When to book excursions?

[Lane1344]

Hi,

We are going on the Harmony in August round the Med. It is our first ever cruise and am very excited.

 

We are booking a mixture of ship and independent excursions but I was wondering when would be the best time to book them. Do we wait till final payment and run the risk of them selling out? Or book them now?

 

Thanks for any advice offered

 

Elaine

[Clarea]

Besides parting with your money earlier, I cannot see a down side to booking excursions early. If you cancel the cruise, you get your money back for the excursions.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Besides parting with your money earlier, I cannot see a down side to booking excursions early. If you cancel the cruise, you get your money back for the excursions.

 

This! I know there are size limits on many excursions, so I always go by "If it is something that I really want to do and/or is make or break, book it ASAP." I know many of the private ones are even more limited and sell out even quicker. (I'm doing almost all ship-based for my Brilliance Med/Venice leaving 7/1 and I've had my things booked for a while now. Only wavering on one, and if I end up staying on board or just wandering on my own there I'm ok with that.)

 

Some people like to wait until they are on board to use their OBC, but see my caveat above. I encountered a couple of people on the Radiance to Alaska last year who were doing that and found that all the excursions they wanted (granted, float plane ones that have very little availability) were sold out - and they were NOT happy about it.

 

So again, if missing one is going to put a damper on your cruise, I'd book it early.

[papaflamingo]

So again, if missing one is going to put a damper on your cruise, I'd book it early.

 

Agreed. You can always cancel. In fact if you book and pay for an excursion online and decide on the ship not to go, you can cancel up to (I think) 24 hours before the excursion. So if you really want it, book it. If you wait, you may not be able to go. If you do cancel on board you get the value in OBC.

As for private tours, depends on their policy. We booked a wonderful tour in Dominica and it was "pay at the end." So no risk. All they asked was we email if we weren't going to go. Some tours require prepayment, but most reliable operators have a very good refund policy. But before you book private tour make sure you fully understand their refund policy.

[Lane1344]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend!!

[Pmorton3360]

I'm doing Harmony in October and have my 2 excursions booked. Next I'll be getting entry tickets and Vatican tickets. Seems so far away, but I already had first choice filled.

[KiwiGal117]

Hi,

We are going on the Harmony in August round the Med. It is our first ever cruise and am very excited.

 

We are booking a mixture of ship and independent excursions but I was wondering when would be the best time to book them. Do we wait till final payment and run the risk of them selling out? Or book them now?

 

Thanks for any advice offered

 

Elaine

 

Great minds! I was looking at excursions today and wondering when we should book! I guess soon is the answer. We probably aren't the only ones turning our minds to this important task now.:D

[steveru621]

Excursions are charged to your CC as soon as you book them, so final payment is not a factor.

 

I would book anything you really want early, and everything else closer to your sail date.

[JimAOk1945]

I always start booking excursions as soon as possible after I book our cruise so we will have the excursions we want as well as the time slot we prefer.

 

Happy cruising. It's a fantastic way to see the world!

Edited April 15, 2016 by JimAOk1945

[Lane1344]

Hi,

 

I booked my excursions with RC on Saturday. It said that I would receive a confirmation email. I still haven't received it and the money hasn't been taken out of my account. It is showing in my planner that the excursions are there.

 

Am I being too eager in expecting it to happen straight away or do I need to contact them? I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.

 

Elaine

[novicetraveller]

If you have booked it, the money should have been taken and you should have received a notification. Check your spam folder as well.

[Clarea]

Hi,

 

I booked my excursions with RC on Saturday. It said that I would receive a confirmation email. I still haven't received it and the money hasn't been taken out of my account. It is showing in my planner that the excursions are there.

 

Am I being too eager in expecting it to happen straight away or do I need to contact them? I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.

 

Elaine

The charge should have applied to your credit card almost immediately. I would wait a couple of days, and if it still does now show up, I would call them to confirm and request an email confirmation.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Hi,

 

I booked my excursions with RC on Saturday. It said that I would receive a confirmation email. I still haven't received it and the money hasn't been taken out of my account. It is showing in my planner that the excursions are there.

 

Am I being too eager in expecting it to happen straight away or do I need to contact them? I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.

 

Elaine

 

Mine has always come off my card immediately and I've always gotten the emails pretty much immediately too.

 

Your calendar shows them as booked? And/or if you look at that port's excursions it says "You booked this on XXX" under the booked excursion?

[Lane1344]

Hi,

Yes when I go into my order history it is there and also when I go onto the excursions it is telling me that I have bought that excursion and the date and time that I did it on.

 

I was wondering if it was to do with the fact that I used my debit card rather than a credit card?

 

I have emailed RC and am awaiting a response. If I don't hear by Wednesday I think I will have to give them a ring.

 

Thank you for all the replies and advice

 

Elaine

[Clarea]

Hi,

Yes when I go into my order history it is there and also when I go onto the excursions it is telling me that I have bought that excursion and the date and time that I did it on.

 

I was wondering if it was to do with the fact that I used my debit card rather than a credit card?

 

I have emailed RC and am awaiting a response. If I don't hear by Wednesday I think I will have to give them a ring.

 

Thank you for all the replies and advice

 

Elaine

Please let us know what happens, I'm curious myself if there is a difference with the debit card.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Please let us know what happens, I'm curious myself if there is a difference with the debit card.

 

 

I've used my check/debit card every time and it has always come off immediately.

[Clarea]

I've used my check/debit card every time and it has always come off immediately.

When your debit card is charged, do the charges stay in "pending" state for a few days and then post, or is the full charge posted immediately?

Edited April 18, 2016 by clarea

[Lane1344]

Hi,

Just to let you all know it has all been sorted.

Yesterday I noticed that the amount for the trips had been taken from my account although it wasn't showing who or what had done it. When I looked this morning it was showing RC had taken it. I also received a reply yesterday to my email with a confirmation attached.

I don't know why it took longer to process ... my only thought is that its because I'm from the UK.

Thanks all for your advice. Now to book the rest of my excursions :))

Elaine

[Clarea]

Hi,

Just to let you all know it has all been sorted.

Yesterday I noticed that the amount for the trips had been taken from my account although it wasn't showing who or what had done it. When I looked this morning it was showing RC had taken it. I also received a reply yesterday to my email with a confirmation attached.

I don't know why it took longer to process ... my only thought is that its because I'm from the UK.

Thanks all for your advice. Now to book the rest of my excursions :))

Elaine

Thanks for reporting back, glad it worked out.

[redwing123]

Excursions are charged to your CC as soon as you book them, so final payment is not a factor.

 

I would book anything you really want early, and everything else closer to your sail date.

 

I'm brand new to this. We are booked on Allure at the end of July and I don't even know how to go about finding what shore excursions are available. Any help would be appreciated :)

[Clarea]

I'm brand new to this. We are booked on Allure at the end of July and I don't even know how to go about finding what shore excursions are available. Any help would be appreciated :)

Try this:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/asr/buildSearch.do?componentType=shorex