Shore Excursions

[jdevine]

Morning 

 

I am seeing lots of posts on Healds Facebook about excursions and reservations for ship activities. Was an official announcement?

[PelicanBill]

Pretty sure all the major cruise lines indicated they would control port excursions until pandemic risks reduce to acceptable levels.  This has already been the mode of operation in Europe where there was a famous case of a couple not allowed to reboard when they left their "bubble" tour.

 

No self-touring and no local tour bookings. Only cruise line provided tours to isolated and safe places or remaining on buses.

[naxer]

50 minutes ago, jdevine said:

Morning 

 

I am seeing lots of posts on Healds Facebook about excursions and reservations for ship activities. Was an official announcement?

 

Nothing official.  But other than reminiscing, speculation is all we have to do for cruising at the moment.  It's a difficult time to make your living talking-up cruising.  

Edited February 9, 2021 by naxer

[stellarose]

I have heard about possible reservations for pools etc, but nothing concrete.  now things change daily.  we all have to wait and see.  

[firefly333]

There was something released about a week ago, then pulled back. When you went to book it showed and you checked a box to agree. It has since been pulled back, but it was posted on here. Just because it was preliminary doesnt mean it was wrong. 

[Ellaleah]

I prefer to do excursions on my own for all the obvious reasons, but in this case, I don’t want people to be left to their own choices left to do as we wish out of the bubble.  If the cruise lines can get away with making cruisers buy their excursions, why wouldn’t they and why wouldn’t  they keep that rule as long as they can?  Seems like a Bonanza fir them!

[stellarose]

 I always do a ship excursion so I am ok with it. lets keep the bubble small. 

[d-train]

What about cruise ports like Cozumel, Half Moon Cay or Grand Turk, self contained by the cruise line?

I wonder if we will be able to get off, explore the contained area without paying for an excursion...

[asalligo]

13 minutes ago, d-train said:

What about cruise ports like Cozumel, Half Moon Cay or Grand Turk, self contained by the cruise line?

I wonder if we will be able to get off, explore the contained area without paying for an excursion...

Me too, I loved just getting off and shopping in Cozumel in that little contained area. 

[Jamesatgsu]

2 hours ago, d-train said:

What about cruise ports like Cozumel, Half Moon Cay or Grand Turk, self contained by the cruise line?

I wonder if we will be able to get off, explore the contained area without paying for an excursion...

"Shore side visits may be also limited to port areas that have no public access." 

 

So I definitely think Half Moon Cay would be a 100% go, and I assume the enclosed port areas would be as well. It was pretty clear you would not be going beyond the port area without a Carnival excursion.

 

And Carnival merely said they MIGHT use reservations for cruise ship activities.

[Freckle53]

2 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

I prefer to do excursions on my own for all the obvious reasons, but in this case, I don’t want people to be left to their own choices left to do as we wish out of the bubble.  If the cruise lines can get away with making cruisers buy their excursions, why wouldn’t they and why wouldn’t  they keep that rule as long as they can?  Seems like a Bonanza fir them!

My guess would be this is something that plays in negotiations with the destination ports in the contracts/agreements and would not go over during a non-pandemic time as the ships bring business to their economy?  So if it ship sponsored excursions are required to debark to start, I don't think it will be a slippery slope where it stays that way.  

[d-train]

I agree with you both - glad I missed the comment on limited to ports with no public access!

 

Can't imagine being on the group that has to decide what the balance is.

[JerseyGirlJen]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:31 AM, stellarose said:

I have heard about possible reservations for pools etc, but nothing concrete.  now things change daily.  we all have to wait and see.  

Oh wow I missed that one. You're right, it changes so often we'll just have to see what the final outcome is.  

[RWolver672]

On 2/9/2021 at 2:18 PM, stellarose said:

 I always do a ship excursion so I am ok with it. lets keep the bubble small. 

 

We have been on ship sponsored excursions where there was a full bus load of people.  Not all of them are small bubbles.  

[ontheweb]

28 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

We have been on ship sponsored excursions where there was a full bus load of people.  Not all of them are small bubbles.  

If all they allow are cruise line excursions, they are going to have to have a whole lot of buses, especially if they require social distancing on the buses.