tring Posted June 11, 2018 #1 Share Posted June 11, 2018 We have an interest in one of Fred's fly cruises, but would book our own flights and stay extra time before embarkation. The cruise ends in Duabi and we would be thinking of booking an Emirates flight that leaves at 14 40 on the same day. We were asked to disembark by 9am in Mauritius last year (as independent travellers, not on Fred's flights). Is that normal to be asked to disembark about that time in all ports. We could go to the airport then, but a slightly later disembarkation would be useful. I am assuming the ship will arrive early in Dubai as it is only in port there for one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsman Posted June 11, 2018 #2 Share Posted June 11, 2018 I strongly suggest you liaise with Fred. Olsen direct and I know they will be most helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolian Posted June 11, 2018 #3 Share Posted June 11, 2018 We are booked on the Boudicca cruise from/to Mauritius at the end of November. Our Air Mauritius flight doesn’t depart for London until quite late so hoping we will not have to disembark by 09.00! Has anyone experience of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tring Posted June 11, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted June 11, 2018 We are booked on the Boudicca cruise from/to Mauritius at the end of November. Our Air Mauritius flight doesn’t depart for London until quite late so hoping we will not have to disembark by 09.00! Has anyone experience of this? If you are booked on one of Fred's flights, then you will be kept on the ship until it is time to go to the airport. People who had booked flights independently last autumn had to disembark by a set time (I think it was 9am or possibly 10.00am, but no later). We were not allowed to stay any later due to needing immigration staff which were only present then. We stayed in Mauritius for a week, so we were happy to leave then. If independent you could book into a hotel for a while, even if not a full day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tring Posted June 13, 2018 Author #5 Share Posted June 13, 2018 We have now booked the said cruise, which is Boudicca Feb 2020 (Sri Lanka to Dubai) so hotels/flights not bookable yet, but we wanted an idea of the practicalities before we booked. To our surprise the cruise details, which was emailed to us just after we booked, said that independent passengers will need to check in between 2pm and 5pm and disembarkation is normally required between 9am and 10am, though it did say timings could be revised. Details said they were giving that info to help people make their arrangements to get to/from the port, which we thought was very thoughtful, given how far ahead it is until the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolian Posted June 14, 2018 #6 Share Posted June 14, 2018 If you are booked on one of Fred's flights, then you will be kept on the ship until it is time to go to the airport. People who had booked flights independently last autumn had to disembark by a set time (I think it was 9am or possibly 10.00am, but no later). We were not allowed to stay any later due to needing immigration staff which were only present then. We stayed in Mauritius for a week, so we were happy to leave then. If independent you could book into a hotel for a while, even if not a full day. We have heard before that Fred have very limited timings for immigration staffing. Never have come across this before on other cruise lines. We will be having a stay in Mauritius before the cruise so could return there for a day visit. Maybe a hotel near Port Louis or even a hotel near the airport. Do Fred offer airport transfers for NON Fred flight passengers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tring Posted June 14, 2018 Author #7 Share Posted June 14, 2018 y in Mauritius before the cruise so could return there for a day visit. Maybe a hotel near Port Louis or even a hotel near the airport.Do Fred offer airport transfers for NON Fred flight passengers? Do not see how they could as there would not be a group of people wanting to transfer to the airport at the time they disembark. Most passengers seemed to be on Fred flights and they went later in the day and the few independents would not be around when that left. The people we met who had their own flights were staying in Mauritius, if only for one night. Fred often offer a day tour that ends at the airport (and may have done for this cruise), but that will be getting to the airport for the Fred flight and not sure you would be able to take luggage as Fred's flight luggage will probably go bonded. We were staying on the East coast, but booked a car to take us there, but doing a day trip on the way as we would have been too early to check in anyway and it seemed a shame not to see something on the way. We used a company that was recommended to us and it worked very well. Apparently only some taxis are allowed into the port (think they need to pay a wack) and they ask stupid prices, so best to have pre arranged taxi. Useful link to a Thread I started https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2550942&highlight=Mauritius Will try to find the name of the taxi company and post here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tring Posted June 14, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted June 14, 2018 (edited) The taxi company we used was well recommended on the Trip Advisor travel forum for Mauritius - used regularly by destination experts, so you could pick it up from there. Am posting this separately in case it is pulled, but I think TA is a sister site of CC, so do not expect it will be pulled. I had posted a lot on the TA forums (under the same name), so a search of my name in the forums for the ports should give you some useful info. We also stopped at Zanzibar, Reunion, Mozambique Island and Comoros (the later being a late replacement for Tamatave, which was cancelled due to the Plague epidemic). I did posts on the Madagascar forum as well. I agree that talking to your pre cruise hotel is a good idea. I have never know of being able to stay on a cruise ship after a cruise has finished unless you are on a flight offered by the company, but thought there may have been some small leeway on disembarkation time. Edited June 14, 2018 by tring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolian Posted June 15, 2018 #9 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Thank you for all you help Tring. Will check out your TA posts. Carole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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