mandatory Shore Excursion thru the Ship Question

[Oldsweets]

We are on reflection for the Dec 18th and looked at what I thought were the obvious places to find out if “ANY” of our stops listed below will require we book through Celebrity or can we do our own thing.  We are assuming that since we can’t find anything telling us otherwise that we can go out on our own given that for our past 2 celebrity cruises taken since the restart we easily found stops listed that required we must be on a cruise sponsored excursion.  Anybody have any insight?  THANKS 
 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA AT SEA
BELIZE CITY, BELIZE
PUERTO COSTA MAYA, MEXICO

COZUMEL, MEXICO
ROATAN, HONDURAS
AT SEA
BIMINI, BAHAMAS
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDa

Edited November 25, 2021 by Oldsweets
Spelling grammar

[Jim_Iain]

Latest I've seen was posted was on United Airlines Cruise site - and was last updated on 11/15.   Things can change on a daily or weekly basis.   I'm sure it's on Celebrity Site somewhere but couldn't easily find.   So according to this some of your ports are restricted.

 

 

 

Ahhh. just found it on Celebrity

https://www.celebritycruises.com/healthy-at-sea/us-travel-requirements

 

 

[Froufie]

My question is what is a 'local government approved tour' as indicated in some ports where we can do our own excursions?  I assume the tour operator would know?  or ???

[jelayne]

7 minutes ago, Froufie said:

My question is what is a 'local government approved tour' as indicated in some ports where we can do our own excursions?  I assume the tour operator would know?  or ???

We have limited experience but the one port we had with that requirement  the only tour operators allowed into the port were those approved by the government. 

There we very few when we were there.

[Froufie]

38 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We have limited experience but the one port we had with that requirement  the only tour operators allowed into the port were those approved by the government. 

There we very few when we were there.

I am hoping to plan ahead and book tours BEFORE we get there - guess I will ask tour operators if they are 'government approved' and allowed into the port area?  thx

[LGW59]

6 hours ago, Froufie said:

My question is what is a 'local government approved tour' as indicated in some ports where we can do our own excursions?  I assume the tour operator would know?  or ???

Simply means the local government needs to have approved the tour with the private tour operator if not using a celebrity approved excursion.  Contact the tour operator then Google them to confirm, make sure it is refundable as it changes day to day.

[upwarduk]

5 hours ago, Froufie said:

I am hoping to plan ahead and book tours BEFORE we get there - guess I will ask tour operators if they are 'government approved' and allowed into the port area?  thx

Edited November 26, 2021 by upwarduk

[upwarduk]

I’m sorry, there was a problem above, it wouldn’t allow me to type😱🙈.

What I meant to say, is that our experience was in St Petersburg; tours were only allowed by Government approved operators, as they provided a visa for your tour. Otherwise, it was tours via CelebrityCruises or go through the lengthy process of applying for a visa.

So therefore, you couldn’t walk off the ship and do a taxi tour.

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

I’m sorry, there was a problem above, it wouldn’t allow me to type😱🙈.

What I meant to say, is that our experience was in St Petersburg; tours were only allowed by Government approved operators, as they provided a visa for your tour. Otherwise, it was tours via CelebrityCruises or go through the lengthy process of applying for a visa.

So therefore, you couldn’t walk off the ship and do a taxi tour.

Independent of Covid, correct?

[Froufie]

7 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Independent of Covid, correct?

I think that is the case in all Russian ports - not a covid related thing.... I am hoping to find some independent 'approved' tour operators - at least in Antigua so far as that is the only port right now where we might be able to do our own tours! 🙂

[Arizona Wildcat]

7 hours ago, upwarduk said:

I’m sorry, there was a problem above, it wouldn’t allow me to type😱🙈.

What I meant to say, is that our experience was in St Petersburg; tours were only allowed by Government approved operators, as they provided a visa for your tour. Otherwise, it was tours via CelebrityCruises or go through the lengthy process of applying for a visa.

So therefore, you couldn’t walk off the ship and do a taxi tour.

If you want to get off a ship in Russia you must have a Russian Visa unless on a ship's tour.   This has nothing to do with Covid.

[Guppy99]

On 11/25/2021 at 6:03 PM, Oldsweets said:

We are on reflection for the Dec 18th and looked at what I thought were the obvious places to find out if “ANY” of our stops listed below will require we book through Celebrity or can we do our own thing.  We are assuming that since we can’t find anything telling us otherwise that we can go out on our own given that for our past 2 celebrity cruises taken since the restart we easily found stops listed that required we must be on a cruise sponsored excursion.  Anybody have any insight?  THANKS 
 

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA AT SEA
BELIZE CITY, BELIZE
PUERTO COSTA MAYA, MEXICO

COZUMEL, MEXICO
ROATAN, HONDURAS
AT SEA
BIMINI, BAHAMAS
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDa

Have you been to these ports before? There are a couple here which I would never "venture out alone" in, even before Covid.