Shore excursion tickets are usually a great souvenir to remember the fun activities you've done ashore during your cruise vacation. However, Celebrity Cruises is making it easier for guests to access their excursion information through their cell phones and SeaPass cards.
Instead of providing passengers with physical tickets, Celebrity is streamlining the process by integrating shore excursions directly into its popular mobile app.
"As part of our continued commitment to enhancing your onboard experience, we at Celebrity Cruises are pleased to share a subtle but meaningful update: our Shore Excursions team will transition to a fully digital format, eliminating the need for printed tour tickets," reads a letter delivered to guests sailing aboard Celebrity Reflection's July 7 cruise.
"All your shore excursions details will now be conveniently accessible through the Celebrity Cruises app on your mobile device...There's no need to worry if you don't receive a physical ticket, your Sea Pass card will serve as your key. Simply scan it at the designated meeting point, and our team will be able to confirm your booking and participation."
In other words, the new mobile feature links guests' tour information with the Celebrity Cruises app, giving everyone real-time access to their confirmation and important details like meeting times and locations.
It's unclear whether this change is taking an immediate effect fleet-wide, or if it's a beta test being rolled out on select ships.
Celebrity Reflection is currently sailing out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 3 and 4-night cruises to the Bahamas. However, the vessel will begin operating longer voyages to the Southern Caribbean in late August.
Read more: Cruise shore excursions: What are they and what are the best ways to book them?
Celebrity already has ticketless excursions at Royal Caribbean's private island
Cruisers visiting Perfect Day at CocoCay don't receive physical tickets for many extra-cost areas. Instead, a simple tap of the SeaPass grants admission to the adults-only Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, and Thrill Waterpark.
This effectively eliminates the need for passengers to keep up with tickets or wear single-use wristbands that will be thrown away at the end of the day.
It also makes it easier for guests to come and go as they please. For instance, if you're spending the day at Thrill Waterpark, you can grab your SeaPass card and enjoy lunch at Captain Jack's or the Chill Grill before returning to ride more water slides in the afternoon.
Read more: 5 signs your shore excursion is a bad idea
However, because these aren't organized tours, there's no need to worry about strict meeting times or locations. Comparatively, Celebrity's new ticketless excursion also applies to structured tours in ports like Bimini, Bahamas.
So, rather than meeting in the ship's theater and being guided to the pier, for example, you can proceed ashore and find an excursion representative to properly check in for your tour.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
