Must leave cruise at last Western Caribbean port

[Elvez]

My traveling companion has discovered that she needs to be home before the cruise ends. Have any on you disembarked on any of the Western Caribbean Islands and flown home? If so, what paperwork might be required prior to the cruise? It looks like leaving when we are in Jamaica is the best option for a non-stop to Houston.

[Ken at the beach]

You will need to call RCI and make any arrangements with them directly. Not something that you can do on your own.

[NorbertsNiece]

If you go to the RCCL website and do a search for 'partial cruise' all the information you require is there.....

[shippmates]

RCI will help you with this just go to guest services. The one item that will make this easier if your friend has a passport. Hope every thing works out and all is well.

[Ken at the beach]

If you go to the RCCL website and do a search for 'partial cruise' all the information you require is there.....

 

See below for the info from the website.

 

RCI will help you with this just go to guest services. The one item that will make this easier if your friend has a passport. Hope every thing works out and all is well.

 

Do NOT wait until you are onboard.

 

Q: Can I take a partial cruise?

 

A: Yes! Partial cruises allow you to enjoy part of your cruise vacation in the event that you are unable to meet the ship in the scheduled boarding port, or would like to end your cruise earlier than the scheduled departure date.

 

Requests for security clearance concerning late boarding or early departure must be submitted in writing to the Guest Flight Operations office for consideration at least one week prior to sail date. Guests must have a confirmed reservation in order to receive clearance. If the reservation was made by a travel agency, the agency must submit the request on travel agency letterhead. Guests with reservations made directly through Royal Caribbean International or royalcaribbean.com can submit their own request. Please include a return fax number or e-mail address.

 

If guests are pre-approved for boarding/departure in an alternate port of call, the ship's security staff is notified to expect the guests at the designated port. The approved guests are responsible for making all travel arrangements and will incur any additional expenses (for flights, hotels, transfers to the pier, etc.). Prepaid gratuities will be added to all approved reservations for the length of cruise.

 

Restrictions: Certain countries, such as the U.S., Italy and Norway, have cabotage laws affecting passenger movements. These laws restrict foreign flag passenger vessels (such as those operated by Royal Caribbean) from transporting guests from one port to another port in the same country. In the U.S., the cabotage law applicable to the cruise industry is commonly called the Jones Act but is legally titled the Passengers Services Act. A brief summary of this U.S. law follows:

 

If a passenger (as listed on a vessel passenger manifest) embarks in a U.S. port and the vessel calls in a nearby foreign port (such as Ensenada, Grand Cayman and Nassau) and then returns to the U.S., the person must disembark in the same U.S. port. A passenger who embarks and disembarks in two different U.S. ports (such as Los Angeles and San Diego) would result in the carrier (not the violator) being fined. The vessel must call in a distant foreign port before the U.S. embarkation and disembarkation ports can differ. The nearest distant foreign ports are in or off the coast of South America. If either the passenger's embarkation port or disembarkation port is in a foreign country, then the provisions of this cabotage law do not apply. Nor do they apply in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

Similar passenger movement restrictions exist for cruise vessels calling in Italy and Norway.

 

Please direct any requests and/or questions to the following e-mail address or fax number:

Fax Number: (305) 373-6695

E-mail: AirSeaGFO@RCCL.com

 

Request Form

 

Royal Caribbean International maintains the right to deviate from any scheduled port of call without prior notice. Royal Caribbean International is not legally liable for any loss to guests caused by reason of the deviation. In addition, while Royal Caribbean International will attempt to follow our published schedules as closely as possible, they are not responsible if the published times at any ports of call cannot be adhered to. However, Royal Caribbean International will attempt to keep our guests informed of any changes.