How soon do you book shore excursions?

[Mimi39]

Do you book as soon as 120 days before the cruise or wait? I can reserve ours as of next Saturday and was thinking about doing it, but that's because I'm so excited about the cruise

:)

[TonyFred]

Book the ones you are interested in just to make sure you have spots reserved.

Then do a lot of research on these forums and look for less expensive and overall "better" excursions based on what experienced cruisers say.

You can always cancel your ship excursions if you find something preferable through an independent tour provider....I think you have to cancel within 48 hours of the tour time...could be wrong about that though.

But dont wait too long to book with the ship or independents....popular excursions fill up pretty quick. Once you board you will see a lot of sold out excursions.

[Alberta_Cruisers]

I booked mine a few weeks ago as soon as they were available for my July 19th cruise. There were a few excursions that I wanted to get on for sure. Glad I did now because one of them is already wait listed. They weren't available right at the 120 day mark but about a week after. I just kept checking every day.

[chrysalis]

Just be aware, that sometimes they open up prior to 120 days out, and sometimes much less than 120 days out. It can depend on the sailing and the intinerary. Just keep watching.

 

Some excursions fill up fast, particularly the ones that have limited availability.

[paul929207]

I book ours well in advance of the cruise. That way, you have a better chance of getting the ones you want.

[tully07]

It's a good idea to book excursions as soon as they become available on Cruise Personalizer. You always have the option to change your requests before sailing -- it's also a good idea to monitor your requests to ensure they remain confirmed. Sometimes a computer "glitch" will delete them unintentionally.

[CruiseCrazyJAX]

I agree with booking shore excursions as soon as they are released.

[Grego]

Book the ones you are interested in just to make sure you have spots reserved.

Then do a lot of research on these forums and look for less expensive and overall "better" excursions based on what experienced cruisers say.

You can always cancel your ship excursions if you find something preferable through an independent tour provider....I think you have to cancel within 48 hours of the tour time...could be wrong about that though.

But dont wait too long to book with the ship or independents....popular excursions fill up pretty quick. Once you board you will see a lot of sold out excursions.

 

I feel that TonyFred captured the best answer and advice. We tend to book the ones we really want as soon as possible so we don't get spaced out. With the ability to book and cancel with flexibility before you sail, there is time to do the added research you might need.

[paul929207]

With Princess, you do not pay in advance for the shore excursions. They are charged to your onboard account and settled at the end of the cruise.

 

The Princess Patter will list the closing time for excursions in each port. In most cases it is 7pm two evenings before you reach the port. That is, if you are going to be in a port on Wednesday, you hve to cancel the excursion by Monday, 7pm to avoid being charged.