Husband purposely missing embarkation due to schedule

[billie5]

What if he boards on Monday and decides to leave the ship and "accidentally" looses track of time and misses the ship and has to catch up at the next port, which is Port Canaveral.

 

That is a very clever (and legal) solution. assuming he is willing to pay a lot of money on airfare.

[fredflint]

the folks here say if you miss your flight you can get on the next one

 

http://www.carnival.com/Funville/forums/t/154126.aspx

[Tapi]

the folks here say if you miss your flight you can get on the next one

 

http://www.carnival.com/Funville/forums/t/154126.aspx

 

That thread doesn't address PVSA open loop issues like the one the OP is facing if they board in Port Canaveral. All it says is that Carnival will make arrangements for catch up transportation to the first port of call if you book your air through them and miss the cruise. First port of call on the OP's itinerary where Carnival won't get fined would be Nassau. Besides, the OP didn't book flights through Carnival so the thread doesn't even apply.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Oh It's a free cruise. I probably wouldn't give him the day off either.

[HeidiHo]

The cruise was a free one that Carnival gave to some agents last week so I'm not worried about him losing out on any money spent on the trip. .

 

Congrats on getting the free cruise. I am a TA too but by the time I saw the email it was all over and there were no more free cruises. :(

[bizeemom4]

What if he boards on Monday and decides to leave the ship and "accidentally" looses track of time and misses the ship and has to catch up at the next port, which is Port Canaveral.

 

Wow! That's really good. They will know that he's missing though as he would scan his card to get back off the boat though. How do you do that anyway? Would they allow him to get off so close to sail away?

[billie5]

Who said anything about getting off close to sailaway? Only about not returning in time to board.

 

Unfortunately, it happens to cruisers all the time (unintentionally) and, of course, they are permitted to rejoin at the next port.

[camNaud]

Here's a question. We sail out of NYC on 11/25. Husband cannot get the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off of work. The first scheduled port for the splendor is on Thanksgiving in Port Canaveral. Could he theoretically board in Port Canaveral? He is on our cabin reservation.

 

call the cruise line - they will tell you for certain if this is possible.

[kingoftheicedragons]

In my opinion, the boss doesn't need to know it was a free cruise. If the boss is easy going, I would suggest he talks to him/her and explain the circumstances and say that a chance to take a cruise came up suddenly that his wife booked, and he would like to get the time off. I know that would likely work in my office, even though we have a policy of only a certain number of people being gone at any one time.

 

If that doesn't work, then maybe talking to his colleagues about getting one of them to work for him may be in order.

 

Since it's around the holidays, this is totally opposite the situation at my work. It used to be hard to get time off around the holidays, but now administration wants staffing to be done at around 50% during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, so people may be required to take PTO that they didn't want to otherwise take.

[hill6]

I don't see it being any different than anyone else who is travel delayed and meeting the ship at the first port.

[Tapi]

I don't see it being any different than anyone else who is travel delayed and meeting the ship at the first port.

 

It's already been mentioned several times in this thread, but it is different. This is a violation of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Service Act), a federally mandated regulation, not some random Carnival rule.

 

The stories that you hear of people catching up with the ship at the next port of call are usually if the next port of call is an international port of call.

 

I can see Carnival taking responsibility for the fines associated with violating the PVSA if the passenger misses the ship for reasons directly attributable to Carnival, but not if the passenger voluntarily (or involuntarily) misses the ship for reasons beyond Carnival's control.

[Tithonus]

What is PVSA?:confused::confused: I thought an open loop cruise consisted of starting at a US port and ending at a US port, which both New York City and Port Canaveral are? What am I missing here?

 

The rules.

 

Just like if you miss your ship in Miami, you can't board in Key West.

[Tapi]

Wow! That's really good!

 

With all due respect, that's NOT really good. It's actually really bad. First, your husband will be paged over and over. They will know that he got off the ship and he's not back. They may even delay the ship's departure to give him time to show up. You will probably be contacted to see where he is. Once they realize that he's not coming back, his reservation will be noted as a no show, and his card will be deactivated. Most likely, he will not be allowed to board in Port Canaveral. He won't be able to just walk up to the ship and board. It doesn't work that way, specially with potential PVSA violations.

 

So with that stunt, you'll probably manage to delay the start of the cruise for your fellow cruisers (I'm sure they'll love you), violate a federal law, get fined for it, loose the money to fly your husband down to Port Canaveral, most likely spend more money to fly him back home, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're kicked off the ship as well once Carnival figures out what you're doing. And since you're a TA (and Carnival knows who you are since you're traveling on a TA promotion cruise), I wouldn't discount the possibility of your travel agency being banned by Carnival and prohibited from selling Carnival cruises ever again. It has happened before when a TA has violated Carnival's rules.

 

People have given you sound advice on this thread. Don't choose to follow the one ill piece of advice that has the biggest potential of getting you in trouble.

[dcfan08]

In 2010 we were booked on the Pride out of Baltimore also going to Port Canaveral and the Bahamas. We were traveling with a group of 7 and drove down from R.I. One member of our group who didn't have a passport tried to embark with a hospital issued birth certificate (not the city/town issued official one). Carnival refused to allow him to get on the ship but allowed his son and wife to board.They stated to him that if he were to drive home and get his official birth cert. then fly down to PC he would be allowed to embark there. Now before I get verbally assaulted I'm not suggesting that the OP accidently forget her husbands Passport/birth cert. but I was there and it was allowed back then. I don't know if things have changed since then.

[Tapi]

They stated to him that if he were to drive home and get his official birth cert. then fly down to PC he would be allowed to embark there.

 

Did he do it?

 

As I mentioned before, I saw passengers waiting in Key West who missed the cruise in Miami so I guess there are ways around this law. But I wouldn't just assume that it will be fine without first clearing it with Carnival. In your friend's case, he was advised by Carnival to go to Port Canaveral.

[Elaine5715]

With all due respect, that's NOT really good. It's actually really bad. First, your husband will be paged over and over. They will know that he got off the ship and he's not back. They may even delay the ship's departure to give him time to show up. You will probably be contacted to see where he is. Once they realize that he's not coming back, his reservation will be noted as a no show, and his card will be deactivated. Most likely, he will not be allowed to board in Port Canaveral. He won't be able to just walk up to the ship and board. It doesn't work that way, specially with potential PVSA violations.

 

So with that stunt, you'll probably manage to delay the start of the cruise for your fellow cruisers (I'm sure they'll love you), violate a federal law, get fined for it, loose the money to fly your husband down to Port Canaveral, most likely spend more money to fly him back home, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're kicked off the ship as well once Carnival figures out what you're doing. And since you're a TA (and Carnival knows who you are since you're traveling on a TA promotion cruise), I wouldn't discount the possibility of your travel agency being banned by Carnival and prohibited from selling Carnival cruises ever again. It has happened before when a TA has violated Carnival's rules.

 

People have given you sound advice on this thread. Don't choose to follow the one ill piece of advice that has the biggest potential of getting you in trouble.

 

You bring up a good point...as a TA, isn't there a higher expectation of integrity expected?

[dcfan08]

Did he do it?

 

As I mentioned before, I saw passengers waiting in Key West who missed the cruise in Miami so I guess there are ways around this law. But I wouldn't just assume that it will be fine without first clearing it with Carnival. In your friend's case, he was advised by Carnival to go to Port Canaveral.

 

He did do it. He had no choice it was a Sunday and couldn't have our City fax the official one to Carnival which was their first request. Carnival allowed his luggage on board and he met us at PC, but you are correct it was all approved by the supervisors at the port of Baltimore.

[Linerguy]

Having your husband check in and then leave is a recipe for disaster. The way I see it, he either grovels at work or he simply doesn't go on the cruise.

 

I don't mean to sound like I'm dissing you, but, I've been in the travel business for nearly 24 years, and I find it disturbing that you wouldn't know the answer to this question. What's even more amazing is that it never dawned on you to call Carnival.

 

IMO, this just adds fuel to the fire for people who question the role and competence of TAs.....you're not making us look very good. Sort of makes me wonder if you really deserve a free cruise.

 

On second thought, maybe I AM dissing you.

 

Let the flames begin....

[surrocruiser]

I have recently had to cancel our cruise due to my husbands work not agreeing to the time off. We knew it was a long shot but tried anyway. While it is very frustrating, the only option I see would be to call Carnival directly (not as a TA, I am a TA and have the worst service if they know I work in the industry) and ask about the options. I would then follow what they advised. The only issue I see is the inconsistencies based on who you happen to get on the phone and who you will be dealing with come time to board the ship. I can call 6 different PVPs and get 6 different answers to the same question. Unless you have something in writing, I would be prepared to have your husband be unable to board in Port Canaveral no matter what their answer is. I would lean towards if he cant get the time off, he cant make the trip.

 

Good luck and congrats on the free cruise! I missed out on it also :-( Now all my Carnival emails are set to alert on my phone in case it is offered again!!

[Sammycupcaker]

Can your husband potentially work from "home" on Wed? The Internet connection might not be the greatest but would see if he could work from the ship if no coworkers will give up their Wed off.

[Tithonus]

Can your husband potentially work from "home" on Wed? The Internet connection might not be the greatest but would see if he could work from the ship if no coworkers will give up their Wed off.

 

The ship will be gone two days already. What good would that do?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

The ship will be gone two days already. What good would that do?

 

I think what sammycupcaker is suggesting is working from home on Wednesday, with home being the ship.

 

Bill

[Sammycupcaker]

I think what sammycupcaker is suggesting is working from home on Wednesday, with home being the ship.

 

Bill

 

Yes. She stated her DH could get off Monday and Tuesday but not Wednesday. At my job, we can work from home if needed. I was thinking that he could take vacation for Mon and Tue and then work from the ship on Wed.

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I have also been able to count time by 'remotely covering' my position over emails from my phone. I didn't call it 'home' since they knew I was out of town, but they didn't mind either. My 'home' has been on the drives down, even WDW parks. I've never done it ON the cruise, but my Real Estate realtor tycoon sister has. I think it's a great idea if the position can be handled over email and phone.

[awhcruiser]

Who would want to take Mon and Tues off the week of Thanksgiving..but not Wednesday? Your hubby may have to fly to the Bahamas and by then the cruise would be half over.