Fantastic cruise

[JennAngel9]

If what cruiseyguy says is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), combined with the above information that CCL lines are pulling this kind of stuff as well, it seems to me that they may actually be misinformed by *someone* in Russia and since a) it encourages more booking through your cruiseline and b) protesting and potentially stepping on the wrong toes in Russia could cause you all sorts of penalties -- well, you can understand why the cruise lines would be perfectly happy to pass the whole thing along w/o question.

 

Look at it this way-- you're really getting a taste of the whole Russian experience. :p

[critterchick]

Russia is still run by a very corrupt & authoritarian-minded bureaucracy. We don't have all the facts concerning the arrangements, "deals" and whatnot a cruise line must agree to in order to dock and allow passengers ashore. This is the price they must "pay" in order to offer cruises to Russia. Most of the ships tours are operated by the large state-controlled travel agency (was called Intourist under the Soviets, not sure about the current name) which certainly does not like competition from independent guides. If the cruise line "lied" it was, at worst a "white lie" meant to account for the hoops they must jump through to even have tours for their passengers. It certainly wasn't their intent to "punish" passengers for taking their own tours.

 

You put forth an interesting theory, but if what you say is true, then the cruiselines aren't telling lies, white or therwise, to their independent passengers when they tell them that they are not permitted to disembark until the ships' tours have done so. :rolleyes: The fact that people who disregard the "law" are usually allowed off the ship without resistance (other than the person who posted about his Princess experience) makes me believe that the lines are indeed lying, and not for the benefit of the Russian government.

 

But it was a nice try.

[cruiseyguy]

Believe what you want to believe, critterchick, but you're the one with the "theories."

[critterchick]

My only "theory" is that the cruisline wants to make sure that its excursions get to the crowded places first. I have no problem with that, but I wish they would be honest about it instead of fabricating stories about the Russian authorites. Peace.