Mandatory ship excursions vs independent shore excursions a future possibility?

[sverigecruiser]

13 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Sick passengers were taken to hospital. I think you are confusing the ships, there were situations like Westerdam that couldn't offload their sick passengers and were barred from docking but Diamond Princess the people couldn't leave in case they were sick. They were quarantined on the ship. Shorex bubble is not going to prevent a country if they wish to from quarantining a ship, sure it will make contact tracing easier but if a ship has sick people it still doesn't mean they will let everyone out. The Shorex bubble is to try and prevent passengers from catching Covid-19 on shore so they don't end up in a quarantine situation in the first place. 

 

Thank you for correcting me. There was probably too much talk about ships not being allowed to dock during that period for me to remember correct! I do think that also Diamond Princess had some minor problems regarding docking but as you said, that was not their biggest problem.

[dogs4fun]

On 4/25/2021 at 1:24 PM, cruisemom42 said:

If I do arrange a private tour it is strictly on the basis of NO shopping stops included.

This is also what I do as well and I have never been "treated" to a shopping stop on a private tour.

[ontheweb]

38 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

This is also what I do as well and I have never been "treated" to a shopping stop on a private tour.

We did have shopping in St. Petersburg on our Alla tour. We ended up buying lots of nesting dolls which we gave later that year as Christmas presents.

[clo]

21 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

We did have shopping in St. Petersburg on our Alla tour. We ended up buying lots of nesting dolls which we gave later that year as Christmas presents.

Were they made in Russia? Not being sarcastic.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, ontheweb said:

9 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Unfortunately, the way around that is for the cruise lines to pay off local politicians. I guess I'm being cynical this morning.

 

 

 

😲

[dogs4fun]

48 minutes ago, clo said:

Were they made in Russia? Not being sarcastic.

Not the cheap ones that you find in the souvenir shops. The hand painted dolls are made in Russia and they are rather pricey.

 

[clo]

1 minute ago, dogs4fun said:

Not the cheap ones that you find in the souvenir shops. The hand painted dolls are made in Russia and they are rather pricey.

 

I would guess they would be more likely found in galleries or jewelry stores? When we went to Antarctica and made stops in the Falklands I found a wonderful little pottery penguin. Not cheap but local and lovely.

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

We did have shopping in St. Petersburg on our Alla tour. We ended up buying lots of nesting dolls which we gave later that year as Christmas presents.

I am assuming that you booked a group tour and not a private tour. Our private tour with Alla included no shopping - of course, we could have shopped all day if that was our desire. Alla’s private tours cater to want the client wants.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Were they made in Russia? Not being sarcastic.

I don't see made in China on the one we bought for ourselves (like my Bob Marley t-shirt from Jamaica).

[ontheweb]

28 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

I am assuming that you booked a group tour and not a private tour. Our private tour with Alla included no shopping - of course, we could have shopped all day if that was our desire. Alla’s private tours cater to want the client wants.

We booked a group tour I put together from our roll call. I guess we could have eliminated the shopping. Changes were made---a synagogue was added because one couple wanted it and no one objected. Also a half hour was taken from lunch and added to the Hermitage. (My art teacher DW would have eliminated lunch entirely and added an hour to the Hermitage, but no one else would agree to that.)

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

The hand painted dolls are made in Russia and they are rather pricey.

 

Yes.  I thought I wanted to purchase a set when I was in Russia.  When I saw the price, my mind changed. 

 

But, they were truly lovely.  

[clo]

31 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Yes.  I thought I wanted to purchase a set when I was in Russia.  When I saw the price, my mind changed. 

 

But, they were truly lovely.  

Like HOW expensive please?

[Ashland]

9 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

I am assuming that you booked a group tour and not a private tour. Our private tour with Alla included no shopping - of course, we could have shopped all day if that was our desire. Alla’s private tours cater to want the client wants.

Our private tour with TJ Travel...just the two of us with a driver & guide was amazing.

We not only saw the main attractions during our 2 day visit but added a few things on the spur of the moment....A trip of a lifetime and well worth the price difference.

[TravelinGert]

On our first post-pandemic cruise right now on American Countess traveling down the Mississippi River. They don't ever quite say absolutely no shore excursions other than through the ship, but we are strongly discouraged to not burst our 'safety bubble'.

 

All crew, all pax, and every person we interact with on shore excursions has been tested just before we meet them. Even though all crew and most if not all people we interact with on shore excursions are vaccinated. Everyone I've talked to on the ship is vaccinated, too. We only have 109 passengers so that is most of them.

 

We are usually a go your own way couple so I didn't think we'd be happy, but I don't hate it. American Queen Steamboat cruise line is bending over backwards to give us as many of the experiences usually available at the places we've docked and not even charging extra for most of them. They've also got movies and activities throughout the days to keep everyone entertained, and they aren't charging for the basic drink plan. I'm on board to book another cruise with them if it is like this.

[ontheweb]

36 minutes ago, TravelinGert said:

On our first post-pandemic cruise right now on American Countess traveling down the Mississippi River. They don't ever quite say absolutely no shore excursions other than through the ship, but we are strongly discouraged to not burst our 'safety bubble'.

 

All crew, all pax, and every person we interact with on shore excursions has been tested just before we meet them. Even though all crew and most if not all people we interact with on shore excursions are vaccinated. Everyone I've talked to on the ship is vaccinated, too. We only have 109 passengers so that is most of them.

 

We are usually a go your own way couple so I didn't think we'd be happy, but I don't hate it. American Queen Steamboat cruise line is bending over backwards to give us as many of the experiences usually available at the places we've docked and not even charging extra for most of them. They've also got movies and activities throughout the days to keep everyone entertained, and they aren't charging for the basic drink plan. I'm on board to book another cruise with them if it is like this.

Could you give more details on what American Steamboat Cruise line is doing for excursions. My understanding was that pre-Covid they included tickets for hop on hop off buses and tickets to various attractions, but that they were now discontinuing that.

[dogs4fun]

11 hours ago, clo said:

Like HOW expensive please?

Prices can easily exceed $1000 US dollars for the large hand painted dolls (I have seen prices as high as $3000). About 10 years ago I bought a hand painted trinket box with a music motif & paid $600. I haven't purchased any souvenir items in Russia since 2014 - each visit I attempt to see things I have not seen before & am not interested in shopping.

Edited April 28, 2021 by dogs4fun

[clo]

3 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

Prices can easily exceed $1000 US dollars for the large hand painted dolls (I have seen prices as high as $3000). About 10 years ago I bought a hand painted trinket box with a music motif & paid $600. I haven't purchased any souvenir items in Russia since 2014 - each visit I attempt to see things I have not seen before & am not interested in shopping.

I did a little search and saw a lot that said "hand painted in Russia.." Made me wonder. But that's too rich for my blood.

[SelectSys]

On 4/24/2021 at 2:08 PM, rkacruiser said:

Long term?  I doubt it.  But, how long "near term" will be defined has yet to be determined.

I have 2 cruises booked in 2022.  I am gambling tthat  ship mandatory excursions won't be required when I go.   The first one in April is more about sun and fun, so I don't care so much.  The one in November would be more disappointing if we were restricted to ship tours.

[ColeThornton]

Update from NCL on excursions.

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, clo said:

Like HOW expensive please?

 

dogs4fun posted the kind of prices that I recall.  Truly lovely, but, would end up as just another one of the articles I brought back from trips that I ought to "dust" every once in awhile.  

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, TravelinGert said:

On our first post-pandemic cruise right now on American Countess traveling down the Mississippi River.

 

I appreciate your comments.  I need to more seriously consider river cruises in the United States than I have done.  

[lovetocruise79]

46 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Wrong tag sorry

Edited April 28, 2021 by lovetocruise79

[lovetocruise79]

2 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

Update from NCL on excursions.

 

 

 

Just wondering, is this directly from their website?

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

Update from NCL on excursions.

 

 

 

 

Well, that's encouraging. 👍

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

dogs4fun posted the kind of prices that I recall.  Truly lovely, but, would end up as just another one of the articles I brought back from trips that I ought to "dust" every once in awhile.  

I think that is true of virtually all souvenirs bought on foreign holidays. After 50 years of travelling,  we have about 6 mementoes left, ironically all bought in the early days of our travels. They provide us with happy memories of when we were young and innocent. In later years, the souvenirs we bought lasted less and less time, before being thrown out, as we realised that they were of no value, in any sense of the word.  

Nowadays we just look at the "tat" on offer, and move on!     

 

 

Edited April 28, 2021 by wowzz