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If you are taking a Holland America Line cruise, shore excursions are one of the easiest ways to explore the destinations on your itinerary. You can choose from sightseeing tours, cultural experiences, wildlife activities, food-focused excursions, scenic adventures, and other organized activities in many ports of call.
Holland America Line allows guests to book excursions online through their cruise account, through the Navigator app, by contacting the Shore Excursions department, or onboard the ship at the Shore Excursion Office. Holland America recommends booking early because popular tours can have limited capacity and may sell out. Online booking and prepayment are available up to three days before sailing.
This guide explains the booking process step by step, when you should reserve a tour, how payment works, what happens if an excursion sells out, and what you should know about cancellations and refunds.
Holland America Line shore excursions are organized activities that passengers can take while the ship is visiting a port. They are optional additions to the cruise and are arranged with local tour operators and guides.
Depending on your itinerary, excursions can include:
The available excursions vary by destination because each port has different attractions, operators, and activities.
You do not have to book an excursion. You can also explore a port independently. However, a Holland America-organized excursion can simplify transportation, meeting points, timing, and the return to the ship.
There are several ways to book a Holland America shore excursion.
One of the main ways to reserve an excursion is through your Holland America Line cruise account.
After your cruise reservation is confirmed, you can access the available shore excursions for your itinerary.
The general process is:
Holland America advises guests to book early because excursion capacity is limited and popular tours can sell out.
The Holland America Line Navigator app is another convenient way to manage your cruise and book shore excursions.
Holland America says the app can be used before sailing to explore and book shore excursions. Once onboard, it also provides access to cruise information and other onboard services.
To use the app:
Holland America recommends downloading the Navigator app before boarding so you are familiar with it before your cruise begins.
If you prefer personal assistance, you can contact Holland America Line's Shore Excursions department.
The company lists these numbers:
The department can help guests find, book, and purchase shore excursions.
This option can be useful if you have questions about a tour's activity level, accessibility, timing, or other requirements.
You can also book excursions after boarding the ship.
Holland America states that guests can request tours at the onboard Shore Excursion Office. Availability may be more limited by that point because some excursions can sell out before sailing.
For that reason, waiting until you are onboard may not be the best approach if there is a particular excursion you definitely want.
The best time to book depends on how important a particular excursion is to your trip.
If there is a popular tour that you definitely want, booking early gives you a better chance of getting a place.
Holland America specifically advises guests to book early because tours have limited capacity and can sell out.
Early booking can help you:
Excursion details may sometimes be updated closer to departure. If a tour has not yet been finalized, Holland America recommends checking again later.
Holland America currently states that online booking and prepayment for shore excursions are available up to three days before sailing.
After that point, guests may still be able to arrange excursions onboard, depending on availability and the particular tour.
This does not mean every excursion remains available until three days before departure. A tour can sell out earlier.
Therefore, the three-day online deadline should not be treated as a guarantee that a particular excursion will still have space.
Yes. Holland America allows guests to request shore excursions onboard through the Shore Excursion Office.
However, availability can be limited. Popular tours may already be full by the time the ship sails.
If your trip includes a must-do excursion, reserving it before departure is generally more practical than waiting until you are onboard.
Do not choose an excursion based only on its title and price. Read the full description carefully.
Before booking, check:
Look at how long the excursion lasts and compare it with your time in port.
A long tour may take up most of your available time ashore.
Holland America provides information intended to help guests understand the physical demands of excursions.
Consider whether the tour involves:
Choose an activity level that matches your physical abilities.
Read the instructions carefully to determine where and when you need to meet.
Some excursions may require walking from the ship to a meeting point or following specific instructions after disembarkation.
Check whether the excursion includes:
This can be especially important for travelers who have mobility concerns.
Some excursions have minimum or maximum age requirements.
Holland America says children's prices, where available, are shown on the individual excursion listing. Its current general information says children's pricing generally applies to ages 12 and under, while guests 13 and older are charged the adult fare. Certain tours may have different rules.
If you require accessible transportation or have mobility limitations, review the excursion information carefully before purchasing.
Holland America also provides a dedicated contact for shore excursion accessibility questions.
There is no single price for all Holland America shore excursions.
The cost depends on factors such as:
The price shown for the individual excursion is the amount to consider when making your booking.
Holland America also states that prices can change without notice, so checking the current listing is important.
Holland America states that shore excursions booked through its program are paid for by credit card when booked.
A confirmation is sent to the guest's email after booking.
Keep your confirmation available until the excursion is completed.
Holland America provides digital tour tickets through its Navigator app.
The company advises guests to download the app before boarding. Your Digital Tour Tickets can be accessed through the app after booking.
Having the information available digitally can make it easier to check your excursion details during the cruise.
Popular Holland America excursions can sell out because tours have limited capacity.
Some sold-out excursions may offer a waitlist option. If space becomes available and you are on the waitlist, Holland America says you will receive an email notification and have 72 hours to book and confirm the reservation. The credit card is charged after confirmation.
If your preferred excursion is sold out, check whether a waitlist is available rather than immediately assuming that the tour cannot be obtained.
You can also look at alternative excursions in the same port.
Yes. Holland America Line currently offers a Best Price Guarantee for eligible shore excursions.
If you book a Holland America shore excursion and later find an identical tour advertised by a third party at a lower price, you can submit a Best Price Guarantee request.
Holland America states that an approved claim provides non-refundable onboard credit equal to 110% of the price difference. The request must be submitted at least seven days before the cruise departs, and the competing tour must have public pricing and identical details. Group shore excursions are excluded.
This is an important distinction: simply finding another tour that looks similar does not necessarily qualify. The competing excursion must meet Holland America's eligibility requirements.
If you believe an excursion qualifies:
Holland America says approved claims result in onboard credit equal to 110% of the price difference.
Yes, but the cancellation rules depend on when you cancel and the type of excursion.
Holland America's current FAQ states that prepaid shore excursions can generally be canceled up to three days before cruise embarkation for a refund to the credit card used for the purchase. Within three days of embarkation, changes and cancellations must be handled onboard. Onboard cancellations can be subject to cancellation fees.
There can also be an individual excursion cancellation deadline.
For this reason, always check the cancellation terms for the specific tour you purchase.
According to Holland America's current cancellation information, cancellations within three days of embarkation must be handled onboard rather than online.
Refunds for qualifying onboard cancellations are applied to the guest's onboard account, and cancellation fees may apply. If you cancel after the specific excursion's cancellation deadline, Holland America states that a 100% cancellation fee can apply.
Some excursion types, including group and custom tours, can have different rules.
If Holland America Line or the tour operator cancels an excursion, Holland America's current FAQ states that the full amount is refunded within four to six weeks after the voyage ends.
The exact handling can depend on the circumstances, so retain your booking confirmation and any cancellation information.
One benefit of booking through Holland America is protection when a scheduled port is missed.
Holland America states that guests receive a full refund when a port is missed and an excursion therefore cannot operate.
This is one reason some travelers prefer cruise-line-arranged excursions instead of making completely independent arrangements.
Holland America provides a return-to-ship guarantee for its shore excursions.
The company states that if a Holland America shore excursion is delayed and, in the exceptional situation, the ship must depart, Holland America will arrange and pay for transportation to the next port of call. This guarantee applies to excursions booked through Holland America.
This is different from independently arranged activities, where the passenger generally carries responsibility for getting back to the ship on time.
Excursion departure times are coordinated with the ship's schedule and other tours.
Holland America says excursion timing is designed around the ship's port schedule, and the company provides a worry-free return policy for its own excursions.
When selecting a tour, compare its start and end time with:
Avoid scheduling independent activities too close to your all-aboard time.
Both approaches are possible.
Holland America itself notes that guests can explore a port independently or choose a guided shore excursion.
Potential advantages include:
Holland America says its excursions are operated with licensed, insured, and professional local operators and guides.
An independent tour may offer different group sizes, schedules, or experiences.
However, you need to take responsibility for:
For a port where timing is tight, these differences can be particularly important.
It may be possible to take multiple activities if their schedules do not overlap and enough time is available.
Holland America says shore excursion departure times are coordinated with the ship's schedule and other tours, allowing guests to plan their day with the possibility of taking multiple tours.
However, do not book excursions too close together.
Allow enough time for:
The available schedule should be checked carefully before making multiple reservations.
Holland America says shore excursions are available in most ports of call, but the selection differs by destination.
Some ports may have many choices, while others may have a smaller selection because of local conditions, attractions, transportation, or tour availability.
The best way to see what is available for your cruise is to sign in to your account and check the excursions associated with your specific itinerary.
Children can participate in many excursions, but age requirements vary by activity.
Holland America says children's prices, where available, are displayed on the individual tour listing. Its current general information indicates that children's pricing generally applies to children 12 and under, while guests 13 and older pay the adult fare.
Some activities can have stricter minimum-age requirements.
Parents should therefore check the individual excursion description before booking.
What you need depends on the destination and activity.
Common items may include:
For water-based or active tours, the excursion description may specify additional equipment or clothing.
Always follow the specific instructions supplied for your tour.
Choosing an excursion is easier when you start with your own travel priorities rather than simply selecting the most popular tour.
Consider these questions:
Choose a city, landmark, historical, or scenic tour.
Look for wildlife, national park, hiking, kayaking, or other outdoor experiences where available.
Culinary tours, markets, local tastings, and cultural experiences can provide a closer look at the destination.
Pay close attention to walking distances, stairs, transportation, and activity-level information.
A shorter tour may make more sense if you want additional time to explore independently.
Limited capacity means popular excursions can sell out. Early booking gives you more choices.
Check duration, activity level, age requirements, transportation, and meeting instructions.
Do not assume every excursion has identical cancellation rules. Holland America notes that specific tours can have individual deadlines.
The app provides access to your cruise information and digital excursion tickets and can be used to book excursions before sailing.
If you find an identical excursion at a lower publicly advertised third-party price, review Holland America's Best Price Guarantee requirements before submitting a claim.
Even when two tours appear to fit on paper, delays can happen. A reasonable buffer makes your port day easier to manage.
You can book through your Holland America cruise account online, through the Navigator app, by contacting the Shore Excursions department, or onboard at the Shore Excursion Office.
Holland America recommends booking early because excursions have limited capacity and popular tours can sell out.
Yes. Holland America allows guests to book excursions online through their cruise account, with online booking and prepayment available up to three days before sailing.
Yes. Holland America's Navigator app allows guests to explore and book shore excursions before sailing.
Yes. Guests can request shore excursions at the onboard Shore Excursion Office, subject to availability.
Some sold-out tours offer a waitlist. If space becomes available, Holland America says waitlisted guests receive an email notification and have 72 hours to confirm and pay.
Yes, but the applicable cancellation rules depend on when you cancel and the type of excursion. Prepaid excursions can generally be canceled up to three days before embarkation for a refund to the original credit card, while cancellations closer to departure must be handled onboard and may incur fees.
Yes. For an eligible identical excursion, Holland America says an approved claim can provide onboard credit equal to 110% of the price difference. The claim must meet the company's requirements and be submitted at least seven days before departure.
For excursions booked through Holland America, the company provides a return-to-ship guarantee. In the exceptional circumstance that a tour runs late and the ship departs, Holland America says it will arrange and pay for transportation to the next port.
Shore excursions are optional additions to the cruise and are generally purchased separately. The price is shown with the individual excursion listing.
Many excursions allow children, but age restrictions vary. Children's pricing, where available, is shown on the individual excursion listing.
Holland America works with local suppliers, guides, and tour operators in its ports of call.
Holland America lists 1-888-425-9376 and 206-626-7320 for its Shore Excursions department. The department can assist with finding, booking, and purchasing excursions.
Booking a shore excursion with Holland America Line is straightforward. You can reserve excursions through your online cruise account, use the Navigator app, call the Shore Excursions department, or book onboard at the Shore Excursion Office.
For travelers who have a particular tour in mind, booking early is important because excursions have limited capacity and popular options can sell out. Before purchasing, review the tour's duration, activity level, age requirements, transportation, meeting instructions, and cancellation terms.
Holland America also provides several useful protections for excursions booked through the cruise line, including a return-to-ship policy, a full refund if the port is missed, and a Best Price Guarantee subject to its stated requirements.
The simplest approach is to check your cruise account or Navigator app soon after booking your cruise, compare the available excursions at each port, and reserve the experiences that best match your schedule and interests.
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