Mandatory paid excursions......no thanks

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

This is actually really good news with many cling they won't cruise do to required tours.  Less people, more space for the rest of us who do what to still visit ports.  😀

Care to repost so that we can understand what you are trying to say.

[SelectSys]

6 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Care to repost so that we can understand what you are trying to say.

 

I think the poster suggested that this policy would suppress cruise demand generally and as a result make more room in ports for those that did still travel.  This is a guess on my part.

 

 

My perspective is that I still might cruise and just stay on board as I like the ship and have no problem missing some ports.  This would be especially true in places like the Caribbean which is more about sun and fun anyways.

 

 

[wowzz]

11 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

 

I think the poster suggested that this policy would suppress cruise demand generally and as a result make more room in ports for those that did still travel.  This is a guess on my part.

 

 

My perspective is that I still might cruise and just stay on board as I like the ship and have no problem missing some ports.  This would be especially true in places like the Caribbean which is more about sun and fun anyways.

 

 

Thanks for the explanation. 

You are probably right about the Caribbean (although if you are not getting off the ship, I think I'd prefer a good hotel at a lower cost than the cruise).

But obviously for those cruises that are destination specific,  only being able to take "bubble" tours can be both restrictive and expensive.

[shipgeeks]

Inexpensive, so far, on the MSC Med cruises, and apparently a good variety of choices, not just bus tours.

A couple of other spellcheck glitches in the earlier post.

[Jonny Rotten]

When we cruise we want to see the world, that's why we cruise. Sitting on the ship is not even an option for us. We're the first ones off and the last ones on.  We book all our cruises strictly by the ports...then cruise line then of course the open bar 😁 We also want to do things on our own terms. Let's stop here, lets stop there. An excursion would be downright brutal for the way we like to do things.....we have done guided tours but that's totally different and only takes an hour out of our day. We have the " we may only be her once in our lives" attitude   

 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Jonny Rotten

[SelectSys]

27 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You are probably right about the Caribbean (although if you are not getting off the ship, I think I'd prefer a good hotel at a lower cost than the cruise).

I was actually thinking about the hotel route as I was typing my answer.  I expect my first trip after lock down to be somewhere on the beach in Mexico.  This seems much more likely than a cruise at this point.

Edited February 28, 2021 by SelectSys

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, SelectSys said:

I was actually thinking about the hotel route as I was typing my answer.  I expect my first trip after lock down to be somewhere on the beach in Mexico.  This seems much more likely than a cruise at this point.

Yup - for the same price as a small  cabin on a ship, with inflated drinks prices and crowded public areas, I can get a luxurious hotel room, all inclusive drinks and spacious pool/ beach areas. 

Easy choice really.

[getting older slowly]

2 hours ago, Jonny Rotten said:

When we cruise we want to see the world, that's why we cruise. Sitting on the ship is not even an option for us. We're the first ones off and the last ones on.  We book all our cruises strictly by the ports...then cruise line then of course the open bar 😁 We also want to do things on our own terms. Let's stop here, lets stop there. An excursion would be downright brutal for the way we like to do things.....we have done guided tours but that's totally different and only takes an hour out of our day. We have the " we may only be her once in our lives" attitude   

 

 

I get your drift... a cruise involves  a ships which gets you from A to B... a floating hotel..... which if fair enough..

 

Just remember, there are some who love sea days... being on a ship in the ocean..

 

Also one has heard many stories of people taking a cruise to see one particular place,  but due to bad weather, or other reasons the place is missed....

The take away is ..    if you really want to see one place/thing/attraction... don't fly halfway round the world to take a cruise there.... fly there and stay enjoy... then take a cruise if you wish....

 

Each to his own...... Don

[Jonny Rotten]

2 hours ago, SelectSys said:

I was actually thinking about the hotel route as I was typing my answer.  I expect my first trip after lock down to be somewhere on the beach in Mexico.  This seems much more likely than a cruise at this point.

I just got back from Mexico 3 weeks ago and might go back in 2 weeks. It's "open" they might not say it on the news but believe me all the bars and restaurants and beaches are cranking......zero talk of Covid or politics anywhere. Nothing but a good time......It is so refreshing I cant even tell you.    Playa del Carmen Mexico  

[clo]

17 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

don't fly halfway round the world to take a cruise there.... fly there and stay enjoy...

In 9/22 we'll (hopefully) fly quite a ways around the world for a Baltic/Scandinavia cruise. IIRC only on sea day the rest are ports including two days in St. Peterburg. At our age there's no way we would want to DIY that, flying from place to place to place.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, clo said:

In 9/22 we'll (hopefully) fly quite a ways around the world for a Baltic/Scandinavia cruise. IIRC only on sea day the rest are ports including two days in St. Peterburg. At our age there's no way we would want to DIY that, flying from place to place to place.

As you know having used Gate 1 travel, there is another alternative to a cruise or do it totally yourself.

[Ride-The-Waves]

14 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

I think the poster suggested that this policy would suppress cruise demand generally and as a result make more room in ports for those that did still travel.  This is a guess on my part.

 

 

My perspective is that I still might cruise and just stay on board as I like the ship and have no problem missing some ports.  This would be especially true in places like the Caribbean which is more about sun and fun anyways.

 

 

Spell check - again!  Yes - fewer people on cruises and especially on tours makes for a better experience for those of us who will be cruising and touring.

[Ride-The-Waves]

11 hours ago, clo said:

In 9/22 we'll (hopefully) fly quite a ways around the world for a Baltic/Scandinavia cruise. IIRC only on sea day the rest are ports including two days in St. Peterburg. At our age there's no way we would want to DIY that, flying from place to place to place.

In Europe the train is the best way to travel between inner cities on a fixed schedule.  I also like driving, a form of travel enabling stops to enjoy the sights.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Ride-The-Waves

[navybankerteacher]

15 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

In Europe the train is the best way to travel between inner cities on a fixed schedule.  I also like driving, a form of travel enabling stops to enjoy the sights.

 

15 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

In Europe the train is the best way to travel between inner cities on a fixed schedule.  I also like driving, a form of travel enabling stops to enjoy the sights.

It really depends on your focus- if you want to spend time in cities: Naples, Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, etc. trains are the way - but to explore Umbria and visit Tuscan hill towns, driving is great .

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

In Europe the train is the best way to travel between inner cities on a fixed schedule.  I also like driving, a form of travel enabling stops to enjoy the sights.

 

In most parts of Europe it's very expensive to travel by train,  flying is cheaper.

 

 

[ldubs]

We always enjoyed bouncing around areas on the regional trains.  And ferries.  I hope we get to experience that again some day.  

[cruisemom42]

32 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

In most parts of Europe it's very expensive to travel by train,  flying is cheaper.

 

 

 

But also can be less convenient when traveling from city center to city center.  And less scenic.

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

But also can be less convenient when traveling from city center to city center.  And less scenic.

 

Absolutely, I was only talking about the cost.

[kimlovesfl]

On 2/22/2021 at 11:01 PM, Jonny Rotten said:

Could very well be miss information, and it sounds like it is

Either way it still sounds like all ports will be mandatory paid excursions. Which is a deal breaker for us. No chance we would ever do that

This was news to us a bit shocking and totally disappointing

 

We have a cruise on the Getaway booked for October 25, and I highly doubt we will go. 

1. We aren't sure we can even afford this now. It was booked 2 years ago. We have had a drop in income since the pandemic hit.

2. If travel restrictions for anything other than non-essential travel to Italy are still in place, that for sure makes it a no-go

3. Mandatory ship-sponsored excursions will make it cost prohibitive. We have something like 7 ports on this cruise, and I chose this particular cruise because it stopped at all the ports we want to visit, in 1 cruise. I looked at NCL's shore excursion prices, and they are high. Even with their included perk of $50 per person per port shore excursion credit, it's a lot. On our last Mediterranean cruise, the only thing we booked through the ship was the train from Livorno to Florence. 

 

This would be a deal-breaker for us on a port intensive trip like this.

[SelectSys]

16 hours ago, Jonny Rotten said:

I just got back from Mexico 3 weeks ago and might go back in 2 weeks. It's "open" they might not say it on the news but believe me all the bars and restaurants and beaches are cranking......zero talk of Covid or politics anywhere. Nothing but a good time......It is so refreshing I cant even tell you.    Playa del Carmen Mexico  

 

I am glad you enjoyed your time in Mexico.  You are correct that in Mexico COVID is a health rather than political issue and life is moving on as normal.  While I haven't crossed since MLK weekend 2020, many people I know go on a regular basis and the land crossing between San Deigo and Tijuana for US citizens and residents is pretty much business as usual.  

 

I would bet that this is a great year to be in Playa del Carmen as the normal winter crowds are probably not too severe.

[clo]

2 hours ago, SelectSys said:

 

I am glad you enjoyed your time in Mexico.  You are correct that in Mexico COVID is a health rather than political issue and life is moving on as normal.  While I haven't crossed since MLK weekend 2020, many people I know go on a regular basis and the land crossing between San Deigo and Tijuana for US citizens and residents is pretty much business as usual.  

 

I would bet that this is a great year to be in Playa del Carmen as the normal winter crowds are probably not too severe.

I was talking with a woman yesterday who has a second home in Cabo and is leaving in a few days for there. No test needed to enter but she will have to have a negative test for reentry to the US.

[clo]

9 hours ago, ontheweb said:

As you know having used Gate 1 travel, there is another alternative to a cruise or do it totally yourself.

I could see doing that itinerary on two different, not B2B trips with Gate 1 or an equivalent. We've had some great, very good and good trips with them. We frequently didn't have enough free time to go off on our own. And some of the days were so long that we only had time to change clothes and go to dinner.  But it's certainly a viable option if we don't cruise.

[SelectSys]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I was talking with a woman yesterday who has a second home in Cabo and is leaving in a few days for there. No test needed to enter but she will have to have a negative test for reentry to the US.

The land crossings don't have any restrictions.  I have a family member who crosses multiple times per week and has never had a test.   All they say is that the SENTRI line is great these days as Mexicans without residency or dual US citizenship aren't crossing.

[clo]

1 minute ago, SelectSys said:

The land crossings don't have any restrictions.  I have a family member who crosses multiple times per week and has never had a test.   All they say is that the SENTRI line is great these days as Mexicans without residency or dual US citizenship aren't crossing.

She flies.

[SelectSys]

31 minutes ago, clo said:

She flies.

I know.  Different situation.  Not surprisingly, additional people are driving down from LA to fly out of Tijuana to avoid testing.  I will bet some people testing positive in Mexico are using this route to get home.

Edited February 28, 2021 by SelectSys