Norwegian Cruise Line changed excursion policy making me unhappy (has been edited)

I just booked a 7 day cruise with NCL. It was very last minute, as I decided to tack it on to my current Europe travels. All I was looking for was a relatively cheap cruise that fit into my schedule, and this one did, so I picked it, not really caring about itinerary, etc. As it happens, it is from Barcelona to Lisbon, and there will be several ports I have never been to before (Palma de Mallorca, Gibraltar, Tangier).

This will be my first NCL cruise. It is one of the older ships in their fleet, but I don't really care about that. I tend to like older ships anyway - I'm not one for go kart tracks, aqua parks, rollercoasters etc. However, I am aware that NCL has a reputation for canceling ports, more than most lines it seems. I have the Free at Sea which means I got $50 USD off of one excursion as I understand it. Surprisingly I found the excursions quite expensive, but I only plan on going on two. Rest of the ports I plan on exploring on my own.

In any case, I don't really have any expectations and am just going to enjoy it for what it is.

Whenever possible I book excursions independent of the wildy overpriced cruise line costs.

We have taken many private shore excursions with this company and never been disappointed.
https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com

They changed their policy. I understand you are unhappy with the change. I don’t consider their actions fraudulent. Cruise lines pulling back on some of their frequent customer perks is common across the industry.

I think bostonphil's complaint is that Norwegian Cruise Lines did this without notifying guests of the change.

Hello Carol NR and Cala

I do not consider what NCL did fraudulent but I am just unhappy that they did it.

I think they should have notified guests but still I would have been unhappy.

I would not have known that NCL changed their policy but that another guest posted on a facebook page.

Otherwise I would have found out when I went to book my excursions.

Even if NCL notified me, I would be unhappy as are other guests.

No surprise there. Companies are forever changing their programs and seldom does the customer receive any benefit. Just think how often airline loyalty programs change making frequent flier miles worth less.

Hello GregW

I have taken 10 cruises with Norwegian.

NCL offers great itineraries which attracts but yes, they do cancel ports, sometimes several. And they also change ports sometimes after final payments and sometimes just before sailing. It has been suggested that Norwegian posts great itineraries to attract and then changes ports after final payment,

My next cruise is September 2027. I will be sailing Iceland, Norway, Amsterdam and Bruges. Norwegian has had to substitute Bergen giving us Maloy instead which has made some guests very unhappy a year before we even sail. Bergen no longer accepts large ships. I am sailing on a. very large ship.

I have sailed the smaller ships which I now prefer. I do not need what I call "the gimmicks" ie the water park, the laser guns, the racing cars, etc. I like a quieter ship with an older crowd.

I have done a Mediterranean sailing and it is a great sailing. I sailed from Southampton to Lisbon and another time from Barcelona round trip. Wonderful, beautiful and interesting ports.

But be prepared for maybe rough weather. On one of them, we had quite a storm in Spain and had to skip the port. it was actually two storms butting heads. It was rough and we were up all night dealing with the storm. The next day, we were sliding all over the Garden Cafe and we were giggling because we were sleep deprived.

Excursions are often shockingly expensive so I sometimes have to do my own thing but that presents challenges due to age and mobility issues. I am very bad with maps and directions. Level 2 excursions are becoming too difficult for me and Level 1 do not offer me enough.

I may be at the end of my cruising life but not my traveling life.

I would love to read a TR when your cruise is over. If you have any questions about your ship or Norwegian or any of your ports, I am available. Maybe I can help but maybe not.

hello geovagriffin

I have heard many many good things about Shore Excursions but I have been faithful to NCL because of their policy that they will hold the ship if your excursion should be late.

And the $50 off along with 10% additional off because I am now platinum with NCL is a help. My budget has been tight but I am able to loosen up a bit more presently.

I want to use my $50 off amenity.

BigMike

NCL excursions are sometimes shockingly expensive.

If I had booked an excursion every port on my Japanese cruise with NCL, the cost of the excursions would have been more than the cost of the cruise.

My next cruise is Iceland, Norway, Amsterdam and Bruges. Iceland and Norway excursions are once again very expensive making Amsterdam and Bruges look "cheap". However in Iceland and Norway, it is easy to just walk off the ship and do your own thing.

Hi jaimee ....

Thanks for your input and you are right.

I have a lot of miles with both Delta and American but not enough for an international flight. Not even close. I may try miles and cash next time.

But two months ago apparently Norwegian changed their policy without
notifying guests. You only find out when you try to purchase some of
the excursions.

It is quite likely that somewhere in your original reservation materials there is a blanket statement by the company that says the policies for excursions, itineraries, etc. can change at any time. That's their notice to you. Just because you have future credits does not mean you owe them your future business.

Amsterdam - like many cruise lines NCL are docking at Ijmuiden to avoid paying the Amsterdam tourist tax and also avoid paying to use the canal.
However there is a public bus every 15 minutes from Ijmuiden direct to Harleem.

Likewise Bruges from Zeebrugge- all cruise lines make it look harder than it is to get there independently taking you to a distant station. Admittedly there are also train capacity problems.
But you can walk from the ship to Zeebrugge station (or very short taxi ride) for direct trains to Bruges.

If I docked at Zeebrugge I would be far more interested in exploring the Kustraam route for the day- the longest tramway in the world. Lots of interesting places on its route to visit. Not that mainstream cruise lines will even mention it.

Norwegian Cruise Line didn't pull anything. Your title is misleading. You keep complaining about the company, yet you keep giving them your business. They've sucked you in with their so-called loyalty program.

Every company I do business with changes their terms and policies constantly. NCL is no different.

I hope you can look past this and enjoy your cruise next year.

Thank you jeanm

Actually AI completed the title. I began the title by typing in Norwegian Cruise Line and "pulled one on guests" was one of two choices that popped up. I was not required to use either one but I felt that pulled one on guests was right for how I was feeling.

You are correct. I have been sucked in by their rewards program. Probably should have considered other cruise lines a couple of cruises back.

I want to or even need to stick with this one because I purchased one Cruise Next coupon which cost me $250 out of pocket and then I was given a Future Cruise Certificate for over $600 because my previous cruise went down so much after final booking.

I may be at the end of cruising due to age and mobility issues but if there is to be another cruise, I might consider looking at other companies.

I went to Paris for one week in May, no cruise just land, and will be going to London one week in October, no cruise just land. Really enjoyed my week in Paris but I also miss being on a cruise.

Thank you CL

yes, I have sailed NCL many times and am fully aware of the contract that says anything can change at any moment even while we are on the cruise and they owe us nothing.

In fact, they could go to no ports the entire cruise and too bad for the guest. You could spend a whole week going round and round in the ocean without porting.

After this next cruise, if I decide to cruise again, I may compare NCL to other cruise lines.

isn31c

It is best for me to stick with an excursion even if it is nothing more than transport.

Thank you for the information.

We don't sail much anymore after doing 21 ocean cruises.
Our favorite was Celebrity we also did ROYAL CARIBBEAN and NCL.
Toward the end of our cruising, we always compared these three, since we had loyalty benefits for each. ROYAL CARIBBEAN seemed to always come up with the best price.

NCL was great with its entertainment, but we hated their very expensive alcoholic drinks plans.
I recently wanted to book a Western Caribbean cruise from Tampa to see some ancient Mayan sites.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN had the best deal by far. They still provide us with 4 alcoholic drinks a day which is plenty for us. Celebrity had modified its loyalty program to not provide the same. We had 12 Celebrity cruises and 7 on NCL.

Also, Royal's entertainment is as good as NCL.
Celebrity was best for dining.

geovagriffith

I have heard that Celebrity and Princess are a step above Norwegian but that Royal Caribbean is about equal to Norwegian.

I went to Cruise Critic and searched for a cruise equal to the one that I am on and the only result was the one that I am on.

I have friends who sailed many times and stuck with RC. They had very good experiences with RC

wondering if I should change the title since some members do not seem to care for it.

I was going to title this discussion "Norwegian Cruise Line has made me unhappy Again!" until Ai gave me "pulled one on guests"

Consider what happens if you dont pay the overinflated price of a Bruges shore excursion. Instead you take a taxi for the 6 km ride to the train station. Then a 15 minute ride on the next train to Bruges ( hourly. €6). The train station is only a 10 minute walk to the bus plaza where your cruise excursion bus would drop off. Reverse that to return to the ship. Even with the taxis, I will bet it's a whole lot cheaper than that excursion. And the risk of being left behind is awfully low, providing you have a functioning time piece. Who knows, you might find a fellow passenger or 2 to share the taxi.

NCL has always been notorious for nickel and diming. This is only the latest example. If you need to change the title, how about a less pejorative " NCL changed excursion policy"

I support title change. It is fine for you to express your displeasure with the way this was handled. No so great to make it sound like the cruise line was purposefully defrauding you.

Haarlem is 10 miles from Felison Terminal at Ijmuiden.

Even if someone doesn't want to use the public bus, for whatever reason, a taxi should be less than 40 Euro each way, so is still less than the over priced NCL (or any other American cruise line), transfer bus.

If we want to say that NCL is over priced, and they are, then it is essential to consider cheaper alternatives.

Say you enroll a couple of other passengers from talking in the Solos lounge that could be as little as 25 Euro or so each, return.

The public bus is 4.30 euro each way.

CJean

I took some of your suggestion for the revised title. Thank you.

Carol NR. I changed it.

CJean

I was going to do Bruges On My Own and transit would have cost me either $99 or $119. I can not remember which but this is before the $50 reduction.

Now I would have to sign up for a guided tour if I want to use the $50 off. I have no problem with that but I do not feel i will be be able to keep up with the group due to my mobility issues.

All the Bruges guided tours are Level 2 or Level 3. Doing it on my own is Level one.

What is Ghent like because there is a Guided Level One Ghent. I think that it is mostly a canal tour of Ghent.

isn31c

For now,I am going to take a wait and see.

My cruise is over a year away and other excursions might be added.

For now, however, there are already many other options. I will be looking them over.

Does your ship have a Roll Call on Cruise Critic or Facebook? Perhaps a small group of you could arrange a taxi to Bruges for much less than the NCL offering. It would save everyone money.

Same with Haarlem.

With regards to NCL, I think they're suffering from some financial problems right now. Ironically, I got an email this morning from the travel writer for the Wall Street Journal, that gives a standard rundown about things going on in travel and so on. Right in the middle of it was their quote of the week:

And We Quote:

The vast, vast majority of our problems…are self-inflicted.
— says Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO John Chidsey, in response to questions about the company’s weak financial outlook despite strong travel demand.

Mardee

yes, I have heard from more than one source that NCL is having financial problems.

And I agree that it is self inflicted.

Among the problems is bad customer or guest services. A lot of cruisers are veyr unhappy with Norwegian and they post about it.

jeanm

it is too early for a Roll Call on Cruise Critic.

I have begun a page on Prima 2026/2027 Facebook and a very few have joined but have not said much yet. Even though excursions are offered, it is a little too early to sign up for one.

The Facebook Pages seem to be pushing out the Cruise Critic Roll Call.

Out of curiosity I've read a couple of articles tonight that confirm that NCL is having some cash flow problems. It's a perfect storm of problems that began with heavy borrowing during the pandemic and increased borrowing since as they've ordered several new ships to be delivered over the next 10 years. NCL carries the biggest annual borrowing interest payments of all the major lines. Added to this is fuel costs that we're higher last year than their revenue and they have a cash shortage issue. As a result, NCL is cutting back where they can.

Now what's interesting is that while NCL is the biggest villain, they're not alone. The cruiselines are taking a page out of the airlines playbook and starting to offer a buffet style pricing style and charging for everything. They saw that it worked for the airlines and continue to do it because they know they can, because despite the new charging approach, sales are up for all cruiselines including NCL.

As regards Ghent- it is a 5 hour excursion. The bus ride there is just under an hour each way, then the canal trip is about an hour, so that gives you maybe 2 hours of free time.
A little is better than nothing, but not really adequate in my opinion.

If you travel on smaller ships you can actually cruise into Ghent on ocean cruise ships, in which case you get a full day there- I have actually done that. That would be my preference if wanting to go to Ghent by sea.

Also if you have all day in Ghent there is what they call a water tram- a water bus or ferry which offers a hop on hop off option around the city.

In Iceland, at least at Reykjavik you can't just walk off the ship and do your own thing- you are looking at the wrong port. The big ships use an edge of town port, it is a 30 to 45 minute walk from the port into the city, so you will need to use the paid for bus. That is actually run by the port if I remember correctly, not the Cruise line Because of the size of the port you may also have to use a second bus to get from the ship to the terminal. I say 'have'- I stuck two fingers up at that idea, walked in and beat the bus while it waited for passengers- but the port didn't like me doing that.
As is almost always the case there is a cheaper option in the form of the city buses run by Straeto (who do a one day city pass ticket), and also the Hop on Hop Off buses call at the port.
But having done the walk in, while it was quite interesting it is a long walk, and not the best use of most people's time. Having been there before it was a walk I wanted to do.

Consider what happens if you dont pay the overinflated price of a Bruges shore excursion. Instead you take a taxi for the 6 km ride to the train station.

It isn't 6km to the train station- that is to Blankenberge, the station the cruise lines use. It is only 1 mile walk or taxi to Zeebrugge Dorp [Town] Station, for direct trains to Bruges (or 1.5 miles to Zeebrugge Strand station which is used at weekends all year and daily in July and August, rather than Dorp- closer to the beach and the old ferry port).

Or 6km in the other direction (east) takes you past all the beaches to Knokke which also has direct trains on another branch line to Bruges.

The tram also takes you further to the seaside resort and former ferry port of Oostende/Ostend which also has direct trains to Bruges.

Hello Allen

The cruise lines have never been able to fully recover from COVID. They took quite a hit.

I have heard in a. lot of different ways that Norwegian is having financial difficulties.

But they seem to have endless money for marketing and luring or encouraging people to sign up for cruises. The ships are very close to full.

The marketing is great but the guests do not seem to get what is promised. It is obvious to anyone who has sailed with Norwegian over a period of years that they have been cutting back. They have cut back in so many ways that you could write a paper about it. And it is showing and the guests are feeling it. The cutbacks are in your face, They can not be ignored or avoided.

A new guest might not notice the cutbacks but f you have sailed Norwegian over a 10 year period, you can not help but notice. It just goes on and on.

Guests are offered a $50 off of excursions as an amenity through the Free At Sea Program. You only get one per cabin, not one per guest but if you can no longer use it for excursions that offer transport from ship to destination or for the HoHo bus, Norwegian gets to pocket a lot of money. And guests are being forced to book a guided excursion which is often overpriced. Sure there are other options like DIY or go with a third party but you were offered and you took the $50 off excursions as your amenity. Your amenity is less valuable than it once was.

Hello isn31c

Thank you for all the information.

Regarding Reykjavik, I am sailing from Reykjavik. I will be flying there and then spending three nights before sailing. My cruise is from Reykjavik to Southampton.

It is too early to book hotels but I will be looking at Center Hotels as Forum has strongly suggested. Do you have a favorite hotel in Reykjavik?

I really appreciate the information about the cruise port. A taxi is probably going to be out of budget. I would love the walk if I am able to do it with my luggage. Even with mobility issues, I am able to take a long walk but slowly and with sitting down. now and then, My luggage might be a problem. I travel light but still there is luggage.

I will be going to two other ports in Iceland and then three in Norway. Excursions are very expensive and I will have to make choices about what ports I can do my own thing and which ones I will want to take an excursion.

I am not going to worry about excursions now. I have over a year before sailing and who knows what is going to happen between now and then.

Regarding excursions. There is never enough time on the excursions. It does not matter which excursion.

About December, I will probably be getting very serious about this cruise. I hope that you will continue to advise me.

Guests are offered a $50 off of excursions as an amenity through the Free At Sea Program. You only get one per cabin, not one per guest but if you can no longer use it for excursions that offer transport from ship to destination or for the HoHo bus.

BP, that is unfortunate, but I don't think there's anything you can do about it, except skip the ship's excursions and head off on your own. As Allan said above, the cruise lines have discovered what the airlines found out a while ago, which is that people are willing to pay premium sums for comfort and all the extras perks. And with gas prices the way they are now, most of them are looking for any way to increase their revenue. The fact that something has been offered for free in the past is irrelevant.

With regards to Reykjavik, I just got back from there, and loved it. I will be writing a trip report, and I'm in the midst of preparing it, but it probably won't be ready for another few days. I do write a personal blog online with photos that you're welcome to look at. Here is a link to the page on our first day in Reykjavik and our stay at the Midgardur Center Hotel there. https://mostlytraveled.wordpress.com/2026/07/11/day-1-1-2-exploring-reykjavik/

Another vote for the Midagardur. We have stayed there several times and have it booked for our trip in May.

I know your trip is a ways away, but lodging in Iceland books far in advance, usually 9-12 months out, especially outside of Reykjavik. Reykjavik itself has a lot of options, but of course the places that are more reasonably priced get booked up fast, so do keep this in mind and book as soon as you know your dates.

I really appreciate the information about the cruise port. A taxi is
probably going to be out of budget. I would love the walk if I am able
to do it with my luggage

Please do not rule out taxi out of hand. A one way fare will probably run less than $30 at current rates. The walk will take more than an hour going at a good clip, and though mostly flat, it is along a busy road with zero shelter and very few places to stop. If the weather is bad it would be extremely uncomfortable. As I recall you've attempted long walks pre-cruise before and it adversely impacted the rest of your travels, so I strongly recommend researching other options besides walking.

And guests are being forced to book a guided excursion which is often
overpriced.

The rules for applying a discount have changed, but absolutely no one is being "forced" to book a guided excursion. Each passenger can exit the ship and do as they please in port. I understand you have enjoyed past perks that made the cruise feel more affordable but times have changed. There is a year to plan and make choices that work for your budget.

Mardee and mikliz97

Mardee, I am looking forward to the trip report. I did glance at the link that you sent me and will look at it again later when I have more time

I have the Center Midagardur and Center Plaza both in mind. I am probably going to go through booking even though I know you book directly. Center Hotels are not yet available on booking but I did a mock booking. Midagardur. was on the pricey side because I am looking at room with spa. I want the spa but maybe if i book as soon as it is available on booking, it will not be so pricey.

mikliz97. don't you also stay at Center Plaza? I am thinking that you also recommended it.

CL

Thank you for the information.

For some reason, I thought that taxi were going to be very expensive. $30 is within budget. I did not realize the walk from hotel to port would be so long and challenging.

Re the $50 off excursion amenity. I choose to take it and I want to use it. Why take it if you do not use it. Now in some ports I will be doing my own thing because I have to. The cost of excursions is so high that I can not afford to book one in every port.

Once you were able to use the $50 off excursion for transport and the HoHo bus. This was a big help when it came to the high cost of excursions and budget.

Now that I can not do the above any longer, I feel that I am being forced to take a guided tour if I want to use the $50 off excursion amenity.

For some reason, I thought that taxi were going to be very expensive. $30 is within budget.

Definitely check the price before you get in the cab, though. It may or may not be $30. That gives you a general idea, but it could be more, as I don't believe Iceland regulates its cabs. Also, there is no need to tip.

With regards to the hotels, I would definitely check to see whether booking.com OR booking direct is the cheaper option. Also, check to see what amenities both offer. Generally, hotels will give you perks that you don't get if you book somewhere else. For example, because I booked directly through Midgardur Center Hotel, we got 20% off the room price, two complimentary drinks in the bar and early check-in (if available). In our case, it was and we were able to check in at 10:00 in the morning. I have never had that happen before, so I was thrilled.

We're planning to take a Princess cruise to Eastern Canada in Sept 2027. NCL also had the itinerary I wanted, but I heard so much about constant ads on the loudspeaker that I decided I'd rather not go than put up with that. You tube videos about life on an NCL cruise made me feel anxious just hearing about it( and I don't usually have anxiety issues).

Bostonphil--We have stayed multiple times at CH Midgardur, CH Laugavegur, CH Plaza, as well as The centrum and Hotel Fron. Any of these are good. Booking directly with CH is usually the best prices as Mardee mentioned. I booked about a month ago for next May and got 30% off, plus the welcome drink, plus breakfast, and early check in and late check out. On Booking.com usually breakfast is extra, so on top of the room rate. When we went in March, we booked around the holidays and got our room for 40% off by booking directly.

Mardee

I have already been checking Center Hotels websites. I see a button about perks if you book directly. One problem I am having is that when I search directly, the price comes up in Krona. Is there any way to have it come up in dollars. i see that I can book a room and then add on the spa and then add on spa personal care.

Is there a hot tub only outside? Are you not cold getting in and out? What spa facilities are available inside?

I have been taking the krona and converting them to dollars through a currency exchange site just to get an idea of what I am paying in dollars.

Going through booking, I have to add on a room with spa. It is a room higher than the standard room.

I am Genius I with booking so I get 10% off. And I am so comfortable with the site. It is so familiar to me.

As soon as rooms become available on booking, I will book something with free cancellation and keep my eye on it.

I bought a new iPhone, 16e and really loving it although there is some learning. I was not able to do much with my old Android because it was so old and I could no longer get updates. I can scan QR codes now.

mikliz97

Usually it is less to book direct but I have used booking so many times that I am now at Genius I level and often get 10% or more off. I will be comparing.

I have been doing mock bookings with the hotels as well as with booking. I am playing around with them all.

And I will book something fast just to have it but will keep shopping.

I will be keeping you, Mardee and others who have guided me updated.

One sort of little problem that I am having. When I do a mock booking with the Center Hotels, the money only comes up in Krona. There seems to be no way for me to request dollar amount on the hotel site. I take the Krona amount and go to.a currency exchange site. I want to know how much I am going to pay in dollars.

cala

The Eastern Canada cruise are supposed to be beautiful most especially if you can catch the leaves changing color.

When you are on a. cruise, you talk to people about cruises, of course. I have talked to people who have taken 50 plus. cruises on several cruise lines . Most of them say that Princess is. a step above Norwegian.

I do not remember constant ads coming from the loudspeakers on Norwegian.

While Norwegian disappoints me, I still have some very good times and some very good memories I continue to book other cruises with Norwegian so none of the disappointments are deal breakers.

I still feel they are the best cruise line for the solo passenger.

I would probably give Norwegian 3 stars ansd if someone asked me about cruise lines, I would be honest about my experiences. I would suggest they also look into Princess and Celebrity But if it is win their budget, I woul suggest some of the more upscale cruise lines like Viking and there are others.

I hope that you will write a T A after your cruise.

I hope that nothing I posted added to your anxiety.

Your amended title is just fine, bostonphil7, thanks for making the effort. You have your opinions. Frankly, you do an amazing amount of research (far) ahead of time.! You got some good info about how to take the excursions yourself, maybe look into that excursion website? They've done a lot of cruising. That sounds promising & easier than DIY perhaps?

We have taken many private shore excursions with this company and
never been disappointed. https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com

Just to be clear. Shore Excursions Group is a 3rd party booking platform. They are not a tour company, and they do not conduct their own tours. Comparable to TripAdvisor, with a focus on cruise passengers.

Sandancisco

i love doing research ... all kinds of research, not just having to do with travel.

I am familiar with ShoreExcursions because it has been recomended to me and to others many times over. Cruisers speak very highly of this company.

I looked at the link you attached and now I am not certain if it is the company that has been recommended or another one but thank you for the link. Will keep it in mind.

CJean

Thank you for the info.

The benefit of Shore Excursions Group is that they guarantee to get you back to the ship on time, of if that is totally impossible get you to the next port by whatever means necessary.

So if we take Geiranger, Norway as an example they might charge £80 for an excursion you could buy quayside on the day from a local company for say £60 (prices used for illustrative purposes only).
They will use the same buses of the same local company.

The benefit is that if the impossible happens then the responsibility of the local company ends when they get you back to the quayside. The extra £20 is, if you like, a hidden form of insurance.
The commercial gamble of Shore Excursions is that they don't have to use that 'insurance' money.

So if the next port is Bergen Cruise Excursions may have to pay for a hotel for you, then a bus or taxi or even flight from Alesund to Bergen next day.

Now Geiranger is a bad example, because the ship's tours will be on the same road. So everyone will be caught up in an RTA or rockfall situation, and if the local bus breaks down then the ship's buses will step in to assist, but you get the drift of how it works.

If it was Lisbon, and the next port Barcelona, they will have to pay for a flight for you next day LIS-BCN and probably for one night hotel in Lisbon, and one in Barcelona.

bostonphil--I am at Genius Level 3 on booking and the last few trips have still been cheaper to book directly with CH, but of course always compare. The one thing that really changes the price is if you include breakfast as the cheapest rate on booking does not include that. As for krona vs dollars, you do want to opt for the local currency. Just use XE or a similar app and you can see what it would cost in US dollars with the exchange rate.

On the NCL website, there is a section of fine print about several aspects of a cruise. Under the $50 excursion discount, there are several paragraphs. (One of them is that the discount is only applicable to the first name on a tour seservation. BTW, that is the rare case of a plum for SOLO travelers!)

Here is another part of that section:
- -
Not eligible / exclusions

Equipment rentals at Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye.

Pre- and post-cruise land tours.

Shipboard Behind the Scenes Tour and Late Checkout.

Attractions, entrance tickets, shows, and passes.

Trams, tramways, hop-on-hop-off buses, and shuttles, transfers and on your own experiences
- -

The last line above discloses the newer rule for HOHO and "on your own." I do think that they should have added an annoying "pop up" window to the online excursion booking process for a year or two, but you wouldn't see that if you only buy excursions at the desk on the ship.

And alas, a blanket check box saying "you have read and agree to terms and conditions" stated elsewhere is pretty universal on the internet market today. I'm sure Rick has it too.

Tim

I know that when I did Bruges on my Own a few years back, I was able to use my $50 off of the transport.

I have never done a HoHo bus through NCL but I believe that you once could use your $50 off.

You get a line on the excursions saying something about $50 discount applies but it no longer says that on excursions that are transport only. This is a new change.

And yes, I know all about the contract which I admit to never fully reading.

In order to get my $50 off, I need to call the Shore Excursions number to book and I need to pay in advance.

I guess you could also get it if you book on the ship but by then, many excursions are gone and you have to sometimes stand in a line that takes a long time. I guess that I would rather do other things when on the ship.

mikliz97

I went to the Midgardur site and went through a booking.

For four nights with free cancellation, breakfast, spa, and spa kit, it came to just over $2,000. This is way out of budget.

I may have to go to one of the less expensive Center Hotels without spa. I may have to consider only three nights. Or I may look at other hotels.

I will not book anything until next month and then it will be free cancellation so I can keep shopping around.

isn31c

Color me skeptic about all that Shore Excursions say they will do if they miss getting you back to the ship on time but I have heard very good things about the company from many cruisers.