chelledun Posted October 4, 2006 #1 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Hello, everyone. I will be traveling on the Crown Princess, January 6th and our final payment is due October 14. I am going to be gone on vacation starting the day after payment is due through the next week. I heard that shore excursions tend to become available shortly after payment, and just put two and two together that I will be gone that whole time. Do shore excursions tend to book up within the first week for a Caribbean itinerary? We could pay to have Internet while in Orlando, but it would be kind of expensive to do for the whole week and I prefer to stay offline while on vacation. Getting the excursion I want was never the least problem on Carnival, as long as I booked before boarding, but I am not sure if excursions are more popular on Princess. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysgrandma Posted October 4, 2006 #2 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Some of the popular ones may be sold out if you wait until you get on the cruise ship, but I don't think you have to worry about jumping on the Cruise Personalizer as soon as your final payment is due. Did you receive the preliminary packet from Princess with the Shore Excursion booklets and forms? We were unable to book any excursions until we received those in the mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AerynSun_JohnCrighton Posted October 4, 2006 #3 Share Posted October 4, 2006 If your booking through the ship... I believe you can start booking them 60 days and under using the 'personalizer.' How fast do they book up? Depends on the excursion... Something like diving and swimming w/ Dolphins, cave tubing, tend to book fast! Those you want to 'pre book' There are plently of excursions that DO NOT sale out before boarding... Go into your personanlizer...click 'pre book shore excursions' look at them...they will say how many slots they have left. Meg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJM001 Posted October 4, 2006 #4 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I would imagine that Princess can, in many instances, add spaces to many of their popular tours by adding extra busses and guides if the response warrants it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AerynSun_JohnCrighton Posted October 4, 2006 #5 Share Posted October 4, 2006 For example...I pre booked the Dolphin Swim... there were 20 slots.. there are now only 7 left. Willys... why did you have to wait for the booklet and forms? We NEVER got ours and pre booked excursions JUST FINE... They are confirmed in our cruise docs we just receieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PescadoAmarillo Posted October 4, 2006 #6 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Dolphin swims and helicopter tours tend to fill up the fastest (followed by other non-bus tour excursions). But many times the shore excursions aren't available for booking exactly when Princess says they will be...they sometimes run a week or two late, so you may be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willysgrandma Posted October 4, 2006 #7 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Willys... why did you have to wait for the booklet and forms? We NEVER got ours and pre booked excursions JUST FINE... I think the Princess computer system just wasn't working. We also had trouble adding the passenger information. Waited a few days and then had no problem. If you plan on a dolphin excursion or helicopter it is important to book that as soon as possible - those always sell out quickly. I understand Turtles swims are the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AerynSun_JohnCrighton Posted October 4, 2006 #8 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I think the Princess computer system just wasn't working. We also had trouble adding the passenger information. Waited a few days and then had no problem. If you plan on a dolphin excursion or helicopter it is important to book that as soon as possible - those always sell out quickly. I understand Turtles swims are the same way. Turtle swim??? I've heard of sea lion, Dolphin and Stingray...but the Turtle one is new to me.. what's that about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threecats Posted October 4, 2006 #9 Share Posted October 4, 2006 On both our Princess cruises we were able to book shore excursions long before the final payment was due, so I would check it regularly right now, if you're afraid they might sell out the ones you're interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelledun Posted October 4, 2006 Author #10 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Thanks all, Very helpful information. We are not wanting to swim with dolphins (been there, done that) or ride in a helicopter. I think I will just check every day up until we leave to see if excursions are available, and then wait until I get back. Most of the things we want are traditional bus tour type excursions. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AerynSun_JohnCrighton Posted October 4, 2006 #11 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Thanks all, Very helpful information. We are not wanting to swim with dolphins (been there, done that) or ride in a helicopter. I think I will just check every day up until we leave to see if excursions are available, and then wait until I get back. Most of the things we want are traditional bus tour type excursions. Thanks! When I get back in a little over three weeks...I will be able to say the same thing about swimming w/ the Dolphins. ;) I'm excited! This excursion is my 'splurge' this cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulagirl Posted October 4, 2006 #12 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Truly, I would be surprised if your excursions aren't all ready open. Have you looked at your cruise personalizer on the page that shows them? Reason is, I'm sailing on the Star on the Dec. 16 sailing, and ours opened up over a month ago. I would definitely look again and see. The popular excursions fill quickly. At least with Princess, if you book them you aren't charged until you are on the ship. Good luck and definitely look. Our final payment date for our cruise was yesterday, and like I said they opened up almost a month ago. Hulagirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryPoppinz Posted October 4, 2006 #13 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Another quick-fill are the racing regattas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eno Posted October 4, 2006 #14 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I'm a first time cruiser - going in March of 2007. So if I read this right, I can book my cruise excersions as soon as they become available online - even if I haven't paid in full yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelledun Posted October 4, 2006 Author #15 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Truly, I would be surprised if your excursions aren't all ready open. Have you looked at your cruise personalizer on the page that shows them? Reason is, I'm sailing on the Star on the Dec. 16 sailing, and ours opened up over a month ago. I would definitely look again and see. The popular excursions fill quickly. At least with Princess, if you book them you aren't charged until you are on the ship. Good luck and definitely look. Our final payment date for our cruise was yesterday, and like I said they opened up almost a month ago. Hulagirl I've looked three times a day since I booked, no show! Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Junky Posted October 4, 2006 #16 Share Posted October 4, 2006 You definitely don't need to have made final payment before booking shore excursions. For next month, our shore excursions opened up about a week before final payment was due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulagirl Posted October 5, 2006 #17 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Michelle: You are doing all you can then. It is very frustrating when the Princess Web site says they will become available 120 days before your cruise. I will tell you, I always start looking then, and also usually 3 times a day. I've looked in the morning and then was so surprised in the evening when suddenly it will say AVAILABLE! I almost jump when I see that. We have had them open exactly 120 days out to aroumnd 96 days. I really think you will see them open any day since ours opened a good 4 weeks ago. The evening before I looked and then the next morning there they were. Even so, I doubt you will have any problem getting what you want since you are checking. Good luck with it. You will have a wonderful cruise.:) Hulagirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevesan Posted October 5, 2006 #18 Share Posted October 5, 2006 The popular excursions fill quickly. At least with Princess, if you book them you aren't charged until you are on the ship. Hulagirl That's the main reason so many Princess tours book up early. Many folks will book if they think they want to go on a tour because there's no immediate financial liability. I much prefer the cruise line method of billing your CC when you prebook. Even though cancellation refunds are available and prompt, passengers are more likely to be committed to the tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzinchris Posted October 5, 2006 #19 Share Posted October 5, 2006 DH and I have already booked two shore excursions for our January 25 sailing on the Dawn. They were available for booking a month ago, some even earlier than that. Our final payment is due November 11. There are very thorough descriptions of all shore excursions on the cruise personalizer, and I don't think it's really necessary to see the "Adventures Ashore" (or whatever it's called) prior to booking. Bon Voyage! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VictoriaH Posted October 6, 2006 #20 Share Posted October 6, 2006 We have just returned from another trip and I am now just preparing and reading about details for our cruise to Hawaii on the Island Princess leaving Oct. 2l. I just read on cruise critic how the shore excursions book quickly. I began checking and found that most of the excursions are already booked. In the past, last year on our Alaskan cruise, we were able to attend the lectures on board the ship early in the cruise to learn about the excursions offered and then we booked right then on board before they sold out. But nothing was sold out prior to the beginning of the cruise. I am disturbed that we may not be able to take any excursions. Does Princess actually offer so few excursions for such a large number of passengers? Or will more bookings be offered after we are on board? We are mostly interested in the tours and not the diving or helicopter trips. Any one had this problem? This could be a huge disappointment! Please comment. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovebug33 Posted October 6, 2006 #21 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Ours were available 135 days before our trip started. I'd keep looking to make sure that nothing is booked. The dolphin tours sold out the first day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasetf Posted October 6, 2006 #22 Share Posted October 6, 2006 For example...I pre booked the Dolphin Swim... there were 20 slots.. there are now only 7 left. Seems like every tour I have booked online has had a max of 20 slots available, even the ones that ended up with 18 buses headed out on the same tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croozinsnoozin79 Posted October 6, 2006 #23 Share Posted October 6, 2006 100 days and counting down and STILL no shore excursions available here either! Last year it seemed they were available by now but from all the other posts maybe it's just Princess. Hope they open up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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