Excursion question

[Bgcruising]

This will be speculation for the most part, but I've heard, not making it any less speculation only, that only cruise line excursions will be allowed. In other words, we wont be able to explore ports on our own.  Without anyone saying "miss the ship" what do you all think of this, if it comes to fruition? Would you just stay on the ship or?

[Saint Greg]

This is one of MSC's new rules for their cruises in Europe. That's why people are speculating. I'm not sure it would fly over here.

[NavyCruiser]

Will never happen.

First, the local Gov't won't let other local businesses lose out on extra $$$ income.

Second, how would they enforce cruise passengers who's just off the ship to do local browsing/shopping vs those who decides to use local vendors to sightsee...?

For example, I use ship's excursion when only me going scuba diving at each port.  But we use other local dive shops when we dive as a family.  So how will they check....?

[Kudos2Fly]

My guess is we would stay on the ship. If I was going to some place I have been to a lot like Bahamas. We don't do excursions anymore at places like Cozumel or Bahamas. So if we had to do a tour through the ship just to get off, then we wouldn't. We sometimes like to go to a few restaurants we like in each of those places. I would like to spend money at local restaurants, so it would be a loss to them. So hopefully that doesn't happen. 

 

 

[Florida Paesano]

For me that would mean that it's not yet time to cruise.

[Bgcruising]

I think it would be easy to implement.  They'd gather us with excursion tickets like they do sometimes and walk us off the ship. 

 

Not really sure how they would work the rest. Seems like the excursions would still be ran by locals. 

 

I wouldn't care for that, we explore on our own 99% of the time. Might do some off those that are far away from port that we would lbe eary about taking on our own.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Bgcruising

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Will never happen.

First, the local Gov't won't let other local businesses lose out on extra $$$ income.

Second, how would they enforce cruise passengers who's just off the ship to do local browsing/shopping vs those who decides to use local vendors to sightsee...?

For example, I use ship's excursion when only me going scuba diving at each port.  But we use other local dive shops when we dive as a family.  So how will they check....?

They would not let you off the ship except with an excursion ticket; that's how they would check.

 

And add me to those not liking it, and making it a no go for cruises.

[cruizergal70]

A similar rule already exists for cruises to Russia. Either you do a cruise sponsored excursion or you must have a specific tourist visa for Russia.

 

Carnival is sailing to Russia in 2021. If you're booked, look into the requirements.

[sanger727]

This is going to come down to local governments in the port requiring. I believe that is what occurred for MSC. The local governments agreed to open the ports to them with this stipulation. I agree that if the local ports want to just be open for cruise ships, then the cruise ships wouldn't be able to enact this type of policy. But, yes, certainly if the governments want to not let any cruise ship passengers off except for cruise ship excursions they have the right to do this. This biggest problem with this is that the only reason for this type of restriction to be worth a thing is if you are essentially going to get on a bus and not get off. If you can interact with locals or other visitors, then there's no reason for this restriction. The point of the restriction would be to restrict what you can and can't do and who you can and cannot interact with. I envision these excursions will be unlike the excursions you have seen in the past. Probably only half full buses to socially distance. But if driven to any publicly open site, I can't see them letting you get off the bus. If you could get off and the bus and mingle with the locals at a publicly open site then why couldn't you get a taxi and go there on your own. And no, I will not cruise if this is what it takes. 

[NavyCruiser]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

They would not let you off the ship except with an excursion ticket; that's how they would check.

 

And add me to those not liking it, and making it a no go for cruises.

 

I've already done hundreds of those cruises already, where you can't get off the ship, but have to just look at the land/port & happy folks partying onshore, from the ship's rails. 

It sucked.

That's why I never do US Navy cruises any more....

 

[HaveWeMetYet]

4 hours ago, sanger727 said:

This is going to come down to local governments in the port requiring. I believe that is what occurred for MSC. The local governments agreed to open the ports to them with this stipulation. I agree that if the local ports want to just be open for cruise ships, then the cruise ships wouldn't be able to enact this type of policy. But, yes, certainly if the governments want to not let any cruise ship passengers off except for cruise ship excursions they have the right to do this. This biggest problem with this is that the only reason for this type of restriction to be worth a thing is if you are essentially going to get on a bus and not get off. If you can interact with locals or other visitors, then there's no reason for this restriction. The point of the restriction would be to restrict what you can and can't do and who you can and cannot interact with. I envision these excursions will be unlike the excursions you have seen in the past. Probably only half full buses to socially distance. But if driven to any publicly open site, I can't see them letting you get off the bus. If you could get off and the bus and mingle with the locals at a publicly open site then why couldn't you get a taxi and go there on your own. And no, I will not cruise if this is what it takes. 

It will be the Hop On/Hop Off bus with only 1 Hop On and 1 Hop Off allowed.

[naxer]

This indicates to me that, if the concern is that high, the port should not be opened and cruises shouldn't be stopping there.  I wouldn't go on that cruise.

Edited August 12, 2020 by naxer

[tidecat]

21 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Will never happen.

First, the local Gov't won't let other local businesses lose out on extra $$$ income.

Second, how would they enforce cruise passengers who's just off the ship to do local browsing/shopping vs those who decides to use local vendors to sightsee...?

For example, I use ship's excursion when only me going scuba diving at each port.  But we use other local dive shops when we dive as a family.  So how will they check....?

Even if it is a ship excursion, a local vendor is actually running the tour. That's why cruise lines claim that they aren't liable if something happens to you.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

A similar rule already exists for cruises to Russia. Either you do a cruise sponsored excursion or you must have a specific tourist visa for Russia.

 

Carnival is sailing to Russia in 2021. If you're booked, look into the requirements.

They would like you to believe that but it is NOT true. The requirement for Russia for which applies to stops in St. Petersburg for 72 hours or less is that you can only get off the ship with a Russian visa, an excursion via the ship, or an excursion with one of the many approved Russian agencies. Both of those last two provide the necessary visa waiver.

 

All the cruise lines (we used Princess) would like you to believe that their excursions are the only alternative to getting a Russian visa, but it it not true. We used Alla when we were on a ship in St. Petersburg on a private excursion set up in our cc roll call. Instead of a bus load of 40, we had a limousine for the 10 of us. It ended up less expensive than a cruise line excursion, plus we got to see more and had the flexiblity to make changes to the excursion.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, NavyCruiser said:

 

I've already done hundreds of those cruises already, where you can't get off the ship, but have to just look at the land/port & happy folks partying onshore, from the ship's rails. 

It sucked.

That's why I never do US Navy cruises any more....

 

I think my late father was very happy not to get off his navy ship. It was heading to Okinawa when Truman found a way to end the war!

Edited August 12, 2020 by ontheweb

[MistyRo76]

21 hours ago, ontheweb said:

They would like you to believe that but it is NOT true. The requirement for Russia for which applies to stops in St. Petersburg for 72 hours or less is that you can only get off the ship with a Russian visa, an excursion via the ship, or an excursion with one of the many approved Russian agencies. Both of those last two provide the necessary visa waiver.

 

All the cruise lines (we used Princess) would like you to believe that their excursions are the only alternative to getting a Russian visa, but it it not true. We used Alla when we were on a ship in St. Petersburg on a private excursion set up in our cc roll call. Instead of a bus load of 40, we had a limousine for the 10 of us. It ended up less expensive than a cruise line excursion, plus we got to see more and had the flexiblity to make changes to the excursion.

Cuba was the same....it was insinuated that you had to book a Carnival excursion to meet the government requirements. But our group booked a private tour and had no issues. We did our required full-day tour and then we wandered around Havana for the rest of the night on our own. It was a great day! 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, MistyRo76 said:

Cuba was the same....it was insinuated that you had to book a Carnival excursion to meet the government requirements. But our group booked a private tour and had no issues. We did our required full-day tour and then we wandered around Havana for the rest of the night on our own. It was a great day! 

Why am I not surprised that the cruise lines would use the same bs line in Cuba that they use in Russia! Glad you had a great day; we had a great 2 days on our private St. Petersburg tour.

[Banditswife]

If those type of rules are implemented,  we will stop cruising until they are lifted.  I just don't think they'd try to enforce something like that.

[klfrodo]

Their ship, their rules.

If you can't or won't comply, then exercise your freedoms and sail with another company.