HAL Shore Excursions and Waitlist

[Smeecanada]

Hello,

 

Query about how the HAL Shore excursion and the waitlist.   Booking for our upcoming cruise and I've selected a shore excursion and paid for it (just so we have an excursion).  However, I've waitlisted us for a more desired excursion.  Will HAL still notify us if the more desired excursion comes available - even though we've booked the alternate choice?

[Mary229]

Not reliably.  You may want to call a week prior to sailing and check. You won’t be able to book or cancel within the three days prior to sailing.    Then once onboard go immediately to shore ex and make your final arrangement.   Most excursions can be cancelled up to 48 hours prior and they can be real sticklers about that time, don’t be a minute late.  
 

when is your cruise?  One other thing is if your cruise is quite some time away keep checking the website to see if they add another time slot for the wanted excursion.  The waitlist is for the original time so you must check.  
 

it is all a bit more complicated than it need be

[Haljo1935]

And they don't always honor the waitlist. Sometimes I'll what notified A slot opened up, get billed for the excursion and see it moved from waitlist to my itinerary. Other times, I've received no notice only to see slots available when I check the excursion.

Seems to not be just a ship or two, It's random across the fleet.

For sure check in w/Shore Ex as soon as you get on boaard.

[Dancing Shoes]

We were wait listed on our recent cruise in May.  I received an email that they had an opening.  

[Haljo1935]

10 minutes ago, Dancing Shoes said:

We were wait listed on our recent cruise in May.  I received an email that they had an opening.  

That is good to hear; I think if they have a waitlist, they need to honor it.

[tupper10]

We were wait listed and received an email that we could book the excursion if we wished to -  which I did on the same day.  

[Ottawa traveller]

Before my recent Japan cruise I booked a shore excursion and waitlisted another better one just as you did. On boarding I went to shore excursions who told me that I could now book the waitlisted excursion and cancel the other one, which I did. 

[CruiserBruce]

I would think, at bare minimum, the move from waitlist to booked would show up on your itinerary on the HAL website, as a shore excursion booked on that day.

[VMax1700]

Last week I 'wait listed' two excursions, one of which had an optional departure time.  I wait listed both departure times.  Next day I received an email that all 3 excursions were available to book.  It took about an hour after the email before they appeared in my 'Shopping Basket'.

No payment is required to waitlist.  If it becomes available to book, then you have 72 hours to confirm and pay.

[Sea42]

I was wait listed for an excursion for a few months before our cruise and was notified a day before the excursion, while on the ship, that I had cleared the wait list. I had already made other plans.

I never did get to use our included excursion as the other one I had booked was canceled.

[AllTheSun]

54 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

I was wait listed for an excursion for a few months before our cruise and was notified a day before the excursion, while on the ship, that I had cleared the wait list. I had already made other plans.

I never did get to use our included excursion as the other one I had booked was canceled.

I’m a bit confused. Did you pay for an excursion you didn’t get to take?

[Sea42]

15 minutes ago, AllTheSun said:

I’m a bit confused. Did you pay for an excursion you didn’t get to take?

I used my excursion credit for a hike in Flam (day 3 of the cruise) and then wait listed to do another hike in Geiranger (day 12) which I would have paid for.

Upon boarding I was notified the hike in Flam was canceled. The day before Geiranger I was notified that I had cleared the wait list for that hike but I had already made other arrangements so I canceled the HAL excursion. I could have used the excursion credit for the one in Geiranger but I preferred the alternative plans I had made.

[Mike07]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

I used my excursion credit for a hike in Flam (day 3 of the cruise) and then wait listed to do another hike in Geiranger (day 12) which I would have paid for.

Upon boarding I was notified the hike in Flam was canceled. The day before Geiranger I was notified that I had cleared the wait list for that hike but I had already made other arrangements so I canceled the HAL excursion. I could have used the excursion credit for the one in Geiranger but I preferred the alternative plans I had made.

 

 

With the exception of Pulpit rock, mainly the logistics of getting out there, I would never do a shore excursion hike with HAL. It'd be a complete waste of money since hiking is effectively free in Norway. I'm still salty and bitter about some of the Norway shore excursions and what HAL was charging.

 

I did have a hike scheduled in Geiranger, and fortunately, was able to get that sucker cancelled early on.

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

With the exception of Pulpit rock, mainly the logistics of getting out there, I would never do a shore excursion hike with HAL. It'd be a complete waste of money since hiking is effectively free in Norway. I'm still salty and bitter about some of the Norway shore excursions and what HAL was charging.

 

I did have a hike scheduled in Geiranger, and fortunately, was able to get that sucker cancelled early on.

Why be mad at HAL?  Norway is an expensive country and if you want guide service it will cost.  Around the holiday season watch for a very good deal on Alltrails app, as a subscriber you can download maps for use offline.  

[Sea42]

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

With the exception of Pulpit rock, mainly the logistics of getting out there, I would never do a shore excursion hike with HAL. It'd be a complete waste of money since hiking is effectively free in Norway. I'm still salty and bitter about some of the Norway shore excursions and what HAL was charging.

 

I did have a hike scheduled in Geiranger, and fortunately, was able to get that sucker cancelled early on.

I hadn't done a ship excursion since our first cruise, but my husband was concerned that I would be hiking in unfamiliar terrain alone so it was a compromise. 

The one in Flam I was also concerned I wouldn't be able to get the train tickets on my own so I used our credit for that. In the end, I did do it on my own. My husband wasn't thrilled that I would be hiking by myself as the excursion was canceled due to icy conditions but the trail was fine so it worked out. For Geiranger, I modified what the hike I was going to do so he could go with me.

[Mike07]

8 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Why be mad at HAL?  Norway is an expensive country and if you want guide service it will cost.  Around the holiday season watch for a very good deal on Alltrails app, as a subscriber you can download maps for use offline.  

 

 

Because the prices are such that somebody is on the take. One tour, HAL alluded to there being a guide, there was not. Overall, somebody is making money hand over fist for not doing a lot. I was burned twice on two tours early on, and ended up cancelling the rest. I went with All Trails and had a fantastic experience for free.

 

 

 

 

[Mike07]

15 hours ago, Smeecanada said:

Hello,

 

Query about how the HAL Shore excursion and the waitlist.   Booking for our upcoming cruise and I've selected a shore excursion and paid for it (just so we have an excursion).  However, I've waitlisted us for a more desired excursion.  Will HAL still notify us if the more desired excursion comes available - even though we've booked the alternate choice?

 

 

HAL is a money making operation. If there is a large enough waitlist, they'll be definitely contact the tour operator to slide more bodies in.

 

Whether or not the experience is worth it to you, that's for you to decide. That being said, depending on the country and/or port, there may be indie operators selling similar tickets right outside of the cruise terminal for in some cases, significantly cheaper prices. You may have to walk a bit to get to where you need to be.

[Mary229]

22 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Because the prices are such that somebody is on the take. One tour, HAL alluded to there being a guide, there was not. Overall, somebody is making money hand over fist for not doing a lot. I was burned twice on two tours early on, and ended up cancelling the rest. I went with All Trails and had a fantastic experience for free.

 

 

 

 

I take my own hikes unless extensive transport is needed.  However I have looked at HAL pricing for shore excursions and it is very competitive in general. I do use HAL for other type of excursions . I do use private excursions simply because it is usually a smaller group and more customizable.   HAL does have a guarantee in place which you should consider in the future.  I have never found a need to use it but know people who have. 

[Mike07]

26 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

However I have looked at HAL pricing for shore excursions and it is very competitive in general. I do use HAL for other type of excursions

 

In general, I have found Princess and Celebrity to be competitive with booking on your own. With HAL and Norway, you're sometimes paying a 200-300% markup over indie operators.

 

It was a lesson learned, and I'm surprised it took this long for me to learn it. Not new to cruising by any means.

 

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Because the prices are such that somebody is on the take. One tour, HAL alluded to there being a guide, there was not. Overall, somebody is making money hand over fist for not doing a lot. I was burned twice on two tours early on, and ended up cancelling the rest. I went with All Trails and had a fantastic experience for free.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe insurance costs are added to HAL shore excursions, which is value-added when compared to no recourse if anything happens to you on privately arranged tours or on your own while ashore.  

 

Any private tour company insurance claims would need to be handled in that country, where as HAL would be involved in any claims made on their sanctioned shore excursions. 

 

Hard to quantify convenience and peace of mind when it comes to HAL shore excursion costs. But for some/many it is worth it. And we don't feel we are being "gouged".

[Haljo1935]

37 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

I believe insurance costs are added to HAL shore excursions, which is value-added when compared to no recourse if anything happens to you on privately arranged tours or on your own while ashore.  

 

Any private tour company insurance claims would need to be handled in that country, where as HAL would be involved in any claims made on their sanctioned shore excursions. 

 

Hard to quantify convenience and peace of mind when it comes to HAL shore excursion costs. But for some/many it is worth it. And we don't feel we are being "gouged".

I never considered insurance costs being added to HAL excursions; although, perfectly logical that they would be. With all my cruising experience, I just never thought about it.

I'm aware of their best price guarantee, but have never compared the details to see if any I had booked actually qualified; I'm guessing not. With that said, I compare prices and schedules a little. If we're familiar with or comfortable with the port, we're more inclined to venture out on our own or take an independent tour. We second some incredible tours both ways - through the ship and independent - I can support both.

When there's a lot of travel involved, especially when language barriers impact us, we will opt for ship excursions as the " no man left behind" policy is very comforting.

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, Haljo1935 said:

I'm aware of their best price guarantee, but have never compared the details to see if any I had booked actually qualified

If I am going to use HAL I definitely check.  There has only been once in the past few years where a single excursion from HAL was substantially more expensive.  Upon close inspection there were features that made it a safer bet in a potentially dangerous environment.  

[OlsSalt]

1 minute ago, Haljo1935 said:

I never considered insurance costs being added to HAL excursions; although, perfectly logical that they would be............

 

There was a pretty horrific private tour bus accident on the Costa Maya area in Mexico a few years ago, that drove home the value of going on a ship-approved shore excursion.

 

The exception does not make the rule, as most private tours are uneventful. But it was a sober example of how bad it can be ....if ... something really tragic does happen.

[Haljo1935]

19 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

There was a pretty horrific private tour bus accident on the Costa Maya area in Mexico a few years ago, that drove home the value of going on a ship-approved shore excursion.

 

The exception does not make the rule, as most private tours are uneventful. But it was a sober example of how bad it can be ....if ... something really tragic does happen.

Oh my.

I do not want to learn a lesson the hard way.

[Smeecanada]

5 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

HAL is a money making operation. If there is a large enough waitlist, they'll be definitely contact the tour operator to slide more bodies in.

 

Whether or not the experience is worth it to you, that's for you to decide. That being said, depending on the country and/or port, there may be indie operators selling similar tickets right outside of the cruise terminal for in some cases, significantly cheaper prices. You may have to walk a bit to get to where you need to be.

Yes, thank you I'm aware of that and have done tours from operators other than HAL.  My query is if I already have a tour booked with HAL  and also a tour waitlisted for the same day - will they contact me if spots come available for the more desired tour.