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Guests on the Liberty of the Seas were notified of a major change to an upcoming visit to Lisbon, Portugal. Due to a new ban in Sintra on private transportation and tour buses, Royal Caribbean told guests they will now be required to use public transportation. This change has made the excursion experience longer for guests, and there were concerns about additional charges due to the public transportation requirement.

New details have clarified what the fee entails and why Sintra implemented these changes affecting Royal Caribbean and other major cruise lines.

Royal Caribbean Will Pay For Guests’ Public Bus Access In Sintra Following A New Ban On Commercial Transportation

Royal Caribbean has notified guests of a major change to its Mystical Wells excursion in Lisbon, Portugal. The popular activity sees guests visit Sintra’s stunning landscape, featuring unforgettable landmarks such as secret tunnels and beautiful architecture.

In an email sent out to guests, Royal Caribbean revealed that due to a ban on private tour buses and private transportation, guests will have to take a different mode of travel.

“Due to new regulations not allowing commercial buses into the center of Sintra, guests will now need to take a public bus between the parking lot and the city center. A guide will pay for the bus directly and this extra fee is included in the rate of the tour,” Royal Caribbean tells guests on the Liberty of the Seas.

Because of the change, the tour length has now increased, going from four hours to five hours. The public transportation route is longer than the private buses that were originally used by the cruise line.

Doug Parker of Cruise News Today confirmed that despite the change, guests won’t have to pay extra for the public bus transportation. Instead, the cost will be included with the price of the excursion.

“Guests booked on the popular Mystical Wells tour will now travel by public bus between the parking area and the city center after local officials have banned commercial buses from entering the historic district. The cruise line says a tour guide will accompany guests and cover the bus fare which is included in the price of the excursion.”

The major change took effect on July 8, according to the Sintra City Council. The ruling is yet another attempt to reduce congestion, while making it a more comfortable experience for locals, visitors and workers.

The New Sintra Ban Is Meant To Improve Traffic In The Town

With the new rules in place, tourist buses will now be guided to parking areas on the perimeter, including one in the Lourel area. This particular parking lot offers visitors 500 free spaces.

According to the Sintra City Council website, the circulation of tourist buses is prohibited moving forward, which includes ride-hailing platforms. These types of ridesharing services will now have specific areas.

“In this new phase, the circulation of tourist buses in the center of the town of Sintra is prohibited, as is the pick-up and drop-off of passengers by ride-hailing platforms, which will now have designated areas. This operation also reinforces signage, installs operational control points in strategic locations, and ensures continuous guidance, inspection, and monitoring actions in the town of Sintra,” the council website writes.

Marco Almeida, the mayor of Sintra, issued a statement regarding the changes. Almeida revealed prior changes were viewed as a success in the community.

“Mobility in the town of Sintra requires firm and coordinated responses. After the positive results achieved during Easter, we are now moving forward with a reinforced operation that allows us to improve mobility and ensure better conditions for Sintra residents and visitors.”

The change doesn’t just impact Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas guests. In the upcoming weeks, there are other major cruise lines set to visit Lisbon, Portugal.

The Other Cruise Lines That May Also Be Affected By Sintra’s Commercial Transportation Ban

The Liberty of the Seas visited Lisbon, Portugal, on July 27. According to Cruise Mapper, the ship is still on its 9-day Western Europe sailing. The ship is currently headed toward La Coruna.

Cruise Mapper writes, “The current location of Liberty Of The Seas is in North East Atlantic Ocean cruising en route to La Coruna.”

The Liberty of the Seas’ itinerary includes the following: Southampton, England (Departure); Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Cádiz, Spain; La Coruña, Spain; and Bilbao (Getxo), Spain.

Along with the Royal Caribbean ship, other major cruise lines are set to visit, including cruise giant Norwegian Cruise Line.

Cruise Lines Visiting Lisbon In The Upcoming Weeks

For those who have booked the excursion to Sintra, the only major change will be the extra hour due to the transportation change. However, despite the ban on using tour buses, guests won’t pay additional charges for the service.