5 euros each to leave the ship

[Meanee]

I don't know what you mean about visa fee, however I think you'd be a bit miffed if Airline X charged you $7 dollars to catch the bus to the terminal building as your not allowed to walk for safety reasons.

 

Cool cruiser, I agree. I think the cruise companies need to be a bit more honest and let passenger know upfront.

 

 

Their airport, their rules. Am I going to blame it on airline? Nope. Maybe it would be better to throw a fit on a tarmac, demanding that airline brings me back home for free?

 

Airline completed it's contract. It got you from point A to point B. What you do the moment you step off the plane is none of their concern. Yeah, I won't be exactly thrilled about it, maybe reconsider flying into that airport (if alternatives exist), but I am not going to start a campaign against it. I am sure airport management knows that it's not the most amazing thing that they can do for their passengers.

 

OP's post pretty much blamed Princess for port setting up a rule like that.

 

There are tons of fees in this world for completely random and idiotic reason. I remember good old days when Sprint charged me $3 to talk to their customer service rep instead of their automated system.

 

5 euros won't break your bank. Besides, if you are complaining about 5 euros to get to safe area outside of the port, I hope you weren't planning to walk to Pisa/Florence from Livorno. Trains cost money too. And *surprise* Princess won't pay for them.

[kruisey]

No one is expecting to have transportation for free.

With this Port you are FORCED to pay to get out of the docking area to the entrance of the port gate only.That is a first for me to hear about and like the OP I disagree with that.

No one is disputing the fact that one has to pay to be taken on a trip further than the Port gate.

[Meanee]

No one is expecting to have transportation for free.

With this Port you are FORCED to pay to get out of the docking area to the entrance of the port gate only.That is a first for me to hear about and like the OP I disagree with that.

No one is disputing the fact that one has to pay to be taken on a trip further than the Port gate.

 

I bet it's mostly due to the port not being a cruise port. And from the gate to the ship is quite a distance. You can get lost. You can get injured by other equipment (trucks, cranes, whatever else) there may be. So forcing you to pay for safe passage is reasonable.

 

Cruise ports are much more relaxed with it. You can walk, if you feel like it. But these ports are more geared towards cruise ships, and have a way to get to your ship safely. But I'd rather spend 5 euros, and don't have to walk for over a mile through active port that may be loading/unloading a huge cargo ship along the way.

[Putterdude]

I think gailjen is being taken a little out of context here and some unnecessary barbs are being thrown at her....but what's unusual about that on the Princess board. Let's just leave her out of this for a moment, you are on a budget, you have saved for this cruise, you have bought some HOHO tickets in advance or are going to do a DIY tours because that is what you have budgeted for and all of a sudden your are hit with a 5e pp tariff because you can't walk out of the port area. All Princess has to do is note this tariff in the Personalizer Itinerary and a person has knowledge of the fee. Otherwise to a person who has less cruising savvy then some of us looks at the "taxes and port charges included" provision and feel they have been had.

 

On the other hand, I have done a cursory search on the Italy forum and don't see any mention of this port fee in 2013 or 2014. There is however, a fairly lengthy thread started in March of this year on the topic and I suppose it could be argued that a person doing a DIY should have looked there but not everyone relies on Cruise Critic for their information. The underlying suggestion on that thread that this fee has been imposed to force people in to overpriced cabs and tours.

 

Another argument is advanced on the above thread is that tendering costs are included in your fare so why not the cost of moving you out of the port area like is done in many other ports?

[Meanee]

 

Another argument is advanced on the above thread is that tendering costs are included in your fare so why not the cost of moving you out of the port area like is done in many other ports?

 

 

Counter-argument. Tenders got you to port. Same way cruiseline got you to port in Livorno. What you do after you get to port, that's your problem :)

 

My Europe cruise was with NCL. In Rome (Civitavecchia), cruiseline gave us free shuttle to bus station (way to train station was blocked off due to construction). But in Livorno, cruise shuttle was 12 euros per person, but took you all the way to train station, instead of the gates.

[Putterdude]

Counter-argument. Tenders got you to port. Same way cruiseline got you to port in Livorno. What you do after you get to port, that's your problem :)

.

 

Good point, however in this case there is no tender. While I am certain there are exceptions but in our case we have always been tendered to a safe area.

[TwoCruisers]

I agree with the OP. Passengers pay port charges and those charges should cover exit from the port area. Princess should have this in their contract with the port authorities. If this isn't possible then Princess should contract a shuttle service. We have been to ports where the port authority does not allow walking. Free shuttles are provided to get you to the port exit. I believe Barbados, Valparaiso, Cartagena are examples.

 

Based on my memory, the three ports I mentioned do not allow walking from the ship to the port exit building. There were free shuttles. Valparaiso was a fairly long bus ride between cargo containers and cargo operations. If the port is paying for the shuttle then I suppose the cost is included in their port fees. If Princess pays then I suppose the cost is part of the fare calculation.

 

It was many years ago, but at our stop at Barbados we did walk to the port exit building and also to the port gate and beyond.

 

There are free shuttles but you don’t have to take them.

[Loonbeam]

To the person who asked, yes, you do pay the fee if on a tour, etc, its just factored into the price (I checked, tour companies can buy a yearly 'pass' per vehicle, or pay per car somehow. Most of the big names buy the pass (RIL, the buses, etc).

 

What it comes down to is that there is NOTHING Princess can do. As I noted, there is NOT an option for Princess to sell or provide individual tickets. It's cash at the gate only. They also are not allowed to operate their own shuttle. So unless Princess hands everyone a 5 euro note as they disembark...

 

They should notify people, yes, but their hands are tied in terms of providing access.

[RocketMan275]

What it comes down to is that there is NOTHING Princess can do. As I noted, there is NOT an option for Princess to sell or provide individual tickets. It's cash at the gate only. They also are not allowed to operate their own shuttle. So unless Princess hands everyone a 5 euro note as they disembark...

 

I can guarantee you that if Princess passed out 5 Euro notes to disembarking passengers, there would be a flood of people pocketing the note and then not exiting the gate.

[Ethel5]

....................SNIP.......................

Another argument is advanced on the above thread is that tendering costs are included in your fare so why not the cost of moving you out of the port area like is done in many other ports?

 

The answer to that is the ship owns the tenders. To provide transport out of the port area requires the cruise line to hire/rent/charter buses and that cost would be passed onto the cruiser. So pay the 5€ and be happy you are able to travel to such a beautiful area. :)

[Putterdude]

The answer to that is the ship owns the tenders. To provide transport out of the port area requires the cruise line to hire/rent/charter buses and that cost would be passed onto the cruiser. So pay the 5€ and be happy you are able to travel to such a beautiful area. :)

 

Not quite so, in a number of ports cruise lines contract out the tender services to other companies, now they may be required to do so by the port but regardless the cost is in the cruise fare.

[Meanee]

The answer to that is the ship owns the tenders. To provide transport out of the port area requires the cruise line to hire/rent/charter buses and that cost would be passed onto the cruiser. So pay the 5€ and be happy you are able to travel to such a beautiful area. :)

 

Not always. One cruise 2 years ago, it was contracted out to local company. It was a Carnival Dream, in Belize. Other times I tendered, it was ship's lifeboats.

 

And yeah, I agree with you, complaining about 5 euros, when it's holding you back from seeing such wonderful places like Tower of Pisa (and everyone Kung-Fu fighting next to it), or Florence, is just weird. I'd gladly eat more ramen to save up, if I had to, just to see these amazing sights.

[Colo Cruiser]

Not always. One cruise 2 years ago, it was contracted out to local company. It was a Carnival Dream, in Belize. Other times I tendered, it was ship's lifeboats.

 

In Belize they always use the ports high speed tenders. They own approx. 45 of them.

Its 5 miles from shore.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[dmwnc1959]

So pay the 5€ and be happy you are able to travel to such a beautiful area. :)

 

 

I wish I could be there and have to pay the 5€. If anybody needs me, I'll be at work....again.

 

First World problems...;)

 

:D

[Hawaiifrank]

I agree with the OP. Passengers pay port charges and those charges should cover exit from the port area. Princess should have this in their contract with the port authorities. If this isn't possible then Princess should contract a shuttle service. We have been to ports where the port authority does not allow walking. Free shuttles are provided to get you to the port exit. I believe Barbados, Valparaiso, Cartagena are examples.

 

And Citvetchia. The port near Rome Italy. (that spelling doesn't look right, isn't there another 'i' in the name?).

[Iamcruzin]

The only way I see to get rid of insidious fees like this is to boycott any cruises that go to such a port. Or, if you go, refuse to get off the ship. Eventually, if enough people raised a stink about it, the cruise lines will either shift their itineraries or else the people charging the fee will back down.

 

I'm sorry but do you really think people are going to spend thousands of dollars to fly to Europe, board a ship and not get off to boycott a 5 euro fee? It's not going to happen. For many it's a once in a lifetime trip. This is the first time since I joined CC in 2008 that I'm even seeing a topic like this. My guess is that the majority accept these fees and pay. I don't think paying $8.00 for a hot dog at a sporting event is justified but thousands of people are buying them.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Iamcruzin

[Times Prince]

I have seen ports, Naples for instance, where one must pay for a shuttle to get out of the port area into town. The issues were safety and security, which prohibited passengers to walk through an industrial port area.

 

After all the warnings I still saw a passenger at the Purser's desk getting help because he was mugged and robbed trying to walk out of the port.

 

Sometimes it is best to listen to the safety warnings, and pay the shuttle fee.

 

5 Euros is less than the cost of a glass of wine onboard ship - so why the big deal complaining about it?

[Meanee]

I have seen ports, Naples for instance, where one must pay for a shuttle to get out of the port area into town. The issues were safety and security, which prohibited passengers to walk through an industrial port area.

 

After all the warnings I still saw a passenger at the Purser's desk getting help because he was mugged and robbed trying to walk out of the port.

 

Sometimes it is best to listen to the safety warnings, and pay the shuttle fee.

 

5 Euros is less than the cost of a glass of wine onboard ship - so why the big deal complaining about it?

 

 

Are you talking about Naples, Italy? Because in there, cruise ship drops you off literally in a middle of the city.

[Iamcruzin]

And Citvetchia. The port near Rome Italy. (that spelling doesn't look right, isn't there another 'i' in the name?).

 

Probably, I'm of Italian descent and there are 3 i's in my last name. Maybe Italy is using the extra 5 euros to buy vowels.

[kruisey]

I bet it's mostly due to the port not being a cruise port. And from the gate to the ship is quite a distance. You can get lost. You can get injured by other equipment (trucks, cranes, whatever else) there may be. So forcing you to pay for safe passage is reasonable.

 

Cruise ports are much more relaxed with it. You can walk, if you feel like it. But these ports are more geared towards cruise ships, and have a way to get to your ship safely. But I'd rather spend 5 euros, and don't have to walk for over a mile through active port that may be loading/unloading a huge cargo ship along the way.

 

On my account for my next cruise there is a section which states for payment Taxes,Fees and PORT EXPENSES. I lay my case.

[Meanee]

On my account for my next cruise there is a section which states for payment Taxes,Fees and PORT EXPENSES. I lay my case.

 

http://www.princess.com/html/global/book/disclaimers/TFPE_definition.html#.VW-64_lVhBc

 

Find me "port entrance fee" here please.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

It's only €5.00. How much do we pay for the cruise? The excursions? The airfare? The drinks? The specialty restaurants? The tips? Etc. etc. etc.

 

Five euro is nothing compared to the total cost of the vacation. If I was that concerned about €5.00 I wouldn't even take the trip to begin with. Sometimes I think we just look for something to complain about.

[kruisey]

It's only €5.00. How much do we pay for the cruise? The excursions? The airfare? The drinks? The specialty restaurants? The tips? Etc. etc. etc.

 

Five euro is nothing compared to the total cost of the vacation. If I was that concerned about €5.00 I wouldn't even take the trip to begin with. Sometimes I think we just look for something to complain about.

 

Look after the cents the dollar will look after itself.

Have you ever seriously counted up the odd small amounts of cash you paid out for your whole cruise?This is the way business makes money they are not stupid.:cool:

[Astro Flyer]

And Citvetchia. The port near Rome Italy. (that spelling doesn't look right, isn't there another 'i' in the name?).

 

Probably, I'm of Italian descent and there are 3 i's in my last name. Maybe Italy is using the extra 5 euros to buy vowels.

Civitavecchia...6 vowels...and mine has 4 vowels and of course ending in a vowel. ;)

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Many years ago when I first started traveling overseas, I was given some great advice. I was told that when I get to a different country to look around and remember that I'm not in the U.S.A. Things will be different. So what? Just accept the differences and move on. The trip will be much more enjoyable. Getting upset about paying €5.00 to leave the port of Livorno will not change anything and will not help you enjoy your cruise. If this type of thing bothers you, then maybe going to foreign countries is not for you.