Italian ports now require shp tours ONLY again!

[Yinster]

With anything to do with pandemic, the situation is fluid. We sail in October so it could all change again

 

[Trimone]

I’m getting some prison style uniform shirts printed on the style of :

          BRITISH 

ITALIAN PRISONERS

  CARE OF NCL EPIC

     SEPT/OCT/NOV

              2021

If anyone is intrigued please contact me

      

[Trimone]

Just now, Trimone said:

I’m getting some prison style uniform shirts printed on the style of :

          BRITISH 

ITALIAN PRISONERS

  CARE OF NCL EPIC

     SEPT/OCT/NOV

              2021

If anyone is intrigued please contact me

      

Interested I need numbers soon

[steamboats]

It´s the Italian government which set up the rules and we are talking about 3 different ones:

 

1 - UK has to quarantine for 5 days - therefore RCI has cancelled all UK bookings for the Harmony of the Seas til the end of October. NCL still allows UK passengers but they can´t leave the ship in Italian ports. I don´t think that Italy will take off UK from the D country list by August 30th as the numbers are still rising - in UK and Italy.

 

2 - No individual shore tours in Italy - all cruise lines which are operating in Italy since last August don´t offer any individual shore tours - MSC, Costa, AIDA, TUI Cruises. So it was really no surprise that there are no individual shore tours allowed in Italian ports. Nevertheless both - RCI and NCL - did advertise them.

 

3 - the 6 person rule on vans - yes, this is a rule for private tours. But this does not mean that you can do an individual shore tour with a private tour operator. Why not? Because you are not allowed to leave the ship on your own (see No. 2). Tour operators can accomodate groups up to 6 people in a van (no sure whether the driver is counting) but you can´t use any tour operator when you arrive with a cruise ship. You can use them when you are on a land tour.

 

BTW, RCI did inform the passengers of the Harmony of the Seas´ Aug 15th first cruise only a couple of days ahead of the cruise that UK pax are not allowed on the cruise, no individual tours in Italy and Marseilles has been replace by a sea day. All pax til for all cruises until the TA on Oct 31st received this information. So no UK pax for the whole season. And no individual shore tours in Italy for the whole season.

 

steamboats

[ScratchTheRat]

2 minutes ago, steamboats said:

It´s the Italian government which set up the rules and we are talking about 3 different ones:

 

1 - UK has to quarantine for 5 days - therefore RCI has cancelled all UK bookings for the Harmony of the Seas til the end of October. NCL still allows UK passengers but they can´t leave the ship in Italian ports. I don´t think that Italy will take off UK from the D country list by August 30th as the numbers are still rising - in UK and Italy.

 

2 - No individual shore tours in Italy - all cruise lines which are operating in Italy since last August don´t offer any individual shore tours - MSC, Costa, AIDA, TUI Cruises. So it was really no surprise that there are no individual shore tours allowed in Italian ports. Nevertheless both - RCI and NCL - did advertise them.

 

3 - the 6 person rule on vans - yes, this is a rule for private tours. But this does not mean that you can do an individual shore tour with a private tour operator. Why not? Because you are not allowed to leave the ship on your own (see No. 2). Tour operators can accomodate groups up to 6 people in a van (no sure whether the driver is counting) but you can´t use any tour operator when you arrive with a cruise ship. You can use them when you are on a land tour.

 

BTW, RCI did inform the passengers of the Harmony of the Seas´ Aug 15th first cruise only a couple of days ahead of the cruise that UK pax are not allowed on the cruise, no individual tours in Italy and Marseilles has been replace by a sea day. All pax til for all cruises until the TA on Oct 31st received this information. So no UK pax for the whole season. And no individual shore tours in Italy for the whole season.

 

steamboats

 

Considering how many travel experts were surprised at Italy extending the quarantine rule to August, I'd be surprised if they continued it into September and believe the quarantine rule will be replaced by a testing/vaccine requirement instead.

 

I am due to travel from Rome on the Getaway on Sept 13th and I have provisionally booked an apartment for 5 days beforehand just in case. I noticed that the news about not being allowed off in Italy was specifically aimed at Epic from Barcelona which tells me that if you board a ship In Italy, they deem you to have completed quarantine and therefore you're welcome to disembark in Italian ports. 

 

Tomorrow is my 21 day period for check-in so fingers crossed! - Hoping we dont need to quarantine as I dont fancy the three of us all having to take laptops to work from apartment without even being able to leave for a walk but hey ho, if we have to we will!

[sbsmutoni]

This thread is really interesting to me.  We are scheduled on an NCL cruise in May, 2022 that visits Italy, so I’m not too worried about that one yet since it’s so far out.  However, we are also booked on an Oceania cruise in November that has several ports in Italy.  I bring this up because, as everyone knows, Oceania is owned by NCL, and Oceania has NOT posted anything about requirements to take cruise line only tours in Italy.

 

So whether the requirement is NCL ore Italy, the sister cruise line seems to be behaving differently.   Hmmmmm…..

[scotlandconnor]

On 8/19/2021 at 12:20 AM, Gen X Life said:

EXACTLY!!  Well said!!  It is the disclosure of the information BY the cruise line To the client that is the problem...  We feel they are not being forthcoming with vital information they have, and are not making public to the clients.  

 

They are worried about more cancels!  

 

Has ANYONE, ANYONE been informed by NCL about the Green Card/LIST to get into Italy without the five day Quarantine?!?!? That it must be done online BEFORE you get to ITALY?!?!  

 I found out about it from someone on CRUISE CRITIC! THAT IS ESSENTIAL VITAL INFORMATION!! NCL never said a word to me about it!!

 

It is NCL Responsibilities to inform the client WHEN THE TERMS OF AGREEMENT CHANGE!!  This should be in a new section for international cruisers on NCL website, that is updated DAILY!!

No I have just read this on cruise critics. Considering most of the Ports are in Italy it looks like any UK citizens will be staying on the ship 

[kirtihk]

On 8/17/2021 at 8:39 AM, Gen X Life said:

This is an EXCELLENT question... Exactly what I was asking in another thread.

 

NCL needs to give information and direction on these issues.. They need to keep clients informed and up to date as to changing protocols and how it effects them..  Not a third party website for information!!

 

I think they are afraid to address these issues with the fear of MORE cancellations ... This is just to many rules and regulations and most people are not aware..

 

No longer fun>>  NOT A VACATION.. IMHO

None of this is a vacation. A vacation is total mind relaxation, and any current trip to anywhere is just stress regardless of whether me might think (constant warnings, “protocols”, restrictions, “guidelines”, directives). I’m sure I repeat myself, but it is what it is, no more, no less.  There is nothing to discuss (all these conversation of any thread are rhetorical - they return no constructive outcome, because there if nothing constructive objective exists here by default, and anyone thinks otherwise, they are cheating on themselves).

[Grandpaul]

This is not true.  They still have tours you can take in Limos.  They just have a couple little restrictions in the limos.  Like no one can sit next to the driver.  

[steamboats]

12 minutes ago, Grandpaul said:

This is not true.  They still have tours you can take in Limos.  They just have a couple little restrictions in the limos.  Like no one can sit next to the driver.  

Unless it´s a limo organized by NCL you won´t be able to leave the ship.

 

Although the private limo tour operator is allowed to operate the tours you are not allowed to leave the ship to get to the limo for a private tour.

 

steamboats

[ScratchTheRat]

16 minutes ago, Grandpaul said:

This is not true.  They still have tours you can take in Limos.  They just have a couple little restrictions in the limos.  Like no one can sit next to the driver.  

Yes, that's true but NCL's rule is that you won't be allowed to disembark unless booked on their excursions.

[Trimone]

[ScratchTheRat]

Oh, it's already been posted above. Please delete.

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by ScratchTheRat

[Nataly1982]

Hi, does anyone have any experience with this NCL only excursions rule please? Will NCL add some additional, more reasonably priced excursions while on board? I never took any excursions before as they are hands down a rip off, they literally charge double for hop on hop off bus. 

[Gen X Life]

2 hours ago, Nataly1982 said:

Hi, does anyone have any experience with this NCL only excursions rule please? Will NCL add some additional, more reasonably priced excursions while on board? I never took any excursions before as they are hands down a rip off, they literally charge double for hop on hop off bus. 

The  HOP ON HOP OFF Bus Excursion has been deleted from some cruises/Italy ports. 

Edited August 23, 2021 by Gen X Life

[dowsk]

5 minutes ago, Gen X Life said:

The  HOP ON HOP OFF Bus Excursion has been deleted from some cruises/Italy ports. 

On my account all the Italy excursions have disappeared except the ones I booked. I think if you book excursions at a port the other options available will disappear as you cannot book two at the same time. 

[Nataly1982]

34 minutes ago, Gen X Life said:

The  HOP ON HOP OFF Bus Excursion has been deleted from some cruises/Italy ports. 

Thanks, we’re sailing on Epic from Rome on 15th Sep. Hop on hop off in Naples is available to book, as well Pompei on your own and other “at your own leisure” excursions.

 

We decided to take it easy, not prebook anything and wait it out. Everything could be relaxed on 30th Aug so no point stressing. 
 

 

[podgeandrodge]

On 8/18/2021 at 11:55 PM, JennJ99738 said:

.......I am not upset with the Italian Government's mandate.  I understand that they have to do what they have to do to keep their citizens safe, if this is what it takes.  ..........

But they are stopping people independently going ashore from a ship, when those same people could travel to Italy by plane, show their vaccine pass, and head on their travels without restrictions.  So what is the difference between arriving by plane and arriving by ship?

 

On 8/19/2021 at 2:13 AM, debenson0723 said:

..........My issue is that NCL is saying this is an Italian government mandate but have failed to provide proof of that ............

It does not seem unreasonable to see exactly what rule this is.  Perhaps some on here understand the logic of not allowing fully vaccinated people off a ship unless in an "excursion bubble", but freely allowing people from the same countries free reign if arriving into Rome airport.

[toddw2u]

Frankly, this policy makes absolutely no sense.  We are currently booked to embark from Civitecchia on September 22 with a 2 day deviation pre cruise in Rome.  So while in Rome we are free to go where we want (with our vaccination card in hand), once we get on board, that all goes away?  Where is the logic in this?  I have already booked private excursions in Naples and Livorno for just my wife and I and of course our driver/guide.  How is it safer to get herded on a motor coach with 50 others?  Seriously considering canceling this cruise and taking the FCC, and doing Italy on our own on Land. 

[DCGuy64]

I can answer the question as to why cruise lines are required to have a safe bubble whereas land-based operators do not: the media. 
(Fairly or unfairly, the media judged the cruise industry to be especially at risk of virus contagion, but the same charge was never leveled at land-based operators, hence the illogical discrepancy.) 

 

 

 

[podgeandrodge]

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I can answer the question as to why cruise lines are required to have a safe bubble whereas land-based operators do not: the media. 
(Fairly or unfairly, the media judged the cruise industry to be especially at risk of virus contagion, but the same charge was never leveled at land-based operators, hence the illogical discrepancy.) 

 

 

 

Wouldn't disagree with you in relation to the judgement by the media.  But not sure that this bias would lead to the Italian Govt. making separate rules for it.  Someone will find the official rule somewhere hopefully that explains it!

[hank_moody_pl]

44 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

Wouldn't disagree with you in relation to the judgement by the media.  But not sure that this bias would lead to the Italian Govt. making separate rules for it.  Someone will find the official rule somewhere hopefully that explains it!

You can find this regulation in italian DPCM from March 2, 2021. Point 53, paragraph 5: "Stopovers are permitted only in the states and territories listed in lists A, B and C of Annex 20 and free excursions are prohibited, for which the cruise services cannot adopt specific measures to prevent contagion. "

 

I don't know why, NCL, knowing this rule, was still advertising the cruise with the slogan: "No Restrictions on Shore Excursions, Feel Free to take the shore excursion you've been dreaming of or explore on your own!"

 

We can say that they cheated on us by selling West Mediterranean cruises without telling us what the truth is.

[podgeandrodge]

13 minutes ago, hank_moody_pl said:

You can find this regulation in italian DPCM from March 2, 2021. Point 53, paragraph 5: "Stopovers are permitted only in the states and territories listed in lists A, B and C of Annex 20 and free excursions are prohibited, for which the cruise services cannot adopt specific measures to prevent contagion. "

 

I don't know why, NCL, knowing this rule, was still advertising the cruise with the slogan: "No Restrictions on Shore Excursions, Feel Free to take the shore excursion you've been dreaming of or explore on your own!"

 

We can say that they cheated on us by selling West Mediterranean cruises without telling us what the truth is.

Thanks for this.  Ok, so "free excursions are prohibited, for which the cruise services cannot take specific measures to prevent contagion."

 

What measures are the Italians referring to here?  Perhaps NCL (and other operators) are being too careful - perhaps a specific measure such as ensuring all parties disembarking are noted so that they can be herded up later if necessary?  For the rule to be implemented, we need to know what the "specific measures" actually are.  Perhaps they are elsewhere in that long document!

[steamboats]

NCL didn´t read the part of the EU health administration´s recommendation stating that masks should be worn onboard in inside areas either. They advertised the Jade cruises as "no mask" cruises and then had to change to mandatory masks shortly prior to the start of the Jade. And that recommendation doesn´t differ between fully vaccinated cruises and mixed cruises.

 

steamboats

[SpainAlien]

1 hour ago, steamboats said:

NCL didn´t read the part of the EU health administration´s recommendation stating that masks should be worn onboard in inside areas either. They advertised the Jade cruises as "no mask" cruises and then had to change to mandatory masks shortly prior to the start of the Jade. And that recommendation doesn´t differ between fully vaccinated cruises and mixed cruises.

 

steamboats

According to the NCL FAQ: 

 

Our cruises will operate with 100% vaccination of guests and crew through December 31 2021, therefore face coverings are not required for cruises prior to December 31, 2021.

On Europe sailings only, local government regulations requires all guests to wear masks onboard whilst indoors except for when actively eating or drinking or when in their stateroom. Guests will be required to wear masks outdoors when social distancing is not possible.

Face masks that have two or more layers that completely cover your nose and mouth and fit snugly on your face are permitted. Face masks should block light when held up to bright light source. Masks with exhalation valves or vents; single layer or masks made of thin fabric that don't block light (i.e. neck gaiters) are not permitted.