Bringing 2 guests onboard for the day

[jenp123]

We will be in mazatlan for the day and we have 2 canadian friends in the area. We are hoping to get authorization to bring them onboard for the day (we have done this in the past on holland america)  does anyone know if princess allows this and who to ask for approval? 

 

The reservations team does not seem to even understand what I am asking. (The agent asked me if holland america was a hotel, when I told him they had allowed it in the past)

 

On holland we would phone "ship services", which are totally different agents from reservations, but princess does not seem to have a similar phone number.

[LACruiser88]

We have done this several times on Princess pre-pandemic.  I do not know if this is still possible?  Lots of procedures have changed post-pandemic.  🤷‍♂️

[1025cruise]

I do not believe this is allowed.

[Lady Arwen]

At one time Princess allowed you to bring a guest onboard for four hours pre-embarkation.  The cost was $39.00 per person.  You had to get permission and clearance and pay in full well before sail date.  However, I don’t think this ever applied to guests at ports of call.  Unless someone on these boards has more up to date info, I would say your request is not possible.

[cr8tiv1]

I have been invited by crew to join the ship for a day.  There was an internal form I had to provide a driver’s license for.  It then needed to go up the chain of command.

 

i doubt in this day and age, Princess will allow passengers to invite guests on board.  
 

 

[PacnGoNow]

I’ve only seen crew family/friends come OB. 

[DUCHESSRN]

Sadly not anymore , a big thrill for us was take 3 year old Grandson with his Dad on the Grand in Seattle 2011.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I have been invited by crew to join the ship for a day.  There was an internal form I had to provide a driver’s license for.  It then needed to go up the chain of command.

 

i doubt in this day and age, Princess will allow passengers to invite guests on board.  
 

 

I believe you are correct.  We’ve been invited onboard by a crew member and an officer has to be the one to escort the guests onboard and be responsible for their time onboard.  This monitoring may be conducted by a crew member once authorization has been completed.  
Even with that, it takes approximately 9 days prior to the visit to approve the visitors after they send in a copy of their passport or other identification.  
 

It’s very unlikely that as a passenger, one would be able to just invited your friends onboard unless you have some very good connections with authority onboard.  
 

[Tonye60]

It's almost impossible unless you have crew onboard, then its a few forms cleared by security and hr, for regular passengers it's almost impossible 

[JF - retired RRT]

4 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

At one time Princess allowed you to bring a guest onboard for four hours pre-embarkation.  The cost was $39.00 per person.  You had to get permission and clearance and pay in full well before sail date.  However, I don’t think this ever applied to guests at ports of call.  Unless someone on these boards has more up to date info, I would say your request is not possible.

Totally miss the BVE (Bon Voyage Experience). 😪

We took our son on one pre-cruise. Did several just to see the ship. Also, used the BVE to stock up on FCDs when we were running low or out of them. Now we have to book a cruise, just to buy FCDs.👎

[wallyj]

10 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Totally miss the BVE (Bon Voyage Experience). 😪Also, used the BVE to stock up on FCDs when we were running low or out of them. Now we have to book a cruise, just to buy FCDs.👎

You do know anyone on board a Princess ship can buy FCD’s for any past/future passenger, so you only need to know someone sailing on Princess but any excuse to book a cruise works for me.

 

I added future passenger as I bought a FCD for my niece’s fiancé when she just did a refer a friend, so he had not yet sailed.

 

The person on board will need to pay for the FCD’s, so this is done knowing you will be re paid.

[dog]

HAL allows it currently. Friends just did this twice on a Northern cruise.

Have not heard of it on Princess.

[Coral]

I know other lines allow for it. I haven't heard about Princess for years.

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, wallyj said:

You do know anyone on board a Princess ship can buy FCD’s for any past/future passenger, so you only need to know someone sailing on Princess but any excuse to book a cruise works for me.

 

I added future passenger as I bought a FCD for my niece’s fiancé when she just did a refer a friend, so he had not yet sailed.

 

The person on board will need to pay for the FCD’s, so this is done knowing you will be re paid.

Yes, I’ve also booked cruises for others while onboard and just purchased the FCD for them, then they’ve paid us back.  Not that they planned on canceling the cruises for which I’ve booked for them, but they are certainly in their rights to do so and then they have the FCD in hand.  It’s not even working around the system but part of the system.  

[skynight]

Simple answer. No guests. Meet them on shore.

[capriccio]

On 12/23/2023 at 11:37 AM, Lady Arwen said:

At one time Princess allowed you to bring a guest onboard for four hours pre-embarkation.  The cost was $39.00 per person.  You had to get permission and clearance and pay in full well before sail date. 

I always thought that program was a genius marketing tool.  We did this in 2010 or 2011 with my brother and sister-in-law since they lived just north of Fort Lauderdale.  They had never considered cruising before and now they should make elite status within the next couple of cruises. 

[Lady Arwen]

16 minutes ago, capriccio said:

I always thought that program was a genius marketing tool.  We did this in 2010 or 2011 with my brother and sister-in-law since they lived just north of Fort Lauderdale.  They had never considered cruising before and now they should make elite status within the next couple of cruises. 

Unfortunately, we don’t know anyone within driving distance of any ports, so could never take advantage of this.  Great for those who could.  

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Unfortunately, we don’t know anyone within driving distance of any ports, so could never take advantage of this.  Great for those who could.  

We used to pay our driver (usually a niece or SIL) for taking us to the port here in San Francisco.  But, we’ve even considered spending the early part of the day to go have lunch and buy some FCDs when we needed them.  It would be a fun way to spend the afternoon.  

[Over from NZ]

Why would you want to do it? Do they get to sample the goodies at the buffet etc? 

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Why would you want to do it? Do they get to sample the goodies at the buffet etc? 

Under the old program the Bon Voyage guests were entitled to early boarding and could have the embarkation lunch including a free glass of wine and a ship’s tour, if desired, with a crew member.  IIRC they could also purchase future cruise credits.

Edited December 25, 2023 by capriccio

[Cruise Raider]

13 hours ago, capriccio said:

Under the old program the Bon Voyage guests were entitled to early boarding and could have the embarkation lunch including a free glass of wine and a ship’s tour, if desired, with a crew member.  IIRC they could also purchase future cruise credits.

Oh yes, and a free photo or two!  

[Cruise Raider]

18 hours ago, Over from NZ said:

Why would you want to do it? Do they get to sample the goodies at the buffet etc? 

The embarkation lunch in the MDR.