Coast Guard Inspection Dec 2nd Miami

[newbie60]

Yes, guess we are cutting it too short. We are booked on a direct AA flight, leaving at 10:15AM and getting to RDU, which is home, at 12:15PM. If we change it, not only due we pay a steep penalty, but our best choice of flights is then leaving at 12 PM, connecting thru DGA, and arriving home at 5:30 PM. I think I'm inclined to leave it as is and if we miss the flight, then book a new one and hope our travel insurance will reimburse us. What do you all think?

 

Since nearly ALL planes are flying full - I think you may be staying in Miami for a while. In September, we docked in NYC at 6 am, got off the ship around 9 am, found our luggage and got thru customs and started looking for a taxi a little after 9:30. Fortunately our flight was at 2 pm so no worries.

 

Trying to get another flight on the same day is not as easy as it used to be. A better contingency plan is in order!

[LHT28]

Yes, guess we are cutting it too short. We are booked on a direct AA flight, leaving at 10:15AM and getting to RDU, which is home, at 12:15PM. If we change it, not only due we pay a steep penalty, but our best choice of flights is then leaving at 12 PM, connecting thru DGA, and arriving home at 5:30 PM. I think I'm inclined to leave it as is and if we miss the flight, then book a new one and hope our travel insurance will reimburse us. What do you all think?

I would check the return flight & see how many seats are showing empty

if a few you may get lucky but I would try to be in the 1st group off the ship

If you miss the flight you might be able to go stand by for the next one

 

Good luck

 

Lyn

Edited November 24, 2013 by LHT28

[rallydave]

Yes, guess we are cutting it too short. We are booked on a direct AA flight, leaving at 10:15AM and getting to RDU, which is home, at 12:15PM. If we change it, not only due we pay a steep penalty, but our best choice of flights is then leaving at 12 PM, connecting thru DGA, and arriving home at 5:30 PM. I think I'm inclined to leave it as is and if we miss the flight, then book a new one and hope our travel insurance will reimburse us. What do you all think?

 

Highly doubt that your insurance will cover you being late to the airport. And hope doesn't work for your insurance coverage nor does it work for your scheduling an almost impossible to make flight based on the best conditions of arrival.

 

Rather than hope for reimbursement, why haven't you read your insurance policy or contacted the company to get a definitive answer as to coverage??

 

And, as others have said, most flights are going out pretty full these days and you could be stuck in Miami for another day or two having to cover hotel and food on your own. Trying to book once you reach the airport having missed your flight will put you at the very end of the waitlist and almost assure at least one nite on your own in Miami.

[DOJO466]

The ship docks in Key West the day before. Would customs clear the ship there or does it wait until Miami?

[rallydave]

The ship docks in Key West the day before. Would customs clear the ship there or does it wait until Miami?

 

Might clear immigration but, doubt customs since the people would not have whatever they bought to show to customs people and could still buy duty free on board after setting sail from Key West.

 

Don't think that even if they were fully cleared on arrival in Miami, the chances of making the flight are extremely small and any type of delay would impact arrival at the airport. Also, it is a Monday so while the Port might not be too busy with cruise ships, it still would be Monday morning traffic on the way to the airport and probably pretty busy with business people leaving Miami on early flights.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Yes, guess we are cutting it too short. We are booked on a direct AA flight, leaving at 10:15AM and getting to RDU, which is home, at 12:15PM. If we change it, not only due we pay a steep penalty, but our best choice of flights is then leaving at 12 PM, connecting thru DGA, and arriving home at 5:30 PM. I think I'm inclined to leave it as is and if we miss the flight, then book a new one and hope our travel insurance will reimburse us. What do you all think?

 

There is one way to ensure that you make your 10:15 AM flight: Since the ship will visit Key West the next to the last day of the cruise, consider leaving the ship at that port call. (You'll have to notify the cruise line that you intend ending the trip one day early.) Load all your luggage into a rental car. Spend as much of the day as you wish visiting Key West and, then, drive the approximately 2 hours to Miami. Stay overnight in a hotel in Miami. Get to the airport with plenty of time to make your originally booked flight.

 

The insurance company is unlikely to pay these expenses or others incurred if you miss your flight. Insurance pays claims when things are done to you, not when you do things to yourself (e.g. booking an unlikely flight).

[YoHoHo]

There is one way to ensure that you make your 10:15 AM flight: Since the ship will visit Key West the next to the last day of the cruise, consider leaving the ship at that port call. (You'll have to notify the cruise line that you intend ending the trip one day early.) Load all your luggage into a rental car. Spend as much of the day as you wish visiting Key West and, then, drive the approximately 2 hours to Miami. Stay overnight in a hotel in Miami. Get to the airport with plenty of time to make your originally booked flight.

 

The insurance company is unlikely to pay these expenses or others incurred if you miss your flight. Insurance pays claims when things are done to you, not when you do things to yourself (e.g. booking an unlikely flight).

This sounds like a good idea if you do not want to miss that flight. Trade-off cost for this against the penalty you mentioned.

We have twice had bad delays in Miami - once because of Immigration who arrived almost an hour after the time us aliens we were told to assemble and then further delays (the ship was late even connecting water lines etc because crew was not allowed on deck) and another time because of lack of taxis at the terminal - huge lines of very anxious pax afraid of missing flights.

If you do disembark in Miami you should book transportation and not rely on the taxi queue

Edited November 24, 2013 by YoHoHo

[LHT28]

It is very doubtful if you would be allowed off in KW as it would violate the PVSA

Unless it was a medical emergency then you would miss your flight anyway

[Pet Nit Noy]

It is very doubtful if you would be allowed off in KW as it would violate the PVSA

Unless it was a medical emergency then you would miss your flight anyway

 

Where are Oceania's ships registered? I ask because the Wiki article about Passenger Services Vessel Act allows foreign flagged ships to depart from one US port, visit a foreign country and then, return to a different US port as long as the following condition is met: The ship must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbean except Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America). So if O doing a Western Caribbean cruise and a deep southern Caribbean cruise might be allowed to embark in Miami and disembark in Key West.

 

I just did a bit of investigating, and the URL below claims that Oceania's ships are registered in the Marshall Islands.

 

http://www.cybercruises.com/CM_Mar14-A-Look-At-Cruise-Ship-Registry.htm

[LHT28]

: The ship must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbean except Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America). So if O doing a Western Caribbean cruise and a deep southern Caribbean cruise might be allowed to embark in Miami and disembark in Key West.

 

 

Maybe more investigation is needed

[journeyfan]

Perhaps my original post was not clear when I stated we are booked on the Riviera cruise slated to end of Feb 12, not the cruise that is currently underway and is scheduled to end on Dec. 2 with a Coast Guard inspection.

 

Also, our cruise is at sea on the next-to-last day.... not docked in Key West.

 

Perhaps we've been spoiled but our previous 5 Caribbean cruises have been on the Regent Navigator which docked in Fort Lauderdale. There was no problem getting off the ship, grabbing a taxi, and making it to the airport in plenty of time for a 10 AM flight.

 

I'll talk to our TA and also will give Oceania a call to see if they think scheduling a flight that departs 4 hrs and 15 min after the scheduled arrival time is unrealistic.

[LHT28]

I'll talk to our TA and also will give Oceania a call to see if they think scheduling a flight that departs 4 hrs and 15 min after the scheduled arrival time is unrealistic.

 

Just because it says it will dock at 6am does not mean it will or the custom/Immigration people will be on time ;)

 

We have disembarked in Miami 3 times

two times the ship was cleared by 8:30 am but we drove down so no rush for us

The last time on Marina it was not cleared until around 9:30am ...we did have a CDC inspection that time

..the problem cropped up during the cruise so not a scheduled event

 

We had a 12:20 flight we managed to get a taxi about 11 am to the airport

got there shortly before they closed the flight

 

Things happen & the best laid plans can be thrown out the window ;)

 

Good luck

 

Lyn

[Goofyisme]

Where are Oceania's ships registered? I ask because the Wiki article about Passenger Services Vessel Act allows foreign flagged ships to depart from one US port, visit a foreign country and then, return to a different US port as long as the following condition is met: The ship must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbean except Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America). So if O doing a Western Caribbean cruise and a deep southern Caribbean cruise might be allowed to embark in Miami and disembark in Key West.

 

I just did a bit of investigating, and the URL below claims that Oceania's ships are registered in the Marshall Islands.

 

http://www.cybercruises.com/CM_Mar14-A-Look-At-Cruise-Ship-Registry.htm

 

The cruise in question doesn't visit any distant foreign port so in this case getting off in Key West would violate the PVSA. If as you speculated there were a stop at one of the ABC islands then the distant foreign port requirement would have been met.

[azevedan]

....don't leave your luggage in the hall; keep it and walk off with it the morning of disembarkation. We travel pretty light and walk off. If you can carry it down the stairs without waiting for the elevator, better still. The elevators may be pretty busy on disembarkation day.

[wave time]

I would just pay the change fee and schedule the later flight. Your peace of mind is worth it versus worrying about missing the flight and dealing with all the stress it will create at the end of what is supposed to be a relaxing cruise.

Edited November 25, 2013 by wave time

[journeyfan]

I agree, wave time. I'm going to to either pay the change fee or book a separate one-way return and keep our current flight. Does anyone know if it is "legal" to book 2 flights at different times to the same place on the same day with the same airline?

[DOJO466]

I agree, wave time. I'm going to to either pay the change fee or book a separate one-way return and keep our current flight. Does anyone know if it is "legal" to book 2 flights at different times to the same place on the same day with the same airline?

 

Where is your TA on this? (The one who should never have let you book this flight?). Just book the later flight, eat the difference. No heartburn that way. And I would find a new TA

.

[dorisis]

The long wait has been our experience every time we have taken Oceania out of Miami. Best to come a little later. Oceania is not too efficient in their boarding procedures.

[orchestrapal]

The long wait has been our experience every time we have taken Oceania out of Miami. Best to come a little later. Oceania is not too efficient in their boarding procedures.

 

It's contractors that handle the boarding until you are in the ship, hey are the ones that are not efficient.

[LHT28]

I agree, wave time. I'm going to to either pay the change fee or book a separate one-way return and keep our current flight. Does anyone know if it is "legal" to book 2 flights at different times to the same place on the same day with the same airline?

What is the change fee once you leave on the outbound flight ??

Sometimes it is cheaper than to change the return before you leave

I would check your ticket fare rules

[warburg]

All this talk about Coast Guard and CDC inspections is making me nervous. We are due to end our Riviera cruise on Feb. 12th. Supposedly, arrival time in Miami is 6AM. We purchased non-refundable plane tickets for a domestic flight home leaving at 10:15 AM. Are you saying we may not even be off the ship by then?

 

You may be taking a big chance with your current flight. I live on Miami Beach, and even without ship activity, the port area is under heavy construction. In addition to multiple municipal projects, add a massive tunnel. Traffic is often erratic. You may make your flight. Unfortunately, there are many variables at play here. May you be lucky!

[journeyfan]

The change fee is $400. The tickets costs us $407.60 total for the 2 of us! This is outrageous. If we keep the tickets we have and book a later return, the cost of the return flight for the 2 of us will be $212. I'm tempted to do that. Is it legal to book 2 flights when obviously you will only be taking one of the flights?

Edited November 26, 2013 by journeyfan

[doubledobles]

All this talk about Coast Guard and CDC inspections is making me nervous. We are due to end our Riviera cruise on Feb. 12th. Supposedly, arrival time in Miami is 6AM. We purchased non-refundable plane tickets for a domestic flight home leaving at 10:15 AM. Are you saying we may not even be off the ship by then?

 

Your departure flight at 10:15 a.m. is cutting it VERY close. We've done the roundtrip to Miami many, many times and never book an outgoing flight before 12 noon.

[journeyfan]

We are now booked on a flight leaving at 5PM. Those tickets cost us a little more than $200.... just about half of what the airline would have charged us had we agreed to their $400 change fee.

[DOJO466]

We are now booked on a flight leaving at 5PM. Those tickets cost us a little more than $200.... just about half of what the airline would have charged us had we agreed to their $400 change fee.

Glad you were able to resolve this even if you have so long to wait for your departure. Better safe than sorry.