Do shore excursions increase in price?

[canadarocks]

There are a few HAL shore excursions I'm interested in for next year's cruise. Do they tend to increase in price as the time gets closer to the cruise date? I've found that Princess shore excursions definitely do. 

[Mary229]

I have never seen that happen.  Holland will often add a second trip if an excursion is popular.   

[Crew News]

Since the prices are contracted months before the actual season starts, the prices are probably locked.    

[kwb101]

The only time I've seen a price change is for an Alaska trip we're taking, where prices were reduced 15% for one week. We saved about $175. I let's others on the roll call know, but some waited, and the prices went back up.

Unless you're uncertain,  I'd suggest booking the excursions you really want now, lest they sell out. Some have very limited capacity (I think a new one to an oyster farm in Ketchikan only takes 14, for instance). I think some of the very expensive ones (such as a boat landing on the Antarctic continent) are also limited, for various reasons (including its $3600 price for the day). 

[Alberta Quilter]

I’ve seen shorex prices increase.  Most recently was last Sept, for a tour to Giverny in France. It increased $10/person a couple of months before the cruise. 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

I have never seen that happen.  Holland will often add a second trip if an excursion is popular.   

 

They might add additional capacity, but it is far from guaranteed. Depends on a number of variables. Some sites or locations have limited capacities, and can't accept more visitors.  

 

I have never seen HAL increase prices for a given excursion, as the sailing or date of excursion approaches. They seem to usually be locked in.

[Mary229]

My comments only concern prices published for the specific sailing.  I just noticed you said for one year out, I don’t even think you can purchase that far in advance.   As in any thing prices will increase over time but I don’t think you can do anything about it now. 

[canadarocks]

Unusual perhaps, but our cruise is May-June 2020 and the shore excursions have been available to reserve since we booked it at the beginning of March. 

[kwb101]

27 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

<snip>I just noticed you said for one year out, I don’t even think you can purchase that far in advance.   As in any thing prices will increase over time but I don’t think you can do anything about it now. 

Our UK trip in September '21 has had shore excursions available for sale for several months now.

[Mary229]

24 minutes ago, canadarocks said:

Unusual perhaps, but our cruise is May-June 2020 and the shore excursions have been available to reserve since we booked it at the beginning of March. 

That is unusual.   It is a special itinerary?   You have me curious now.   By the way what kind of rocks - musical or geological?

[canadarocks]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

That is unusual.   It is a special itinerary?   You have me curious now.   By the way what kind of rocks - musical or geological?

 

Not a special itinerary. 

Musical, geological, sport, national pride..... you name it! 🙂 

[utahtea]

3 hours ago, canadarocks said:

There are a few HAL shore excursions I'm interested in for next year's cruise. Do they tend to increase in price as the time gets closer to the cruise date? I've found that Princess shore excursions definitely do. 

 

On our upcoming cruise I saw one price increase of $20 per person on a tour from the published Excursion Brochure to the online price we booked at.  It might have just been a price mistake in the Brochure.  It's the first time I've seen a price increase on HAL over 6 cruises.

 

Utahtea

[CruiserBruce]

Agree with the others. We booked a May-June 2020 Med cruise in December 2018 for our 35th wedding anniversary. Excursions were available to book as soon as we could see the cruise in My Reservations.

[Mary229]

Some excursions are available but the full slate won't be published until much closer to the cruise.  I would wait to book until the full slate is published.  HAL now has a cancellation fee.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Only once did we see an increase in the price of an excursion.  It was an all day trip in Russia -- St Petersburg to Moscow.

[canadarocks]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

 HAL now has a cancellation fee.

Can you give me a little more information about this please?

[Mary229]

I just got off the ship Sunday and we had booked a lot of HAL tours, which is a bit unusual for us but I was lazy this time.  Anyway after a massive booking session I thought I might change some, every single one had a 10% cancellation fee regardless of when I changed/cancelled.  Be sure to read the fine print before clicking buy.  This was the first time I had seen that fee, it used to allow cancellations within a certain time period.  I don't know the rules, I just am telling you my personal experience

[canadarocks]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll definitely check into that before booking HAL tours.