"Tom K" wrote:
>
>"Rosalie B." wrote in message
>news:9b9l459m1avq0p123agoi0b5e06s0p5m93@4ax.com...
>>>
>> This is what the Alla web page said:
>>>*
>>>*# Disembarkation in St.-Petersburg is very easy and fast process and the
>>>way how it will go in your particular case depends very much on your
>>>knowledge and understanding the rules:
>>>*
>>>*a) All passengers onboard are equal and each passenger has the right to
>>>disembark the ship at the time which will make it possible to meet the
>>>guide/representative of the tour operator and start the tour on time
>>>indicated in the tour ticket.
>>>*
>>>*b) There is no difference for the Russian immigration office/officers
>>>between the passengers based on the tour operator they have booked their
>>>tour with. The only duty of the Russian authorities is to check the
>>>documents of the passengers (passports, tour tickets or visas) but not to
>>>sort the passengers due to any characteristic.
>>>*
>>>*c) The main document for each passenger to disembark the ship is the tour
>>>ticket. Tour ticket is unique document for each Russian tour operator and
>>>might have different look and design. But tour tickets of all tour
>>>operators should contain the following information: name of the passenger,
>>>citizenship, name of the ship, valid date of use, tour program of the day
>>>and starting time of the tour.
>>>*
>>>*# Cruise line administration might try to create different obstacles on
>>>the way off the ship for the passengers booked tours independently. There
>>>could be different ways of providing passengers with false information
>>>regarding disembarkation in St Petersburg, but the most common way is the
>>>informative letter brought into the cabins in few days prior arrival to St
>>>Petersburg. The information might be of the following sort:
>>>*
>>>*a) tourists booked tours independently are asked to gather at a certain
>>>place for disembarkation together where they will be waiting for the
>>>"special invitation" for disembarkation which might be after 9:30am.
>>>Please, don't follow such instructions. For correct actions please read
>>>carefully ##1, 2, 3.
>>>*
>>>*b) Tourists can be given round-shaped stickers (just like the tourists
>>>who booked the cruise sponsored tours) with a number which will be far
>>>away from 1 to 10 and which later will indicate the order of
>>>disembarkation of the groups. Stickers with first numbers will be given to
>>>the passengers booked cruise sponsored tours and the last numbers of
>>>stickers will be given to those attending private tours. After clearance
>>>of the ship passengers are invited to disembarkation in accordance to
>>>their stickers' numbers. Thus, tourists who have booked private tours will
>>>be invited to go ashore after all cruise line sponsored groups have left
>>>the ship. It might be after 9:30am. Please, don't wait for the special
>>>invitation. When disembarking the ship you won't need any stickers. For
>>>correct actions please read carefully ##1, 2, 3 and pay attention to what
>>>you will be really asked for at #4.
>>>*
>>>*c) cruise information might announce of the "new rules" for
>>>disembarkation set up by the Russian immigration authorities due to which
>>>disembarkation for private groups is allowed only after a certain time.
>>>For your correct actions please read carefully ##1, 2, 3.
>>
>> Actually HAL specifically said that NO ONE could get off the ship if
>> they did not have either a Visa or were on a HAL tour. They didn't
>> even admit to the possibility that an independent tour was possible.
>
>Celebrity pulled the same stuff on us in St. Petersburg. The cruise
>director was the one who tried to stop us from getting off in a timely
>manner. We ended up showing the letter that Red October sent us that stated
>that the ship would likely play similar games to try to ruin our plans.
>Magically after we showed the cruise director the letter... we were allowed
>to disembark almost immediately.
>
>I know the ship is trying to protect it's own shore excursion profits... but
>I'm wondering if there is any legal issue with what they're doing? Is that
>restraint of trade? They are obviously lying. Wonder if that's something
>that the Florida Attorney General can help with, like they did with the fuel
>charges? Or is what they're doing completely legal? Are you allowed to lie
>to people? Diana, any thoughts?
>
>--Tom
>
It is illegal to lie under oath in court. I don't think there is
anything except ethics to prevent lying in other instances unless you
sue and can prove damage in court. And anyway in our case they didn't
actually lie except by omission.
We had a Meet and Greet the first sea day with the Captain and Cruise
Director. The Captain left earlier than the Cruise Director, and it
occurs to me that we pax discussed at that meeting what tours we were
taking in St. Pete. I don't know if she was still there or not.
The Captain did make an announcement as we were leaving St. Petersburg
about someone who got into trouble because they tried to get off the
ship without a visa and not on a ship tour because they had relied on
non-HAL information. But I think that is a slightly different
scenario.
It has also belatedly occurred to me that if I had NOT booked a HAL
tour for the night excursion that I might not have gotten my passport
back with the embarkation papers needed. |