Exec tours fee?

[wfgoode]

We finally decided on (and booked) excursions for our June, 14 day Alaska. In the fine print it seems to say there is a 10% charge for ALL tours cancelled onboard. I don’t remember this from previous cruises.

• Am I reading this correctly? Can it really be I can be out $100-200 if one of our disabled cruisers is having a bad spell?
  
• Is this new or have I paid it before and not noticed? We have cancelled 48 hours before.
  

Thanks for your help. We are so excited about going on our cruise!:D

[OlsSalt]

Seems an appropriate courtesy to those on the wait list to have some sort of built-in penalty that discourage booking reservations that will not be later honored. Most operations have cancellation fees. HAL tours prior very generous, no penalty, last minute cancellation policy was in our minds very unusual considering how much pre-planning must go into shore excursions. However, often hardship waivers are also offered. Check into this

[3rdGenCunarder]

I cancelled a tour onboard after the deadline. I meant to do the cancellation earlier in the cruise, but forgot which day it was for. So I took my ticket to the Exc desk and turned it in anyway. I said I wasn't looking for a refund, just hoping it would make someone on the waiting list happy.

 

I guess they resold the ticket, because I did get a refund, less 10%.

 

I think the 10% fee is reasonable. We had a tour cancelled by the vendor and there was no cancellation fee, we got the full amount back.

[Fouremco]

I think the 10% fee is reasonable. We had a tour cancelled by the vendor and there was no cancellation fee, we got the full amount back.

Perhaps it should work both ways: if you cancel, you pay a 10% fee; if they cancel, you get a full refund plus 10%.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you can cancel an excursion on the first day of the cruise there is no penalty assessed.

If you cancel an excursion by the deadline listed in the excursion booklet in your cabin, there is a 10% penalty fee.

If you miss the deadline, you don't get anything back.

The 10% penalty has been in effect for many years.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Perhaps it should work both ways: if you cancel, you pay a 10% fee; if they cancel, you get a full refund plus 10%.

 

Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen. :cool: To be fair, we found out about the cancellation in time to book something else had we wanted to.

[DaveOKC]

On our March cruise I was ill the day of our excursion and I had my wife take the ticket to the tour desk at 8 am for a 9 am excursion. I did not expect a refund, but I did want them to know that I would not be going (so not to hold up the tour looking for me).

 

About 15 minutes after she got back to the cabin, the shore excursion desk called and said that they found someone to go in my place, so I would be getting a full refund ($80)!! They sure did not have to do that, but I appreciated it. This type of service/concern is one of the reasons I book most of my tours through HAL.

[wfgoode]

To clarify, If we cancel before we get on the ship, no fee. If we cancel once we get onboard even 13 days before the excursion, 10% fee. Some of the excursions are pretty pricey. For three of us at $350 each, $100 fee? Just sayin ..... the one private vendor we are using has no fee if cancelled by 48 hours before. I’ll quit whining now and get back to getting excited planning for our cruise!

[3rdGenCunarder]

To clarify, If we cancel before we get on the ship, no fee. If we cancel once we get onboard even 13 days before the excursion, 10% fee. Some of the excursions are pretty pricey. For three of us at $350 each, $100 fee? Just sayin ..... the one private vendor we are using has no fee if cancelled by 48 hours before. I’ll quit whining now and get back to getting excited planning for our cruise!

 

There's a cut-off point a few days before the cruise departs when you can no longer buy or cancel excursions. I think it's usually 3 days. And then once you're on board, you may buy or cancel excursions.

[RuthC]

To clarify, If we cancel before we get on the ship, no fee. If we cancel once we get onboard even 13 days before the excursion, 10% fee.

I book my HAL excursions on line in advance. Then, shortly after boarding, I head down to the Shore Excursion Office to review my choices with them, to be sure the selections are suitable for my abilities.

I have needed to cancel excursions in the past, and have never been charged a penalty when done on that first day. Now, I have normally booked a different excursion when I canceled, and don't know if that made a difference. It could have.