No private tours due to COVID?

[GICNJC]

One of the other lines starting again in August is not allowing private tours to ensure the passengers bubble remains as COVID free as possible.

 

If applied to Oceania, I would he they would reprice their excursions to those we can buy privately.   

 

The current Ocenia pricing is marked up significantly from what we can privately obtain. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 minutes ago, GICNJC said:

One of the other lines starting again in August is not allowing private tours to ensure the passengers bubble remains as COVID free as possible.

 

If applied to Oceania, I would he they would reprice their excursions to those we can buy privately.   

 

The current Ocenia pricing is marked up significantly from what we can privately obtain. 

If anything, you might see the O tour prices go up if for no other reason than the need to reduce group sizes as part of their Covid plan. Or, if they leave the prices as is, you'd be getting a smaller group experience at no additional cost.

 

That said, and with the understanding that private group tours may usually cost less than the ship tour's, note that there is a way to reduce that ship cost.

 

Firstly, taking the most expensive of the available O Life tours (e.g., <$200 pp and not OE, OS, etc) effectively doubles the value of your O Life perk. And, since your O Life tour number can be counted against the minimum YWYW program requirement on your cruise, you can then purchase enough other non-O Life tours to hit the YWYW minimum and get a 25% discount on them.

We often do this (and may still do select private tours for some ports) and will definitely continue the practice at least as long as Covid prevention remains "job 1."

[Jancruz]

I wouldnt worry..cruises may be starting but so far they havent finished..all back to port

with covid on board..

Jancruz1

[KirkNC]

33 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

I wouldnt worry..cruises may be starting but so far they havent finished..all back to port

with covid on board..

Jancruz1

Sad but true.  I think only one, the German company had a successful one.

[GICNJC]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If anything, you might see the O tour prices go up if for no other reason than the need to reduce group sizes as part of their Covid plan. Or, if they leave the prices as is, you'd be getting a smaller group experience at no additional cost.

 

That said, and with the understanding that private group tours may usually cost less than the ship tour's, note that there is a way to reduce that ship cost.

 

Firstly, taking the most expensive of the available O Life tours (e.g., <$200 pp and not OE, OS, etc) effectively doubles the value of your O Life perk. And, since your O Life tour number can be counted against the minimum YWYW program requirement on your cruise, you can then purchase enough other non-O Life tours to hit the YWYW minimum and get a 25% discount on them.

We often do this (and may still do select private tours for some ports) and will definitely continue the practice at least as long as Covid prevention remains "job 1."

Smart idea.  Thanks.

[Tansy Mews]

The Cruise Lines International Association has decided to wait until November for cruising again.

Here is the list of members - https://cruising.org/en/cruise-lines

 

And the August 5, 2020 press release.

https://cruising.org/en/news-and-research/press-room/2020/august/clia-announces-third-voluntary-suspension-of-us-cruise-operations

[susiesan]

A cruise line cannot stop people from taking private tours. The only way they could do this is to not allow passengers to get off in the ports unless they were on a ship sponsored tour. If that was the case a majority of people would cancel. As one who never takes Oceania or any ship tours that is what I would do. I would not cruise at all.

[LHT28]

this speculation at this point in time

It is a New World   out there  so who knows what the new normal will be  like

JMO

[ORV]

16 hours ago, GICNJC said:

One of the other lines starting again in August is not allowing private tours to ensure the passengers bubble remains as COVID free as possible.

 

If applied to Oceania, I would he they would reprice their excursions to those we can buy privately.   

 

The current Ocenia pricing is marked up significantly from what we can privately obtain. 

Which line is this that is starting in Aug and not allowing private tours? 

[GICNJC]

MSC

[Tansy Mews]

15 hours ago, Tansy Mews said:

The Cruise Lines International Association has decided to wait until November for cruising again.

Here is the list of members - https://cruising.org/en/cruise-lines

 

And the August 5, 2020 press release.

https://cruising.org/en/news-and-research/press-room/2020/august/clia-announces-third-voluntary-suspension-of-us-cruise-operations

 

It is US cruises. Canadian cruises are still off limits too, because of Canadian government regulations.

[comcox]

16 hours ago, ORV said:

Which line is this that is starting in Aug and not allowing private tours? 

MSC is currently requiring passengers to take ship's tours or they are not allowed off the ship at all.  I hope this requirement is not in place next year with Oceania.  We may cancel our cruise as we often like to do things or visit sights  not offered on ship's tours.

[schmerl]

3 hours ago, comcox said:

MSC is currently requiring passengers to take ship's tours or they are not allowed off the ship at all.  I hope this requirement is not in place next year with Oceania.  We may cancel our cruise as we often like to do things or visit sights  not offered on ship's tours.

WOW...I might never take a cruise again if this becomes a requirement on all ships. 

[ORV]

I have to agree, there are so many ports that are easily DIY. Some of our best memories are doing ports on our own. Of course private tours have also been a mainstay and I"d hate to be told we couldn't do that. 

[ABoatNerd]

No private tours and or no private wandering in ports = no cruise.

 

The sheer amount of being "processed" and restrictions and being on watch for one's behavior and the possibility of being locked up in a room at sea with no known date to arrive on land - all the previous totally offsets the benefits of cruising. It comes down to a cost benefit analysis output which can be different for each person.

 

At least with a land tour there are options and flexibility and medical care close by. 

 

 

[LHT28]

This may be a requirement  at this point in time  but  I cannot see if happening  in the future unless Covid is still going strong

 Right now  not many ships are sailing if any & they are trying to keep those pax that are  contained so easier to trace  if someone becomes positive  with COVID

 

What are they doing  where you live  to protect others & trace contacts if you should be infected?

 

JMO

[Shawnino]

2 hours ago, ABoatNerd said:

No private tours and or no private wandering in ports = no cruise.

 

The sheer amount of being "processed" and restrictions and being on watch for one's behavior and the possibility of being locked up in a room at sea with no known date to arrive on land - all the previous totally offsets the benefits of cruising. It comes down to a cost benefit analysis output which can be different for each person.

 

At least with a land tour there are options and flexibility and medical care close by. 

 

 

 

Preach, Sister!

I'd rather go to Club Fed.

[Paulchili]

I think all of this is much ado about nothing.

We have no idea what will be allowed or not allowed when cruising restart in earnest (if it ever does).

Let's discuss this then.

[comcox]

On 8/9/2020 at 10:32 AM, susiesan said:

A cruise line cannot stop people from taking private tours. The only way they could do this is to not allow passengers to get off in the ports unless they were on a ship sponsored tour. If that was the case a majority of people would cancel. As one who never takes Oceania or any ship tours that is what I would do. I would not cruise at all.

This is what MSC cruises is doing now.  No ship tour--No leaving the ship.  I've also seen it mentioned as one of the recommended adjustments to cruising in order to prevent infections on the ships.  Personally I would stop cruising if that does become a reality, even though I do sometimes take ship's tours, i much prefer private tours or just wandering around on my own.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, comcox said:

This is what MSC cruises is doing now.  No ship tour--No leaving the ship.  I've also seen it mentioned as one of the recommended adjustments to cruising in order to prevent infections on the ships. 

Where  are they sailing from?

 Some lines in Europe are sailing but no port stops

[nigelc]

4 hours ago, comcox said:

This is what MSC cruises is doing now.  No ship tour--No leaving the ship.  I've also seen it mentioned as one of the recommended adjustments to cruising in order to prevent infections on the ships.  Personally I would stop cruising if that does become a reality, even though I do sometimes take ship's tours, i much prefer private tours or just wandering around on my own.

 

I totally agree, while I do take a good number of ship tours, I sometimes just like to get off the ship and do my own thing. While my preferred holiday would be a cruise, the restrictions currently being discussed across the industry certainly do not appeal to me - especially given the increase in prices I have seen for the cruises I am interested in. Sadly, I think at the moment, my money will have to go to a land base holiday - shame.

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, nigelc said:

Sadly, I think at the moment, my money will have to go to a land base holiday - shame.

Agree.

If one is willing to stay at one place for the holiday - like a villa in Tuscany with side trips or a beach holiday somewhere, that's easy enough.

We were never fond of such holidays and always did a lot of traveling around - mostly driving.

As we get older that becomes more difficult and less attractive.

There are always good travel companies that do the driving and carrying your luggage while getting you around.

Is it as nice as a cruise? No, but it is one of the alternatives for us older folks out of necessity.

We've had some very nice tours in the past in Australia, China, Japan, S. America, SE Asia, Malaysia and Myanmar - places where traveling on your own is not as easy as in Europe, for example..

Edited August 11, 2020 by Paulchili

[cruisemom42]

11 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Where  are they sailing from?

 Some lines in Europe are sailing but no port stops

 

They have two ships that will be doing cruises in the Med:  https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/MSC-protocols-guests-go-ashore-on-excursions

[CintiPam]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

They have two ships that will be doing cruises in the Med:  https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/MSC-protocols-guests-go-ashore-on-excursions

Wow!  Thanks for posting the link.  

[LHT28]

Well  the cruises are just for EU passengers  so far

No cruises from the USA ports yet 

At the rate things are going in the USA it will be a longtime before  cruise leave from US ports

JMO