It pays to do your research....

[Tricia724]

We're going to Alaska this fall and will complete our land tour with a southbound sailing from Seward on Statendam, arriving in Vancouver on September 19. We've been less than thrilled with the flights available, particularly coming home, with lots of wacko connections. The most acceptable flight is $381/pp, one way, and I've been watching to see whether it might drop, but two months later, it's still the same price.

 

So we were talking the other night and said it's really too bad that Statendam isn't beginning her repo cruise because we could probably get a better airfare rate home from California. Well, gee, let's look to see whether anyone else is heading down the coast.

 

What luck....both Rotterdam and Ryndam are leaving Vancouver on the 19th heading to San Diego....and the rates are really good. Now the question is...how much will it cost us to come home from San Diego? Unbelievable, but there are several good flights available for $125-130.

 

By flying home from San Diego, we can save $250 on airfare which would cover most of the cost of the 3-night coastal cruise on Rotterdam. Actually, if we were willing to take an inside cabin ($233, taxes included) we would be a few bucks ahead. But we're hooked on the R&S balconies, so yesterday we booked a balcony guarantee on Rotterdam and today I booked our flight for $128.

 

Oh, and did I mention, that our original cruise on Statendam has gone down $150/pp....so those savings and the airfare savings have let us extend our vacation with another three days of crusing....as the street vendors in Mexico say...."almost free."

[jtl513]

You will probably not be allowed to do this unless you spend at least 24 hrs in Vancouver. Without that, you are embarking at one US port (Seward) and eventually debarking in San Diego without a "distant" foreign port visited. That's a violation of the Passeger Vessel Service Act. Believe me, many have tried to tack on a 1-day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle after completeing a 7-day to Vancouver, and been denied - even when changing to a different HAL ship. Now if you change to a different cruise line in Vancouver you can do it, without the 24-hr layover.

 

Edit: I re-read, and see that you said you have already booked the Rotterdam. Don't be surprised when their system picks up what you're doing, and they cancel the Rotterdam on you.

 

Better check what other cruise lines have a repo leaving Vancouver on the 19th, since you've already booked the air.

[tamsocal]

You will probably not be allowed to do this unless you spend at least 24 hrs in Vancouver. Without that, you are embarking at one US port (Seward) and eventually debarking in San Diego without a "distant" foreign port visited. That's a violation of the Passeger Vessel Service Act. Believe me, many have tried to tack on a 1-day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle after completeing a 7-day to Vancouver, and been denied - even when changing to a different HAL ship. Now if you change to a different cruise line in Vancouver you can do it, without the 24-hr layover.

 

I'm not a PVSA expert but was told by HAL last week that even if I chose a different cruise line I had to have a one night stayover in YVR and although HAL would not know it necessarily--I would be subject to the fine if discovered by immigration- never researched it beyond this since we found a cruise that gave us a one night stayover that we wanted anyways in YVR

[RuthC]

Tamsocal, I believe you are correct. The difference is by going to another cruiseline it would be less likely that OP would be caught.

[Tricia724]

Thanks all for the info. We'll look into it.

 

We did talk about whether we would be impacted by the Act. I knew it was not permitted to embark in Seattle and sail to California, but since our port is Vancouver, we did not think that applied. I had never heard the rule about the 24 hr. stay requirement. Leave it to CruiseCritic to set you straight.

 

I should have known it was too good to be true!

[sail7seas]

I feel so bad. You're post was so happy and enthusiastic and now to be disappointed. Seems that silly law is so outdated as pertains to cruise ships but doesn't seem Congress has any plans to change it.

 

I'm sorry if this does not work out for you.

 

[Tricia724]

I feel so bad. You're post was so happy and enthusiastic and now to be disappointed. Seems that silly law is so outdated as pertains to cruise ships but doesn't seem Congress has any plans to change it.

 

I'm sorry if this does not work out for you.

 

 

Thanks, Sail. You're very kind. I was a little wound up. I guess the old rule that "if it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is" applies.

 

Better to look into it now than later. I'm glad there are others here who have the knowledge that we lack, and I'm so glad I made this post, or I might not have found out until much later.

 

We may have to eat the airline fare or we may get partial credit. We will be booking the same airline for our trip to Anchorage, so we may be able to salvage some of the cost. If not, we'll chalk it up to experience.

 

I agree that the PVSA is outdated, considering the passenger vessels that are sailing today. And it's not like the cruise ships don't add to our economy. But there's not much we can do about it, can we? The law is the law, and I'm pretty much a law-abiding citizen, so.....I'd rather straighten it out now than get fined for breaking a law.

[tamsocal]

Sapphire Princess departs Vancouver on the 20th for 2n to San Francisco.

also a Norwegian I think leaving on the 19th if you like to roll the dice or maybe you can find out if indeed the rule applies if you change cruise lines & depart on the 19th

 

Or hang out in Vancouver for a week & come with us on the Oosterdam to San Diego & dine with us & our children in the PG or hang out with them in the Neptune Lounge:eek:.... sorry I am digressing

 

we were disappointed to find out our best laid plans were not going to work out w/ adding the 1night Oosterdam SEA to YVR-- but ended up finding a great alternative that we are excited about now

 

Good luck!

[serendipity1499]

You will probably not be allowed to do this unless you spend at least 24 hrs in Vancouver. Without that, you are embarking at one US port (Seward) and eventually debarking in San Diego without a "distant" foreign port visited. That's a violation of the Passeger Vessel Service Act. Believe me, many have tried to tack on a 1-day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle after completeing a 7-day to Vancouver, and been denied - even when changing to a different HAL ship. Now if you change to a different cruise line in Vancouver you can do it, without the 24-hr layover.

 

Edit: I re-read, and see that you said you have already booked the Rotterdam. Don't be surprised when their system picks up what you're doing, and they cancel the Rotterdam on you.

 

Better check what other cruise lines have a repo leaving Vancouver on the 19th, since you've already booked the air.

 

Does anyone know if the rule was changed..Back in 2008 they were trying to change it, but can't find any info since then about changes or even a copy of the Act..Am I looking in the wrong place?.

 

According to this Cruise Critic link they wanted to make the stopover in a distant foreign port to be for 48 hours..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=687731&highlight=pvsa+act

 

However that thread seemed to die & I can't find out if anything was ever done about it..They used to stop in Ensinada for only a few hours, in order to meet the PVSA reuirements, but the Dept. of Homeland Security was trying to put a stop to that...Can't find out if they ever changed the rules...

 

Cheers.....:)Betty

[catl331]

Does anyone know if the rule was changed..Back in 2008 they were trying to change it, but can't find any info since then about changes or even a copy of the Act..Am I looking in the wrong place?.

 

According to this Cruise Critic link they wanted to make the stopover in a distant foreign port to be for 48 hours..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=687731&highlight=pvsa+act

 

However that thread seemed to die & I can't find out if anything was ever done about it..They used to stop in Ensinada for only a few hours, in order to meet the PVSA reuirements, but the Dept. of Homeland Security was trying to put a stop to that...Can't find out if they ever changed the rules...

 

Cheers.....:)Betty

That was a proposed change that NCL America was trying to get passed so that other lines would have a hard time trying to do Hawaii round-trips out of San Diego. There was such an uproar about it from all of the affected states and ports that it just kinda died out, I think.

[serendipity1499]

BTW...Forgot to mention that the round trip Seattle cruises to Alaska (Amsterdam) only stop in Victoria, BC for 6 hours..2: P.M. to 8:P.M.:confused:, but believe this is OK as it's the same port..

Cheers....:)Betty

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

 

It all sounded wonderful when I read your post --b ut like others have mentioned the first thought I had was the Jones Act.

 

Hope you can work out something else.

[Tricia724]

Thanks everyone for your input. I guess the title of my thread was prophetic....I didn't do enough research myself! I did try to read through the PVSA a couple of years ago and got lost, so I understand some of it but not all of the applications....which do seem a little convoluted at times. No wonder the rates are so good on those coastals.....hardly anyone can take them!

 

At any rate, it is what it is, and it's really no big deal. I don't like the idea of losing a little money, but I'd much rather deal with that than to be denied boarding in Vancouver and then have to pay full rate airfare to get home.

 

Maybe someone else will learn something from our mistakes.

[RuthC]

BTW...Forgot to mention that the round trip Seattle cruises to Alaska (Amsterdam) only stop in Victoria, BC for 6 hours..2: P.M. to 8:P.M.:confused:, but believe this is OK as it's the same port..

It is ok. A round-trip from Seattle (or any US port) requires a stop at a near foreign port, if there are any ports at all.

 

Here's a quick down & dirty breakdown:

The PVSA applies when a passenger on a non-US registered ship both departs from and returns to a US port.

If the passenger leaves from, and returns to the same US port, and there are no port stops (i.e. a cruise to nowhere), that is allowed.

If the passenger leaves from, and returns to the same US port, and there are port stops, the ship must also stop at a near foreign port.

If the passenger leaves from one US port, and returns to a different US port, the ship must stop at a distant foreign port.

 

What is a near or a distant foreign port is by definition (there's a list). However, a distant foreign port could be thought of as being on another continent. (Sometimes it's an island off another continent.)