Inviting guests on board ship whilst in port.

[Static events]

I am going on the Spanish med cruise departing Southampton 29th June, we will arrive in Ibiza on 8th July.

 

Is it worth me calling Royal Caribbean to see if they will allow some guests on board the ship for lunch....? I don't mind paying, just I would like to show them around the ship.

 

:D

[RSLeesburg]

In the US, this is not allowed, so I imagine its not allowed in UK either.

[jbobst]

I don't think any cruise line allows you do this. The closest thing to this is on Princess where they do a "Bon Voyage Experience" (BVE). This is where you can pay like $40 on embarkation day, and you get to board the ship early, and stay onboard until just before muster drill. They include a dining room lunch (and wine I think) and offer a ship tour, or you can just do your own lunch and own tour. I am not sure if any other cruise line offers anything like this, but I don't think any of them allow you to bring guests onboard during the cruise.

[Clarea]

I am going on the Spanish med cruise departing Southampton 29th June, we will arrive in Ibiza on 8th July.

 

Is it worth me calling Royal Caribbean to see if they will allow some guests on board the ship for lunch....? I don't mind paying, just I would like to show them around the ship.

 

:D

Only time I've seen this on Royal is when they bring on travel agents or local law enforcement/port authorities for lunch.

[Langley Cruisers]

This does not happen anymore, post 9/11. Sorry.

[Charles4515]

I don't think any cruise line allows you do this. The closest thing to this is on Princess where they do a "Bon Voyage Experience" (BVE). This is where you can pay like $40 on embarkation day, and you get to board the ship early, and stay onboard until just before muster drill. They include a dining room lunch (and wine I think) and offer a ship tour, or you can just do your own lunch and own tour. I am not sure if any other cruise line offers anything like this, but I don't think any of them allow you to bring guests onboard during the cruise.

 

It can be done if it is for a wedding onboard embarkation day. Other than that I don't think any of the cruise lines will allow passengers to bring guests onboard.They do invite travel agents to tour the ship for familiarization. And a travel agent may be able to bring someone. My travel agent brought me and five or six others with her onto a Carnival ship in Baltimore. We saw the ship for about four hours and had lunch. You could not go off on your own. We had an escort the whole time. Could have done the same with an NCL ship in New York but I would have had to take a day off work.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

AAA arranged a tour and lunch for their customers on the Carnival Pride in Baltimore. They even provided a bus from the DC area.

[RSLeesburg]

Someone told me that AAA from Allentown is doing the same kind of trip for Grandeur in August. How do you get to hear about these trips? I am AAA member, but not sure where they would advertise these kinds of tours. I would definitely take one.

[cb at sea]

They may allow organized groups that are pre-screened...but a passenger will not be allowed to bring guests aboard, unless you're having a wedding on the ship...then, the guests are pre-screened and allowed on for the ceremony.

[matj2000]

You can always ask and see what they say.

Maybe they will let you, I don't see what the big deal is.

But if I were eating lunch in Ibiza, I doubt it would be "Honey stung chicken"...

[luv2cruiserccl]

Had 5 non sailing guest board in st thomas for the day but it was only done because we had a on board wedding with royal and they had to be off the ship before sail away. If I remember right they had special visitors sea passes

 

Sent from my BlackBerry using Tapatalk please excuse typographical errors

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Someone told me that AAA from Allentown is doing the same kind of trip for Grandeur in August. How do you get to hear about these trips? I am AAA member, but not sure where they would advertise these kinds of tours. I would definitely take one.

 

They advertised to customers who used them as a TA for cruises. I heard about it from some of the people I sometimes cruise with.

 

Since I had sailed on the Pride I did not attend. But, those that did enjoyed it. Several people booked a cruise after the visit.

[Static events]

I dont really get what the big deal is... they will still have to go past security to get onto the ship.

[RSLeesburg]

I dont really get what the big deal is... they will still have to go past security to get onto the ship.

 

I am not sure about UK, but in the US this is the same security as boarding a plane - remember when you could accompany a family member right up to the gate? Not anymore - only ticketed passengers. In the case of a cruise, you may only want to bring one or two friends, but there may be two or three thousand passengers sailing with you - imagine if they all wanted to bring one or two friends? What kind of a nightmare would that be for security? Now imagine trying to find and get all those people off the ship when it's time to sail. I think between these two issues, it is just easier to say no.

[Cruise a holic]

I am going on the Spanish med cruise departing Southampton 29th June, we will arrive in Ibiza on 8th July.

 

Is it worth me calling Royal Caribbean to see if they will allow some guests on board the ship for lunch....? I don't mind paying, just I would like to show them around the ship.

 

:D

 

About 3 years ago, I sailed on the Caribbean (or Crown) Princess out of Brooklyn NY to Canada. They did allow guest to bring guests on board the day of boarding. I invited my sister and brother in law. I made the reservation months in advance, they had to complete security questions and provide information similar to that if they were sailing. I did pay a fee. Not sure if Princess still offers this or if other cruise lines do. It was wonderful and they enjoyed the experience. They nor we are travel agents.

[chengkp75]

I dont really get what the big deal is... they will still have to go past security to get onto the ship.

 

At an embarkation port, security consists of screening your documents to prove you are the person you say you are, and then issuing you a sign and sail card which is essentially a ship's ID card. At a non-embarkation port, shipboard security only scans that ship's ID card to let people on and off. They are not set up to screen travel documents.

 

Most ports have security at the gate to the port as well as onboard. This security uses the ship's ID card as well, but some also require a picture ID.

 

These security measures are defined in RCI's or the particular port's Security Plan, as required by the Safety Management System, a requirement of the IMO for all vessels and port facilities (plus whatever local laws require). In most ports, anyone who is not placed on the "gate list" for a ship, in advance, by the ship's agent, will not be allowed into the port. This requires sending data to the port from the person's documents like date of birth, SSN (in the US), etc. If someone shows up at a port wishing to board a vessel without the gate list clearance, the vessel is contacted, and if the Captain approves, the person can be admitted, but must be escorted by a crewmember AT ALL TIMES.

 

The above mentioned TA tours, and weddings, and such, were accompanied by a list of guest names and personal data being sent to RCI for screening and transmittal to the ship and port prior to the event.

 

As someone also posted, it then falls on the ship's security to ensure that anyone not sailing is located and off the ship, or sailing would be delayed.

[macruisefan]

Someone told me that AAA from Allentown is doing the same kind of trip for Grandeur in August. How do you get to hear about these trips? I am AAA member, but not sure where they would advertise these kinds of tours. I would definitely take one.

 

Being a AAA member is nothing, seems everyone has AAA. Using AAA travel services, now that's another story. In this capacity, AAA is a travel agent (which technically means mentioning them by name here is a no-no, hmmm....).

 

There are other travel agents that might potentially arrange something like this. But it will likely be for their clients. You want to get invited to one of these tours? Start booking through a particular travel agent.

[Mark_K]

In the US, this is not allowed, so I imagine its not allowed in UK either.

It is allowed, and happens all the time for weddings, etc. What does not happen very often is it being allowed for your benefit, with no important reason, and with no benefit to RCI.

 

 

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[rafinmd]

Just FYI, Crystal does allow this except for the disembarkation port. Advance clearance is required. Used to be free, but since they went all inclusive there is a $12 beverage fee, and (always) an extra charge for meals.

 

http://www.crystalcruises.com/files/forms/GuestVisitorRequestForm2013.pdf

 

Roy

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Being a AAA member is nothing, seems everyone has AAA. Using AAA travel services, now that's another story. In this capacity, AAA is a travel agent (which technically means mentioning them by name here is a no-no, hmmm....).

 

There are other travel agents that might potentially arrange something like this. But it will likely be for their clients. You want to get invited to one of these tours? Start booking through a particular travel agent.

 

Wow!!:eek::p:eek: It never even crossed my mind that I was mentioning a TA. To me they are an insurance company-- but, I see the point. Sorry about that.:o

[Static events]

I just called RCCL and they wont allow any guests to visit the ship.

 

:mad:

 

He did say that guests are allowed to take a ship tour on embarkation day for £20 per person.

[Clio1610]

I am going on the Spanish med cruise departing Southampton 29th June, we will arrive in Ibiza on 8th July.

 

Is it worth me calling Royal Caribbean to see if they will allow some guests on board the ship for lunch....? I don't mind paying, just I would like to show them around the ship.

 

:D

 

Doubt you would be able to do this in any Port of Call...

 

But we arranged with RCI for my MIL + FIL to have a Ship Tour & Lunch on Indy whilst she was in Southampton. Cost us £25pp and we dropped them both off at the Ship at 9am and collected them again at 2pm. They had a lovely time and a Fab lunch. At the time of booking we obviously had to provide their contact info + Passport details...

 

If this is of any interest to you, try asking at shipvisits@rccl.co.uk