Leaving Cruise ship One day early.

[Barbara60]

We have booked an 8 night Western Mediterranean cruise that ends in Barcelona. However, we would prefer to disembark the day before in Valencia. Is that allowed?

[Biker19]

34 minutes ago, Barbara60 said:

. Is that allowed?

As of now, no. 

[ckruetze]

Not sure about the allowed but who would stop you?

Pack your stuff and leave the ship. I guess if they are not happy about that they might throw you off the ship.

The more important question is are you allowed to enter Valencia coming from a cruise ship. Covid rules might make this difficult.

[klfrodo]

1 minute ago, ckruetze said:

Not sure about the allowed but who would stop you?

Pack your stuff and leave the ship. I guess if they are not happy about that they might throw you off the ship.

The more important question is are you allowed to enter Valencia coming from a cruise ship. Covid rules might make this difficult.

Immigrations might have an issue also. 😲

[ckruetze]

8 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Immigrations might have an issue also. 😲

But it is the same country as the OP would depart anyway. Valencia and Barcelona are both in Spain. So there wouldn't be any immigration issues that won't be in Barcelona.

The only thing really would be Covid rules but they are changing more or less daily here in Europa so it would depend on when the cruise is.

[twangster]

Royal ended “downlining” a few months ago.  
 

Despite being the same country it does modify the manifest and requires more paperwork.  

[Cigar King]

We had somebody leave the ship a day early once.  The Coast Guard never found the body, and everyone was late for their arrival in Miami.

[Sunshine3601]

pre-covid you had to request special permission to disembark early (downline) and pay a fee of something like $150 but currently that is Not permitted.   Most cruiselines have stopped downlining since the return of cruising in 2021.

[flamingos]

46 minutes ago, ckruetze said:

But it is the same country as the OP would depart anyway. Valencia and Barcelona are both in Spain. So there wouldn't be any immigration issues that won't be in Barcelona.

The only thing really would be Covid rules but they are changing more or less daily here in Europa so it would depend on when the cruise is.

In Barcelona, they KNOW you are ending your cruise and they have examined the paperwork of every passenger.  Getting off in Valencia, without going through immigration, is not the same thing.  

[Lane Hog]

If it's a cruse within the Schengen area, why would there be immigration concerns?....

 

Almost every port along the northern Med coast has open borders with their neighboring EU countries.  Turkey and the African nations aren't part of Schengen.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Lane Hog

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, ckruetze said:

Not sure about the allowed but who would stop you?

Pack your stuff and leave the ship. I guess if they are not happy about that they might throw you off the ship.

The more important question is are you allowed to enter Valencia coming from a cruise ship. Covid rules might make this difficult.

You could leave the ship on an excursion and just not return however Royal will not let you off carrying your luggage. 

[chengkp75]

9 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

If it's a cruse within the Schengen area, why would there be immigration concerns?

That would depend on whether every port was a Schengen port.  Many of the European cruises call at one non-EU port to avoid VAT.

[livingonthebeach]

19 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You could leave the ship on an excursion and just not return however Royal will not let you off carrying your luggage. 

 

Or you could just feign an illness / declare a medical emergency before the ship docks -- that's a surefire way to get booted off the ship at the next port. 

[reallyitsmema]

21 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You could leave the ship on an excursion and just not return however Royal will not let you off carrying your luggage. 

 

I get off Anthem in Port Canaveral with a 30" suitcase every time we stop there.  Why wouldn't they allow someone off with luggage?  I haven't been questioned.  

[time4u2go]

3 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

I get off Anthem in Port Canaveral with a 30" suitcase every time we stop there.  Why wouldn't they allow someone off with luggage?  I haven't been questioned.  

OP is asking about a European cruise.  Most likely different rules.

[livingonthebeach]

4 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

I get off Anthem in Port Canaveral with a 30" suitcase every time we stop there.  Why wouldn't they allow someone off with luggage?  I haven't been questioned.  

 

Next time they call names over the loud speaker before sail away in PC I'll think of you. 😉

[Cruisin'Horns]

1 hour ago, Sunshine3601 said:

pre-covid you had to request special permission to disembark early (downline) and pay a fee of something like $150 but currently that is Not permitted.   Most cruiselines have stopped downlining since the return of cruising in 2021.

I had not heard of downline before.  That is interesting.  Thank you for the explanation.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Or you could just feign an illness / declare a medical emergency before the ship docks -- that's a surefire way to get booted off the ship at the next port. 

And be taken into quarantine by the local authorities.

[livingonthebeach]

3 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

And be taken into quarantine by the local authorities.

 

Only if you mention the C word. You will not be quarantined if you say you are having chest pains or the like. 

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Only if you mention the C word. You will not be quarantined if you say you are having chest pains or the like. 

Good point

[Barbara60]

Ha thanks for all the fun responses. I never intended to get off without asking/telling Guest Services. I just wondered if it was possible to do so after informing them. We would like to see more of Valencia than one day and hoped to spend a few days there post cruise. Sounds like we will need to take the train back there. Or rent a car. Our intention is to spend a few days post cruise in Spain.

[chiguy67]

Valencia is less that 200 miles from Barcelona, probably a great road trip for post cruise.

[livingonthebeach]

30 minutes ago, chiguy67 said:

Valencia is less that 200 miles from Barcelona, probably a great road trip for post cruise.

 

Yes and it's not too bad of a train ride either. Did this trip the reverse way - from Valencia (stayed there a week in an AirBnB) to Barcelona before boarding Harmony on her inaugural transatlantic sailing.

[BazingAu]

Piggybacking on this post. With Covid rules being walked back, will this be something RC would look to reinstate? We have an upcoming cruise scheduled where one person in our group would like to leave early at port due to a meeting that he can’t miss (rather than skip the cruise altogether).

[Lane Hog]

Would they prevent disembarking early for a <cough> family emergency <cough> such as a death or serious illness in the family that "required" leaving the ship?...