Too Old For Shore Excursions

[NMTraveller]

Having been on a great barrier reef snorkel with quite a few older people.  Well older than me at least, there were some people on the excursion that could just not do the physical part.  It was also an intermediate snorkel.  It was not very challenging.  The people that were winded and not keeping up with the slow pace took away from the experience.  There are probably some younger people that cannot do the physical part also.

 

Having said this perhaps they could have a test in the water and if they don't pass have them stay on the boat or snorkel around the boat at their own pace.

 

It sounds like the OP is one who could keep up.

Edited December 18, 2022 by NMTraveller

[shipshape sam]

On 12/15/2022 at 6:17 PM, eanselm said:

We are doing a 5 night cruise on the Summit in February. When I went to plan some excursions I was dismayed and very surprised at the number of excursions limited to people under 70. Most of them are snorkel or diving excursions, but not all. We just returned from climbing multiple ruins in Greece and earlier this year snorkeled twice a day in the Galapagos but found we don't  "qualify" for many of the snorkel excursions. I gave up and figured at one port we would just do something easy so I clicked on the Royal Elizabeth Botanical Gardens in Grand Cayman thinking that would be a good alternative only to find that too is limited to people between 2 and 69. I couldn't believe it and thought this must be a typo so I contacted Celebrity who referred me to the Shore Excursions group. Today I received an email that yes, this is the limitation because there are 100 steps we would need to climb and there are no exceptions to the limitations. We are willing to sign a waiver but that is not something they will do. Any suggestions for alternatives? I am very disappointed in Celebrity. There is a snorkel excursion we can do in Grand Cayman but we have done it before. We could also do the botanical gardens on our own, Has anyone done this? . 

Most likely an insurance risk/liability issue that insurance underwriters had decided they do not want to insure and Celebrity is not willing to self insure.

 

If you do use a private company, just consider and make note of who has insurance to cover any potential risk.  Any excursion  sold by Celebrity or private company can incur issues that require filing an insurance claim.  If no Celebrity or Celebrity endorsed company, it would look to be you or a small private company and their insurance carrier.

 

Also, there are waivers to be signed before leaving on an excursion too.

 

A bummer I know as I am there too.  

 

 

 

[NMTraveller]

30 minutes ago, shipshape sam said:

Most likely an insurance risk/liability issue that insurance underwriters had decided they do not want to insure and Celebrity is not willing to self insure.

 

If you do use a private company, just consider and make note of who has insurance to cover any potential risk.  Any excursion  sold by Celebrity or private company can incur issues that require filing an insurance claim.  If no Celebrity or Celebrity endorsed company, it would look to be you or a small private company and their insurance carrier.

 

Also, there are waivers to be signed before leaving on an excursion too.

 

A bummer I know as I am there too.  

 

 

 

Would not the medical on a travel policy cover the injury risk?

[Jim_Iain]

On 12/16/2022 at 8:29 AM, MikeMary4449 said:

Check out Expedia.com for their tour to the Royal Elizabeth Botanical Gardens and Pedro St. James Castle with NO age restrictions.

 

I would second that site.   I book through them often and many are the same as offered on Viator but easier to book. 

[lifeisrealygood]

It really sucks getting old.  This is the time of year when I go through a lot of paper work to clean up some files.  This year, I came across an invoice for fixing our washing machine, which I thought was just done "not so long ago."  That washing machine was repaired more than five years ago from the date on that document, which I swear just happened "not so long go."  Life is moving too fast.  My wife says that life is like a roll of Toilet Paper.  When you open the roll, it takes a long time for the first strands to come off.  But, by the time you get to the end of the roll, the paper just unwinds really quickly, just like life.  We like catamarans.  It seems that some catamaran excursions are now putting upper age limits as to who can sail on them.  We are in our mid-seventies, and are in great shape, and have, hopefully, a lot of life yet to live.  But, we can't sail on a catamaran, which we love????  That truly SUCKS. But, we live in a world where "IT IS WHAT IT IS".

[miched]

After taking ships tours we have found that they are over priced and exactly as described.    The issue is because the way they are described we read more into it and that is done on purpose.   After many disappointing tours we reread the description and agree it is exactly as described.   

We no longer take ships tours.   We don’t like being herded around like cattle and standing in lines waiting like children for the school bus.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[dateacher]

This is interesting to me as we just took a private catamaran excursion in Nevis last week and no one was asked their age.  The oldest in the group of seven was 82 and the youngest two will be 70 in January.  There were three other 70 somethings in the group. Of the group ttwo snorkeled (ages 77 and 72)

[shipshape sam]

On 12/18/2022 at 6:26 PM, NMTraveller said:

Would not the medical on a travel policy cover the injury risk?

Not sure. You have to read the policy (don't think anyone does that ahead of excursion) Then once you have read it, you would have to assume that an insurance company, a judge, etc. would agree with your facts vs whoever is not wanting to payout.  

 

Granted there has had to be issues in past and companies paid out the claim. Also, who is the policy owner.  I would think, by way of example, Celebrities insurance companies put in language into waivers that protect Celebrity and Insurance companies more so than you, the person signing the waiver. 

 

Will look at my next cruise's travel policy to see how and if they cover excursions.  They may require that any other insurance carrier involved be primary and they are secondary.  Not being an attorney, but there may be language that states that if the primary carrier does not cover the "issue", then they will not either.  This is how Medicare Supplement coverage works under original Medicare coverage.

 

 

 

 

 

[ShelleyQT]

On 12/18/2022 at 8:39 PM, miched said:

 We no longer take ships tours.   We don’t like being herded around like cattle and standing in lines waiting like children for the school bus.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

Agreed...I would add that I hate getting to the meeting spot on time, being shoved into the back of a bus or van, and then having to sit there endlessly waiting for the latecomers to finally gets their butts off the ship and to the meeting spot.  🙄

[the_dylaness]

An age limit of 70 seems ageist and inappropriate in many circumstances... an age limit of 55 on a tour where the most strenuous activity is walking half a mile is nuts.  My husband, who'd be banned from the latter, walks well over 1/2 mile a day (many times over, I'm sure!) chasing our 8 and 11 year old children. 😂

[NMTraveller]

I just looked at the age requirements for shore excursions for my next cruise and I did not see any.  They did warn that you should be able to walk 1300 yards and go up 150 steps for one of them.

[LGW59]

9 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I just looked at the age requirements for shore excursions for my next cruise and I did not see any.  They did warn that you should be able to walk 1300 yards and go up 150 steps for one of them.

I'm assuming you are looking at ship excursions.  I will say, on a recent cruise I did a ship excursion, small group of 10, a couple of the stops did have a LOT of stairs.  One gentleman, maybe 80ish, had zero problems on the flat services, the stairs at the plazas and leading to churches at some of the sights were a whole other issue for him.  That he said, he knew and just told the guide, where do you all exit from this part of the tour and I will meet up with you there.  Never caused one single bit of inconvenience for anyone in our group, and I had never met them before the cruise, a few were chums but most were just signed up for a tour.  Overall it was truly enjoyable for everyone. 

[NMTraveller]

It seems like the restrictions are more country specific than Celebrity specific.