crzndeb

Hello

 

I am taking my first cruise March 3rd, 2014 and I would like to know how to save money on alcohol for the cruise. Its a 5 day cruise and I just don't want to spend that much money in alcohol. Can someone please help me? What's the best way to save?

Yes, you can order liters of alcohol from the Bon Voyage Dept. or room service when you board. They are pricey..$65-80 for a liter, but if you get a drink at the bar, that will run you $6+ for shelf liquor to $8+ For premium...plus 15% gratuity on each drink.

You can carry your mixers on board, and take a larger cup for drink, so you don't have to keep going back to room.

If you don't finish the liter, you can take the rest home with you...save a water bottle to pour the rest into if you are flying.

Except several people in this thread have said that the way to get around this law is simply to book the legs on two different ships, even without a day/night in between? :confused:

Correct...you don't need to spend a night if you are changing ships. The law pertains to the SAME vessel transporting a passenger between 2 US ports.

I'm not sure of the time frame for booking but I don't think a ship that overnights in a port makes it legal, since you are technically still on the ship...does that make sense?

I can't think of any other scenarios that would come into play. Plus, most of these questions come up in the spring and fall, when ships are repositioning to and from Alaska. And most of the questionable sailings only come up once.

Whilst I understand the 'Jones Act', I am also puzzled by it.

 

In May 2007 we did a b2b2b on the Vision.

 

Cruise 1: Los Angeles to Los Angeles (Mexican Riviera)

Cruise 2: Los Angeles to Vancouver (Repositioning)

Cruise 3: Vancouver to Seattle (Alaska)

 

Surely this would have been illegal under the 'Jones Act'.

Simply put, you got away with it. I'm sure others do too.

It really doesn't make any difference the number of cruises together..2 or 20. It comes back to start and end points. Yours was LA to Seattle.

Illegal under the Passenger Vessel Service Act.

The Jones Act comes into play because it refers to the crew.

 

 

Shirley, Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Sorry, that is not correct.

The Jones Act is cargo.

In 2012, I took the Carnival Spirit to Australia...I did a B2B2B. I boarded in Seattle and did an Alaska cruise. It then left Vancouver for the Hawaii leg, and then Honolulu to Sydney. Mine was legal because the disembarking city was Sydney. So I was transported from Seattle to Sydney.

And as others have said, I couldn't have disembarked in Honolulu.

And I really wish people would learn the correct act. It's the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA)...the Jones Act refers to cargo, and I am not that. It really goes to show how untrained the cruise reps are.

When visiting Costco in So Cal. last year, we got a 1.75 litter of Bacardi for $15.99 or $16.99. In WA. same price at Costco but they add almost $11 to it for taxes, so $28 for the same bottle. On the cruise we often purchase the liter bottles and get them for the same rate at home, $11 for a .750 bottle, smaller bottle, but again we don't pay the $7 tax per bottle on the cruise.

It is very expensive to drink in WA. Probably why we legalized pot. lol

Whenever I drive to San Diego to see my daughter, I hit up Costco and Bevmo, and load up.

For those in cheap alcohol states, they have to get taxes somewhere because we don't pay state tax in Wa. So there is a 20% tax on alcohol here and an additional $3.77 liter tax.

As someone else said, I bring an empty rum runner for any leftovers from my Bon Voyage bottle, and then I also pack that in a large ziplock for flying. Plus it's lighter than glass. You can probably save water bottle also, and use that to transport leftovers.

As stated earlier, severity to the cruise lines for knowingly allowing violations is stricter than the $300 to the passenger. They can actually have port privileges revoked, and more. I have never heard of that happening though.

And cruiseboy305, if the search feature was working, you would be able to see all the previous posts of this affecting passengers.

There are some really knowledge posters on CC, that can explain the facts a whole lot better than myself, and maybe they will notice this thread.

A couple of years ago, there were a lot of questions about Disney getting away with this, but we don't really know if there was any penalty to them.

Hey, if one is allowed to book and get away with it, why not try. You might get fined, you might not. Just be aware that it might get caught a week before you cruise. Better to know the rules ahead of time.

Yes, you have to be 25 to book a cabin. Split up some of the adults on the trip for booking purposes then just go to Guest Services and switch the keys once you board.

 

I know it doesnt seem fair but think about all the partying that would go on if all 21 yo could book a cruise unsupervised. I know I wouldnt want to be on a ship full of drunk 21 year olds. I think it is to keep it more a family atmosphere and loose that party image.

Not correct

Whoever they talked to was misinformed. As others have stated, if all parties are over 21, they can book a cabin.

If it was a carnival rep, call back and get a supervisor. If it was a TA, get a new one that knows the rules.

It is pretty sad when CC members know more then those getting paid to do a job.

It's legal. Booked it this morning

 

Sent from my C6903 using Forums mobile app

You may have been allowed to book it, but be prepared you may get a call to cancel one leg. I wouldn't be making any plane reservations just yet.

Trust me, it's not legal.

And if the cruise begins in a foreign port, say Vancouver, then it all becomes a moot point. PVSA only pertains to beginning and ending in USA ports.

So why is St. Pierre and Miquelon considered a foreign port for the purpose of northeastern cruises and Vancouver is not for northwestern?

Vancouver IS considered a foreign port, but a NEAR foreign port, for US round trip cruises. For the sake of embarking in one US city, and disembarking in a different US city, the ship has to visit a DISTANT foreign port, which usually includes an ABC island, or a South America port.

I have a feeling St. Pierre and Miquelon are considered near foreign ports for the northeast to satisfy round trips from that area.

Edit...Clarea and I were posting at the same time

As I recall, the act dates back 100 years or so and was designed to protect US flagged vessels from unfair foreign competition. Since there is now only 1 (as far as I know) US flagged passenger vessel, it seems like it's time to rescind the act.

 

Buggy whip ordinances needed to be changed too.

 

Good campaign for CC to take on?

Is there another cruise line around the same dates, that embarks in Vancouver, and then you could board the Pacific coastal? Maybe stay in Vancouver a couple of days, if needed?

This law has been fought before with some pretty high ranking politicians...it didn't get anywhere.

I would love to see someone book it as two separate unlinked reservations. Then disembark, luggage and all in Vancouver, then come back in the afternoon and check in again as if it is a new cruise altogether. I can't imagine that anyone would say anything since luggage has been removed and the passenger has gone through immigration as always. I think the problem always comes up because passengers want to book the same room for both legs or just move their stuff from one room to the other.

 

Someone should try it and report back to us what happens. :D

 

Gina

There have been lots of threads on various cruise lines over the years on this subject. Usually, they can't even be booked. Most cruise agents, in fact, refer to it as the Jones act, which is cargo, not people.

I had friends a few years ago, that were allowed to book a B2B, only to be told a couple of months before, that a leg would need to be canceled. They had already booked hotel and flights.

This is governed by the CBP, and not the cruise lines. Cruise lines can receive severe penalties, if they knowingly allow this.

Nope, not legal, since technically the ship is transporting you from Seattle to LA...however, if you changed cruise lines, you would be OK.

I know several are going to post that aren't familiar with the PVSA, that say it's ok, because it's 2 different cruises, but it's not under PVSA rules.

Debbie

I'm curious as to how a 7 year old thread is being resurrected, since the search feature is down?

The other thing to consider is that the age you are on embarkation is the age you are for the whole cruise as it relates to alcohol consumption. So if you turn 21 during the cruise, it won't allow you to purchase alcohol because you were still under 21 on embarkation day. It gets "coded" into your Sail and Sign card and that card wouldn't be allowed to be used to purchase anything alcoholic.

Unless you have personal experience with this, or policy has changed, this wasn't true in 2003.

My daughter turned 21, 3 days into an 8 day cruise. She was able to go to guest services and have her S&S card changed.

Thanks..My friend is disabled and just trying to figure out how far it is from concourse D to carousel # 12 baggage claim ..planing on taking light train from there....would you or anyone know the distance...someone said 8 minute walk but dnk if they meant from the concourse or from baggage area....thanks

Baggage claim is downstairs from the gates, so depending on what gate you arrive at will depend the walk...if you are at the end, say D9-11, that is about a 5 min walk (I walk fast) down to Baggage claim....if your arrival is at D1, that is only a couple of minutes to Baggage claim.

For me, I always seem to arrive at the very end gate..LOL

The 8-10 min walk to train is from baggage claim.

I will be on Carnival Legend on March 16 for 7 days with my two teens (12 & 14 years). I want them to have good time & I was wondering if there are more teens on this cruise.

Thanks

Here is the Roll Call for your sailing. You might want to ask your question there.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1896458

Everybody is mentioning the mainstream cruise lines...if your have 8k to spend for a 7 day Caribbean cruise, I would look into one of the all inclusive luxury cruise lines, like Crystal, Seabourn, Silverseas, Regent.

Definitely check with a TA that specializes in cruises.

I found some pics from cabin 5151 on the Pride......second page has some pics of view

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1894471&highlight=5151

In March, we used a laminated BC for my daughter on NCL Dawn..no questions asked. It was issued by the state laminated. It also had a raised seal. I am planning on using it again this March on the NCL Epic!

This thread was from 2006, so things could have changed.

Im in obstructed balcony cabin on the miracle im sailing in a few weeks and I read it has a lifeboat right outside does it block my view from everything? please advise.

I had cabin 5232 on the Spirit, and the lifeboat sat flush with the deck. There was no blockage when sitting out on the balcony looking straight out, but you can't see the water when looking straight down. I also liked the overhang, since it blocked rain. For the price, and my location, I thought it was a great deal.

Do you know what cabin you have? If it is behind the first 3 tender/lifeboats, those sit up higher and you're view will be partially blocked when sitting on balcony.

I don't normally get balconies, but since this was the repo cruise for the Spirit to Australia, I sprung for it. Personally, the balcony door slamming on each side bothered me more than any obstruction.

can you hire snorkelling equipment on the Carnival Spirit

You couldn't when the ship was in the US, however, some of the ship excursions through the local companies, had snorkel equipment to borrow.

I cruised to Hawaii in 2012, as part of a B2B2B, on the Spirit repo to Australia...I loved the overnight in Maui. I rented a car with friends on the cruise, and we did the Road to Hana (the whole way around), on the first day. It was definitely worth it to have an overnight. We also had 2 days in Honolulu.

I am cruising the Legend to Australia in August., and wished there had been a Hawaii trip prior again. You will definitely enjoy the longer cruise.

Debbie

It's a room with French doors to the outside and a life boat or two blocking the view. It's not a balcony in the sense that it has a deck.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Not true...the 4k's on the Spirit class ships are not considered balcony cabins.

Yukongold,

You are probably being offered a 7A. I had one of these on the Spirit to Australia in 2012. They are actually nice cabins. However, if the cabin is behind the first 3 tender/lifeboats, those sit up higher and view will be partially blocked, when sitting on balcony looking straight out. If it is further back, the lifeboats sit flush with the deck and the view is clear looking straight out. You will have a blocked view when looking straight down into water.

I