket contract doesn't include such statement and at the beginning it says that:

The Guest agrees that, except as expressly provided herein,

this Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Guest and Carrier, and shall supersede and exclude any prior representations that may have been made

in relation to the cruise to the Guest or anyone representing him/her by anyone,

including but not limited to anything stated in the Carrier's brochures

, advertisements, and other promotional materials, by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL America employees or by third persons such as travel agents.

Getting incorrect information from brochures is not unheard of, unfortunately.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Demonyte

[sverigecruiser]

Ok, sorry. I should have added the word "legally" in that sentence. Guest ticket contract doesn't include such statement and at the beginning it says that:

The Guest agrees that, except as expressly provided herein,

this Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Guest and Carrier, and shall supersede and exclude any prior representations that may have been made

in relation to the cruise to the Guest or anyone representing him/her by anyone,

including but not limited to anything stated in the Carrier's brochures

, advertisements, and other promotional materials, by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL America employees or by third persons such as travel agents.

Getting incorrect information from brochures is not unheard of, unfortunately.

 

I know that if I have recieved a "Guest ticket contract", which I guess I have, I have it somewhere but I don't really want to look for it now.

 

Can you give some examples on what they guarentee in the guest ticket contract? Do they promise to provide food? What about a bed to sleep in? Is food and bed mention in the guest ticket contract? If not, they can really screw us if they wants too!

 

If someone miss the ship after a shore excursion, will NCL pay for the hotel and flight to the next port? If they do that I still think that it's worth to book the excursion from NCL. Is it mentioned in the guest ticket contract or will they just pay for it if they wants to?

 

(Don't misunderstand me, I don't blame you for what's written in the guest ticket contract!!! I just think that your answer was interesting and VERY IMPORTANT because for me what's written in their brochure is something they promise but I guess that's wrong.)

[Demonyte]

I know that if I have recieved a "Guest ticket contract", which I guess I have, I have it somewhere but I don't really want to look for it now.

 

Can you give some examples on what they guarentee in the guest ticket contract? Do they promise to provide food? What about a bed to sleep in? Is food and bed mention in the guest ticket contract? If not, they can really screw us if they wants too!

 

....

 

(Don't misunderstand me, I don't blame you for what's written in the guest ticket contract!!! I just think that your answer was interesting and VERY IMPORTANT because for me what's written in their brochure is something they promise but I guess that's wrong.)

 

No problem, I'm not offended. :) The whole guest ticket contract is available on NCL's website as a PDF and it is also included in (or at least accepted before being able to print) eDocs:

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Guest_Ticket_Contract_03_2014.pdf

 

It really doesn't guarantee that much, about food:

 

"The fare paid by the Guest for this ticket includes transportation on the vessel named herein, full board, and ordinary vessel food, but does not include beer, wine, spirits, sodas or mineral waters, nor expenses incurred for other incidental or personal services/purchases."

 

..and about cabin:

 

"Carrier reserves the right to collect the fare in effect for the accommodations selected by the Guest. Carrier shall be entitled to, but not obligated to, upgrade any guest free of charge to higher priced accommodations, at the sole discretion of Carrier."

 

Also the part about ports is interesting:

 

"The Guest agrees that the Carrier has the sole discretion and liberty to direct the movements of the vessel, including the rights to: proceed without pilots and tow, and assist other vessels in all situations; deviate from the purchased voyage or the normal course for any purpose, including, without limitation, in the interest of Guests or of the vessel, or to save life or property; put in at any unscheduled or unadvertised port; cancel any scheduled call at any port for any reason and at any time before, during or after sailing of the vessel; omit, advance or delay landing at any scheduled or advertised port; return to port of embarkation or to any port previously visited if the Carrier deems it prudent to do so; substitute another vessel or port(s) of call without prior notice and without incurring any liability to the Guest on account thereof for any loss, damage or delay whatsoever, whether consequential or otherwise."

Edited July 8, 2015 by Demonyte

[sverigecruiser]

No problem, I'm not offended. :) The whole guest ticket contract is available on NCL's website as a PDF and it is also included in (or at least accepted before being able to print) eDocs:

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Guest_Ticket_Contract_03_2014.pdf

 

It really doesn't guarantee that much, about food:

 

"The fare paid by the Guest for this ticket includes transportation on the vessel named herein, full board, and ordinary vessel food, but does not include beer, wine, spirits, sodas or mineral waters, nor expenses incurred for other incidental or personal services/purchases."

 

..and about cabin:

 

"Carrier reserves the right to collect the fare in effect for the accommodations selected by the Guest. Carrier shall be entitled to, but not obligated to, upgrade any guest free of charge to higher priced accommodations, at the sole discretion of Carrier."

 

Also the part about ports is interesting:

 

"The Guest agrees that the Carrier has the sole discretion and liberty to direct the movements of the vessel, including the rights to: proceed without pilots and tow, and assist other vessels in all situations; deviate from the purchased voyage or the normal course for any purpose, including, without limitation, in the interest of Guests or of the vessel, or to save life or property; put in at any unscheduled or unadvertised port; cancel any scheduled call at any port for any reason and at any time before, during or after sailing of the vessel; omit, advance or delay landing at any scheduled or advertised port; return to port of embarkation or to any port previously visited if the Carrier deems it prudent to do so; substitute another vessel or port(s) of call without prior notice and without incurring any liability to the Guest on account thereof for any loss, damage or delay whatsoever, whether consequential or otherwise."

 

Thanks for the link! Lots of information there, a little too much!

 

Do you know how NCL make sure that their passengers really read everything, or at least that their pasengers agree to everything written there? I can't remember signing anything where I promise that I understand all the rules in the guest ticket contract. If NCL don't make sure that all passengers sign something, can they really say that the passenger has been given the information if something happen?

[sverigecruiser]

The website says it starts at 3pm and is 3.5 hours long. Will we be back at the ship at 6:30 or heading back at 6:30? When listing length of excursion do they include transfer time to/from location or should I add on extra time?

 

The time include the transfer and normally the excursion is a little shorter than they say. (At least that's my experience.)

 

It can be delays but you don't need to add any extra time.

[Demonyte]

Do you know how NCL make sure that their passengers really read everything, or at least that their pasengers agree to everything written there? I can't remember signing anything where I promise that I understand all the rules in the guest ticket contract. If NCL don't make sure that all passengers sign something, can they really say that the passenger has been given the information if something happen?

 

When doing the online check-in, there is a checkbox that needs to be checked individually for each passenger that they have received and read the contract (or that it has been read to them). Unless that is done, eDocs can not be printed. I'd assume that a similar acceptance is required in the terminal if the check-in is not already completed online.

[sverigecruiser]

When doing the online check-in, there is a checkbox that needs to be checked individually for each passenger that they have received and read the contract (or that it has been read to them). Unless that is done, eDocs can not be printed. I'd assume that a similar acceptance is required in the terminal if the check-in is not already completed online.

 

Isn't that too late?

 

The guest ticket contract must be read before paying for the cruise, I think.

 

Lots of things in the contract really make me think that as a passenger I really have no rights. Should'n I know that before I pay? Will they give me my money back if I refuse to agree when checking in?