Has anybody ever done this?

[lifino]

We are sailing the med next year and are considering getting off the ship at Livorno and taking the train to Rome, spending the night there and catching the ship again the following day.

 

Does Princess allow this or would we not be allowed to reboard?

 

I know everyone loves Florence but I would rather get to spend a night in Rome because there is alot I would like to see there and don't know if I will ever be able to come back.

[paul929207]

First, you need to check with Princess to make sure this is legal.

[Toto2Kansas]

We are sailing the med next year and are considering getting off the ship at Livorno and taking the train to Rome, spending the night there and catching the ship again the following day.

 

Does Princess allow this or would we not be allowed to reboard?

 

I know everyone loves Florence but I would rather get to spend a night in Rome because there is alot I would like to see there and don't know if I will ever be able to come back.

 

If I am not mistaken, in order to leave the ship at one port and possibly catch the ship at another port, special notice needs to be given to the cruise line and you need their permission to do this. I would call Princess and talk to someone there or wait until you get onboard and enquire. I would not plan something like this until Princess gives it the OK though.

 

FYI-When doing an overnite to Cairo last year leaving from Alexandria and returning to the ship in Port Said, we had to submit a list to Princess before we could even do this. It included the passengers names, cabin number and the name of the hotel we would be staying at. Since Princess does an overnite at this port also, we still had to make special arrangements once onboard.

 

Definitely check on this with Princess no matter what anyone here on an message board might tell you. If it is not allowed, and you do it anyway, there could be large fines involved. Good Luck!

[Treven]

Merely a thought.

Do you see this any differently than inadvertently missing the boat at one port and catching up with it at the next port of call? Carrying a suitcase off the ship might raise some eyebrows tho.

[rdsqrl]

We are sailing the med next year and are considering getting off the ship at Livorno and taking the train to Rome, spending the night there and catching the ship again the following day.

 

Does Princess allow this or would we not be allowed to reboard?

 

I know everyone loves Florence but I would rather get to spend a night in Rome because there is alot I would like to see there and don't know if I will ever be able to come back.

 

Wouldn't it be a simpler plan to find a cruise that either begins or ends in Rome? Then you could spend a few days there pre- or post-cruise. What you're proposing sounds like a lot of trouble and expense just to add a few more hours, given that the train takes about three hours so the earliest you'll get to Rome is probably early afternoon.

[jennifers490]

Wouldn't it be a simpler plan to find a cruise that either begins or ends in Rome? Then you could spend a few days there pre- or post-cruise. What you're proposing sounds like a lot of trouble and expense just to add a few more hours, given that the train takes about three hours so the earliest you'll get to Rome is probably early afternoon.

 

agreed, if you really want to see rome and don't plan on returning you should do at least 2 nights before or after...also make sure the ship doesn't hold your passport like some do, you can't check into an italian hotel without each having one so you would have to let the ship know in that case. keep in mind in italy the trains don't always run on time and then you have to make sure you get back to civitavecchia port on time which would take an hour from rome...sounds like much more stress than it's worth and florence really is worth seeing also

[alanmal]

We are sailing the med next year and are considering getting off the ship at Livorno and taking the train to Rome, spending the night there and catching the ship again the following day.

 

Does Princess allow this or would we not be allowed to reboard?

 

I know everyone loves Florence but I would rather get to spend a night in Rome because there is alot I would like to see there and don't know if I will ever be able to come back.

 

We did this twice in May in Egypt and in Israel. First you e-mail Leo Segun at princess ( I believe it is lsegun@princess.com) you give him your request for the land portion with no specifics needed. Just port leaving and port coming back on. You Print two copies of this request. He will e-mail you back in a couple of days with permission. You print 2 copies of that e-mail, make two sets of the e-mail, yours and his. Keep one safe and give the other to the pursers desk. Thats all you need.

 

If they keep your passport requests it's return for hotel stay, they will give it back take it back again when you return

[lifino]

We would of loved to do a pre and post but due to time constraints this is the best time for us to get away for 2 weeks and this is the best overall itinerary for us except for the Rome part.

 

We did this twice in May in Egypt and in Israel. First you e-mail Leo Segun at princess ( I believe it is lsegun@princess.com) you give him your request for the land portion with no specifics needed. Just port leaving and port coming back on. You Print two copies of this request. He will e-mail you back in a couple of days with permission. You print 2 copies of that e-mail, make two sets of the e-mail, yours and his. Keep one safe and give the other to the pursers desk. Thats all you need.

 

If they keep your passport requests it's return for hotel stay, they will give it back take it back again when you return

 

alanmal Thanks for the info. I sent an email but it bounced said it was undeliverable. Is there another address? I would much rather email princess so that I could get permission in writing. There doesn't seem to be any email addresses on princess.com.

[flamomo]

Does this apply to any Princess cruise?

We are sailing on the Tahitian in the South Pacific in a few weeks. A fellow cruiser is planning to surprise his wife with a night in an OWB at a hotel on one of the nights that the ship overnights in port. He may not know this is necessary, if indeed it is required to get an okay from Princess prior to the cruise.

[wrp96]

One thing to think about is Italy has cabotage laws similiar to the PVSA in the US. I know that this has caused troubles in the past for passengers that missed the ship in one Italian port and wanted to reboard at another Italian port. I would definitely check with Princess to make sure this would be allowed on your particular itinerary.

[Paulchili]

We are sailing the med next year and are considering getting off the ship at Livorno and taking the train to Rome, spending the night there and catching the ship again the following day.

 

Does Princess allow this or would we not be allowed to reboard?

 

I know everyone loves Florence but I would rather get to spend a night in Rome because there is alot I would like to see there and don't know if I will ever be able to come back.

 

I am quite certain that you need to get permission from Princess ahead of the time. People onboard do not have the authority to grant this request at such short notice (I would not count on that).

Good luck!

[jennifers490]

Does this apply to any Princess cruise?

We are sailing on the Tahitian in the South Pacific in a few weeks. A fellow cruiser is planning to surprise his wife with a night in an OWB at a hotel on one of the nights that the ship overnights in port. He may not know this is necessary, if indeed it is required to get an okay from Princess prior to the cruise.

 

if the ship doesn't change ports and it's just an overnight it shouldn't be a problem, you dont have to get back to the ship until before it sails...

[cacy6893076]

The request must be in writing, it will be reviewed and they will get back to you on it, either approve or disapprove it. Call princess, i believe there is a fax number for this department.

[lifino]

Thanks everyone. There is no way I would risk doing this without permission. Too risky for me. I will contact Princess and see what they tell me.

[Lynda90]

Thanks everyone. There is no way I would risk doing this without permission. Too risky for me. I will contact Princess and see what they tell me.

Let us know what you find out. :p

[Philip217]

Geting permission from the cruise line is not the issue.

 

The cruise line - and the passenger - need to get permission from the local immigration authorities.

 

You need to understand how immigration authorities in most countries view a visiting cruise ship passenger:

When a cruise ship visits most countries they get special permission for a blanket visa for their passengers. So long as the ship is in port, the passenger's cabin key is his temporary visa to legally visit that country.

 

When the ship departs, that temporary visa is cancelled. If a passenger stays behind, he is an illegal alien - unless and until he gets a regular visa clearance from the local authorities.

 

If a passenger plans to stay ashore after the ship departs, the Purser can arrange - through the ship's agent - for a regular visitor's visa.

 

If someone is unintentionally left behind, hs is an illegal alien - until the ship's agent can find him and arrange an emergency visa with the authorities. This is one of the reasons why cruise ships want to hold passports. Having all the passenger passports in the Purser's safe speeds up the process of legalizing all those who miss the ships.

 

As mentioned above, many countries have cabotage laws. Depending on where you plan to leave the ship - and where you plan to return - you may be breaking the law, and may have to pay a fine.

[Dorinda]

We got off in Agadir Morocco, spent the night in Marrakesh, rejoined the ship the next day in Casablanca. No problem at all. Just told the purser's desk and got our passports before we got off. Didn't have to put anything in writing.

 

But, it's true cabotage laws are different country to country. Best to check first.

 

BTW, our time in Marrakesh was wonderful. Cheaper and better than the ships rushed tour.

 

Cheers,

Dee

[lifino]

I have written for permission but haven't heard back yet.

 

The US Department of State website says "Italy is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Italy for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa" so I don't think the VISA is an issue but the cabotage laws may be. If they tell me we can't do it then we won't. I'll let you know what I find out.

[ianj]

I have written for permission but haven't heard back yet.

 

The US Department of State website says "Italy is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Italy for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa" so I don't think the VISA is an issue but the cabotage laws may be. If they tell me we can't do it then we won't. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

......and I'll let you know what I find out too...

 

We want to get off in Brisbane and back on again in Cairns (my brother lives half way between) and I've faxed Princess 'guest relations' asking for info.

 

I suspect we will need special visas since Oz normally requires them for most visitors.

[ianj]

......and I'll let you know what I find out too....

 

Had a phonecall from Princess tonight, basically redirecting me to another person who handles my type of request.. but they did say that what I wanted was allowed with some conditions, confirmation from the Australian government that it was OK to get off in one port and get on in another... and ... to provide Princess with a detailed itinerary showing exactly where we will be at every minute 'til we get back on board.