GTJ
-
Posts
2,648 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by GTJ
-
-
10 minutes ago, auntmeg said:
Perhaps if she had talked to someone about what she was planning to do, she would have definitively found out that she could not do that without incurring a severe penalty.
Or more precisely: she could not do that without the vessel incurring a severe penalty, which in turn would demand reimbursement. Yet, she already knew that from her prior research. Again, making inquiry would not have made any difference. She doesn't seem to be that good at understanding what she reports.
-
1
-
-
8 minutes ago, Coral said:
Regardless - they could still charge the credit card.
While that might be true, consider again whether it actually mattered if she were to have "talk[ed] to anybody ahead of time about whether this would be allowed"? What difference would it make one way or another? The fine would still be levied against the vessel, and the cruise line would have still sought reimbursement from her.
-
4 hours ago, no1racefan1 said:
Sounds like she booked a southbound cruise to Vancouver and 'decided' to get off in Juneau instead, without actually making any plans with the ship or talking to anybody ahead of time about whether this would be allowed. Kind of dumb....
If one were to ask permission in advance to disembark in Juneau, then the cruise line could say "no." By not asking, and just walking off the vessel in Juneau, there would be no opportunity for the cruise line to say "no."
A Jewish man pulls up to the curb and asks the policeman, “Can I park here?” “No” says the cop. “What about all these other cars?” “They didn’t ask!”
– Henry Youngman -
5 hours ago, Prost Seattle said:
I travel the route between Seattle and Bellingham about 5-6 times a year, I wouldn’t recommend business class. You get a $3 coupon and a slightly wider seat, but that’s it, and you pay a lot more money for it.
The value of Amtrak's business class varies so much from train-to-train, some being worthwhile and others not depending on the type of car used. The Amtrak website does not help much because it does not readily provide the types of cars used on each route, and so one either has to know that detail, or go search elsewhere for the type of car. In the past Amtrak and predecessor railroads did a better of job at describing train consists, but that seems to be beyond Amtrak's capabilities these days.
5 hours ago, Prost Seattle said:If you get on in Everett, Stanwood or Mt. Vernon you may not initially get seats together when the train is 100% full, but a lot of people get off in Bellingham, and you’ll be able to snag seats together then. If you can’t get together initially, go to the club car and you can have a cup of coffee or whatnot and then you’ll be able to be together.
It is a short ride, and once on board the vessel in Vancouver much time will be available for being together. At least for us, having adjacent seats is not much of a concern. All of the seats will arrive in Vancouver at the same time.
-
19 minutes ago, Itsnevertoolate said:
[D]o you happen to be familiar with the DUMBO/Fulton ferry stop? It looks like maybe going to this ferry station is closer to Flushing, and this ferry appears on the schedule to go to Red Hook after Fulton St. Is there a reason for not going to this ferry station by subway from Flushing and hopping on here to get to the cruise port? Is this ferry station more difficult to get to from the subway than the Corlears station?
The ferry goes nowhere near Flushing. The ferry landing in DUMBO, at Fulton Street, is not useful when coming from Flushing. Nor is the ferry landing at Corlears Hook any more useful. To travel by ferry, at least partly, requires first having to travel by subway to Flushing to some connecting point, then using one or more ferries from the connecting point to Red Hook. Even though the ferry itself is convenient for travel to the port in Red Hook, none of the connecting points are especially convenient (but that would not be a barrier to using the ferry). Using the ferry might take more time and will involve having to pay multiple fares that will more than double your cost.
To use a ferry for a portion of the trip from Flushing, you would travel on the no. 7 train from Main Street to Times Square in Manhattan. Then go up two levels to the downtown platform for the nos. 2 and 3 trains. Travel on either train to the Wall Street station. On the surface walk five blocks crosstown towards the East River, to South Street, then turn right and walk one block downtown to Pier 11. This is where you would board a southbound South Brooklyn ferry, destined for Bay Ridge. Note that you would need to pay an additional $4.00 for a ferry ticket.
41 minutes ago, Itsnevertoolate said:I'm so leery of simply looking online at maps and public transport schedules...they don't always paint an accurate picture. * * * I'm wondering why Rome2Rio and Google maps didn't give me this as a suggestion when I looked up the route!
I can understand a general reluctance to rely upon at least some online maps and schedules. I will note, however, that the resources provided by the New York City Transit Authority for its buses and subways are rather good. Those provided by NYC Ferry are not quite as good. Google Maps did not provide the suggestion to use the ferry because for the particular time you selected for travel from Flushing to Red Hook the route including a ferry may have taken longer than the route including a bus.
-
5 hours ago, Brighton Line said:
There is also the MTA B61 bus with a free transfer to the subway
That's the route I would most likely take from Flushing. Reasonably convenient and a free transfer in downtown Brooklyn. Total fare from Flushing to Red Hook: $2.90. I don't quite understand the fascination that some people have with ferry, that some would take the subway across the East River into Manhattan and then have to pay an additional $4.00 (total fare: $6.90!) just to come across the same river to Red Hook. Perhaps if there were an integrated fare (i.e., transfers between subway and ferry) it might be justifiable . . . indeed for most travel I generally avoid the ferry--and stay on the subway--precisely because of the lack of free transfers and the extra fare it would required.
All that said, however, I do understand the desire to walk. Absent any disability or excessive baggage, it is not only quite reasonable (slightly over one mile) but also the best way to actually see New York City up close.There are far too many people dependent on driving door-to-door everywhere (be it their own automobile or a hired car), and so one has to admire those who buck the lazy trend and affirmatively desire to walk.
-
5 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:
@GTJ, she only paid the fine because the ship used her credit card on file. She didn't think she was responsible.
Fair point to raise enforceability of the ticket contract. (More generally: how do cruise lines respond to passengers who either have a cash deposit in lieu of credit card, or a virtual credit card, and there's enough for the cruise line to grab?) Nonetheless, I did not see anything in her article stating that she perceived herself as not responsible for reimbursing the cruise line. Maybe I missed it? What I thought I read is her surprise of having incurred the liability, and of making inquiry as to the avoidance of the fine, but I don't think I read of any intransigence on her part to paying the reimbursement. In that sense, I see it as port charges, something that no one wants to pay, many would like to avoid having to pay, but in the end with pay the charges.
Congress should reconsider the PVSA. The law acts to protect the interests of the American maritime industries by requiring vessels to be built in the United States, and to be crewed with Americans. All fair points, and applied to some degree on other modes of international transportation (e.g., air travel, rail travel, bus travel). But for the most part there is no longer any meaningful domestic passenger maritime industry (the Alaska Marine Highway and NCL Pride of America being the primary exceptions), so there is no one left to protect. There are exceptions to the PVSA for vessels serving Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (also American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands) in recognition of that lack of American vessels, but the PVSA applies in full force for little industry purpose. The effect of the PVSA is to drive commerce out of the United States. One-way Alaska cruises serve Vancouver, not Seattle, primarily because of the PVSA. Round-trip cruises stop at Victoria (or Prince Rupert) because of the PVSA. Absent the cabotage restraints of the PVSA, the vessels on these routes could have all-American itineraries, leading to more commerce within the United States. We, as Americans, should want, where there is practicable choice, for cruise vessels to stop in the United States, instead of Canada, and for the passengers to spend their money while ashore here and not there. In other words, the PVSA straddles the competing interests of the American maritime industry specifically and American commercial interests generally, and makes the maritime industry the winner. Should not American commercial interests prevail instead? Not just for the benefit of Ms. Pemberton--who really needs to do a better job in absorbing what it is she reports upon--but for all Americans.
-
2
-
-
7 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:
"I didn't violate the law, the ship did". Nobody takes responsibility any more.
Her statement is factually correct, and the headline of her story is wrong ("I decided to give an Alaska cruise a try. Then I got fined.") The law applies to the vessel, not the passengers. That said, she was responsible for the vessel incurring the fine, and by contract the vessel operator was entitled to seek reimbursement from her of the fine it had incurred. And given that she did, apparently, reimburse the vessel operator, I would not say that she evaded responsibility. Rather, my criticism is that she should have known better. How can one report on an issue, and then not understand the issue reported on? Finally, I will note that, ordinarily, the correct response to her plight would have been to sail from Whittier on an American flag vessel. Usually, the Alaska Marine Highway sends the MV Kennicott every two weeks between Juneau and Whittier, and she would have been able to do the right thing by sailing on that vessel. Except this year there are not enough crew, and the Alaska Marine Highway sidelined the MV Kennicott this summer . . . at present there is no transportation between Whittier and Juneau except on foreign flag vessels. Accordingly, perhaps some of the responsibility also rests on the Alaska Marine Highway . . . it is the beneficiary of the PVSA, and yet it is not providing the service expected of it.
-
3
-
-
20 hours ago, Itsnevertoolate said:
I know, many will say I’m crazy, but I am traveling solo and trying to cut costs, so I am planning to travel to and from the Brooklyn cruise port by Subway via the Carroll St station. I am an able bodied walker, and I’ll have just one rolling suitcase. I’ve looked at the Google street level maps, and the walk to the port from Carroll St seems completely doable…except for actually entering the port. Where would (should) a pedestrian enter the port? I would love to hear from anyone who has actually made this trek on foot!
No, you're not crazy. If abled-bodied then there is no problem with your plan. I will note preliminarily that I reside in Flushing and have walked to the Brooklyn Cruise Port.
From Flushing you will want to travel on the no. 7 train to Court Square station. Use the escalator to descend from the elevated portion of this station to the below-ground portion, and board a "G" train towards Brooklyn.
There are two subway stations that are proximate to the port. One is Carroll Street, and the other is Smith-Ninth Streets. The Smith-Ninth Streets station is slightly closer to the port. However, it is the highest station in the entire subway system, so it can be a bit of an effort descending to the street. On the other hand, the Carroll Street station is immediately below the surface, and less of an effort to reach the street.
One of the highlights of Carroll Street is that just east of the station (in the opposite direction from the port) is the Carroll Street bridge, over the Gowanus Canal. Built in 1889, consisting of single wooden-decked lane for one-way eastbound vehicular traffic and two walkways, it is the oldest of only four remaining retractable bridges in the United States and is an official city landmark. If you have the time it is worth a visit. Another highlight is that just west of the station (in the direction of the port) is Lucali, on of the best pizza restaurants in all of New York City. It is on Henry Street, immediately south of Carroll Street.
The difficulty with walking from the Carroll Street station is the need to cross the Gowanus Expressway, or alternatively the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. To cross the Gowanus Expressway, walk west to Henry Street and turn left (southbound). At Coles Street, one block before Hamilton Avenue and the Gowanus Expressway, you will find the entrance to the pedestrian overpass. Not the nicest overpass, weaving through the roadways, but functional. On the other side you'll descend onto Hamilton Avenue, and there turn left off of the ramp. At the corner turn left onto Luquer Street, and walk one block to Columbia Street. At this corner you will find Defonte's, a fabulous place for sandwiches (to go). Turn left onto Columbia Street, then keep to the right onto Dwight Street. Walk two blocks to Verona Street and the corner of Coffey Park. Walk diagonally through the park to the opposite corner, emerging at the intersection of Richards Street and Pioneer Street. It is four blocks further to the port. Note that at Conover Street there will be a fence and a gate through which you will need to pass through to reach the port area.
Instead of using the pedestrian overpass of the Gowanus Expressway, you would walk along Union Street, two blocks north of, and parallel to, Carroll Street. Union Street crosses the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway without the need for using a pedestrian overpass. At the end of Union Street turn left onto Van Brunt Street. Walk south on Van Brunt Street to Pioneer Street. Then turn right onto Pioneer Street. It is three blocks further to the port. Note that at Conover Street there will be a fence and a gate through which you will need to pass through to reach the port area.
Should you choose to travel via the Smith-Ninth Street station, then after descending to the street turn right onto West Ninth Street and walk to its end. Note that you will need to cross Hamilton Avenue (under the Gowanus Expressway) at grade, which is a busy and unpleasant to do, and you'll need to be certain that on the other side you're continuing to walk on West Ninth Street. At the end of West Ninth Street turn left onto Columbia Street, go one block and turn right at the next traffic signal onto the walkway between the housing project buildings. Cross Dwight Street and continue walking on a path adjacent to Coffey Park, emerging at the intersection of Richards Street and Pioneer Street. It is four blocks further to the port. Note that at Conover Street there will be a fence and a gate through which you will need to pass through to reach the port area.
-
Following-up with an example of challenges in driving in New York City and making sense of its regulatory signage. These signs are on Hamilton Avenue near the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and Red Hook Container Terminal.
-
4 hours ago, afdds said:
Right now, I can't find a time that works unless I stay a night in Seattle or an extra night in Vancouver upon our return. * * * I want the train the whole way , not part train and part bus.
The Cascades connection to and from Vancouver misses connections with the Coast Starlight at Seattle in both directions. I think it is because Amtrak does not want to create reliability issues with the Cascades in having to wait for the frequently-delayed long-distance train. It is unlikely that you will be able to avoid the issue of having to spend a night if you're looking to travel the entire distance, between San Antonio and Vancouver, by railroad. However, if the concern is more a matter of cost than it is the trip duration, then you might want to consider connecting at a city other than Seattle, where hotel costs could be lower. Note that the Coast Starlight overlaps with the Cascades route between Eugene, Oregon, and Seattle, so any station within that overlap zone is a potential overnight connecting point, at least if it is acceptable to arrive in Vancouver on the late night train, and to depart from Vancouver on the early morning train. (For example, alight from the northbound Coast Starlight at Kelso, Washington, scheduled to arrive at 4:51 p.m. but probably running late, stay overnight at America's Best Value Inn a few blocks north of the station for $83, then continue the next day on the Cascades train to Vancouver that departs Kelso at 3:56 p.m.)
-
1
-
-
30 minutes ago, jkmmah said:
For those who can advise, how much time should I allow in leaving our SeaTac area hotel in the morning to get to the downtown Amtrak station for the morning train? I want to have plenty of buffer if needed.
How do you anticipate traveling to King Street station? By bus? By train? By automobile? Otherwise? From where will you be starting, and how much access time will there be from that starting location to the location from which your transportation will departing? The time required can vary substantially based on these variables.
-
On 8/15/2023 at 1:29 PM, testerlady said:
Are the ports in Greenland worth seeing?
Whether a port is "worth seeing" is an individualized perception based on one's personal values. Greenland ports are remote places, and one should anticipate places lesser visited and not oriented towards tourists.
-
1
-
-
On 8/11/2023 at 9:21 AM, Jeeden said:
We booked the GoldStar class on the coastal classic directly with Alaska Railroad. * * * We had the second level glass top car that we stayed in the whole time (no limit like the regular class). * * * It also has an outdoor area in the back of the train under cover so you can take photos and see things without looking through the glass.
Some additional distinctions. The first class, or "GoldStar Service," uses Ultra Dome coaches solely. While there is a scenic view from one's seat the entire time, you're in the sun continuously as there is no overhead or window shades to provide cover. As well, there is no overhead baggage rack, so anything you bring with you gets placed on the floor. With dining on the lower level, you spend your entire time within this one car. The less expensive coach, or "Adventure" class, service, uses multiple cars. Passengers get an assigned coach seat in a car with roof that offers cover and generous baggage racks so belonging can be kept off the floor. There's a separate Vista-Dome car, the classic design that offers, in my opinion, the best viewing space, more so than the Ultra Dome cars. Outdoor viewing can be had in the vestibules where dutch doors provide the opportunity for viewing the passing scenery. Food and beverages are not included in the fare, so there is no compulsion to partake, but if desired there are separate dining and café cars offering a variety of choices. Passengers should not feel as though they will be missing out on the experience by foregoing the expensive first class "GoldStar Service," and may be pleasantly surprised with the value offered with the "Adventure" coach class service.
On 8/11/2023 at 9:23 AM, alaskaboy2 said:How do they handle luggage?
There are multiple baggage services. Included in the price of the railroad ticket is the transportation of two pieces of baggage, 50 pounds maximum each, per person, transported in the baggage car by the Alaska Railroad, from the Anchorage railroad station to the Seward railroad station. Included in the price of a cruise vessel ticket is the transportation of baggage within the limits set by the cruise line, transported by a truck arranged for by the cruise line, from the Anchorage railroad station to one's stateroom onboard the vessel.
-
1
-
1
-
-
On 8/11/2023 at 7:22 AM, Jcol5786 said:
Next May we will be doing an Alaska cruise on RCI which leaves from Vancouver and returns to Seattle. We are looking for the easiest way to get back to Vancouver after we disembark. This will be on a Saturday and we will be docked at pier 91. I see that there is a shuttle service called Quickshuttle that appears to have a pickup time of 9:20am which will take us back and drop us off at various downtown Vancouver locations.
Prior to the pandemic Quick Coach Lines had operated a more extensive schedule: in 2020 it had planned to operate five daily trips, and a sixth trip on weekends (Friday through Monday). It did not, however, provide service to pier 91. In the present post-pandemic era, the company is operating four trips on weekends only (Thursday through Monday, except one trip that operates on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays). It has been during this post-pandemic era, in 2022, that bus stops were added at piers 91 and 66 in Seattle. These are service levels for the summer season, which runs from the beginning of May through the end of September.
For the year 2024 I would anticipate that Quick Coach Lines will be operating at least as much service as it has been operating this year (meaning, at least four trips), and that is is possible that an additional trip or two could be added to the schedule. It is possible that the bus stops at piers 91 and 66 were added as experimental stops, and could be deleted for the 2024 season. However, if these stops were not adequately performing, I would expect that they would have already been deleted by now, without having been operated now for two years straight. Additionally, I note that the winter schedule has includes a stop at pier 66, and that the winter schedule, with a stop at pier 66, has been published through the end of April 2024.
From all of this I would expect that the summer 2024 schedule will offer a pick-up from pier 91 on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., arriving in Vancouver at the Holiday Inn at 2:10 p.m., at Waterfront station at 2:20 p.m., and at Canada Place at 2:30 p.m. This is speculative, but I would give it 85 percent probability. Should service not be continued at pier 91 in summer 2024, then you would need to travel elsewhere in Seattle to board a motorcoach or train back to Vancouver. Most of these other services would pick up in downtown Seattle (to which there exists public transportation service, albeit a bit clumsy to access).
-
1
-
-
57 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:
There is NOTHING better than picking up a bag of fresh cheese curds from beside the caisse at the dep.
Your note reminded my of my friend's better half, a native of, and upon her initial arrival in Québec from, France had no clue as to a dépanneur; she would not have understood your comment at all!
-
2
-
-
7 hours ago, electro said:
no ever claimed it is fine dining. Just yummy.
Here's what is hidden in my cupboard at home.
-
1
-
1
-
-
8 hours ago, burrma said:
That’s what we will do.
You can use this attached map to guide you in making the connection on rue Charest est. The route 80 bus from the airport should make its final stop at position E1 (but depending on where the bus is going next, it is possible that the driver could let you off elsewhere in the vicinity). You can then find routes 1 and 18, going in the direction of rue Abraham Martin, at positions E1 and E2.
In the opposite direction, routes 1 and 18 will drop off passengers at positions D2 and D1, and the route 80 bus to the airport will pick up passengers at position D1.
-
6 hours ago, burrma said:
Any other ideas from Quebec people to get from end of route 80 to the cruise terminal at wharf 30.... could not find a bus 1.
RTC does operate a route 1, but it is not the most convenient for going where you're destined. The best that you could readily do is change to route 18, destined for Gare du Palais. It only operates half-hourly, so you might want to check the schedule to avoid an excessive wait. Gare du Palais is the final stop on this route. From the terminal loop bus stop, turn left onto rue Abraham Martin. Then turn left at the next corner, at rue de l'Estuaire (there's a sign at the corner pointing the way to Quai 30), which will lead you direct to Wharf 30. About a 10-minute walk. Were you to travel on route 1, you would alight on rue Saint-Paul, at rue Abraham Martin, from where you would have a 15-minute walk.
-
7 hours ago, electro said:
Love Poutine, crispy fries with fresh cheese curds with a dark brown gravy, Yum!
Secretly tasty, but certainly not indicative of otherwise respectable, fabulous, and fine Québécoise cuisine.
-
14 hours ago, TSUmom said:
Maybe a new consultant?
I would say so. Anyone with a degree of competence in selling Alaska cruises would have known better. As to transportation between Anchorage and Seward, all of the cruise lines arrange for bus, and sometimes rail, transportation between the Anchorage airport and the cruise vessel, but some people prefer making their own arrangements. Here's what is available during the summer cruise season.
Alaska Railroad
Glacier Discovery, operates daily
Coaches, Vista-Dome car, Ultra Dome car (extra fare GoldStar service), café car, dining car
Depart Anchorage downtown station 6:45 a.m., arrive Seward railroad station 11:05 a.m.
Cruise Train, operates in connection with NCL and RCCL cruises
Panorama Dome cars, café car
Times are approximate and are set by the cruise lines
- NCL on alternate Mondays, depart Anchorage airport 1:00 p.m., arrive Seward cruise port 5:30 p.m.
- Royal Caribbean/Celebrity on Fridays, depart Anchorage airport 1:00 p.m., arrive Seward cruise port 5:30 p.m.
- Silverseas on Thursdays, depart Anchorage airport 1:15 p.m., arrive Seward cruise port 5:45 p.m.
Motorcoach
Seward Bus Lines, operates daily
Depart Anchorage SBL terminal 9:30 a.m., arrive Seward SBL terminal 12:00 noon
Park Connection, operates daily
Depart Anchorage Dena'ina Civic Center 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., arrive Seward small boat harbor 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; the 3:00 p.m. trip provides service direct to cruise port on days vessels are in port
Alaska Cruise Transportation, operates days vessels are in port
Schedules vary by day, with service provided from Anchorage Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Captain Cook, and airport, direct to Seward cruise port.
-
On 8/14/2023 at 9:08 PM, butterfly55 said:
I am in a group of six that is arriving on Amtrak in September. We are staying at a place in Weehawken, NJ. What is the best way to get there, over to the cruise port a couple days later and then back to Amtrak after the cruise?
Where in Weehawken? There are so many combinations of railroad stations in New York and Newark, hotels in Weehawken, and ports in Bayonne, New York, and Brooklyn, that it is difficult to give more than just general information about each.
Between New York Pennsylvania Station and Weehawken, there are New Jersey Transit buses on several routes--most Weehawken hotels are along route 158--from Port Authority Bus Terminal (nine blocks uptown); and NY Waterway ferries on several routes from Pier 78 (seven blocks uptown, and three avenues crosstown). Between Newark Pennsylvania Station and Weehawken, there are New Jersey Transit buses on route 108 direct from Pennsylvania Station (though route 108 does not go to that part of Weehawken where most hotels are located); and connecting service using, first, PATH trains direct from Pennsylvania Station to Exchange Place in Jersey City, and second, New Jersey Transit light rail trains from Exchange Place to Weehawken.
Between Weehawken and Cape Liberty Cruise Port, there are New Jersey Transit light rail trains to Bayonne, then taxi from the light rail station to the port. Between Weehawken and Manhattan Cruise Terminal, there is the same transportation noted above between Weehwaken and New York, then a short distance on foot or taxi to either Pier 88 or Pier 90 at the port (seven or nine blocks uptown, and three avenues crosstown, from Port Authority Bus Terminal; ten or twelve blocks uptown from Pier 78). Between Weehawken and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, there are New Jersey Transit buses on several routes to Port Authority Bus Terminal, then New York City Transit Authority "A" or "C" subway train to Jay Street-MetroTech in Brooklyn, then New York City Transit Authority bus route B61 to Van Brunt Street and King Street and walk to Pier 12 at the port (about four blocks).
Of course, taxis also provide direct transportation between all points, but you probably don't need directions on how to use a taxi.
-
6 hours ago, Brighton Line said:
Not only are there very few hotels in Red Hook Brooklyn it is a transit desert.
The phrase "transit desert" is commonly used today in transportation circles, but it is probably overused. Many times southeastern Queens County gets this label, not because of a lack of bus routes or LIRR stations but seemingly because there's no subway stations. Similarly, I am reluctant to label Red Hook in this manner. True, there are "only" two bus routes here, but that's a good number for the size of the neighborhood. (There used to be more bus routes, but today's B57 and B61 cover what were formerly routes B61, B75, and B77; the once-important route B33 that connected the Hamilton Avenue ferry with Ebbets Field had declined in patronage so much--the ferry had closed in 1942, and the stadium was demolished in 1960--that it was an infrequent rush hour only route carrying virtually no passengers when it was finally discontinued in 1993; and the weekday-only B77 shuttle to the Erie Basin breakwater via Columbia Street was inconsequential, having little purpose and few passengers, and discontinued in the late 1980s.) Moreover, there's also two ferry routes, one to Atlantic Basin, immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Pier 12, and another to Erie Basin, immediately adjacent to the IKEA store. No doubt that the neighborhood is not bustling with transit, and certainly the subway is a bit distant, but I think that because public transit both exists and is right-sized here, I would not use the "transit desert" label.
-
1 hour ago, njhorseman said:
I doubt there's anything specific in CBP regulations, but rather I suspect this is a procedural matter that can be easily changed by internal memoranda not normally subject to public view.
I think that there are a number of these types of situations, where things are done less formally, possibly through internal memoranda, because of the particular circumstances involved. A few unusual circumstances, involving cruise lines, did come to my mind. There is Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co., where passengers on a round-trip cruise excursion are brought from Canada to the United States, and landed, but no passports are required, and there is no immigration or customs examination unless passengers plan to remain in the United States and not to return to the vessel. Yet persons on other round-trip cruise excursions that bring passengers from Canada to the United States, such as Rockport Boat Line, are subjected to immigration and customs inspection upon landing. Then there are the round-trip cruise excursions provided by Sea Watch Tours, embarking passengers in New Brunswick, and Bold Coast Charter Co., embarking passengers in Maine, both destined for Machias Seal Island, where passengers are landed, no passports and no immigration or customs examinations (sovereignty over Machias Seal Island is disputed by Canada and the United States, so that, too, may play a role). It would be nice to think that CBP is adequately addressing all of immigration and customs concerns, even in unusual circumstances, effectively, consistently, legally, and accountably.
-
1
-
Alaska journalist who had reported on PVSA didn't think it applied to her
in Alaska
Posted
Some great questions to ask! Some general principles of transportation law helps. The two relevant sources of law are the statutes and regulations enacted and adopted by the government, and any applicable contracts between persons. A "ticket" is shorthand for a "ticket contract" or "contract of carriage," and is the applicable in these cases. The PVSA, a statute, and its implementing regulations seek to regulate transportation by sea, and it places responsibility for compliance with the vessel, not on individual passengers. Note that the companion statute, the Jones Act (which regulates the transportation of cargo), also places responsibility for compliance with the vessel, not with the cargo shipper. So one has to look at the ticket for any authority of the vessel to obtain reimbursement from the passenger. And ticket contracts typically do include such clauses. For example, section 2(a)(iii) of the Holland America Line ticket contract, which outlines "guest's obligations," states in relevant part: "You will be subject to any fine or other costs incurred by Carrier which result from improper documentation or noncompliance with applicable regulations, which amount may be charged to Your stateroom account and/or credit card." While carriers are not given carte blanche for putting anything in their contracts--unconscionable provisions and other provisions that generally diminish a common carrier's duties to its passengers might be stricken--this is a reasonable provision that would almost certainly be enforced by a court if litigated. So yes, passengers are typically advised that that they are responsible for the consequences of causing the vessel to not comply with the PVSA.
Suppose a cruise line forgot to include such a provision in its ticket contract? Then there would no easy means for the vessel to claim reimbursement from the passenger. It might try to do so on general tort principles (i.e., the passenger caused harm to the vessel, so the vessel has a right to recovery), but given that passengers have no duty to remain captive to a vessel it seems to me unlikely that a court would allow recovery. After all, the cruise line could have inserted a fine recovery provision in its ticket contact!
I am not quite sure if I understand this question. But placing a provision in the ticket contract, and providing the ticket contract to passengers and conditioning their transportation on acceptance of the ticket contract terms, is generally sufficient. Do cruise vessel passengers actually read the terms of the ticket contract? That's the same question to be asked of airline, railroad, and bus line passengers. The answer: most do not (I am in the small minority that does read the terms). But they can't escape the terms simply by not reading them.
I doubt it having been much of an issue. Most Alaskans would rely upon the Alaska Marine Highway, an American flag carrier, for point-to-point transportation. Travel via cruise vessel would require paying the full fare for transportation between Seward or Whittier and Vancouver, even for a partial cruise, and would likely be more expensive than the Alaska Marine Highway fare. Moreover, only a small portion of cruise line passengers are even aware of the possibility of taking a partial cruise (again, I am in the small minority, having done so . . . but in compliance with the PVSA requirements).
Yes, the cruise line is responsible. That responsibility comes into play both when a passenger seeks a partial cruise and when booking back-to-back cruises. (In the latter case, it is common for cruise lines to reposition vessels from southern California to Vancouver at the start of the summer travel season. These cruise lines will offer cruise itineraries from San Diego or Los Angeles to Vancouver for this repositioning, itineraries that are PVSA compliant. But if a passenger books both a repositioning cruise and the subsequent cruise from Vancouver to Seward or Whittier, back-to-back, then the itinerary is non-compliant. Cruise lines review their manifests for such back-to-back bookings and contact passengers to advise them to cancel one booking or the other.) U.S. Customs and Border Protection does provide such information and warning on its website and in the more detailed information document one can download from that website. See http://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-23.
This is not a criminal offense where anyone would be arrested (but if it were, it would be the master of the vessel--the captain--who would be liable, not the passenger).
If the cruise line did wrongly take reimbursement from a passenger, then the passenger might recover in court. However, the statute of limitations (usually six years for contract issues, though the cruise lines may have provisions in their ticket contracts that further limits the time period. Again using Holland America Line as an example, section 17(A)(ii) of the ticket contract states in relevant part: "No claim of any kind . . . shall be brought against Carrier unless . . . (1) written notice giving full particulars of the claim is delivered to the Carrier within 15 days of the actual or scheduled termination date of the Cruise, Cruisetour, or post-cruise Land Trip, whichever occurs first as specified in connection with this Contract, [and] (2) legal action on such claim is commenced within 1 year from such scheduled termination date."