How long before a cruise can you book shore excursions?

Shore excursions may be booked online prior to sailing up until the Pre-Sail cut-off time, 11:59pm ET, two days prior to the cruise departure. After the online Pre-Sail, the remaining inventory will be available on the departure day onboard the ship.



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An updated listing of Shore Excursions is available approximately 6 months prior to the first sailing of each cruise destination season. All tours are available to pre-request at My NCL, or you can call +27 21 200 6586 (US & Canada) or +27 21 200 6586 (UK).

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You absolutely do not have to do shore excursions on a cruise. You are free to come and go at will from most cruise ships while they are in ports of call. Shore excursions are simply one means to explore the areas visited by the ship and to participate in available activities off the ship.

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(1). You have the right to refuse this automatic gratuity charge and may compensate cruise staff on your own terms. However, you will need to notify the front desk of this desire. Otherwise it will appear on your bill when your cruise ends and it will be charged to your credit card on file.

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Can I book my excursions over the phone? At this time, shore excursions can only be purchased online prior to your cruise or once onboard. If you need assistance with how to book your shore excursions online, please contact our Online Support Desk.

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Cruise excursions are one area where you enjoy the experiences at a reduced rate.
  1. 8 Great Ways to Save Money on Cruise Excursions. ...
  2. Skip Cruise Excursions. ...
  3. Explore On Your Own. ...
  4. Take a Public Bus. ...
  5. Hire a Private Guide. ...
  6. Book Independent Cruise Excursions. ...
  7. Check Email. ...
  8. Be Flexible and See What Happens.


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Another circumstance where tipping is recommended beyond the automatic cruise gratuities is during shore excursions. If you have booked a tour with your cruise line at a port of call, your guide should receive a tip at the end. This is also true for any tours booked with local guides.

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Cruise excursions are one area where you enjoy the experiences at a reduced rate.
  1. 8 Great Ways to Save Money on Cruise Excursions. ...
  2. Skip Cruise Excursions. ...
  3. Explore On Your Own. ...
  4. Take a Public Bus. ...
  5. Hire a Private Guide. ...
  6. Book Independent Cruise Excursions. ...
  7. Check Email. ...
  8. Be Flexible and See What Happens.


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Yes, depending on the length of each applicable shore tour relative to the amount of time the ships stay in port. Make sure that you allow at least 30 minutes between each tour.

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Bottom Line: The process of readying for passengers to leave once the ship arrives in port can take 30-45 minutes. After that, actually getting off the ship once passengers are allowed ashore takes just minutes.

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Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late. However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, there are certain steps you must take to make sure you're not left stranded.

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Paying gratuities and tipping the staff aboard a cruise ship is not compulsory but is considered the right thing to do. Cruise Tipping is a gesture of goodwill to reflect your gratitude for the service provided and to say a big “Thank You” to the crew members.

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Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular dining service. Similarly, it is often acceptable to tip $1-3 when room service is delivered depending on the size of the order.

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Benefits of Prepaying Gratuities Another advantage is that cruise lines regularly raise gratuity amounts. So if you book a cruise for a year from now, the gratuity price may be higher when you sail. People that pay beforehand are grandfathered in under the rate they've already paid.

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There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

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Typical extra tips may be $15-20 per passenger for a seven-day cruise paid to the cabin steward for exceptional work, or an extra $10-20 per passenger to a waiter who offered spectacular dining service. Similarly, it is often acceptable to tip $1-3 when room service is delivered depending on the size of the order.

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