Shore Excursions

About Shore Excursions

• Pre-Sail shore excursion orders must be booked Staged at www.carnival.com/shore-excursions; the guest's cruise booking must be fully deposited.

• The guest must be registered with the site.

• Only shore excursions relevant to the specific itinerary booked will be shown.

• Desired selections can be booked and placed in ‘My Shopping Cart’ for review. Full payment is due upon completion of the order process at ‘Check Out’. For a list of acceptable forms of payment, click here.

• Note: If shore excursions are booked Staged, they must be paid for immediately; if the shore excursions are purchased onboard the ship, then they are billed to the guest’s Sail & Sign account.

• A confirmation page with order number will be available Staged in a print friendly format.

Can I take more than one shore excursion in each port of call?

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.

Can I purchase a shore excursion for the day I debark the ship?

Yes, in many ports of call, shore excursions have been designed for guests with late flights. You will see these listed under your debarkation port name. Please verify your flight time prior to booking this type of shore tour.

Can I cancel or add to my shore tour order?

Staged: Orders must be cancelled Staged and no cancellation charges will be assessed if done prior to the pre-sail cut-off time (11:30pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure). Any cancellations done afterwards must be handled on board. In the event of pre-sailing, Staged cancellations, a full refund will automatically be posted to the form of payment used to secure the order. Please allow 7-10 business days for the credit to reflect on your account.

Onboard: After the pre-sails cut off time, cancellations must be handled on board and cancellation charges are as follows:

• 25% charge once onboard
• 100% charge if cancellation within 24 hours of arrival in port
• Refunds less cancellation charges will be applied in the form of a credit to the guest's Sail & Sign account
• Sail & Sign credit balances will be paid to the guest in the form of a Carnival check at the end of the voyage

How do I book?

Can I take more than one shore excursion in each port of call?

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.

Can I purchase a shore excursion for the day I debark the ship?

Can I cancel or add to my shore tour order?

Do I have to book a shore excursion through Carnival or can I go off on my own?

You are not obligated to book shore excursions through Carnival in order to leave the ship. Public transportation is available at each port. We suggest you visit your local library, bookstore or a pertinent website to determine where you would like to go.

Carnival does not offer any alternatives from the established shore excursion program. All shore excursions sold through Carnival are coordinated with reputable tour operators and include all of the most popular sites of interest.

One of the many benefits of booking excursions through Carnival is a guarantee that the ship will remain in port until all guests are back onboard. Carnival will not be aware of shore excursions that are booked independently. Also, keep in mind that some ports have visa requirements that may prevent you from venturing off on your own.

Will I need to bring money on a shore excursion?

When noted in the shore tour description, snacks, drinks and even meals are included in the price of that excursion. However, you may want to bring money with you as some excursions stop in areas where you are able to purchase souvenirs, food and various other refreshments. These items will be at your own expense.

Do I need to sign a waiver to participate in any of the shore excursions?

Yes. Some excursions require a waiver to be completed and signed before participation. These are usually the more active type excursions such as snorkeling, diving, kayaking, horseback riding, etc. These procedures are for your safety. Contact the Shore Excursion Manager onboard if you have any concerns.

What if I do not have a cruise booking number?

You can always browse shore excursions Staged at www.carnival.com/shore-excursions. This will help you decide which of our exciting destinations you would like to visit. However, to make a shore excursion booking, you must first book a cruise and meet all deposit requirements for each of the guests for which you are booking shore excursions. At this point, you should receive your cruise booking number. If you have done so and still do not have a cruise booking number, please contact your Travel Agent or whoever assisted you with your cruise booking.

Are you able to customize a group shore excursion?

Yes, with one 'common group booking number' as well as a minimum of 35 guests you may customize shore excursions.

Will I miss the ship if I go on shore excursions?

One of the major advantages of participating in shore excursions sold through Carnival is that we closely monitor the excursion departures and returns. Therefore, we can assure you that even if there are unexpected delays on an excursion, your ship will be there when you return. Please be aware that if you make your own arrangements, or leave an organized excursion, you will be on your own and it will be up to you to make sure you return to your ship on time.

What type of clothing should I wear on an excursion in a port?

It depends on the climate of the port. Given the warm climate and the more rustic conditions in the Caribbean and Central America, we strongly suggest that you wear light, casual clothing and comfortable, low-heeled walking shoes or sneakers. For any brief tropical showers you may encounter, you might want to bring a fold-up umbrella and a light jacket. We have placed a symbol next to the water-related excursion descriptions, for which we suggest you wear your bathing suit, cover-up and hat. Also, remember to bring sunscreen, a towel and a camera and to leave your valuables onboard, in your staterooms. For all golf excursions, collared shirts and either long pants or Bermuda-style shorts (no cut-offs, bathing suits, etc.) are required.

Given the fluctuating climate in Alaska, Canada, and New England, we strongly suggest you dress in layers – a shirt, sweater and light raincoat will do. This allows you to add or remove layers as needed. Wear comfortable, low-heeled walking shoes or sneakers, or sturdier shoes for activities such as hiking. You might want to bring a fold-up umbrella and a light jacket in your carry on.

Note: Cancellations due to weather are the determination of the tour operator only. See specific questions related to shore excursion cancellations.

How do I make changes to shore excursion orders after the Pre-Sail cut-off time?

Unfortunately, we no longer have access to any shore excursion orders after the cut-off time (11:30pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure). Keep in mind that you will have up until this time, unless otherwise noted in the excursion description, to make new shore excursion bookings, cancel all or part of existing shore excursion orders or change the designated contact person. In order to make any change to your shore excursion orders after the cut-off time, you will need to see the Shore Excursion Manager once you are onboard the ship. In the event of a cruise booking cancellation within the cut-off window, a full refund will automatically be posted to the form of payment used to pay for the order.

Are there any children's prices for shore excursions?

Yes. Children between the ages of 4 to 12 years and teens between the ages of 13 to 18 years will be charged full adult price, or special child/teen prices when applicable and noted. Infants ages 3 and younger sitting on a parent’s lap and therefore not occupying a seat, are not charged for most shore excursions. These excursions are indicated with the 'Infants Free' advisory. There are also some shore excursions that require that each guest purchase a ticket, regardless of age. This will be noted in the specific shore excursion’s description. If a parent would like their infant to occupy a seat, where it is not required, then the parent must purchase an excursion ticket for the infant at the published excursion price or child price, where available. Parents are also responsible for bringing a safety seat for their child if required.

Guests under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (18 years or older) to participate in shore excursions. Some excursions require a minimum age to participate and will be noted accordingly.

What is the cancellation and refund policy for shore excursions in the event of bad weather or unexpected circumstances?

Certain excursions have minimum guest participation requirements and shore excursions may be cancelled or modified depending on the number of guests participating. In the event of cancellation or modification of a tour, best efforts will be made to provide advance notice. Shore excursions may be cancelled by Carnival or the Tour Operator due to inclement weather conditions, or any other reason whatsoever. Full refunds will be made to guests who purchased excursions which get cancelled. If the shore excursions are cancelled prior to the sailing, you will receive a refund directly to the form of payment used to pay for the shore excursion order. If the shore excursions are cancelled while onboard, the amount of the refund will be credited to your shipboard account.

Should I tip the tour guide?

Tipping is a discretionary matter. However, it is customary around the world, if you are pleased with the excursion, to tip the tour guide. A general rule of thumb is one dollar per person for a half-day excursion and two dollars per person for a full-day excursion.

Who can book?

Guests must order directly through Carnival.com.
We will not accept Pre-Sail orders by telephone, fax, email or mail.

To be eligible, the guest must have:

• Fully deposited cruise booking
• Cabin level booking number
• Internet access/email account
• Registered with Carnival.com

For a list of acceptable forms of payment, click here.

How can I cancel a shore excursion Staged?

In order to cancel a shore excursion order, please follow these steps:

• Login or access your booking by going to https://secure.carnival.com/BookedGuest

• Once in My CRUISE MANAGER, select VIEW DETAILS to view specific information about your cruise vacation.

• Click on the MY ACTIVITIES tab which will display the excursion purchased.

• Then click on the VIEW ORDER link on the right hand side.

• User will be directed to the MODIFY ORDER page.

• Select the guest(s) that wish to be removed by checking their respective boxes on the right hand side.

• Complete the contact information located below.

• Click on CONFIRM CHANGES to remove guest or to cancel excursion.

Will I miss meals if I go on shore excursions?

When the ship is in port, the meal times are sometimes adjusted to accommodate the departure and return times of shore excursions booked through Carnival. On most ships, alternative dining is available so guests participating in shore excursions can dine at their convenience.

When booking a morning excursion and an afternoon excursion together, you should allow a minimum of one hour, rather than the suggested 30 minutes, in between excursions to enjoy a quick buffet lunch onboard. If the port requires tendering, you will need additional time for the transfer to and from shore side.

When will I receive my pre-paid shore excursion tickets?

Pre-paid shore excursion tickets will be delivered to your stateroom after sailing on the first evening of your cruise.

What is the Shore Excursion Best Price Guarantee?

Guests sailing on a Carnival cruise who book a shore excursion through us can be completely confident they are getting the best price and best value with the introduction of our Shore Excursion Best Price Guarantee. The only guarantee of its kind in the cruise industry, the program is now available fleetwide for all Carnival Cruise Lines shore excursions on ships sailing from North America.

Under the best price guarantee, guests who find the same tour offered by another operator at a lower price than their booked excursion either before or during their cruise will be eligible to receive 110% of the difference in the form of a shipboard credit.

The best price guarantee is applicable to shore excursion matches on the same date as the tour purchased from Carnival. For details about the Shore Excursion Best Price Guarantee, click here.

Already booked your cruise?

Feeling Generous?

Give a gift to your friend going on one of our cruises!

Popular Searches

About Shore Excursions