Help! any info if i can book private excursions not ship??

[catergirl]

hi, always in past booked private excursions.. are we still allowed with covid? or do we have to book ship ones? thanks martha

[mikna]

Just now, catergirl said:

hi, always in past booked private excursions.. are we still allowed with covid? or do we have to book ship ones? thanks martha

We were NOT allowed to. We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports. They won't tell you this in advance!

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, catergirl said:

are we still allowed with covid?

It varies by port - listed on the RCI web site.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, mikna said:

We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports.

Curious, who was holding the gun?

[catergirl]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

It varies by port - listed on the RCI web site.

ok so that info should be easy to find on there? i hope... thanks

[mikna]

Just now, Biker19 said:

It varies by port - listed on the RCI web site.

Actually after you book they send emails stating otherwise. Every port we visit allows us (as fully vaccinated passengers) to get off the ship at ports, But Royal Caribbean will NOT because of this new policy. Check out a screenshot of one of their 3 emails to us stating this:

[mikna]

2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Curious, who was holding the gun?

Lol no one was holding a gun don't be silly. What I wrote was:  "We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports."   I bolded the part you seem to have missed.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, mikna said:

Actually after you book they send emails stating otherwise.

Up to you which message you believe.

[Biker19]

Just now, mikna said:

Lol no one was holding a gun don't be silly. What I wrote was:  "We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports."   I bolded the part you seem to have missed.

And again, who held the gun forcing you buy those extras?

[PolytheneGirl]

3 minutes ago, mikna said:

Lol no one was holding a gun don't be silly. What I wrote was:  "We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports."   I bolded the part you seem to have missed.

 

I suspect Bikers point here was the word HAD. 

[Dewaldcruiser]

From Royal's FAQ.  

 

Going Ashore in Ports of Call

Healthy Shore Excursions

Royal Caribbean has worked with local tour operators to ensure they follow our Healthy Sail Panel health guidance for all Shore Excursions in ports of call. These tours are available at a variety of price points and may be purchased in advance on Cruise Planner or once onboard using the Royal Caribbean App.

Requirements for Going Ashore

Below are our current tour requirements at ports of call, which are subject to change as we continue to evaluate circumstances around the globe.

Vaccinated Guests
Fully vaccinated parties may book a shore excursion or visit most ports freely — with the exception of those listed below, which will require tours for all guests who wish to go ashore in November and December, regardless of their vaccination status.

• St. Lucia
• Barbados
• St. Kitts

At the above destinations, vaccinated guests may depart the ship and visit the enclosed port area on their own. If they wish to visit further into the island, they must have booked a Royal Caribbean shore excursion, or participate in a government approved tour. The government approved tours are unaffiliated with Royal Caribbean.

Tours Required for Families With Unvaccinated Children
Families traveling with unvaccinated kids must purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean if they wish to go ashore in ports of call. This applies to all ports of call except Perfect Day at CocoCay, and Port Canaveral, Florida. Vaccinated parents wishing to go ashore freely can visit our youth facilities onboard to learn about drop off program hours and availability, and reserve time for their child on the day they wish to go in port.

[catergirl]

ok so i see on health email that as of now(nov and dec) the ports if you want to explore need ships excursions. my cruise isnt til march so not sure what to do.. maybe book theirs and cancel  if changes

[PolytheneGirl]

6 minutes ago, catergirl said:

ok so that info should be easy to find on there? i hope... thanks

 

So far I've found it easy to find for my Med Cruise next year. Although the protocols haven't been announced yet for then I've been checking current sailing protocols since before I re booked and followed along with that 🙂

[PolytheneGirl]

Just now, catergirl said:

ok so i see on health email that as of now(nov and dec) the ports if you want to explore need ships excursions. my cruise isnt til march so not sure what to do.. maybe book theirs and cancel  if changes

 

That's almost exactly what we're doing for our med cruise next year. Booking the ship ones and if it changes then great! If not then we have the excursions for the places we want to see. 

[Dewaldcruiser]

The key rule from the above is if you have unvaccinated children in your group, you will need to purchase tours through Royal.

[mikna]

42 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

And again, who held the gun forcing you buy those extras?

Of course no one was forcing us to get off of the boat, but why take a cruise to all of these beautiful islands but never get off?

Please read this sentence again: "We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports." Thus, if you want to get off the ship you have to pay them the $. This isn't hard to understand. Are you being deliberately obtuse?

[mikna]

39 minutes ago, Dewaldcruiser said:

The key rule from the above is if you have unvaccinated children in your group, you will need to purchase tours through Royal.

That is NOT the case. My child is 27 & NOT accompanying us on this cruise. Check out this screenshot of an email they sent us.

[mikna]

44 minutes ago, PolytheneGirl said:

 

I suspect Bikers point here was the word HAD. 

I get that, which is why I bolded the rest of the sentence, which was ..." if we want to get off the ship at ports."

[rockmom]

9 minutes ago, mikna said:

I get that, which is why I bolded the rest of the sentence, which was ..." if we want to get off the ship at ports."

You are sailing during a pandemic.  Cruises and all the various ports have had to keep changing protocols. It's up to YOU or your TA, as the cruiser, to do some research--the cruise lines have updated their policies ON THEIR SITES as new info becomes available.   We have had several cruises where we decided not to go because we didn't want to be that restricted, so we moved the funds to a cruise later in 2022 instead of January.  Again, I DID THE RESEARCH, which was very, very easy to do.  I then made an informed decision about what I could and couldn't  do and what would be a deal breaker for me and my group.  FYI, Royal isn't making these policies, the various port stops are making these policies and Royal must abide by them.  And since these countries keep getting surges and having to change their Covid restrictions, there's not much that the cruise lines can do other than to keep updating their site, or in your case, sending you an email letting you know.  Which is actually nice of them. If only the airlines would be kind enough to send out an email when they'd made a massive change to your flight schedule..........

 

Oh, and welcome to Cruise Critic.  

Edited November 23, 2021 by rockmom

[catergirl]

Thanks for everyones help. book now before gone. hope things change if not have something. 🙂

[mikna]

2 minutes ago, rockmom said:

You are sailing during a pandemic.  Cruises and all the various ports have had to keep changing protocols. It's up to YOU or your TA, as the cruiser, to do some research--the cruise lines have updated their policies ON THEIR SITES as new info becomes available.   We have had several cruises where we decided not to go because we didn't want to be that restricted, so we moved the funds to a cruise later in 2022 instead of January.  Again, I DID THE RESEARCH, which was very, very easy to do.  I then made an informed decision about what I could and couldn't  do and what would be a deal breaker for me and my group.  FYI, Royal isn't making these policies, the various port stops are making these policies and Royal must abide by them.  And since these countries keep getting surges and having to change their Covid restrictions, there's not much that the cruise lines can do other than to keep updating their site, or in your case, sending you an email letting you know.  Which is actually nice of them. If only the airlines would be kind enough to send out an email when they'd made a massive change to your flight schedule..........

 

Oh, and welcome to Cruise Critic.  

-We also did the research, but RCCL changed their policy after we booked & paid. 

-This is NOT a policy of the countries we visit; it is, by their own admission, purely a RCCL policy. Each country allows us, as fully vaccinated adults, to debark & use a pre-booked local provided. RCCL does not. We are literally held captive on that ship throughout the entire cruise unless we pay them money for an RCCL excursion.

[linga]

I booked a private (non RCCL) tour when I sailed in July to the Bahamas.   I'm also booked on the Navigator out of Los Angeles in 2 weeks, and there doesn't seem to be this requirement either.

 

The info I got said that in St. Lucia, Barbados and St. Kitts fully vaccinated guests may get off the ship and visit the enclosed port area, but if you want to see the islands, you must book a RCCL excursion.   There was also something about traveling with unvaccinated children. 

 

So, I guess it really depends on where you're going and where you're leaving from?   

[CruisingHogFan]

17 minutes ago, mikna said:

-We also did the research, but RCCL changed their policy after we booked & paid. 

-This is NOT a policy of the countries we visit; it is, by their own admission, purely a RCCL policy. Each country allows us, as fully vaccinated adults, to debark & use a pre-booked local provided. RCCL does not. We are literally held captive on that ship throughout the entire cruise unless we pay them money for an RCCL excursion.

Everyone who has been cruising the last 6 months knows things can change constantly. Ours changed a few days before sailing last July. It’s out of everyone’s control and just have to go with the flow and be lucky you are even traveling.

 

And to be honest you should have done your research and you would have known all this. You can only blame yourself so maybe stop posting over and over about it….

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, catergirl said:

hi, always in past booked private excursions.. are we still allowed with covid? or do we have to book ship ones? thanks martha

Hi Martha,

 

Royal Caribbean allows you to book your own private excursions in most ports. The cruise line publishes the shore excursion protocols for each of their cruises which you need to read and understand for your cruise. There are some passengers who don't bother reading those protocols until the week before their cruise, then make a big deal about them. Right now, the number of ports that restrict private excursions is very small. 

 

Bird 

[badvector]

10 minutes ago, mikna said:

Of course no one was forcing us to get off of the boat, but why take a cruise to all of these beautiful islands but never get off?

Please read this sentence again: "We had to pay RCCL an extra $1200.00 just to get off the boat at ports." Thus, if you want to get off the ship you have to pay them the $. This isn't hard to understand. Are you being deliberately obtuse?

 

Before you begin calling someone obtuse, may I ask a couple of question?

 

Could you have done it for less than $1200 or did you choose excursions that were more expensive than others?

 

According to Royal's safe sailing information for Barbados departures, "At St. Lucia and St. Kitts, vaccinated guests may depart the ship and visit the enclosed port area on their own. If they wish to visit further into the island, they must have booked a Royal Caribbean shore excursion, or participate in a government approved tour."  Are the requirements the same for your sailing or do you have to book an excursion just to get off the ship?

 

You're in two different threads now screaming in bold that they charged you $1200 just to get off the ship and I'm guessing you could get off the ship for a whole lot less if that's your point.  According to your other thread, you planned to go scuba diving with a private operator so you were going to spend something to get off the ship.  

 

Look, I empathize with what's happened with the requirement changes but to come on and scream how they are charging you $1200 just to get off the ship is a bit much in my opinion.