It can be disappointing to cruisers to be excited about a particular shore tour, a once-in-a-lifetime excursion option, only to learn that they may not meet the physical requirements to participate in the tour.
While such requirements are in place to ensure safety for everyone participating in the excursion, what about guests who may not want to participate in every aspect of a tour? Can they still go on the tour, and is their price changed based on participation?
One eager cruise guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, about such a situation for their upcoming visit to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.
“I want to go zip lining in Amber Cove, however, my husband is a giant 6โ8โ, 350lb, grizzly bear (teddy bear) and will not be able to participate, and he is perfectly fine with that,” the guest explained. “Can he go with me on the excursion? We will pay full price for his place on the bus.”
While the guest does not indicate exactly when they will be visiting Amber Cove or from which Carnival cruise ship, the tours are generally the same from vessel to vessel, as they are offered by local tour agencies. Cruise lines offer these tours whenever available as their ships visit the port of call.
In Amber Cove, several tour options include zip lining adventures. It is common for tours to offer several activities in different locations, such as a beach break, lunch, visits to fun factories such as tequila or chocolate, horseback riding, and more for a full day of adventure.
When tours require a maximum weight limit such as for a zip line, that information is listed with the tour description so travelers can make informed choices about excursion activities. For zip lining, maximum weights in Amber Cove range from 250-325 pounds, depending on the exact excursion.
Nevertheless, the guest’s husband exceeds those weight limits and he understands that limitation, but would undoubtedly like to accompany his wife for the rest of the tour.
While the guest notes that “we will pay full price for his place on the bus,” John Heald has offered an alternative that many Carnival guests might not be aware of.
“Please visit the excursion desk and yes, they will sort out a seat,” Heald confirmed. “It wonโt be the full price of the tour, there will be a transportation charge but not the full price.”
The reduction in price since the guest will not be zip lining will be a surprise to many travelers. This may be possible because the tour visits multiple locations, and the fee for just one of those locations could be subtracted from an individual guest’s tour cost.
This can open up options for tours many guests might have skipped because they couldn’t participate in every aspect of the excursion.
Other types of tours that often include weight limits are horseback riding, helicopter flights, river tubing, and other physically demanding tours. Tour operators reserve the right to change requirements at any time, and all guests must be within the restrictions in order to participate.
Who Can Use This Exemption?
To be clear, however, it is not known whether or not this type of “transportation charge” tour can be used if a guest simply chooses not to participate in a planned activity, even if they are physically capable of doing so.
Instead, it will only likely apply when there is a definite physical limitation that prevents a guest from enjoying one aspect of a combined tour. If a grandparent has limited mobility and cannot do zip lining, for example, they may be able to accompany their grandchildren on a tour and the entire family can enjoy the overall outing.
This adjustment may not apply, however, if one member of the family is physically capable of completing every activity but just does not want to do so. In that case, the full tour charge would be required.
If a cruise line permitted such picking-and-choosing of tour activities without documented reasons, it could be very confusing and difficult for tour operators to manage offerings efficiently. This could lead to fewer tours being available and less diversity for travelers to choose from as they visit different ports.
Read Also: When Is the Best Time to Go on a Cruise for Each Region?
Any cruise guest with possible limitations should contact Guest Services about accommodations that might be possible on a shore excursion. In severe cases with multiple limitations, it might be necessary to work with the cruise line’s Special Needs department to ensure tours are appropriate.
Most tours are refundable up to 24 hours before visiting that port, so if an adjustment is not possible, guests would still have the option to cancel their reservation and choose a different tour instead. Refund policies can also be changed at any time, and guests should always be aware of what their options are before booking.
Furthermore, different cruise lines will undoubtedly have different policies, and travelers should always ask for the most recent information when making tour choices.