Cruise Ship Early Tour Departure
Jacquey Moss
ships that we have been on permit the passengers signed up for ship
sponsored excursions to get off the ship first. Do any of you have
suggestions to get off in a timely manner when booking your own land tours.
jac...@wbhsi.net
Sue Mullen
A lot of the cruise lines allow you to disembark early if you take your
luggage with you.
sue
C.Nicholson
"Jacquey Moss" <> wrote in message> How do you get off your cruise ship
When we were in the Grand Cayman's we booked private with Captain Marvin. We
just went down early and they let us go with the ships shore excursion tour
group. Be nice and smile,, goes a long ways!!
Cheryl
Rosalie B.
I collect those stickers on my cane, and I just put the appropriate
one on and get off the ship. In Russia they tried to say that no one
without a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it wasn't true. At
the last minute they said everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a
ship tour should get off right away, and we did even though we had a
private tour and didn't have a visa.
But generally if there aren't tenders, I just walk off as if I had the
right to do so. Which I do.
Steve
Umm Sue? Read that question again.... I'm pretty sure it wasn't about
disembarking.
John Sisker
news:hefpcg$fhs$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Your are indeed correct Steve, the original question has nothing to do with
disembarking, but actually shore excursions. In other words, the poster
doesn't want a ship sponsored shore excursions, just some of the benefits
that can go with it. Therefore, in answer to their question, they should
check with the Shore Excursion office to see what they say and/or suggest,
and if that doesn't get them anywhere, the Concierge. It that doesn't work
either, they might have the reconsider the benefits of the ship sponsored
excursion, or just line up with everyone else when the ship has docks and
hope for the best.
John
Gregory
<jsi...@sprynet.com> wrote:
>It that doesn't work
>either, they might have the reconsider the benefits of the ship sponsored
>excursion, or just line up with everyone else when the ship has docks and
>hope for the best.
Rarely is this "lemming option" the best course of action. I don't
think the cruise industry wants to be known for delaying passengers
from reaching their external tours. That kind of negative press could
chill some potential new cruise customers and cost them more profit
than they could have made by herding passengers into their own tours.
Gregory
Sue Mullen
Sorry I misunderstood/read before.LOL
If your ship docks, you will have no problems getting off when you need
to get off for your tour. Most of the private tour companys are used to
dealing with cruise passengers, so you shouldn't have any problems.
sue
Jeff Gersten
>In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>tour should get off right away, and we did
>even though we had a private tour and didn't
>have a visa.
I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities would not
have let you off the ship. Which tour company did you use? (We used
Alla) All of them provide a temporary visa just like the ship tours do.
The law in Russia is you cannot enter the country without a visa except
by cruise ship in St. Petersburg for 72 hours or less with an authorized
tour guide.
>But generally if there aren't tenders, I just walk
>off as if I had the right to do so. Which I do.
Absolutely correct. The only time the ship can control this is when
there are tenders. In that case they can give priority to their tours.
Rosalie B.
>gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie�B.) wrote:
>
>>In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>>a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>>wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>>everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>>tour should get off right away, and we did
>>even though we had a private tour and didn't
>>have a visa.
>
>I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities would not
>have let you off the ship. Which tour company did you use? (We used
>Alla) All of them provide a temporary visa just like the ship tours do.
>The law in Russia is you cannot enter the country without a visa except
>by cruise ship in St. Petersburg for 72 hours or less with an authorized
>tour guide.
Yes I did have a tour company ticket which equals a regular visa. But
the cruise director did not ever admit to that possibility. She did
her best to prevent private tour people from going ashore and even
people with regular Russian visas were told that they had to get off
immediately (before breakfast) or wait until all the ship's tours were
ashore..
We did use Alla.
Nonny
"Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:17945-4B0...@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net...
> gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie B.) wrote:
>
>>In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>>a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>>wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>>everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>>tour should get off right away, and we did
>>even though we had a private tour and didn't
>>have a visa.
>
> I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities
> would not
> have let you off the ship.
Ermalee got ashore and into the souvenir store all by herself in
St. Petersburg.
--
Nonny
What does it mean when drool runs
out of both sides of a drunken
Congressman's mouth?
The floor is level.
Brian K
>
> "Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:17945-4B0...@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net...
>> gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie B.) wrote:
>>
>>> In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>>> a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>>> wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>>> everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>>> tour should get off right away, and we did
>>> even though we had a private tour and didn't
>>> have a visa.
>>
>> I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities would not
>> have let you off the ship.
>
>
> Ermalee got ashore and into the souvenir store all by herself in St.
> Petersburg.
>
>
defense/security departments. She has connections. (I can't say any
more it's classified.)
--
________
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Marsha
> Nonny wrote On 11/24/2009 2:51 PM:
>>
>> "Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
>> news:17945-4B0...@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net...
>>> gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie B.) wrote:
>>>
>>>> In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>>>> a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>>>> wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>>>> everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>>>> tour should get off right away, and we did
>>>> even though we had a private tour and didn't
>>>> have a visa.
>>>
>>> I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities would not
>>> have let you off the ship.
>>
>>
>> Ermalee got ashore and into the souvenir store all by herself in St.
>> Petersburg.
>>
>>
> Ermalee used to be a US Government employee in one of the
> defense/security departments. She has connections. (I can't say any
> more it's classified.)
>
You just "outed" Ermalee, a la Valerie Plame (not). There will now be
an investigation where you will be railroaded and made a scapegoat for
doing something that was already done.
Marsha
Ermalee McCauley
> Nonny wrote On 11/24/2009 2:51 PM:
>>
>> "Jeff Gersten" <JeffG...@webtv.net> wrote in message
>> news:17945-4B0...@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net...
>>> gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie B.) wrote:
>>>
>>>> In Russia they tried to say that no one without
>>>> a visa or a ship's tour could get off, and it
>>>> wasn't true. At the last minute they said
>>>> everyone that had a visa and wasn't on a ship
>>>> tour should get off right away, and we did
>>>> even though we had a private tour and didn't
>>>> have a visa.
>>>
>>> I'm sure you did, or else the Russian immigration authorities would not
>>> have let you off the ship.
>>
>>
>> Ermalee got ashore and into the souvenir store all by herself in St.
>> Petersburg.
>>
>>
> Ermalee used to be a US Government employee in one of the
> defense/security departments. She has connections. (I can't say any
> more it's classified.)
>
Ermalee <---had no Visa in Russia
Observant Lurker
Question for nonny. When a cruise ship returns to the U.S. how do they run
all of those passengers through U.S. customs without making it a 3 hour
adventure?
At airports, I know how they check incoming flights, but cruise ship have
a lot more passengers than a few aircraft.
OL
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peter
> When a cruise ship returns to the U.S. how do they run
> all of those passengers through U.S. customs without making it a 3 hour
> adventure?
Immigration requires more time per passenger than customs. In Bayonne
last month there were about 15 open immigration booths. You didn't have
to wait for more than five minutes in line. Getting transportation was
more difficult if you didn't make limo arrangements ahead of time.
Nonny
"Observant Lurker" <ade...@webnntp.invalid> wrote in message
news:reuvt6x...@recgroups.com...
It's a PITA, but at least the lines move pretty quickly. You fill
out your declaration card the night before and hold onto it when
disembarking. The Immigration lines are the long ones: a person
scans your passport and compares the information against some kind
of database. I've never had more than a cursory review of the
passport, but wonder what'd happen to someone who got "caught"
previously trying to pull something off.
Once clear of the Immigration folk, the next step is to locate and
claim your luggage. It's sorted into the tag colors assigned to
you aboard the ship. For instance, you might be Yellow, and all
the luggage with Yellow tags would be in one bunch to make
locating them easier. The customs folk have already had the dogs
sniffing the luggage, so I'm sure that anything that got sniffed
out would be pulled aside and they'd have questions to ask of the
folk who claimed it.
Once you have your suitcases, the next line is for the customs
folk, where you hand somebody your declaration and keep moving.
Since we typically spend well, well under a hundred dollars or so
on souvenirs, there's nothing to pay. Again, though, I suspect
that the customs and immigration folk know each other well and if
you get caught trying to bring in a Rolex you bought in St. Thomas
for $85,000 without paying Uncle Sam tax. . . well, refer to the
first paragraph about the database for future returns.
The next line is the accursed one for taxis. . . that is if you
aren't taking the cruise line's transfer bus. I've posted enough
about taxis, especially when anyone has a mobility problem, so I
won't go into that again.
When you arrive at the airport, there is the line for TSA, of
course, and be sure to wear slip on shoes.
Tom K
"Nonny" <some...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:PGePm.58585$rE5....@newsfe08.iad...
>
> Once you have your suitcases, the next line is for the customs folk, where
> you hand somebody your declaration and keep moving. Since we typically
> spend well, well under a hundred dollars or so on souvenirs, there's
> nothing to pay. Again, though, I suspect that the customs and immigration
> folk know each other well and if you get caught trying to bring in a Rolex
> you bought in St. Thomas for $85,000 without paying Uncle Sam tax. . .
> well, refer to the first paragraph about the database for future returns.
>
If someone actually DID want to buy an $85,000 Rolex, I believe that they
can do it in Switzerland, and from there upon returning to the US, fill out
a certain US Customs form so that no duty needs to be paid on it. I was
aware of a code number a few years ago (given to me by a US Customs person
in Newark) that tied into some reciprocal agreement waiving duties on
watches over a certain level between the US and CH. Since it was a few
years ago, I would confirm this is still the case, prior to trying to do it.
--Tom
Tom K
"Observant Lurker" <ade...@webnntp.invalid> wrote in message
news:reuvt6x...@recgroups.com...
>
> all of those passengers through U.S. customs without making it a 3 hour
> adventure?
Actually it is a 3 hour process... but the exit from the ship is staggered.
They may start at 6:00 am and finish by 9:30 am. So you don't stand in the
customs line for 3 hours. You're taken off the ship in groups at certain
times. With that, the wait at the customs line is typically less than 6-8
people. And they usually have multiple lines open.
And on some itineraries, they actually bring customs people on board the
ship the morning of the last port (if it's a US port like St. Thomas, USVI)
where you clear customs a day (or 2) before final disembarkation. But
that's only if it's a US port.
--Tom
peter
<tkan...@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> And on some itineraries, they actually bring customs people on board the
> ship the morning of the last port (if it's a US port like St. Thomas, USVI)
> where you clear customs a day (or 2) before final disembarkation. But
> that's only if it's a US port.
>
> --Tom
>
>
On a recent HAL voyage Dutch immigration and customs people boarded the ship
in the U.K. the day before it arrived in Amsterdam to clear ship and
passengers for the Schengen area.
Observant Lurker
thanks nonny. I appreciate the info. I assumed customs would have to be a
"well oiled machine" to take care of so many people in short order.
JP
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Dillon Pyron
>gmbe...@mindspring.com (Rosalie�B.) wrote:
>
>
>>But generally if there aren't tenders, I just walk
>>off as if I had the right to do so. Which I do.
>
>Absolutely correct. The only time the ship can control this is when
>there are tenders. In that case they can give priority to their tours.
The last time we had to hustle off the ship for a private tour, I just
went to the "appropriate" gathering area for an early debarking tour
and said "oops, I think my wife has all of the paperwork." "That's
okay, how many stickers do you need?"
And then we spent over an hour at the port waiting for some people
from the Glory, who either didn't do that or just plain lolly-gagged
along.
--
- dillon I am not invalid
"Get a shot off fast. This upsets him long enough to
let you make your second shot perfect."
-- Lazurus Long