WOW - huge change for us - bicycles are now on prohibited list

[Cruising Is Bliss]

kahtrav

 

 

I purposely used the phrase "your transport" as it is really no different from wheelchairs or scooters.

 

My late mother had no use of her legs and could not even roll over in bed. How could we have failed to understand that her wheelchair is no different from a bike other passengers use only off the ship.

[awhcruiser]

What cruise line(s) allow bicycles? Legs are a good alternative when bikes are not allowed.

We are 4* Mariners and have been welcomed on HAL ships with our bikes for many years. Since our last sailing in May, 2016, their policy has changed and our bikes would be prohibited (along with weapons). Since we tour by bicycle (both in port and for weeks or months at a time at our destination), we may never sail with HAL again.

[Copper10-8]

As I have stated before here, most, if not all, HAL ships have a contingency of bicycles hanging on racks in what's known as the Marshaling Area of the ships (usually about six; I've seen as many as eight). They were purchased out of the crew fund, are managed by the ship's human resources manager, and are available to all crew for use in port. They come with a bicycle helmet depending on the local laws of the country the ship is calling at and a set of guidelines that the crew member(s) need to adhere to. Under no circumstances are those bikes to be used by crew onboard the ship itself. i.e. riding them in crew areas such as "I-95". When they are checked out through the HRM, they can be used by crew off the ship only while the ship remains in port incl. overnight stays.

Bicycles for pax were placed on the prohibited items list as a result, among other things, of misuse by certain owners (riding them in the guest corridors on the way to the gangway! :confused: was one of those reasons - why these rocket scientists felt the need to do so is still the million dollar question - while another reason were accidents, including injuries, sustained to those owners/pax while riding the bikes among local traffic in certain areas of the world (incl. the Carib islands) which are not always the same as the riding conditions at home

[kalliekae]

They are also banned on Princess and Carnival as well. I suspect it goes across all CCL owned lines. They are not listed in the Celebrity web site of banned items.

 

We were on Royal last year and several people had bicycles. The crew had the bikes waiting on the dock for the passengers when we disembarked in the ports. I assume the passengers returned the bikes the same way. If HAL would keep the bikes in a separate area from the passengers and only bring them to the dock when in port, I wonder why they would ban bikes.

[rsilbe]

Since we had based a whole cruise on using our folding bikes (a repositioning cruise from Montreal to Tampa), we were pretty bummed after happening on this thread 10 days before departure. However, we are happy to report that there appears to be some flexility in the HAL policy on a ship-by-ship basis. While we received no explanation, after we contacted our HAL cruise consultant, she gave us the contact information for the HAL Ship Services Coordinator for the ms Rotterdam, and, in turn, after explaining our situation, the Coordinator told us told that the Rotterdam confirmed that "as long as you store it in your stateroom you are more than welcome to bring your bikes onboard with you." 

 

Our facts: We have two lightweight, single speed folding bikes that each fit into a suitcase meeting airline size restrictions. As with any such suitcases, these fit under our bed (along with our other two bags). We kept our bikes folded in the stateroom and carried them off ship folded (we did ask once about bringing them back unfolded, but were told no, as bikes aren't allowed).  Obviously, we could not bring them ashore on ports where we tendered, but otherwise we had a great time using them in Quebec City, Halifax, Sydney, Boston, New York, and Key West. We rented bikes when we were tendered in Bar Harbor (which is lucky, since they would have been useless to us with the hills in Acadia National Park).

[Walfam]

On 2/21/2017 at 2:04 PM, Krazy Kruizers said:

Thank you everyone for all the information -- bikes, segways, drones.

It is sad that some people abuse rules about using certain items on a ship and ruin it for everyone else.

 

I agree.   Am going to guess that HAL's liability insurance company is the reason for the new rule.    It only takes one person to ruin it for everyone else.   Unfortunately, any time there is a rule that seems stupid or bizarre, there is usually a good reason for it.

 

Edited to add -- just read the HAL list from a link posted earlier and under the "Scooters"  prohibition it says Segways are permitted with limits:  " Segways (only permitted ashore if used for mobility limitations – cannot be used onboard the ship ) "

Edited October 31, 2018 by Walfam

[whogo]

A couple of passengers managed to take their bikes on our recent Noordam cruise. Saw them in New Zealand, don't know whether they boarded in Vancouver or Sydney. Sorry, I could not get the details of how they made the arrangements.

[kurtp13]

On 10/7/2018 at 12:58 PM, awhcruiser said:

What cruise line(s) allow bicycles? Legs are a good alternative when bikes are not allowed.

RCCL allows bicycles despite some other comments I have read while researching this  myself.   It is not common so it is hard to find any current info and the rules seem to change as cruise lines adjust their policies.  I received an email from RCCL about my upcoming trip starting March 28 2019.  It stated that they must be kept in the stateroom and cannot be used or displayed in any common areas.   I have very small folding bike (Brompton) and should be able to store it and the soft storage bag under the bed.    I am very excited to test this first use and hope it goes well.   

[Peckishpixie]

I actually stopped traveling with my own bicycle when those pay per use bicycles started popping up all over. In some ports have companies who will meet you at your port of call with everything you need. I know it's not the same, but it is a lovely option