What Opportunities Are There to Board Other Cruise Ships?

[No Spin]

A woman who recommended UniWorld to us said she was impressed with their ship when she was on another line and had to walk through the UniWorld ship to get to land. Apparently the ships were docked together.

 

I know in our materials it reads that you have to scan a card every time you board or leave the ship. I am assuming that one just can't board any ship in a port. Is this accurate? And if so, how much opportunity might there be to walk through a ship if you are docked side by side with it?

 

I would love to view/board other ships just for future reference.

[JVilleGal]

What you are hearing about is the result of "rafting". There is very limited docking space in many of the tiny towns. So what happens is the the ships will tie on to each other. So you will see two or three boats attached to each other.

 

In order to get to the dock passengers on the outer ships need to walk thru the other boats to reach land. While doing this you get to admire "the other guys" :)

 

Hope this helps!

 

PS this is also the reason you need to be very careful about opening your curtains in the morning..... You may be looking directly into a cabin of the boat you are rafter too. My suggestion would be to order coffee & rolls and share with your new neighbors ;)

Edited June 9, 2015 by JVilleGal

[Bet & Peg]

Not sure what RC line scans cards - like OCs - but Viking RCs uses the system of passengers handing in their room card when they leave the ship. At the reception desk you're given a different card until you return - unless that has changed since last October.

 

So - as has been said - the main way of seeing other ship is if you're rafted together. However, if you're in port and another ship is docked near yours, you could always try and find some staff member of that ship and express interest and see if you could be offered a tour. We were rafted a few years ago and a fellow passenger didn't feel like taking our excursion so she stayed back on our ship but wander over to the rafted ship to do some shopping in their larger gift store and their CD bought her a drink at their bar! We've found that fewer people on the ship makes for a friendly world than Ocean Cruising!

[Shebely]

Our experience with walking through another ship while the ships are side by side (rafting) is that we walked through the lobby only. On occasion we had to climb up stairs to the top deck and go over to get to shore or back on our vessel. So you have a limited view of the other ship. Sometimes during the dinner hour the ships would be lined up in a way that you could see the lounge or the dining room other ship.

 

Hope this helps explain the situation.

 

 

 

 

 

ship.

[caviargal]

No card scanning with AMA either.

 

We have seen the inside of cabins and public spaces due to rafting over the years. Good advice to keep those curtains drawn as you never know. ;)

[biker1972]

I would be very upset to find out that my boat's security was compromised by allowing outsiders to tour beyond the area designated for passage from a rafted vessel to the shore.

[Ritabob]

We have been able to tour a number of river boats when rafted together or docked nearby, by presenting ourselves to the front desk staff and asking for a tour. If one of their staff members is available they very graciously show us around the public rooms.

[biker1972]

An escort certainly changes things! :)

[CPT Trips]

We have been able to tour a number of river boats when rafted together or docked nearby, by presenting ourselves to the front desk staff and asking for a tour. If one of their staff members is available they very graciously show us around the public rooms.

 

Us too. Sometimes without an escort, but always with permission.

 

ETA - did not see /\ when posting

Edited June 9, 2015 by CPT Trips

[Oceans&Rivers]

Our experience with walking through another ship while the ships are side by side (rafting) is that we walked through the lobby only. On occasion we had to climb up stairs to the top deck and go over to get to shore or back on our vessel.

 

In the quote I posted, the Italics and bold are mine.

 

One of my knees causes me great difficulties and limits my mobility, and I would find climbing up and down stairs very painful, especially up and down without sufficient rest time between the climb up and the climb down.

 

Does one have to climb up to the "sun/top deck" and back down or could one avail themselves of the elevators between decks 3 and 4, depending upon where the reception is (where I assume one would move between boats)?

 

How often has anyone had to do this climb?

Edited June 9, 2015 by Oceans&Rivers

[Shebely]

How often this happens is difficult to answer. In our experience on two cruises (Danube and Rhine) I am remembering it happened once each cruise that we had to go up and over. There are many ships now and the rivers and towns are getting more crowded so it probably will happen more in the future.

When it happened on our Rhine trip, our Captain and Cruise Director were unaware ahead of time that the other ship was even going to be docked there and they had to go to Plan B to get us off the ship. There was a delay getting us off because the crew had to bring up planks for us to go from our ship to the other one.

Also I have not seen an elevator on a ship that goes to the sun deck.

Of course, if you have difficulty climbing up and down stairs, you will need to research which ships are best for you.

But, and this is a big one, you never know which ship from what company will show up rafted next to your ship.

I understand your concerns and I hope you find some others to relate their experiences.

[Oceans&Rivers]

How often this happens is difficult to answer. In our experience on two cruises (Danube and Rhine) I am remembering it happened once each cruise that we had to go up and over. There are many ships now and the rivers and towns are getting more crowded so it probably will happen more in the future.

 

When it happened on our Rhine trip, our Captain and Cruise Director were unaware ahead of time that the other ship was even going to be docked there and they had to go to Plan B to get us off the ship. There was a delay getting us off because the crew had to bring up planks for us to go from our ship to the other one.

 

Also I have not seen an elevator on a ship that goes to the sun deck.

Of course, if you have difficulty climbing up and down stairs, you will need to research which ships are best for you.

 

But, and this is a big one, you never know which ship from what company will show up rafted next to your ship.

 

I understand your concerns and I hope you find some others to relate their experiences.

 

Thank you. I have read that some ships have chair lifts from deck 4 to the top deck, though I don't know which those are.

[CPT Trips]

When rafted, the only time I recall needing to go up to the sun deck to cross to the other boat, the gangplank to shore was also from the sun deck. The climb up was necessary either way.

[papa B me]

Thank you. I have read that some ships have chair lifts from deck 4 to the top deck, though I don't know which those are.

 

If my memory serves Uniworld's SS Antoinette did have a chair lift to the upper deck.

[Oceans&Rivers]

If my memory serves Uniworld's SS Antoinette did have a chair lift to the upper deck.

 

Thank you. I will look into that. :)

[CPT Trips]

Several GCT ships have a chair lift up to the sun deck. Unfortunately I don't recall which ones. The elevator, where ther was one,did not go down to lowest deck.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Several GCT ships have a chair lift up to the sun deck. Unfortunately I don't recall which ones. The elevator, where ther was one,did not go down to lowest deck.

 

Thank you. I know that all of the lower decks (on all river cruise lines), i.e. Deck 2, do not have elevators. We would only be interested in Deck 3 or 4 (with elevator and usually larger cabins), no matter which line we choose.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Oceans&Rivers
punctuation

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thank you. I know that all of the lower decks (on all river cruise lines), i.e. Deck 2, do not have elevators. We would only be interested in Deck 3 or 4 (with elevator and usually larger cabins), no matter which line we choose.

 

I had thought this was a necessity because of the need to locate the elevator machinery on the lowest deck, but there is apparently a new way to design it that does allow access to the lowest level. Uniworld's Maria Theresa has an elevator that goes all the way down (but it still doesn't reach the top deck -- this I think is impossible because of the need to flatten that deck for low bridges).

Edited June 10, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[Oceans&Rivers]

I had thought this was a necessity because of the need to locate the elevator machinery on the lowest deck, but there is apparently a new way to design it that does allow access to the lowest level. Uniworld's Maria Theresa has an elevator that goes all the way down (but it still doesn't reach the top deck -- this I think is impossible because of the need to flatten that deck for low bridges).

 

You're right! I just checked S S Maria Theresa's deck plan and it indeed shows an elevator to the lowest level. That's great for someone hoping to save some money and who doesn't need any drawer space; however, a previous poster's comments would put me off one of those cabins, anyway.

 

On the down side, though, is that the elevator may very likely be slower and cause a longer wait as it goes down all the way to the bottom deck and up again.

 

But on the up side, I just noticed some interesting facilities on the lowest deck that might make the wait for the elevator worthwhile.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Oceans&Rivers

[junsam]

Regarding scanning of cards Uniworld use them you scan when you leave the ship and on your return helps staff to check on computer that everyone is on board before departure card is also used to enter your state room

[No Spin]

Thanks to everyone for all the replies. It looks like I may have some opportunity to view the ships of some other lines.

 

To O&R, we board the Maria Theresa this Sunday. I will try to remember to come back here and update you on elevator wait times. We always take the stairs when it's only 1 or 2 flights, but I'll keep an eye out for any lines.

[CPT Trips]

I had thought this was a necessity because of the need to locate the elevator machinery on the lowest deck, but there is apparently a new way to design it that does allow access to the lowest level. Uniworld's Maria Theresa has an elevator that goes all the way down (but it still doesn't reach the top deck -- this I think is impossible because of the need to flatten that deck for low bridges).

 

Back in my facility management days an engineer told me, "I can engineer a solution, you just ca't afford it." ;)

[TravelerThom]

I would be very upset to find out that my boat's security was compromised by allowing outsiders to tour beyond the area designated for passage from a rafted vessel to the shore.

To be honest I have yet to see a river boat that had much of anything to keep you from wandering around a boat if you look like you might belong and were of a mind to do so. Most boats use some sort of manual check out/in at Guest Relations, so that they know if everyone is aboard provided that you remember to do this. None stands by the exit/entry, and when a bunch of people arrive at the same time it would be very easy to just keep walking. Note that the situation changes by late evening, when the boats usually turn off the motion detector on the door, and Guest Relations has to buzz you in. BUT I have never felt a safety issue on any of the dozen or so boats I have sailed on, nor have I done a tour of another boat without permission (and generally with an escort).

 

Thom

[TravelerThom]

If my memory serves Uniworld's SS Antoinette did have a chair lift to the upper deck.

Most river boats do have a chair lift to the sun-deck, but on ONE SIDE only. If you have to go up/over/down it would be unusual to have a chair lift on both sides. I have rafted many times, and have had to go up/over/down on two of the three river boats I have been on this year. My first river boat rafting I experienced was in Russia in 1995 where once we were the fifth boat out! But all those boats were of identical design and a nice level path was available. Now there may be significant differences in deck level from one boat to the next, and the only available path is up/over/down. With the vast increase in the numbers of river boats many places in Europe be aware that rafting is likely to occur.

 

Thom