Visitors on board / on tours?

We will be in europe on a river cruise. Our daughter will be in a nearby city during one of our port days.

1) has anyone ever had a visitor come onboard to see the ship in port - maybe even having a meal?

2) has anyone ever had a visitor join in on a ship's tour in a port?

We will be in europe on a river cruise. Our daughter will be in a nearby city during one of our port days.

 

1) has anyone ever had a visitor come onboard to see the ship in port - maybe even having a meal?

 

2) has anyone ever had a visitor join in on a ship's tour in a port?

Hi, Joe....I can't say that I have ever seen a visitor come onboard and join in for dinner and/or an excursion...but that doesn't mean it can't. I would contact cruise company and ask if this can be arranged. the only real problem I can see would be dinner on board. If the ship is full and everyone eats dinner in the same place at the same time, they may not have enough seats for an extra person. Same for the excursion..if bus is full, it could be a problem. If it's a walking tour, I don't see why they would care. If it's an optional paid excursion, then it would depend on how many and where you were going (tickets etc.) I would also make sure I asked TD on board regardless of what cruise company says because sometimes they can do things without corporate's knowledge. :D

When we were on Scenic in 2013, we spoke with the Cruise Director who was very accommodating, and had a guest (distant cousin by marriage) join us in the lounge for a drink one afternoon. He was expected by reception, showed his ID, and that was that. Had we wished, he could have accompanied us anywhere on the ship. To our surprise, the bartender didn't care that he wasn't a passenger; there was no charge for his drink. Just have to love Scenic!

It may well turn out better if you waited and discussed this with the ship's staff, hotel director, rather with someone at the cruise line headquarters. The latter will give you the "book" answer while on board they have considerable latitude.

It may well turn out better if you waited and discussed this with the ship's staff, hotel director, rather with someone at the cruise line headquarters. The latter will give you the "book" answer while on board they have considerable latitude.

Good point!!! :D

Who are you sailing with? My experience is the onboard staff will bend over backwards and they will assist you to make it happen. I also advise bypassing the Back Office and deal with your Cruise Director!

Thanks all.

We will be on uniworld. I do intend to ask the cruise director. Just wondering if others had any experience. .

It is not up to the CD, but the Captain, as far as guests on board his ship goes. For joining you on a tour the CD might have the final say.

It is not up to the CD, but the Captain, as far as guests on board his ship goes. For joining you on a tour the CD might have the final say.

But the CD would be the point person to get permissions from the Captain. We did have a visitor (friends of a passenger) on our Avalon sailing.

But the CD would be the point person to get permissions from the Captain. We did have a visitor (friends of a passenger) on our Avalon sailing.

I was responding from personal experience on a Uniworld cruise a few years ago. Our guest was welcomed on board by the Captain, had to wear a visitor badge and joined us for lunch. He did not join us on any tours, as we felt that was not fair to other passengers who might resent having to share a tour guide with someone not paying for the service of the guide.

I only meant that the Capt is a very busy guy and the CD would be the one to talk to in order to get permissions needed from the Capt. Yes it's the Capt decision but you need to go thru the CD as the Capt is not necessarily accessible.

I only meant that the Capt is a very busy guy and the CD would be the one to talk to in order to get permissions needed from the Capt. Yes it's the Capt decision but you need to go thru the CD as the Capt is not necessarily accessible.

You are right, JVille. The captain would not be asked by the passenger...he has far too many other things he's responsible for. The passenger should ask the CD who will ask the hotel manager who will ask the captain but the captain's answer is really a formality. It's the hotel manager and dining room manager who will decide if a guest can stay for lunch or dinner and the CD who will either approve the guest and confirm with the hotel manager or explain to the passenger that it is not allowed. Of course the guest will have to wear ID at all times on board. As for excursions, I would think that is strictly up to the CD but quite frankly, I'd be surprised if it was allowed on anything other than a walking tour.

How are you feeling?

I'm better, not great but Meds are finished. I feel like a giant Viking Longboat beached on my chest ;)

But I can tell I have turned the corner. This was bad, never experienced anything like it! So much for getting a Pneumonia shot. Thanks for asking.

Had to give away our Duck vs Husky tickets and our Seahawks ticket for next week-end. Can't risk letting this stuff come back.

You are right, JVille. The captain would not be asked by the passenger...he has far too many other things he's responsible for. The passenger should ask the CD who will ask the hotel manager who will ask the captain but the captain's answer is really a formality. It's the hotel manager and dining room manager who will decide if a guest can stay for lunch or dinner and the CD who will either approve the guest and confirm with the hotel manager or explain to the passenger that it is not allowed. Of course the guest will have to wear ID at all times on board. As for excursions, I would think that is strictly up to the CD but quite frankly, I'd be surprised if it was allowed on anything other than a walking tour.

 

How are you feeling?

See that dead horse over there ? :) it has been beaten to death, but i will repeat myself. I did ask the Captain, did not go through the CD. Every Captain on all of our Uniworld cruises have been extremely approachable. Have spent a lot of time chatting with them learning about their lives on the rivers. I cannot speak for any other cruise line, just from my own personal experience.

I believe on Uniworld you will find the staff very accommodating.

As far as the tour part, let's look at the situation as a practical manner. How many times have we all been rafted to another boat, and taken the opportunity to tour the boat to which we are rafted? While traveling independently, I have came aboard a Uniworld boat, asked for the CD and then a boat tour, and have been graciously accommodated.

As far as meals and tours, I believe it will be a matter of how full the ship is and the circumstances. I believe they may well comp you an open buffet lunch while finding it difficult to allow dinner on a full boat. I have been allowed to bring a friend, which we meet up with, along on a tour at no charge, but the tour/bus was not full.

See that dead horse over there ? :) it has been beaten to death, but i will repeat myself. I did ask the Captain, did not go through the CD. Every Captain on all of our Uniworld cruises have been extremely approachable. Have spent a lot of time chatting with them learning about their lives on the rivers. I cannot speak for any other cruise line, just from my own personal experience.

Ok sure.... Whatever, disturbing the Captain IMO by a passenger is just plain wrong. He may well be approachable but this is not IMO the best way to gain this type of permission. Ask him about his boat, the river, challenges he may expect on your journey. The Captain runs the ship and has a Hotel Mgr and a CD to run the ships and passengers. They consult with him when necessary so that the Capt can attend you getting to your next port.

That may well have been your experience but IMO is not the way to go about a visitor on board.

Ok sure.... Whatever, disturbing the Captain IMO by a passenger is just plain wrong. He may well be approachable but this is not IMO the best way to gain this type of permission. Ask him about his boat, the river, challenges he may expect on your journey. The Captain runs the ship and has a Hotel Mgr and a CD to run the ships and passengers. They consult with him when necessary so that the Capt can attend you getting to your next port.

 

That may well have been your experience but IMO is not the way to go about a visitor on board.

Good to have you back!!! :D

Just to chime in about Uniworld, a fellow passenger told the CD she was meeting up with a cousin in Avignon and would be seeing the city with her. The CD invited her to invite her cousin to eat lunch with us on the Avignon city tour, which began in a high-end restaurant, before going off with her cousin, which she did. Very hospitable company.

I think ALL the companies will be very welcoming of a passenger guest!

Just to chime in about Uniworld, a fellow passenger told the CD she was meeting up with a cousin in Avignon and would be seeing the city with her. The CD invited her to invite her cousin to eat lunch with us on the Avignon city tour, which began in a high-end restaurant, before going off with her cousin, which she did. Very hospitable company.

I think ALL the companies will be very welcoming of a passenger guest![/quote}

 

I agree.. I cannot imagine the Vantage CD telling a passenger "you cannot bring your family member on board". Where we disagree with previous poster is in whom you should ask. Most of us feel the passenger should go to the CD (as you did) who will then talk to the Hotel Manager who will then get permission from the Captain. These people are professional sailors and usually there's a form of protocol they expect to be used. Of course, the Captain is not going to offend any guest by telling them "go ask someone else, I'm busy" ... that's why they describe them as "Officers and Gentlemen" :D

I stand by my choice of how my request was handled at the time. It was part of our conversation and it would have been laughable for the captain to get the request via a second and third party. Bottom line, it is the Captains decision, as the company policy is stated in every Uniworld cruise companion booklet...

"

Visitors are generally not permitted onboard the ship and are not allowed to join any excursions. Please make arrangements to meet your friends and relatives onshore."

As far as checking out a ship you are rafted next to, getting a tour is great PR for that cruise line...especially if you are impressed.

I stand by my choice of how my request was handled at the time. It was part of our conversation and it would have been laughable for the captain to get the request via a second and third party. Bottom line, it is the Captains decision, as the company policy is stated in every Uniworld cruise companion booklet...

"

Visitors are generally not permitted onboard the ship and are not allowed to join any excursions. Please make arrangements to meet your friends and relatives onshore."

 

As far as checking out a ship you are rafted next to, getting a tour is great PR for that cruise line...especially if you are impressed.

Ritabob, no one is disputing how your request was handled...I just think a better option at this time would be to go through the CD. Thank you for providing the Uniworld company policy, which I'm sure is their lawyers talking...and of course, the CD would be the best one to handle that information because if corporate says it's not allowed and captain says "sure come on board" and the visitor falls and gets hurt....who do you think is liable?

Rafting is quite simply a fact of river cruising and isn't going away any time soon. It is indeed a good way to check out other ships and it can also be a good way of meeting people who aren't on your cruise. :D

Everybody's had their say, and nobody's offering anything new -- so this thread is locked.