leaving the ship a day early

[cherylterr]

Hello,

 

I've only been on 2 other cruises so I'm hoping asking this question of those more experienced will help in decision making.

 

We will be on the May2010 Equinox 10 day Med cruise. Day 10 is Naples,

arriving back in Rome next morning.

 

We are thinking of leaving the ship while in Naples and staying on the Amalphi coast for a few days. It seems easier to stay in Naples, then to arriv in Rome and take transportation back to Naples.

 

I know this means missing the last night of the cruise. My question is, is this allowable? We will be pre-cruise in Rome but can flight out of Naples post-cruise so it seems simpler to stay.

 

Any thoughts and opinions? thanks very much

[C 2 C]

I don't think that this is a problem when cruising in Europe. The laws concerning embarking and disembarking within the "Eurozone" (there's a fancy name for it) is more civilized in Europe vs N. America. (No Jones Act by another technical name)

[Nancyquilts]

This shouldn't be a problem. That's a great place to visit. Nancy

[Gonzo70]

Actually I believe that Italy does have a cabotage law that prohibits foreign flagged ships from transporting passengers from one Italian port to another. However if the ship travels to a foreign port in between, then the passenger(s) can debark in a different Italian city than where the cruise originated. I am not 100% certain of this, but recall seeing something about it when I was doing a little googling of the PVSA.

 

Edit: I just found a FAQ on Royal Caribbean's web site about this. The U.S., Italy and Norway have similar cabotage laws. You would need to contact the cruise line to see if what you are propsing is legal in Italy. See: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqSubjectName=Before+You+Purchase+&faqId=623&faqSubjectId=322&faqType=faq

[JennAngel9]

We have done this before (not in Italy), we just checked out at the front reception area the afternoon of our last port and the ship sent people to our room to assist with luggage. (Don't forget to tip everyone a day early)

 

Aside from the regulatory stuff above, you should contact your TA, and they will contact Celebrity to get clearance. Insist upon getting something in writing from the ship that they know you are leaving early.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I booked my cruise on my own so no travel agent to deal with. We disembarked a day early to stay in England, there is a dept. that deals with this. It is called downlining and you will need to get a clearance from the ship to do it. I just called the main customer service and was put in touch with the correct dept. I had a letter that I saved on my trip travel folder that stated we had been cleared to disembark early.

[Lambertoise]

That is no problem as long as you let them know. We have done it last year (with Carnival) leaving one day early in Livourne/Florence (instead of Civitavecchia) and spending 3 days in Tuscany. In 2007 we boarded the ship in Livourne instead of boarding in Rome and going to Monte Carlo and then Livourne. It was no problem either (and Princess Cruises even credited us for the days we were not on board!!!).

[macruise]

We did this last year on a TA that stopped in NYC - more convenient for us to get off there instead of in FLL. Although we set this up prior to the cruise, there were some folks who decided at the last minute to get off in NYC and they had no problems. Contact the cruise line to be sure.

Even though you miss the last night on the cruise, it certainly makes sense to get off when you are in the area that you plan on exploring.

 

Good luck.

[wander]

I think it imperative to arrange this with the cruise line before leaving home. Plans such as yours seem to be fine on various lines, but the cruise line does need to arrange to have the country's custom and/or immigration on alert and ready for you. In a port like Naples this may not be a problem, but in many small ports it is. I do not believe they can just leave you there without permission of the local authorities.

[cherylterr]

thanks for all the good advice. We are still many months away and in the planning stages, but it looks like it is do-able if the ship and country agree

and we give proper notice in advance. I was hoping this made sense from

a touring point of view and I think it does.

 

thanks for all the help!

[pris993]

You definitely need to make a request in advance for this, can be done throuogh your TA, if you booked with an agent, or directly with the cruise line.

 

We have done in France but with advance notice to the cruise line.