Not allowed to disembark a port early

[HappyTraveler2]

Back in November, my lovely wife and I booked a Norwegian Fjords cruise and arranged to disembark in Bergen, the last stop before returning to Southampton. Recently, I saw posts from others on the cruise that they were told that NCL's policy prohibited that, so I called today, and was told that they now have a hard "No" policy on such early disembarkation, but that since it was on record that we had made that arrangement at the time we booked, they would contact the port and try to make an exception for us. It was unclear from my communication whether their policy was due to any EU restrictions, or their own desire to avoid additional costs or paperwork.

[ExpatBride]

Try asking onboard. Last summer we did a HAL cruise of the Baltics and decided onboard last minute that it was easier for us to disembark in Sweden, and take the ferry back to Denmark a day early than to deal with the crowds disembarking the next day. We filled out form saying that we were giving up our cabin a day early, walked off with our luggage and that was that. I'm American and my husband is British and we live in Denmark, but no one asked about that, so it didn't seem there were any immigration concerns.

[TrumpyNor]

Am I the only one to suspect that the reason behind the "no" from NCL is because of the current situation in Europe where most countries have a more strict "border policy" than before because of recent terrorist attacs - also regarding travel inside the Schengen area??? That it is not really NCL who is saying "no" but the Italian authorities? And therefore someone - even though they are being a Schengen resident - would not be allowed to leave the ship before the official cruise is over?

[808cruisef]

I had to get off two days early on a med cruise. I was told that they had to get an approval from the port where I would be getting off. I was lucky enough to get a yes. FYI, guest services took our passports for the whole cruise so we couldn't just get off without permission. So, maybe the port where you wanted to disembark would t allow it. It may not have been NCL that said no.

 

 

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[luvtheships]

Yes when I get onboard I will stop by and ask, because I am curious of the reason. But the woman on the phone yesterday left no number or her name so reaching her is out of the question.

 

 

Guest services won't have a clue btw

 

 

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[kellijo2121]

I had to get off two days early on a med cruise. I was told that they had to get an approval from the port where I would be getting off. I was lucky enough to get a yes. FYI, guest services took our passports for the whole cruise so we couldn't just get off without permission. So, maybe the port where you wanted to disembark would t allow it. It may not have been NCL that said no.

 

 

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We are getting off a day early and received approval from RCCL. Did it take you longer to get off the ship that day? We port at 7am and are meeting a tour at 8am, I am hoping that time frame is feasible.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We are getting off a day early and received approval from RCCL. Did it take you longer to get off the ship that day? We port at 7am and are meeting a tour at 8am, I am hoping that time frame is feasible.

 

 

I know you were asking someone else, but I've done this as well. We were on a different cruise line on a Baltic cruise. The day before returning to South Hampton, Brussels was the port of call and I had arranged before the cruise to debark there. The cruise line had taken our passports so we had to get them back and there were about 50 other guests doing the same thing. It took a little bit of time for them to sort out all the passports, but we got off the ship with others who were staying for the end of the cruise. It probably took about 30 or 45 minutes to get everything settled. With different cruise lines things may be different. If I were you, I'd be sure to let your tour vendor know the situation and that you may run a bit late. Since you're on RCCL, you might want to post your question on the RCCL board since their process may be different from NCL's.

[kellijo2121]

I know you were asking someone else, but I've done this as well. We were on a different cruise line on a Baltic cruise. The day before returning to South Hampton, Brussels was the port of call and I had arranged before the cruise to debark there. The cruise line had taken our passports so we had to get them back and there were about 50 other guests doing the same thing. It took a little bit of time for them to sort out all the passports, but we got off the ship with others who were staying for the end of the cruise. It probably took about 30 or 45 minutes to get everything settled. With different cruise lines things may be different. If I were you, I'd be sure to let your tour vendor know the situation and that you may run a bit late. Since you're on RCCL, you might want to post your question on the RCCL board since their process may be different from NCL's.

 

Thank You! Our tour operator is aware, but we are on the tour with other passengers returning to the ship, but the tour is leaving us in Sorrento. Hopefully RCCL will help us expedite the process. Will they keep our passports? I like getting them stamped at each port. :(

[Shawnino]

OP's mistake was requesting in advance.

Next time, Nike Mode. (Just Do It.)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thank You! Our tour operator is aware, but we are on the tour with other passengers returning to the ship, but the tour is leaving us in Sorrento. Hopefully RCCL will help us expedite the process. Will they keep our passports? I like getting them stamped at each port. :(

 

I believe it's dependent on the ports. When I've had a port of call in Turkey, they've held U.S. passports and then returned them after that port. I don't know what port on our Baltic cruise meant they had to take them. We had them in St Petersburg, but had to turn them in after and then got them back in Brussels. It's such a uneasy feeling handing over your passport and walking away!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

OP's mistake was requesting in advance.

Next time, Nike Mode. (Just Do It.)

 

 

Not sure that's very good advice. Had I tried to do that the one time I've debarked early I wouldn't have been able to--it had to be arranged in advance. This isn't one of those situations to take that kind of chance if it's important.

[ollienbertsmum]

Not sure that's very good advice. Had I tried to do that the one time I've debarked early I wouldn't have been able to--it had to be arranged in advance. This isn't one of those situations to take that kind of chance if it's important.

 

I agree, it is much better to ask.

 

I keep meaning to ask about the possibility of doing an overnight in Rome and then rejoining the ship in Livorno. I have never seen anyone doing it, but it would make a lot of sense in terms of the amount you could see in Rome (even given the cost of a hotel). It would only suit people who have explored Tuscany already, but I would just so love to be one of those people who has seen the Trevi fountain after the crowds have left (husband does not like to fly so a weekend in Rome is not likely)

[Loonbeam]

No. Just no.

 

Getting off a ship without the proper customs clearance is illegal - and it is different for day travelers than overnight in most countries of the world.

 

NCL doesn't care where you disembark, they ask for permission from the port. If the answer is either No or Yes but it will cost you, then the answer from NCL will be no. The answer can also change from itinerary to itinerary, for example if NCL was swapping crew in that port that day there may be customs and immigration already planned.

 

This is one of those things you ALWAYS need approval to do... Now, on a longer cruise could you ask on board? Sure, but on a 3 day there's no time to make this happen.

 

OP's mistake was requesting in advance.

Next time, Nike Mode. (Just Do It.)

[hawkeyetlse]

I keep meaning to ask about the possibility of doing an overnight in Rome and then rejoining the ship in Livorno.

It's a nice idea, and people have definitely done it before (see here for example, but I don't recall seeing any reports from the last couple of years). If you call them, please let us know what they say.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that there is always a (small) chance that the ship might have to skip Rome or Livorno for whatever reason on your sailing.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I agree, it is much better to ask.

 

I keep meaning to ask about the possibility of doing an overnight in Rome and then rejoining the ship in Livorno. I have never seen anyone doing it, but it would make a lot of sense in terms of the amount you could see in Rome (even given the cost of a hotel). It would only suit people who have explored Tuscany already, but I would just so love to be one of those people who has seen the Trevi fountain after the crowds have left (husband does not like to fly so a weekend in Rome is not likely)

 

You could embark in Rome and spend a few days prior. :D I'm on a western Med cruise on the Epic in September and I'm spending 8 days in Rome pre-cruise. The main embarkation port is Barcelona, but they also offer Rome embarkation. It was a no-brainer for me since I've been to Barcelona but never to Rome. :D

[Zippeedee]

A few years ago I was on an RCCL Canada/New England cruise. I was with an art class group and had accumulated a ton of art supplies, projects, gifts, etc. I live near Boston. I wanted to drop off all of my extra stuff with my friend during our Boston port stop. I was stopped leaving the ship and told I was not allowed to take luggage off the ship as there was no customs agent there. I went back, divided the stuff up into a few plastic laundry bags from my closet and three of us carried the smaller bags off without a problem. They do check!

[RDC1]

The problem most likely pertains to the EU's cabotage laws, similar to the US's PVSA. Unlike the PVSA, which limits "coastwise" transportation of passengers from one US port to another to US flag vessels, the EU limits these to any EU member nation's flag vessels. My question to the OP is this: what is the port before Naples? I see on NCL's cruises that it could be Barcelona or Messina. If it is Barcelona, you would be fine, as the last leg would be between Spain and Italy, so a Bahamian flag vessel could do this. If it is Messina, that would be two Italian ports in a row (Messina and Naples) without a non-Italian port in between, and therefore only a ship flagged in the EU could do this, even though your cruise started in Rome. I believe the previous poster who got off early on an MSC cruise did so because Venice was preceded by a non-Italian port, which would be legal.

 

It could also be that NCL does not wish to pay to have Customs and Immigration standing by to clear two passengers off the ship, which is different from clearing the ship for a daytime port call.

 

Since the cruise starts in Barcelona and ends in Rome, with all three ports in Shengen countries would customs and immigration even need to clear passengers?

[em-sk]

Try asking onboard. Last summer we did a HAL cruise of the Baltics and decided onboard last minute that it was easier for us to disembark in Sweden, and take the ferry back to Denmark a day early than to deal with the crowds disembarking the next day. We filled out form saying that we were giving up our cabin a day early, walked off with our luggage and that was that. I'm American and my husband is British and we live in Denmark, but no one asked about that, so it didn't seem there were any immigration concerns.

 

I would say the same thing. Ask on board. About three years ago I did a NCL cruise where I left the ship in Istanbul (second last stop). The call centre people could not answer the question if it would be ok or not. They simply did not know and said I would have to talk to the staff on the ship.

 

On the ship it was not a problem. I needed to pay for the visa to enter Turkey in cash and leave the passport overnight with customer service desk who looked after getting the visa issued. I have to also settle the account before leaving the ship.

 

I suspect the rules are going to be different from one port to another based on the local authorities involved, port agent and facilities where the ship is docked. I have little confidence in the call centre making sense of it all.

[ollienbertsmum]

You could embark in Rome and spend a few days prior. :D I'm on a western Med cruise on the Epic in September and I'm spending 8 days in Rome pre-cruise. The main embarkation port is Barcelona, but they also offer Rome embarkation. It was a no-brainer for me since I've been to Barcelona but never to Rome. :D

 

Embarking in Rome would suit many - but it would not work for me because I cannot get there by train. Barcelona is only five hours away from us by train. That is the reason we keep doing Western Med cruises. I would love to go from Venice - but a trip to Venice by train would be a long vacation in itself (I am contemplating it).

 

To Hawkseye - hmm the chance that the ship would skip Livorno. ... I had not thought of that. It is a very good reason to get back in board in Civitavecchia.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Embarking in Rome would suit many - but it would not work for me because I cannot get there by train. Barcelona is only five hours away from us by train. That is the reason we keep doing Western Med cruises. I would love to go from Venice - but a trip to Venice by train would be a long vacation in itself (I am contemplating it).

 

 

Too bad that wouldn't work for you! I totally understand some people can't or won't fly. I come from the western coast of the U.S. so it's a good thing I don't have issues with flying! LOL. I was thrilled that NCL offers a Rome embarkation, so it worked well for me. I hope you can get to Venice -- the sail away is unmatched! I did that a couple years ago and I don't think there will ever be another sail away that I'll enjoy more than that one!

[Longstockingpippi1]

UPDATE......When I got on the ship I went to guest services and inquired about notes in my reservation...there were none. Then I explained the reason I was asking, I told her the whole story...how I wanted to disembark in Naples...yada yada yada. She says sure we can set that up for you.

Are you kidding me??? I don't even know what to say.....

[kellijo2121]

UPDATE......When I got on the ship I went to guest services and inquired about notes in my reservation...there were none. Then I explained the reason I was asking, I told her the whole story...how I wanted to disembark in Naples...yada yada yada. She says sure we can set that up for you.

Are you kidding me??? I don't even know what to say.....

 

 

We will be disembarking from Naples in a few weeks so please let me know how long the process takes. :)

 

 

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[hawkeyetlse]

I'm guessing it was too late and you didn't actually disembark in Naples after all? Because maybe if you had started the process on board they would have come back with "oops, we checked and it's not possible after all".

 

Obviously you got two totally contradictory statements from NCL, but it's hard to say which one was false.

[Longstockingpippi1]

I'm guessing it was too late and you didn't actually disembark in Naples after all? Because maybe if you had started the process on board they would have come back with "oops, we checked and it's not possible after all".

 

Obviously you got two totally contradictory statements from NCL, but it's hard to say which one was false.

 

You're right I didn't disembark. At that point I didn't have any hotel reservations in Positano or plan worked out to disembark. It's frustrating because unless you have relatives or a hotel that will allow you to cancel two days prior to your stay what do you do? Assume you can just walk off the ship ?

[luvtheships]

Not sure where this cruise ended but I'm positive I've read that people leave in say..Rome with a backpack and they just meet up in Florence the following day at 6 or 7pm

 

So theoretically this pax could have gotten off in Naples spent a night in positano and then met the ship in Rome the following night and continued on with the ship

 

This assumes a Venice to Barcelona itin of course and that the pax likes this idea. Lol

 

So not technically disembarking but just missing the all aboard in Naples

 

I love Italy so much that I always try to plan several days pre or post cruise there

 

This summer...because I love it there so much I'm not even doing a cruise but rather a very detailed exciting land trip that allows me to decide when where and how long to stay someplace.

 

 

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