How do excursions work with NCL

[Happycrafter123]

Hi,

First time cruiser here.

how do the excursions with NCL work—i signed up for some on the online app. 
- How and when do I get the tickets?

- when leaving the ship do I need to take my passport or just my cruise card thing or a drivers license?   
- any tips specific to NCL related to excursions?

[julig22]

Tickets will be delivered yo your stateroom.  Details like time and meeting place will be on the tickets.  For many tours you'll meet in the theater and get bus assignments, but it all depends on the excursion and the port - some just meet at the end of the pier.

Passport depends on location but you always need your ship card.   l always take some form of id with me.  If you need your passport for a specific excursion it will probably say so on your ticket; if passports are required for everyone, it will be in the daily plus in the announcements.

[MeHeartCruising]

You should always take a government ID with you.  Usually your driver's license is just fine.  The vast majority of times you will never show it to anyone.  From what I can remember, I've only been on 2 excursions in all my cruises where I've been told to have my passport with me and that was in Israel where we were crossing the border into the Palestinian Territory and back.  The Israeli border guards boarded the tour bus and glanced at everyone's passports.

 

Having said that, it's also a good idea to have your passport with you when in any foreign country just in case something happens.  But it really is up to you to decide the amount of risk you balance for the convenience of not carrying it.

Edited October 7, 2021 by MeHeartCruising

[eileeshb]

Also check the front page of the daily newsletter for the local port agent contact details in case the worst should happen. I usually take a photo of it with my phone. If you miss the ship re-embarkation the ship security will have left what they found in your safe with that port agent. 
make sure you bring that photo ID with you, some ports are stricter than others. On my first cruise another guest forgot her ID at our first port of call and the port security weren’t going to let her back onto the pier until they heard us making arrangements for me to go to her cabin and retrieve her drivers license. I had my passport with me so the security guy decided me + her room card were sufficient for her to get through the check point. 

[Laszlo]

15 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

Hi,

First time cruiser here.

how do the excursions with NCL work—i signed up for some on the online app. 
- How and when do I get the tickets?

- when leaving the ship do I need to take my passport or just my cruise card thing or a drivers license?   
- any tips specific to NCL related to excursions?

You should find your tickets in your cabin when you board. I would also bring a printed copy of what you payed for, never hurts to have a backup. Instructions for your excursion time, where to meet are usually printed on the ticket

[Happycrafter123]

thank you!  We normally go to AI’s and the excursions are sometimes booked with cash on the beach or other times in the excursion office of the resort so it’s a bit different.  Also we were trying to figure out what people do with their passports on snorkeling type excursions as I would not feel safe leaving my passport on the beach while my hubby and I were in the ocean….

many other good tips?

[casofilia]

Be sure to tell the Shorex people just what you think of the excursions after it has been completed.   Both POSITIVE and negative; too many people only communicate when the excursion has been bad.

[intr3pid]

2 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

thank you!  We normally go to AI’s and the excursions are sometimes booked with cash on the beach or other times in the excursion office of the resort so it’s a bit different.  Also we were trying to figure out what people do with their passports on snorkeling type excursions as I would not feel safe leaving my passport on the beach while my hubby and I were in the ocean….

many other good tips?

First, transfer a digital copy of everything to your smartphone, including passports, ship cards, local port agent information, etc.  You can take clear pictures, but sometimes there are apps that let you store this data.  You can then take one or two pieces of necessary physical ID with you.

 

Next, get a waterproof phone/wallet pouch or dry bag like one of these:

Amazon.com : waterproof pouch for cell phone

https://www.amazon.com/AiRunTech-Waterproof-Accessories-Valuables-Snorkeling/dp/B07TC5RZLL

 

Also, if you are an Apple user, consider getting the AirTags (or their equivalent for Android phones) and tossing one into your bag of valuables.

[BirdTravels]

23 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

Hi,

First time cruiser here.

how do the excursions with NCL work—i signed up for some on the online app. 
- How and when do I get the tickets?

- when leaving the ship do I need to take my passport or just my cruise card thing or a drivers license?   
- any tips specific to NCL related to excursions?

Tickets will be in your stateroom on Day 1 when you embark. 

 

When leaving the ship, you need your ship's card and government issued photo id (driver's license). 

 

Unless the shore excursion explicitly asks for a passport (like a shore ex that crosses the Canadian boarder in Alaska), leave those on the ship. Too easy to lose them or have them taken while on shore. 

 

The meeting time is usually earlier than the time you see on the App. ALWAYS look for the meeting time and location on the tickets.

 

Most excursions can be cancelled up to 48 hours before you arrive at a port. A very limited number of low capacity tours (e.g., planes, helicopters), that have to be cancelled before the cruise departs. 

[jotxl]

and an aditional question from me:

we have prebooked an excursion, a(already paid). How could i cancel this online ?

[ggTexasGal]

28 minutes ago, jotxl said:

and an aditional question from me:

we have prebooked an excursion, a(already paid). How could i cancel this online ?

You will not be able to cancel online!  Call ShorEx at Phone1.866.625.1167

[Rdr202]

You will need your state issued ID and Room Key card for identification 

[jotxl]

On 10/8/2021 at 12:03 PM, ggTexasGal said:

You will not be able to cancel online!  Call ShorEx at Phone1.866.625.1167

thanks , @ggtexas...is it possible still at the ship ?

[shof515]

The shore excursion desk can cancel onboard however you will only get onboard credit. It will not go back to the original payment method

[MeHeartCruising]

Be reminded that you need to cancel an excursion at least 48 hours prior to the start of that excursion or your won't be credited with a refund.  On the ship or not.  Unless they have changed rules recently.

[BirdTravels]

20 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

Be reminded that you need to cancel an excursion at least 48 hours prior to the start of that excursion or your won't be credited with a refund.  On the ship or not.  Unless they have changed rules recently.

Cancel on embarkation day or 48 hours before the shore excursion for most excursions. There are a limited number of low capacity excursions (helicopters, float planes, etc.) that can not be canceled onboard. They must be cancelled prior to cruise departure. 

[hallux]

On 10/7/2021 at 8:27 PM, Happycrafter123 said:

We normally go to AI’s and the excursions are sometimes booked with cash on the beach or other times in the excursion office of the resort so it’s a bit different.

Right now, the cruise lines or ports may be requiring ship excursions only.  However, if those restrictions are lifted (or are not in place for NCL or the port you're visiting) you are certainly able to book your own excursion.  I did this when I visited Cabo 2 years ago.

 

As for ID, I will absolutely reinforce the need to bring ID with you.  The ship card would not be enough to get you back into the port area in many places, for all they know the card was 'lifted' and is not being presented by the person named on it.  On my first 2 cruises I carried my passport on shore, but on my 2 in 2019 I just carried my driver's license (passport in my room safe).