No more leaving ship after boarding.

[rkmw]

Hi Graham,

 

Just a question for the next time you talk to your sources in Customs. What is the rule for those doing B2B2B. We are embarking on 7th Feb and dis-embarking 8th March. But at some point when we get back to Sydney I will want to do some washing (nothing against the bag washes RCI do but some things just DON'T go thru those washers at 100deg!!) :o

 

If in transit pax are not allowed off what are we to do?

 

Also speaking of washing can you tell me an easy place to get to, to do the washing? Nearest I have found is up near Central Station and don't know what RCI and Customs etc will think me lugging a backpack full of dirty clothes off the ship! :eek:

 

if you are doing b2b you are required to disembark the ship and ding off with your card and ding on when you embark again so you can go sight seeing or do your washing if you wish

[gbenjo]

if you are doing b2b you are required to disembark the ship and ding off with your card and ding on when you embark again so you can go sight seeing or do your washing if you wish

 

Spot on Bob.. thanks:D

 

I am trying to get the message across that it seems to only be for new cruises ..passengers embarking for that cruise and leaving the same day;);)

[rkmw]

Hi Graham,

 

Just a question for the next time you talk to your sources in Customs. What is the rule for those doing B2B2B. We are embarking on 7th Feb and dis-embarking 8th March. But at some point when we get back to Sydney I will want to do some washing (nothing against the bag washes RCI do but some things just DON'T go thru those washers at 100deg!!) :o

 

If in transit pax are not allowed off what are we to do?

 

Also speaking of washing can you tell me an easy place to get to, to do the washing? Nearest I have found is up near Central Station and don't know what RCI and Customs etc will think me lugging a backpack full of dirty clothes off the ship! :eek:

 

the good thing with a b2b cruise once the passengers start to disembark you are allowed to go off when you like but if you dont have anything planned you would have to be off the ship by about 9.30am and rejoin when the other passengers start to embark

 

another thing if you have duty free items and have someone meeting you at the dock you can give them your duty free items to take home and buy some more on the 2nd leg if you can.....when you could bring 200 smokes back into the country we used to go thru customs and post them home to ourselves (you are within your rights to do that as you have finished a cruise) but now only being allowed 50 cigs its not worth it

[MicCanberra]

another thing if you have duty free items and have someone meeting you at the dock you can give them your duty free items to take home and buy some more on the 2nd leg if you can.....when you could bring 200 smokes back into the country we used to go thru customs and post them home to ourselves (you are within your rights to do that as you have finished a cruise) but now only being allowed 50 cigs its not worth it

 

you can always buy the smokes not duty free, then it is just the US prices (some ships) my brother has just done this on the Century (there was no duty free as it was an aussie cruise).:D

[gbenjo]

Just updating my original post on this subject. Although the Customs rule has not changed, with the new mezzanine (level 2) check in area now operational we are able to start check in an hour or more earlier (at least with Royal & Celebrity...cannot speak for Carnival) which means guests arriving early can now check in from around 9:30am

 

The only "drawback" to this is the ship still may not be ready to receive new guests on board until 10:30 or later so it could mean that passengers will have to wait in the lounge area on level 3 until allowed on board. This lounge area (previously the old check in level) is to be renovated over the winter off season but for the next month there is not much there except for some chairs.

 

With this in mind, we are now allowing passengers to check in early but then leave the terminal and return at anytime (before the ships muster drill) simply by going direct to level three when they return and being processed through customs as they would have done previously.

 

The new check in level allows us to have more dedicated priority lines which means the lines are not as long anymore so maybe the need for an early check in to beat the crowd is not so important but the option is there.

[caribill]

But if there is now security risks, and the rules have changed, so be it, I'm sure it's in the interest of our safety at the current time.

 

I can't think of one security risk this policy takes care of.

 

Anyone returning to the ship would still go through security (x-ray, metal detector) and be no more security risk that when boarding initially.

 

Just because there is a government rule does not mean that the rule has any practical logic behind it.