Departure time Barcelona Cruise

[travel_wendi]

Hello! I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this. I am hopefully cruising on the Allure of the Seas Sunday September 20-27, 2020. My flight home to LAX got cancelled and now I am trying to rebook. Can anyone tell me the earliest, in your experience, that we can get off the ship on sunday the 27th to catch a flight? I called RC and got no help. Just thought someone might have direct experience with this particular situation? Thank you so much!!

[Milwaukee Eight]

We were at the Airport Terminal before Delta opened their ticketing. I want to say a little bit before 0800. We had a Suite Walk Off right to a Taxi. 

[travel_wendi]

OK so I’m feeling we could walk off the ship by 7:00 AM? Royal Caribbean was no help....she said I think you can disembark  at 5 AM and it takes four hours to go through customs. No help! Thank you so much!

[Milwaukee Eight]

22 minutes ago, travel_wendi said:

OK so I’m feeling we could walk off the ship by 7:00 AM? Royal Caribbean was no help....she said I think you can disembark  at 5 AM and it takes four hours to go through customs. No help! Thank you so much!

Our flight was at noon 1200. 
 

As long as the ship arrives on time, self walk off at ~0700 is probable. 

[Norwich Cruiser]

On all our Barcelona cruises we’ve done self assist off the ship about 07.30 in a taxi by 07.40 ( they are plentiful ) and a twenty minutes ride to the airport meaning we are there about 08.00 and plenty of time for our flight which is normally about 10.30.

 

 

[firefly333]

4 hours ago, travel_wendi said:

OK so I’m feeling we could walk off the ship by 7:00 AM? Royal Caribbean was no help....she said I think you can disembark  at 5 AM and it takes four hours to go through customs. No help! Thank you so much!

In the current climate I would be expecting things to take much longer. Usually I'm lined up asap to get priority disembark as a diamond. I still dont book flights before noon. One time the arm for the thing you walk off broke that morning and delayed us hours. Another time fog, and so on. 

 

And this was before the virus when you dont even know new protocols which could take longer.

 

I would wait and ask after cruising resumes, and see how things go, not just ask how it used to be. 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by firefly333

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, travel_wendi said:

Hello! I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this. I am hopefully cruising on the Allure of the Seas Sunday September 20-27, 2020. My flight home to LAX got cancelled and now I am trying to rebook. Can anyone tell me the earliest, in your experience, that we can get off the ship on sunday the 27th to catch a flight? I called RC and got no help. Just thought someone might have direct experience with this particular situation? Thank you so much!!

In normal times what other posters have said is absolutely right.

We have sailed from Barcelona 10 times so can confirm.

My worry for you is if Allure will actually sail as the Spanish government have indicated tourism might not happen this year.

We cancelled our June 7 sailing and currently RC have paused cruising to June 11-12.

 

[LXA350]

Don't bother abour rebooking flights at this stage as it's likely the cruise will not happen. Probably by end of this month / early June a cleardecision will be taken by european governments such as France, italy and Spain if and as of when borders will be opened th foreign tourists in 2020, as it looks currently earliest end of July / August or not at all

[bouhunter]

I guess anything is possible, but it's hard to believe cruising will resume by September.  If it were me I would take advantage of the flight cancellation to get a full refund of the airline tickets now.

 

We have an October 2020 Med cruise that we'll cancel prior to final payment.  Glad we didn't book air, excursions or onboard purchases yet.  Just the cruise deposit to deal with eventually.

[TravelerThom]

12 hours ago, travel_wendi said:

OK so I’m feeling we could walk off the ship by 7:00 AM? Royal Caribbean was no help....she said I think you can disembark  at 5 AM and it takes four hours to go through customs. No help! Thank you so much!

1) I will bet you a large amount of money that Cruise is not sailing as scheduled. 
2) In the unlikely case it does sail as scheduled, it never leaves the Schengen zone and there are NO customs involved when you walk off the ship. So much for RCI’s knowledge (or lack there of). 

3) You are throwing good money and time after bad to even consider rebooking your air. Take a refund on your air and say Thank You!

[travel_wendi]

1 hour ago, TravelerThom said:

1) I will bet you a large amount of money that Cruise is not sailing as scheduled. 
2) In the unlikely case it does sail as scheduled, it never leaves the Schengen zone and there are NO customs involved when you walk off the ship. So much for RCI’s knowledge (or lack there of). 

3) You are throwing good money and time after bad to even consider rebooking your air. Take a refund on your air and say Thank You!

Well airlines are not getting cash refunds, it’s a voucher or a credit! Yeah I realize that it most likely won’t happen. I was able to rebook the same class for no money for now. Although eventually it will probably all be canceled. I will get my money back from the cruise though! Thanks for your inputI was able to rebook the same class for no money for now. Although eventually it will probably all be canceled. I will get my money back from the cruise though! Thanks for your input

[TravelerThom]

57 minutes ago, travel_wendi said:

Well airlines are not getting cash refunds, it’s a voucher or a credit!

Airlines try to pretend they don’t have t give you cash back on cancelled flights, BUT if the flight is to, from or within the US the US Government says otherwise:

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/flight-delays-cancellations

 

“If your flight is cancelled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation – even for non-refundable tickets.  You are also entitled to a refund for any bag fee that you paid, and any extras you may have purchased, such as a seat assignment.”

[Host Jacquelyn]

I will let you know, as I am set to sail before you (if it does not get cancelled). I have a flight at 9:30...

[Merion_Mom]

I don't think that your cruise is going to happen.

 

From a friend who lives in Spain:

 

"If cruises restart soon, bad news about cruises from/to Spain and for people living in Spain to go cruising abroad.

The Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said in an interview Thursday that the Spanish borders probably will be closed for international flights until October. Only flights for foreigners who want to go from Spain to their homelands or for Spanish citizens/residents who want to go home to Spain."

[Milwaukee Eight]

11 hours ago, bouhunter said:

We have an October 2020 Med cruise that we'll cancel prior to final payment. 

Same here. 

[zekekelso]

9 hours ago, TravelerThom said:

2) In the unlikely case it does sail as scheduled, it never leaves the Schengen zone and there are NO customs involved when you walk off the ship. So much for RCI’s knowledge (or lack there of). 

 

 

Pretty sure they meant you need to be at the airport four hours ahead of flight. 

[grapau27]

15 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Same here. 

Probably a very wise decision.

Spain has only just let people come outside to exercise from lockdown.

Italy and France are still badly affected and this is Allures itinerary.

 

[Milwaukee Eight]

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Probably a very wise decision.

Spain has only just let people come outside to exercise from lockdown.

Italy and France are still badly affected and this is Allures itinerary.

 

Unfortunately, NRD for a GS. 

[TravelerThom]

8 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Unfortunately, NRD for a GS. 

You are between a rock and a hard place with:

Choice 1) Cancel before Final Payment and throw away the cancellation fee on the Non Refundable Deposit, OR

Choice 2) Give RCI considerably more $$$ knowing that the cruise will most likely be canceled, at which point you MGHT be able to eventually (after they stall and stall) get all your money back PROVIDED that they don’t go into bankruptcy and you lose it all. 

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, TravelerThom said:

Choice 2) Give RCI considerably more $$$ knowing that the cruise will most likely be canceled, at which point you MGHT be able to eventually (after they stall and stall) get all your money back PROVIDED that they don’t go into bankruptcy and you lose it all. 

Not going to happen. Yes, a rock and a hard place. 

[grapau27]

14 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Unfortunately, NRD for a GS. 

Hopefully they might move CWC later than September 1st to cover your sailing.

I cancelled our June 7th Allure a couple of days before final and took FCC for our £300 NRD deposit with CWC.

The week later RC paused cruising till June 11 but I knew Spain's predicament with Covid19 so took FCC rather than pay balance.

[depplep]

We are booked on Allure Oct.18. The flights I was looking at no longer exist. I have a refundable deposit. Just debating now when to cancel. 

[livylotte]

I don't think cruising will be happening anywhere in Europe this summer, even (or especially so) in countries that have been impacted to a lesser degree than Spain. 

 

Today, we see that Spain has relaxed it's lockdown measures but that doesn't mean that foreign tourists will be allowed to enter the country.  Germany has recently seen an increase of people testing positive for Covid-19 since they relaxed their lockdown and I think we will more than likely see an increase in positive cases in Spain in the same way.  The Spanish Government is well aware of this and will be taking the easing of lockdown measures very slowly to prevent the big second wave that so many scientists have predicted.  Spain has had one of the strictest lockdown's in Europe and Mega cruse ships carrying thousands of foreign potential Covid-19 carriers to their shores are just not going to be allowed.

 

Hold onto your money and wait to book flights.  At least until Spain or any of the other countries your itinerary is visiting says you can come.   The airlines and cruise lines will no doubt take your money and say they are resuming services but unless Spain says it's happening - it really isn't.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, livylotte said:

Germany has recently seen an increase of people testing positive for Covid-19 since they relaxed their lockdown

Really?

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Biker19

[livylotte]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Really?

 

 

Yes, really.

Your source shows an increase after relaxing lockdown.