When we booked our cruise, our travel agent made sure we were aware that about 10% of the time with places where the boat is tendered, people never actually get to go on land. If we book land excurisions, what will happen if we never land? do we get our money back?
Not sure what you really mean by people not going ashore.... but if you are asking if the ship has to cancel the port (where it maybe tendering) you would get a refund on the shore excursion you booked THROUGH the cruise line. If you book a private company, they may not refund your money if the ship has to skip the port.
Also... if the ship has to cancel the port due to conditions, they may refund the port fees or credit your onboard account.
When we booked our cruise, our travel agent made sure we were aware that about 10% of the time with places where the boat is tendered, people never actually get to go on land.
The figure of 10% sounds very high to me. I have heard of ships cancelling calls in tender ports because the weather was too rough for the tenders, but I have taken twenty cruises and not had it happen. There was one tender port of call where the ship did leave early due to a forecast of stormy weather, but we stopped for seven hours rather than nine.
If we book land excurisions, what will happen if we never land? do we get our money back?
If you booked excursions through the cruse line, you get a full refund (or credit to your shipboard account). If you booked independent excursions, you are at the mercy of the tour operator.
Most reputable tour operators will refund your money if the ship is unable to get to port. Make sure you check their policy on their website and ask. Also, get it in writing and pay with a credit card. That way if you're still charged you can dispute it with your credit card company.
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Celebrity Century 1/09
Carnival Destiny 10/07
Carnival Destiny 9/06
Monarch of the Seas 3/06
Carnival Inspiration 8/05
Carnival Miracle 4/05
Carnival Inspiration 4/04
Sovereign of the Seas 4/03
On the other hand, it took us three cruises before we made it to the Grand Caymans. The first two were cancelled because of weather which made it unsafe to tender. We haven't made it to Martha's Vinyard for the same reason.
As stated, if you book through the cruise line and the tour is cancelled, you will get a credit on your SeaPass. If you use an independent tours, it is best to check their published cancellation policy. If they are one of the few tours who do not offer refunds, consider Travel Insurance.
If you do book the excursion through the cruiseline and for some reason you miss the stop, they will credit your account the amount of the excursion. Not sure how it works if you book through an independent excursion company. That would be something to ask them before you actually book it.
We had to cancel a couple of excursions while in Alaska...no problem! BUT we had booked the excursions through the cruise line AND our refund was credited to our Sea Pass. Of course that was no problem either! ( All you veteran cruisers know what I mean!)
We have booked many private excursions that were highly recommended over on another board. We have had to make deposits on some of them, and all of them said our $$ would be returned if the ship did not dock.
PM me if you would like the name of the other board.
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Michelle
Mariner of the Seas 3/30/08
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Mark Twain
The closest we came to that was on our recent cruise to Hawaii. We had gotten too involved in shopping to realize we still had to tender back to the ship & drop off our purchases and grab some jackets before going to the luau we had booked independently of the cruise ship. (MUCH more reasonable cost! and VIP treatment!)
Since my husband is in a wheelchair, we figured it would be quicker for me to return to the ship, drop off the packages, grab what we needed and quickly head back. SO after a bit of a wait in line, I got back to the ship, did what I needed, ran back to the tenders, hopped aboard one that was about to leave. Feeling very good about myself that I made good time, I was surprised when the tender suddenly stopped about 100 yards from the dock. We sat there for about 15 minutes, then it started up again (apparently there CAN be traffic jams at sea!) then stopped again a few minutes later! My husband called me on my cell from his and he asked where I was. "Oh, just bobbing around in the ocean!" I replied. He asked if there was someone in a wedding dress aboard, and shore 'nuff, I turned around and there was the bride, hoping to get to shore in time to meet all of her guests who were waiting on the dock with my husband!
We did eventually make it, and had a fabulous time, but I never thought that the seas could also run into "heavy" traffic and cause tie-ups...
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8/92 Mex. Riv. Commodore
9/98, 9/00, 9/02 & 7/04 Caribbean - Paradise
10/00, 08/05 Pac. Wtrs. Holiday, Monarch
04/06 Hawaii - Celebrity Summit
09/07 Alaska - Celebrity Summit
07/09 Western Caribbean RCCL Liberty of the Seas
And you accepted that?? Sorry, they would have had been given a very DIFFICULT time by me if they tried to keep a port fee for a port I didn't get ot visit!
That doesn't make much sense, does it????
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8/92 Mex. Riv. Commodore
9/98, 9/00, 9/02 & 7/04 Caribbean - Paradise
10/00, 08/05 Pac. Wtrs. Holiday, Monarch
04/06 Hawaii - Celebrity Summit
09/07 Alaska - Celebrity Summit
07/09 Western Caribbean RCCL Liberty of the Seas
Well, Cruiseguy, that's a shame that their whimpy port fee was more important than their customer relations. And gosh, CG, just because you're frustated that they did not treat you fairly is no reason to get nasty with me. When have I ever insulted you?
And yes, I do not allow anyone to take advantage of me. I complain, not regarding unimportant situations, but when something is legitimate. As a matter of fact, we just got a free 14 day cruise due to problems on our previous 14 day cruise. Maybe I should give you lessons on how to get what you want! Actually it was my husband who wrote an excellent and very specific 7 page letter to the cruiselines. I am very proud of him! Also, they are going to work with him to make changes to their ship which will benefit those will disabilities in the future. I am VERY proud!
Happy cruising, all!
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8/92 Mex. Riv. Commodore
9/98, 9/00, 9/02 & 7/04 Caribbean - Paradise
10/00, 08/05 Pac. Wtrs. Holiday, Monarch
04/06 Hawaii - Celebrity Summit
09/07 Alaska - Celebrity Summit
07/09 Western Caribbean RCCL Liberty of the Seas
After 21 cruises, we have never missed a port for any reason, tendered or not..........
You have been lucky.
I have missed Natrang,
I have missed a whole cruise to Hawaii. Ship broke.
I have missed a tour after the tragic accident in Arica.
If there is too much bobbing to get on the tender, the port should be cancelled. Think of the problem the Captain has if the passengers get ashore and the weather unexpectedly turns bad and he can't get them back aboard.
What would you do in this situation?
You have been lucky.
I have missed Natrang,
I have missed a whole cruise to Hawaii. Ship broke.
I have missed a tour after the tragic accident in Arica.
Okay, I had to cancel one cruise because my mother died rather suddenly two days before it started.
But I only missed one port of call in twenty cruises -- and that because a hurricane (Wilma) blew through Key West a few days before, causing so much damage that it forced closure of the port. We stayed in Nassau all day instead, rather than departing in the early afternoon.
Cancellations do happen occasionally, but they happen far less frequently on the more reputable cruise lines.
If there is too much bobbing to get on the tender, the port should be cancelled. Think of the problem the Captain has if the passengers get ashore and the weather unexpectedly turns bad and he can't get them back aboard.
What would you do in this situation?
Tenders bob in relatively calm waters because they are boats. It's a fact of life, and part of a tender port. Fortunately, we humans have appendages called "legs" that can adapt quite nicely to the bobbing -- especially with a couple "alpha bravos" (able-bodied seamen) standing to either side to assist us.
Seriously, you need to trust the Master's judgement. The forecast may well be for improvement in the weather and calming of the sea state. If the Master thinks that getting passengers back aboard ship will be a problem due to deteriorating weather and sea conditions, he will cancel the port of call.
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Excursions are tendered dock. Refunds?
All you veteran cruisers know what I mean!)
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