Ship excursions only?

[bouhunter]

On 9/27/2020 at 1:55 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Picture this:You board the ship,nobody will be there to take your picture,to offer you a welcome beverage.You will be at the elevator and find that only 4 people will be allowed .Six hours later you arrive at your desired floor.

Except you wouldn't be at the elevator.  You'd be standing on an "X" on the floor in line far away from it, wearing your mask.   

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2020 by bouhunter

[bouhunter]

On 9/30/2020 at 3:29 PM, spunks said:

What big shopping ports like Cozumel will do about it I have no idea.

This is a good point.  It could mean even more months of little revenue for all the shops at the ports even after cruising restarts 😞

 

[Sunshine3601]

On 9/27/2020 at 1:55 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Picture this:You board the ship,nobody will be there to take your picture,to offer you a welcome beverage.You will be at the elevator and find that only 4 people will be allowed .Six hours later you arrive at your desired floor.

Remember reduced capacity on ships will be very helpful with elevators.  I have watched several videos on the msc and tui sailings and with these ships having 950 to 2500 passengers makes them look almost empty.  No crowds at elevators hallways or dining areas.  Looks great to me!

[erinsmom03]

This is one reason that I'm glad that my July 2021 British Isles cruise was cancelled. We were supposed to have an overnight stay in Edinburgh. I have family that lives there, and was planning to meet them and they were going to show us the city and our family's roots there. We also wanted to see another cousin when we were in Glasgow. 

 

I never use ship excursions. I love researching and doing our own tours. I will wait to go to new ports, when we will be able to experience it on our own.

[twangster]

I am fortunate to have sailed to Alaska a number of times over the past three years.  I save my excursion books from the ship and I have screen shots of cruise planner offers from last year.  I also track sale events from past years in a spreadsheet. 

 

Excursion offered through Royal

2019 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $580

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $769

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier sale price $691

 

Excursion booked direct with vendor for same excursion

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $549

 

I understand that Royal as a middle man has to have their cut.  In previous years that explained the $549 vs. $580 difference but if you managed to catch a sale then the difference was often close to zero.  In those cases it made more sense to book it through Royal which is what I often did for the better cancelation policy.

 

The problem for 2021 is with Royal inflating excursion prices across the board.  Now when they put them on sale they are nowhere close to the vendor direct price or equivalent from another operator.  The 2021 Royal sale price is well higher than last year's normal price.  

 

It has the appearance that Royal knew this Healthy Sail Panel recommendation was coming so they preemptively raised prices.  Then they started offering promotional or sale events but those don't come close to previous pricing nor do they come close to vendor direct pricing.  

 

This makes it appear like they aren't trying to follow the guidance of the Health Sail Panel:

 

• Cruise operators should consider employing strategies that would make these cruise line-sponsored excursions more appealing to guests (e.g., potentially reconsidering the cost of curated experiences, offering a wider variety of excursions to private beach locations) than self-exploration or other externally sponsored excursions.

The pricing increases create the appearance that Royal is trying to capitalize and increase profits based on the requirement for guests to be required to book a cruise line excursion only.

 

The vendor has a cancelation policy that basically states if the ship makes it to port, no refund.  They require 100% today to book through them.  If the cruise line doesn't lift the "must book through them" policy by next August I'd be out $1,098 for two guests booked on the excursion direct.  While saving $284 for one excursion sounds great, in this case there is too much risk to do anything but book through Royal.  Across the other ports stops on this cruise it represents another ~$700 in ShoreEx costs to cruise in 2021 for one Alaska cruise.  I currently have two Alaska cruises booked in 2021.

 

The day rate for Coco Beach Club passes in November 2021 went from $79pp to $179 pp.  For a couple that is another $200 added to the cruise cost in 2021.   

 

Visiting Nassau I can stay on the ship.  Visiting Alaska is not a destination to stay on the ship at a port of call.  

 

If Royal was taking an approach to promote cruise line excursions by lowering the prices or keeping them closer to last year and/or direct pricing then I would be more likely to embrace cruising in the restart phase.  Instead I have to pay out of pocket for numerous COVID-19 tests and I have to pay ~ 30% increased rates for shore excursions since I am forced to book the excursions through Royal.   When you put it all together I'm left thinking I need to reconsider cruising in 2021 and look towards 2022 or 2023 hoping for some cruising normalcy.

 

It's also a little disconcerting they have chosen to ignore this recommendation of the Healthy Sail Panel.  If they are ignoring this recommendation, what else might they ignore once cruising resumes?

[LXA350]

4 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Except you wouldn't be at the elevator.  You'd be standing on an "X" on the floor in line far away from it, wearing your mask.   

 

 

 

 

It should also mean that everyone physical able to walk should use the stairs and not the elevators, this will also reduce / solve the issue with lines for using elevators.

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Except you wouldn't be at the elevator.  You'd be standing on an "X" on the floor in line far away from it, wearing your mask.   

 

 

 

I am endeavoring not to post on Covid threads any longer.However,I shall respond and say you are correct.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Remember reduced capacity on ships will be very helpful with elevators.  I have watched several videos on the msc and tui sailings and with these ships having 950 to 2500 passengers makes them look almost empty.  No crowds at elevators hallways or dining areas.  Looks great to me!

If that is your desire ,great.

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

I am fortunate to have sailed to Alaska a number of times over the past three years.  I save my excursion books from the ship and I have screen shots of cruise planner offers from last year.  I also track sale events from past years in a spreadsheet. 

 

Excursion offered through Royal

2019 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $580

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $769

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier sale price $691

 

Excursion booked direct with vendor for same excursion

2021 Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier normal price $549

 

I understand that Royal as a middle man has to have their cut.  In previous years that explained the $549 vs. $580 difference but if you managed to catch a sale then the difference was often close to zero.  In those cases it made more sense to book it through Royal which is what I often did for the better cancelation policy.

 

The problem for 2021 is with Royal inflating excursion prices across the board.  Now when they put them on sale they are nowhere close to the vendor direct price or equivalent from another operator.  The 2021 Royal sale price is well higher than last year's normal price.  

 

It has the appearance that Royal knew this Healthy Sail Panel recommendation was coming so they preemptively raised prices.  Then they started offering promotional or sale events but those don't come close to previous pricing nor do they come close to vendor direct pricing.  

 

This makes it appear like they aren't trying to follow the guidance of the Health Sail Panel:

 

• Cruise operators should consider employing strategies that would make these cruise line-sponsored excursions more appealing to guests (e.g., potentially reconsidering the cost of curated experiences, offering a wider variety of excursions to private beach locations) than self-exploration or other externally sponsored excursions.

The pricing increases create the appearance that Royal is trying to capitalize and increase profits based on the requirement for guests to be required to book a cruise line excursion only.

 

The vendor has a cancelation policy that basically states if the ship makes it to port, no refund.  They require 100% today to book through them.  If the cruise line doesn't lift the "must book through them" policy by next August I'd be out $1,098 for two guests booked on the excursion direct.  While saving $284 for one excursion sounds great, in this case there is too much risk to do anything but book through Royal.  Across the other ports stops on this cruise it represents another ~$700 in ShoreEx costs to cruise in 2021 for one Alaska cruise.  I currently have two Alaska cruises booked in 2021.

 

The day rate for Coco Beach Club passes in November 2021 went from $79pp to $179 pp.  For a couple that is another $200 added to the cruise cost in 2021.   

 

Visiting Nassau I can stay on the ship.  Visiting Alaska is not a destination to stay on the ship at a port of call.  

 

If Royal was taking an approach to promote cruise line excursions by lowering the prices or keeping them closer to last year and/or direct pricing then I would be more likely to embrace cruising in the restart phase.  Instead I have to pay out of pocket for numerous COVID-19 tests and I have to pay ~ 30% increased rates for shore excursions since I am forced to book the excursions through Royal.   When you put it all together I'm left thinking I need to reconsider cruising in 2021 and look towards 2022 or 2023 hoping for some cruising normalcy.

 

It's also a little disconcerting they have chosen to ignore this recommendation of the Healthy Sail Panel.  If they are ignoring this recommendation, what else might they ignore once cruising resumes?

Good points. Id like to add that on my upcoming cruises, I noticed on at least 3 ports there are morning and afternoon whereas there was just morning a month ago.  Plus honestly I think a lot of the local tour companies at least in caribbean will be hired by the cruiselines as excursion sizes will be smaller in number.  Just a guess of mine.

Edited October 4, 2020 by jean87510

[Sunshine3601]

13 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

Good points. Id like to add that on my upcoming cruises, I noticed on at least 3 ports there are morning and afternoon whereas there was just morning a month ago.  Plus honestly I think a lot of the local tour companies at least in caribbean will be hired by the cruiselines as excursion sizes will be smaller in number.  Just a guess of mine.

Shore excursions go up and down in price on a regular basis.  I booked cococay beach club pass for either $48 or $58 for my May cruise on Oasis.   I also have been watching the jet ski prices and  at $65 pp on an anthem sailing that is usually $100 pp.   We have always enjoyed the islands with a mix of shore excursions thru rcl and our own thing but if cruising during covid requires us to book direct with them to be able to get off the ship I'm fine with that.

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Shore excursions go up and down in price on a regular basis.  I booked cococay beach club pass for either $48 or $58 for my May cruise on Oasis.   I also have been watching the jet ski prices and  at $65 pp on an anthem sailing that is usually $100 pp.   We have always enjoyed the islands with a mix of shore excursions thru rcl and our own thing but if cruising during covid requires us to book direct with them to be able to get off the ship I'm fine with that.

Me too. Most of the islands Ive been to quite a bit both land and cruise so its no problem for me to see things a different way. As long as they dont make me wear a life jacket when snorkeling, I dont care. And as long as they don't have 100 people per excursion.

 

Does anyone know how many people MSC was allowing on their excursions? It may give a ballpark.

[shipgeeks]

1 hour ago, jean87510 said:

 

 

Does anyone know how many people MSC was allowing on their excursions? It may give a ballpark.

Very small groups, perhaps 8 - 12 or so per group.  Even the people we saw on port webcams, getting off a largish bus, only numbered 8 or 10.  

Similarly, Miaminice's posts on Celebrity, re their TUI cruise, indicated small groups on the e-scooter and e-bike excursions they did.

All of the "live from..." posts are well worth reading.

[jean87510]

4 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Very small groups, perhaps 8 - 12 or so per group.  Even the people we saw on port webcams, getting off a largish bus, only numbered 8 or 10.  

Similarly, Miaminice's posts on Celebrity, re their TUI cruise, indicated small groups on the e-scooter and e-bike excursions they did.

All of the "live from..." posts are well worth reading.

Thx. Ill check that out!

[BirdTravels]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Remember reduced capacity on ships will be very helpful with elevators.  I have watched several videos on the msc and tui sailings and with these ships having 950 to 2500 passengers makes them look almost empty.  No crowds at elevators hallways or dining areas.  Looks great to me!

We have been to four resorts since “reopening”. Big hotels. Lots of people. And while there are lines, everyone was respectful of the social distancing in the elevators and you got to where you wanted to go,,, with a few minutes (not hours) of inconvenience.