Doing your own overland excursion during a HAL cruise

[3113Timmy]

I'm considering doing the cruise from Fort Lauderdale to South America on the 40 day version debarking at BA in Oct-Nov.

 

Is it permissible to do your own overland excursion for Macchu Picchu, for example, leaving at Lima and picking up at Pisco? 

 

Do they allow you to do your own thing and come back on a later port? I am happy to pay for my own expenses in the meantime.

[CruiserBruce]

Usually yes, but you need to get HAL's approval- in writing. You will not get any reduction in fare.

 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

17 minutes ago, 3113Timmy said:

I'm considering doing the cruise from Fort Lauderdale to South America on the 40 day version debarking at BA in Oct-Nov.

 

Is it permissible to do your own overland excursion for Macchu Picchu, for example, leaving at Lima and picking up at Pisco? 

 

Do they allow you to do your own thing and come back on a later port? I am happy to pay for my own expenses in the meantime.

Do lots of research.  I know at one time transportation was not all that reliable to do it on your own.  That was probably 10 years ago so I may be better now.

[Cruzin Terri]

We did it in 2012.  We booked through a private company and stayed off the ship three nights.  We notified HAL beforehand and had to sign a waiver.

There was no problem with transportation at all.  We had a fabulous time and did it at our own pace for less than half the price that HAL wanted for 2 days.

Go for it.

Terri

[OlsSalt]

We did the HAL Machu Pichu expedition and it was very expensive, but we also included the Belmond train option which also gave us less crowded viewing hours at the site.  It was a great trip and it did require lots of coordinated timing. 

 

Depending on your age and health condition, be aware that one of our group members became very ill from altitude sickness the first night in Cuzco and had to be hospitalized. I am sure she was glad she had an onsite HAL agent covering for her.  The rest of us did fine - no problems. Consider this to be part of your own DIY package. 

 

Machu Pichu itself is lower elevation so where you go, how you go, and what order in when you go - may impact how you can acclimate if you think this might be a problem .Handed a cup of "cocaine tea" at the hotel in Cuzco, which was presented as "altitude tea" to help one adjust. (Whatever?)

 

Agree, it is important to follow current events in Peru - they have had a few years of political instability which can impact best laid plans. 

[Mary229]

Be careful.   Last year’s unrest caused major issues.  This is an extensive journey so do leave a lot of time for errors.   Also be prepared to meet this ship further down the line if you are unable to make it back to Callao. Good insurance is a must 

[cabinluvn]

We just booked the 17 day Inca cruise from Santiago to Ft Lauderdale with the 5 day Adventure package before boarding for the cruise. In the long run cheaper than doing the excursion to Manchu Picchu from the ship. All air, hotel and most meals included. And it takes you to the ship before it sails. Again, not cheap, but depends how badly you want to see Manchu Picchu and what degree of comfort you want to travel we are in our mid 70s and want it as comfortable as possible

[3113Timmy]

I'm a doctor and I'm (relatively) young and fit, but yes I do get altitude sickness and fully expect it.

 

I have limited time off so I don't like "wasting" time on sea days and I love to get to places with the minimum amount of wriggle room! Unfortunately, on some occasions I have come to grief.

 

I'm looking at meeting the ship further down the line in Pisco or even La Serena, Chile.

[Haljo1935]

Would be interested in knowing your final plan; interesting area, for sure 

Safe travels  - enjoy your cruise!

[OlsSalt]

2 hours ago, 3113Timmy said:

I'm a doctor and I'm (relatively) young and fit, but yes I do get altitude sickness and fully expect it.

 

I have limited time off so I don't like "wasting" time on sea days and I love to get to places with the minimum amount of wriggle room! Unfortunately, on some occasions I have come to grief.

 

I'm looking at meeting the ship further down the line in Pisco or even La Serena, Chile.

 

Leaving the ship in one country on your own and returning to the ship in another country on your ...may increase official complications. Border crossings might cause delays. Unknown. But officials sometimes do like to honor "formalities", particularly when they sense you are in a hurry to get somewhere else.  (Hint, hint).

[Cruzin Terri]

7 hours ago, 3113Timmy said:

I'm a doctor and I'm (relatively) young and fit, but yes I do get altitude sickness and fully expect it.

 

I have limited time off so I don't like "wasting" time on sea days and I love to get to places with the minimum amount of wriggle room! Unfortunately, on some occasions I have come to grief.

 

I'm looking at meeting the ship further down the line in Pisco or even La Serena, Chile.

I used A&K Peru for my trip.  They coordinated all the stops and got us back to the ship in another country without a hitch.  They also promised to get us to the next port if necessary.  They are not a fly-by-night organization. Everything went smoothly from the time they picked us up at the port in Lima until they dropped us off in Guayaquil, Ecuador four days later.   We have friends who used them in the other direction as you wish to do and finished in Pisco and were equally as pleased.   We took out separate insurance for that part of the trip.

Email me if you want further info.

Terri

[2TravelingGs]

On 7/19/2023 at 8:47 PM, OlsSalt said:

We did the HAL Machu Pichu expedition and it was very expensive, but we also included the Belmond train option which also gave us less crowded viewing hours at the site.  It was a great trip and it did require lots of coordinated timing. 

 

Depending on your age and health condition, be aware that one of our group members became very ill from altitude sickness the first night in Cuzco and had to be hospitalized. I am sure she was glad she had an onsite HAL agent covering for her.  The rest of us did fine - no problems. Consider this to be part of your own DIY package. 

 

Machu Pichu itself is lower elevation so where you go, how you go, and what order in when you go - may impact how you can acclimate if you think this might be a problem .Handed a cup of "cocaine tea" at the hotel in Cuzco, which was presented as "altitude tea" to help one adjust. (Whatever?)

 

Agree, it is important to follow current events in Peru - they have had a few years of political instability which can impact best laid plans. 

We are doing the pre cruise Machu Picchu. We have heard that you can bring only a small roller bag with you to Machu Picchu. Wondered if anyone knew what they do with the luggage that we will be bringing on the cruise while we are in Machu Picchu since we go back to Santiago vice Lima.

[FlaMariner]

We were on the Chile to FLL cruise this past March.  Fantastic cruise.

 

I'd recommend pre-cruise to Machu Picchu. 

 

Our original plans were to fly to Lima and do Machu Picchu (4 days, DIY) and then fly to Santiago and begin the cruise (Latam had a nonstop flight from Cuzco to Santiago).....but....civil unrest in Peru axed that plan....IMO, not enough time in Lima to go to/from MP and there is so much to see in Lima that you would be missing out. 

 

Our plans now are to one day just fly to Peru and tour MP.

 

Some folks took the HAL tour to MP during the cruise but very $$$$ and very rushed from what I read and heard.

[alwayscruisetime]

We are doing a cruise later this year in which we will be disembarking at one port (in one country) and re-boarding at a different port (in a different country).  I called the Holland America line to request a "deviation", and a few days later got an email giving permission.  The letter sent by email states what many here have shared - any additional costs are yours.  The cruise itinerary could change, in which case you assume any additional costs.  Deviations from the published itinerary may result in additional Covid-19 testing requirements - depending on the country of travel, there may be isolation requirements that keep you from re-boarding as scheduled or flying home until the isolation period ends.  Again, you're responsible for any additional costs "associated with isolation, including hotels, transportation, flights, food etc."

 

Lastly, they state that they are "unable" (we didn't ask) to adjust the cruise fare given that you're onboard for fewer days.  Also that they won't have porters available so if you're taking luggage, you have to handle that on your own.

 

All that being said, we feel as you do.  There are "touring hours" to be had while the ship is docked overnight or at sea, heading from one port to the next, and we had a lot we wanted to see that wouldn't be possible without an "alternate disembark and embark" (another term used in HAL's letter).  We've arranged tours with local guides/companies, booked hotels, and booked flights to make the most of our time and money.  We'll get to sights that weren't possible through the ship's tours, and we'll save ourselves money on some that were.  For the money spent to get halfway around the world (in our case) it's much cheaper to see those places while we're in the area, rather than arranging a 2nd trip back to see them at a later date.

 

I hope it works out for you.  We visited Machu Pichu with a land-based tour several years ago and encourage everyone we know to go earlier rather than later.  We had no problems, but the older members of our group struggled.  Enjoy!

 

 

[Reagan0712]

5 hours ago, alwayscruisetime said:

We are doing a cruise later this year in which we will be disembarking at one port (in one country) and re-boarding at a different port (in a different country).  I called the Holland America line to request a "deviation", and a few days later got an email giving permission.  The letter sent by email states what many here have shared - any additional costs are yours.  The cruise itinerary could change, in which case you assume any additional costs.  Deviations from the published itinerary may result in additional Covid-19 testing requirements - depending on the country of travel, there may be isolation requirements that keep you from re-boarding as scheduled or flying home until the isolation period ends.  Again, you're responsible for any additional costs "associated with isolation, including hotels, transportation, flights, food etc."

 

Lastly, they state that they are "unable" (we didn't ask) to adjust the cruise fare given that you're onboard for fewer days.  Also that they won't have porters available so if you're taking luggage, you have to handle that on your own.

 

All that being said, we feel as you do.  There are "touring hours" to be had while the ship is docked overnight or at sea, heading from one port to the next, and we had a lot we wanted to see that wouldn't be possible without an "alternate disembark and embark" (another term used in HAL's letter).  We've arranged tours with local guides/companies, booked hotels, and booked flights to make the most of our time and money.  We'll get to sights that weren't possible through the ship's tours, and we'll save ourselves money on some that were.  For the money spent to get halfway around the world (in our case) it's much cheaper to see those places while we're in the area, rather than arranging a 2nd trip back to see them at a later date.

 

I hope it works out for you.  We visited Machu Pichu with a land-based tour several years ago and encourage everyone we know to go earlier rather than later.  We had no problems, but the older members of our group struggled.  Enjoy!

 

 

I received that same email when I embarked in Reykjavik on a cruise that started in Rotterdam. As far as porters, no problem, the guy on the dock where I had to show my passport made one of the guys with him take my suitcase. They took the suitcase to where ever it got scanned and I saw it in my cabin a little while later.

[CNSJ]

Complications do happen....

 

We were on the Nieuw Statendam in Israel when the war started.  Day one of a two day Haifa port call.  The next day we were supposed to be on a HAL Overland tour starting in Haifa, then meeting the ship in Ashdod the next day.  The ship would sail between the two Israeli ports while we were off in Jerusalem and the Red Sea etc.  Note:  Ashdod is just north of Gaza.

 

If the war had started while the ship was between ports, the estimated 60 or so of us doing the overland tour may have found that the ship couldn't pull in to Ashdod.  Being on a HAL tour, I think HAL would have found a way, even chartering a plane if needed, to get us out of Israel on on to meet the ship at next port.

 

What if we were on a self-run overland tour.  Hate to think of the mess we would have been in.