Flying at cruise destinations?
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Ceejay
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I have just returned from a cruise around the Caribbean. and got to use my Mavic several times, the only place I was aware of anti-drone rules was on the Isle of Barbados (which was our port of entry from a flight from Gatwick) .
The wind was very strong on all the Islands!!, no wonder they call it "The Windy's" (West Indies). Got to fly the Mavic on Antigua, Tortola, The Turks & Caicos, Grenade, with no problem.
My Mavic Combo bag was with me every trip ashore, and not once was I stopped by the Security (who X rayed all my bags, when I returned from shore trips) at the Ships Gangplank (I was on a Fred Olsen Cruise).
All I would say is be wary ,where ever you fly, they have a load of National Parks/Gardens and have a zero tolerance level and (I would say) would not flinch at seizing your Mavic.
I would certainly check with your Cruise Line about the rules they have in place about drones on board
My solid advice is to find a quite spot to hide, and go for it !!
great views to be had !!.
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Ceejay
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not
Sorry to disagree with you "Grand Turk" is not a no fly zone!.(as can be seen in a previous post)
I flew my Mavic on the salt flats area of the island only 400 metres from my Cruise Ship, yes, I did get a warning on my hand controller.
but that is nothing new near any airport (the airport can clearly be seen on my video in the distance)
It totally depends on what Cruise line you are with, to whether you are allowed to go ashore with it.
In praise to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (who I sailed with) there were in fact two of us on the same ship both with Mavic's !.
ALL the cruise lines should realise that we are there to do damage to your ship, but simply to enjoy the great views we can enjoy from 120 metres up on our Holidays!,
We are not all Boring Old F**t's who hobble around cruise ships with our Zimmer Frames wondering where the nearest toilet is, or when our next meal is being served!!.
Neither of us "Mavey Boys" had any problem flying our drones (except Barbados) on all the other Islands we visited.
Here is a video of St Georges, Granada, Enjoy !!
Sorry to disagree with you "Grand Turk" is not a no fly zone!.(as can be seen in a previous post)
I flew my Mavic on the salt flats area of the island only 400 metres from my Cruise Ship, yes, I did get a warning on my hand controller.
but that is nothing new near any airport (the airport can clearly be seen on my video in the distance)
It totally depends on what Cruise line you are with, to whether you are allowed to go ashore with it.
In praise to Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (who I sailed with) there were in fact two of us on the same ship both with Mavic's !.
ALL the cruise lines should realise that we are there to do damage to your ship, but simply to enjoy the great views we can enjoy from 120 metres up on our Holidays!,
We are not all Boring Old F**t's who hobble around cruise ships with our Zimmer Frames wondering where the nearest toilet is, or when our next meal is being served!!.
Neither of us "Mavey Boys" had any problem flying our drones (except Barbados) on all the other Islands we visited.
Here is a video of St Georges, Granada, Enjoy !!
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mstevens
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I'm with you. I can't risk being seen as violating customs rules or local laws anywhere.
I'm also going on a cruise with Royal Caribbean in June and have been contacting them for weeks now. I'm just like you, trying to be a responsible drone owner and wanting to abide by all the rules and regulations. If a country has a no drone law then that is fine, I'm not going to break a law in another country and jeopardize my family vacation. However, if a country does allow the use of a drone then I want to be able to get some nice footage for me and my family.
Anyways, here is my conversation with Royal Caribbean
Me: Hello Royal Caribbean. I have a 13 day cruise to Europe with you guys in June and I just noticed on your website, it says aerial drones are prohibited from the cruise ship. Others have said its okay as long as I get permission. Is this true? I only plan on using my aerial drones to record my family videos and pictures when we are off the ship. How do I get permission to bring my Dji Mavic Pro drone on board? Thank you
RC: Drones are permitted; however, it will be confiscated at the gangway and released to guests once in a port-of-call only on the understanding they are fully liable to comply with local regulations and operate them legally in that port-of-call. It is the sole responsibility of the guest to acquire permission from each of the countries where the ship will be docking before the drone is released back to their possession.
Me: Thank you for responding. You said in the last email " It is the sole responsibility of the guest to acquire permission from each of the countries where the ship will be docking before the drone is released back to their possession"
What proof of permission are you exactly referring to?
RC: Unfortunately, we can not advise what type of documentation you will need to provide giving you permission to use the drone in a specific country; as the permission is required by the countries you are visiting. You will need to inquire of the countries you are visiting as to the type of documentation, if any, they will require you have with you. If you do not have the proper documentation giving you permission then the country may confiscate the drone and not give it back. We apologize for any disappointment this may cause.
Me: I think you are misunderstanding my question. In the previous email you said
"It is the sole responsibility of the guest to acquire permission from each of the countries where the ship will be docking before the drone is released back to their possession."
I am asking what do I need to show YOU guys (as in Royal Caribbean Staff) to get my drone back at the port of call. I have done all my research and contacted each civil aviation policy and know which country I can and cannot use my drone in.
RC: You will need to check your drone in with our security team at the time of boarding. At that time, our security team will provide a receipt for your drone. Once the ship reaches a port of call, you can pick up your drone using the receipt during disembarkation. When you embark the ship again, you will need to forfeit the drone.
So as of now, I am still trying to gather all the documents from other countries and have everything printed out as proof for the security team. This is actually a very difficult task.
Let me know how your experience goes. I'll be sure to post mine when the time comes. Good Luck!
That's exactly what I'm going through. Based on one email I received from an employee who is working on the ship that i am traveling on, it seems as if RC has a basic outline for each of the ports they are traveling to. I even went as far as emailing the guy(who is on my ship) my drones info. I sent Make, Model, Serial Number, Weight, and also my FAA UAS# just in case..
I'll be sure to check back in after the 19th when I return from the cruise. (Leaving the 10th from SanJuan)
Keep in touch!
I agree with you guys, do it the right way.
For every person that comes on the forum and says I had no problem, you probably have 3 others who did have problems, some might have had their drone seized by the police but they will never come on a forum and admit it. I went through that experience in Jamaica were a friend said oh go ahead and use my Jet Ski have fun. He never mentioned that the Jet Ski was unlicensed! I returned to shore and the police were waiting. I told them it's not mine I just borrowed it. I think two years have passed and the guy is still trying to get it back.
I bought in my Mavic, I was told that I could get a waiver if I was taking it out when I left. Everything went as planned when I arrived, except it took an hour to do the paper work and I had to hand over a large sum of cash for duty. When I was leaving that's when everything went sideways. I waited and waited for the customs officials until it was boarding time and I guess they figured that another sucker had been baited and hooked.
Nope I was back 2 weeks later and had plenty of time on my hand to see customs and make sure that my money was not snookered.
For every person that comes on the forum and says I had no problem, you probably have 3 others who did have problems, some might have had their drone seized by the police but they will never come on a forum and admit it. I went through that experience in Jamaica were a friend said oh go ahead and use my Jet Ski have fun. He never mentioned that the Jet Ski was unlicensed! I returned to shore and the police were waiting. I told them it's not mine I just borrowed it. I think two years have passed and the guy is still trying to get it back.
I bought in my Mavic, I was told that I could get a waiver if I was taking it out when I left. Everything went as planned when I arrived, except it took an hour to do the paper work and I had to hand over a large sum of cash for duty. When I was leaving that's when everything went sideways. I waited and waited for the customs officials until it was boarding time and I guess they figured that another sucker had been baited and hooked.
Nope I was back 2 weeks later and had plenty of time on my hand to see customs and make sure that my money was not snookered.
I flew my mavic in grand turk.. it was beautiful. Was sayinig literally right off the cruise ship was a no fly zone. Perhaps your boat was in a different area? Were you able to fly your drone on the beach right by the ship?
I will be going on a Royal Caribbean cruise at the end of the year to New Zealand, and the Mavic is the first drone that I'm going to bringing on board. As far as I can find, New Zealand does not require any permission when flying unless you are within controlled air space or over private property... The requirement to prove you have "permission" before RCCL gives your drone back to you is a big problem since New Zealand doesn't need any permission unless under specific circumstances. Since I will already be fully liable for flying illegally ashore instead of RCCL, I'm wondering why there is this requirement to prove permission before RCCL will give the drone back to you.. What documents are you getting from the various countries to prove to the security team that you have "permission"?
RCC really needs to update their prohibited items list on their website to exclude drones if they are allowing it..
I think it's their way of deterring people from bringing them. Web site says none what so ever, after asking they say only with permissions.. when emailing a specific person aboard the ship you are traveling on I get a response that it's a "hassle but it is allowed" with specific rules for the exact ports we are traveling to..
I think the less drone people they have to deal with the less potential problems they will have.. it all depends on how much work you want to put in.
I think the less drone people they have to deal with the less potential problems they will have.. it all depends on how much work you want to put in.
The way I'm reading into this is that the cruise ship will take possession of the drone upon boarding and return upon leaving and it's up to you to know the laws or secure permission on your own at each country. Securing permission is not a requirement of the cruise staff releasing the drone.
A technique I have used when I'm in a spot where some may frown upon my flight is to not fly straight back to my location from where I spent most of my flight but fly a large circle then back to me. If you had been hovering around an interesting area, you have likely garnered some attention. If you fly straight back to yourself, you'll be easy to find. If you fly a large circle, your whereabouts are more difficult as interested parties will try to follow in the wrong direction and by the time they figure it out you are likely all packed up and blending in with the other tourist...most of whom also have backpacks.
Just recently we had an event near my house I wanted to discretely film. As I was driving into the area I saw an Inspire fly over. I gave chase in my car and know the area well but still couldn't find the pilot because of his circular flight path.
A technique I have used when I'm in a spot where some may frown upon my flight is to not fly straight back to my location from where I spent most of my flight but fly a large circle then back to me. If you had been hovering around an interesting area, you have likely garnered some attention. If you fly straight back to yourself, you'll be easy to find. If you fly a large circle, your whereabouts are more difficult as interested parties will try to follow in the wrong direction and by the time they figure it out you are likely all packed up and blending in with the other tourist...most of whom also have backpacks.
Just recently we had an event near my house I wanted to discretely film. As I was driving into the area I saw an Inspire fly over. I gave chase in my car and know the area well but still couldn't find the pilot because of his circular flight path.
That's the problem with the wording of the communication from Royal Caribbean. It really does sounds like you are required to secure "permission" from each country/port first before Royal Caribbean staff will release the drone to you.
Do you suppose permission could be a simple as published documents stating that drone flights are permissible? Like the equivalent to the the FAA published documents here in the US.
Found this little Lowepro bag at Bestbuy today, for when I hand over the LittleGeek.. the Mavic fits perfectly in it. Then when I get it back and put it in my bigger camera bag with the other accessories I'll be able to store the little case with minimal space used up.
It's the Lowepro Format 110
I'll use the ProTactic BP 250 AW for traveling on the island and to and from.
It's the Lowepro Format 110
I'll use the ProTactic BP 250 AW for traveling on the island and to and from.
Attachments
No, a permission letter is from the local customs department or whatever agency handles importation of that kind of regulated item. It will need a government letter head and a signature and seal.
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Found this little Lowepro bag at Bestbuy today, for when I hand over the LittleGeek.. the Mavic fits perfectly in it. Then when I get it back and put it in my bigger camera bag with the other accessories I'll be able to store the little case with minimal space used up.
It's the Lowepro Format 110
I'll use the ProTactic BP 250 AW for traveling on the island and to and from.
If your going to go that route
I suggest you remove the props and put the rubber covers on the motors. Then split all your stuff up among family members suitcases. If you have kids and they have Nintendo's or some other game stuff I suggest you put the Mavic controller with that and put the Mavic itself with your camera equipment.
None of the wording I've seen suggests any requirements like this are required.
I think the real deal will be revealed as more people attempt to bring their drones on cruise ships. The security of every ship I've been on couldn't care less what you take off the ship. They are more concerned about what you bring back on board.
Ceejay
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The only reason they are concerned about what you bring on board the ship is BOOZE !, plain and simple!.
They do not want you to bring alcohol on the ship, so you are in a captive market buying the drinks on ship !!
They do not want you to bring alcohol on the ship, so you are in a captive market buying the drinks on ship !!
Thanks a lot! I'll definitely check on this thread after the 19th. Have a good and safe cruise!
Although that is part of it, they are also concerned about weapons. My son bought a toy weapon and security held it until the last day. I'm sure real weapons will be held as well.
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