Permission to disembark a day early?

[cruzemaven]

Please just believe all of us.

 

Frankly, I cannot believe that you are not listening.

 

What you are asking - leaving on your cruise from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, New Jersey, but departing from the ship for good in Boston, Massachusetts - IS NOT ALLOWED.

 

Period.

 

So disembarking in Nova Scotia would be no problem? Same as disembarking in Nassau on a closed loop cruise, correct?

[Merion_Mom]

So disembarking in Nova Scotia would be no problem? Same as disembarking in Nassau on a closed loop cruise, correct?

 

You would need prior permission, but it is likely to be allowed. You would still pay the full fare for the cruise. It does NOT violate the PVSA.

[chengkp75]

So disembarking in Nova Scotia would be no problem? Same as disembarking in Nassau on a closed loop cruise, correct?

 

Disembarking in Nova Scotia would not present a problem from a PVSA perspective. However, as I stated to nascar, this will annoy the cruise line if you do it without telling them, or if you tell them your plans in advance, they will probably tell you that they won't allow it. As I've said, the lines are cracking down on late embarkations and early disembarkations because of the headaches it causes with CBP as far as the passenger manifest. There are a few threads on these boards about people not being able to leave early or embark late over the last year or so. Can you do it? Sure. Will there be a black mark against your name? Probably. And don't expect any refund of fare. If there are too many cases of early/late passengers, CBP may just decide to do away with the preferential clearing of closed loop cruises, and start requiring passports for all cruises. Won't that tick off a whole lot of folks.:eek:

[jcl410]

Interesting story. The last line of the linked story says "After he was able to pay the fine, he was taken back into custody by the Immigration Department, who will take him to a ship where he can leave the country."

 

I wonder why they are putting him on a ship rather than an airplane. No mention of whether he did or did not have a passport, but either way he was no longer on a closed loop cruise.

 

Thom

 

 

Usually the carrier that is responsible for the illegal immigration is responsible for repatriating the individual... This is why the airlines are so particular in making sure your papers are in order before boarding an in international flight.

 

I assume the same is true for cruise lines. (The ship knew, or should have known they were missing a passenger.)

 

Aloha,

 

John

[cruzemaven]

You would need prior permission, but it is likely to be allowed. You would still pay the full fare for the cruise. It does NOT violate the PVSA.

 

 

Apparently After contacting Royal Caribbean myself, disembarking in Boston is allowable. Here is a copy of the email I received this morning from Emergency Travel Team at Royal Caribbean. But I do thank you for input.

 

[THREAD ID:1-1QF7AKQ]

Good Day,

 

Hope this email finds you well.

 

Please note you could debark in Boston. In order to proceed with your request the following information

is needed.

 

Passenger Name:

Passenger ID:

Vessel Name:

Voyage Date:

Cabin Number:

Booking Number:

 

 

Thank you,

Charmain C.

Emergency Travel Team

 

 

-----Original Message-----

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Clarea]

Apparently After contacting Royal Caribbean myself, disembarking in Boston is allowable. Here is a copy of the email I received this morning from Emergency Travel Team at Royal Caribbean. But I do thank you for input.

 

[THREAD ID:1-1QF7AKQ]

Good Day,

 

Hope this email finds you well.

 

Please note you could debark in Boston. In order to proceed with your request the following information

is needed.

 

Passenger Name:

Passenger ID:

Vessel Name:

Voyage Date:

Cabin Number:

Booking Number:

 

 

Thank you,

Charmain C.

Emergency Travel Team

 

 

-----Original Message-----

I expect someone else to contact you and explain that they made a mistake. Or worse, they don't tell you it's not allowed until you are on board.

[chengkp75]

Apparently After contacting Royal Caribbean myself, disembarking in Boston is allowable. Here is a copy of the email I received this morning from Emergency Travel Team at Royal Caribbean. But I do thank you for input.

 

[THREAD ID:1-1QF7AKQ]

Good Day,

 

Hope this email finds you well.

 

Please note you could debark in Boston. In order to proceed with your request the following information

is needed.

 

Passenger Name:

Passenger ID:

Vessel Name:

Voyage Date:

Cabin Number:

Booking Number:

 

 

Thank you,

Charmain C.

Emergency Travel Team

 

 

-----Original Message-----

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Please note that this is from the "Emergency" travel team, which I would think means that they are considering it a case of family emergency requiring the early disembark. Did you ask whether there would be a fine? Good luck, I hope you don't get a $300pp charge added to your S&S account.

[BillB48]

That form looks to me to be a generic request form. Once you fill it out and return it to RCI, they will then deny the request since it would cause them to violate the PVSA if you boarded in Cape Liberty and disembarked in Bean Town.

[cruzemaven]

That form looks to me to be a generic request form. Once you fill it out and return it to RCI, they will then deny the request since it would cause them to violate the PVSA if you boarded in Cape Liberty and disembarked in Bean Town.

 

 

That email comes from Royal Caribbean's department in granting permission .. They have on record from me that I will not book the cruise unless I can disembark in Boston and the email you see is their answer. As long as I have it in writing I will go ahead with the booking... if they later deny permission... I will cancel. They have my email stating that... So it's on the record. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill book the cruise today and submit my info to them and we'll see what happens.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[chengkp75]

That email comes from Royal Caribbean's department in granting permission .. They have on record from me that I will not book the cruise unless I can disembark in Boston and the email you see is their answer. As long as I have it in writing I will go ahead with the booking... if they later deny permission... I will cancel. They have my email stating that... So it's on the record. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill book the cruise today and submit my info to them and we'll see what happens.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

What I see as the problem is that if you do book, and get on the ship, the only time you will know whether you can disembark without a fine is when you try to do it in Boston. So, my suggestion, and you can disregard it or not, would be to talk to a second person from RCI, noting specifically that you are not doing this for any emergency reason, just a vacation preference, and specifically ask about the PVSA fine, and also find out from someone in CBP whether the ship would be fined for this, because you can bet from the ticket language, they will pass the fine to you. Because what the e-mail says is true: you can disembark in Boston, but it doesn't say that it won't cost you anything, does it?

 

Just look at the reports from the Crown Princess yesterday and today, about the passengers who were getting off in San Diego because of the noro outbreak, and were being fined for it. They can't keep a US citizen from leaving the ship in a US port, but they can pass the fine to you.

Edited April 11, 2014 by chengkp75

[brianjb]

What I see as the problem is that if you do book, and get on the ship, the only time you will know whether you can disembark without a fine is when you try to do it in Boston. So, my suggestion, and you can disregard it or not, would be to talk to a second person from RCI, noting specifically that you are not doing this for any emergency reason, just a vacation preference, and specifically ask about the PVSA fine, and also find out from someone in CBP whether the ship would be fined for this, because you can bet from the ticket language, they will pass the fine to you. Because what the e-mail says is true: you can disembark in Boston, but it doesn't say that it won't cost you anything, does it?

 

Just look at the reports from the Crown Princess yesterday and today, about the passengers who were getting off in San Diego because of the noro outbreak, and were being fined for it. They can't keep a US citizen from leaving the ship in a US port, but they can pass the fine to you.

 

 

Exactly! Expect to pay a huge fine

[chengkp75]

Exactly! Expect to pay a huge fine

 

Family of five, who weren't ill, and just wanted off the ship, paid $1500 in fines (though Princess is saying they will swallow the fines because of the noro), and no refund of unused portion of cruise.

[BillB48]

I certainly wish you your desired outcome in the request to disembark in Boston. Being perfectly honest, this is not the first time such requests may slip through the first level of the process only to be disallowed later. I suspect that Charmain C. is not completely familiar with the PVSA and that is the cause of the tentative affirmative answer. If after you provide all the info and the answer is still positive, I would also do what chengkp75 suggested as further insurance against being denied later on during the run up to your cruise.

 

Good luck:)!

[Aquahound]

That email comes from Royal Caribbean's department in granting permission .. They have on record from me that I will not book the cruise unless I can disembark in Boston and the email you see is their answer. As long as I have it in writing I will go ahead with the booking... if they later deny permission... I will cancel. They have my email stating that... So it's on the record. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill book the cruise today and submit my info to them and we'll see what happens.

 

Good luck in your endeavor. I just wanna say, you've been warned over and over in this thread, and been provided reference to the laws, so you should now be educated that what you want to do is illegal. If and when you are slapped with that $300 pp fine, just remember, we told you so.

 

In fact, I'm glad you posted that email. I, as I'm sure a few select others, would be very interested to know if RCI is easily willing to let people do this. :cool:

[Aquahound]

Family of five, who weren't ill, and just wanted off the ship, paid $1500 in fines (though Princess is saying they will swallow the fines because of the noro), and no refund of unused portion of cruise.

 

Last year, an elderly man died on a Carnival ship in the FL Straits and the ship made an emergancy stop in Key West. I thought it was a terrible PR move, but the spouse was slapped with the fine because she debarked in KW. In that case, I thought Carnival should have eaten the $300, but they didn't.

[bigque]

That email comes from Royal Caribbean's department in granting permission .. They have on record from me that I will not book the cruise unless I can disembark in Boston and the email you see is their answer. As long as I have it in writing I will go ahead with the booking... if they later deny permission... I will cancel. They have my email stating that... So it's on the record. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill book the cruise today and submit my info to them and we'll see what happens.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I would make sure that you know that you know this is true, because it is in direct contradiction of what is posted on their web site!

[negc]

That email comes from Royal Caribbean's department in granting permission .. They have on record from me that I will not book the cruise unless I can disembark in Boston and the email you see is their answer. As long as I have it in writing I will go ahead with the booking... if they later deny permission... I will cancel. They have my email stating that... So it's on the record. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Ill book the cruise today and submit my info to them and we'll see what happens.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

And if they subsequently decide that their permission will subject them to a fine do you really think that your threat (or promise) to cancel your booking will really matter that much to them? I'm not sure that any permission form signed by someone other than the line's president or at least their chief legal officer would be sufficient for me to risk it. Do as you will but be prepared to follow through on your promise if the permission is later rescinded and have some sort of plan as to what you will do if that rescission takes place once you have boarded the ship and have begun your journey.

[Camlott]

Better hope that Boston doesn't get cancelled as a port of call for some reason!

 

Not really sure why this thread was started other than to stir things up. Clearly OP was going to do what they planned no matter what the answers were here. :rolleyes:

[brigittetom]

Better hope that Boston doesn't get cancelled as a port of call for some reason!

 

Not really sure why this thread was started other than to stir things up. Clearly OP was going to do what they planned no matter what the answers were here. :rolleyes:

 

Do you mean...as opposed to all of the vitally important threads on CC????

[TravelerThom]

What does closed loop have to do with this?...

I was just remarking that if he had boarded in the US using Closed Loop rule BC and DL, he would now have addition issues. I think that the CBP rule for a one-way trip from Belize to the US is possession of a passport (or I think Passport Card for sea [but not air] travel). Yes, that could all eventually be sorted out, but no passport would be a further complication. BTW I am not planning on testing any of this out.:p

 

I got a chuckle out of your CBP story of "take these guys to Brazil even though they are not yours, because we know you must have brought some sometime that we missed." I am always very polite with Border guys (or anyone with a machine gun). I recall a particularly difficult time crossing from Barsil to Argentina, and I kept telling myself - be polite, he's stuck here for the rest of his life, and I get to go back to the US.

 

Thom

[Bobal]

Please note that this is from the "Emergency" travel team, which I would think means that they are considering it a case of family emergency requiring the early disembark.

 

I have no opinion (or knowledge) either way about whether or not the OP can or should disembark.

 

However, I would point out the the emergency team email address is not just for emergencies. I am on a cruise in the Med next month where I wish to disembark in one port and rejoin in the next port. I telephoned the head office and asked how I should go about obtaining permission and the address I was given to request permission was the emergency team address, asking for the same information as posted by the OP.

 

I was surprised and pointed out it wasn't an emergency but apparently that is the address to use. They replied within a few hours granting permission. Whilst I know this is a totally different scenario to the one required by the OP I just wanted to point out that emergencyteam@rccl.com is not just for emergencies.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Bobal

[cruzemaven]

I have no opinion (or knowledge) either way about whether or not the OP can or should disembark.

 

However, I would point out the the emergency team email address is not just for emergencies. I am on a cruise in the Med next month where I wish to disembark in one port and rejoin in the next port. I telephoned the head office and asked how I should go about obtaining permission and the address I was given to request permission was the emergency team address, asking for the same information as posted by the OP.

 

I was surprised and pointed out it wasn't an emergency but apparently that is the address to use. They replied within a few hours granting permission. Whilst I know this is a totally different scenario to the one required by the OP I just wanted to point out that emergencyteam@rccl.com is not just for emergencies.

 

Yes, thank you for pointing this out. The email address is : airseagfo@rccl.com and is posted on the RCCL site as the contact for inquiries about permission for changes in embarkation or debarkation. How does one get permission 5 months in advance for an emergency, anyway?

[John Reid]

On a Canada/NE cruise on Grandeur less than two years ago, when we arrived in Boston (our first stop) we found out about a death in my wife's family in the Albany area. We spoke to guest services and they approved her departure in Boston so she could drive to Albany. They charged the $300 fine and explained it was a government fee, not theirs. But there was absolutely no problem about leaving the cruise early, otherwise.

We contacted RCCL customer relations10 days later to check to see if there were waivers for emergencies. They explained that a waiver is given when a ship is diverted by weather or mechanical problems but not for individuals. I thanked them, and we later received a $300 OBC for our next cruise - unsolicited. I thought that was above and beyond.

[molly361]

I hit the blue triangle hopefully the mods will delete it for them. I'm thinking since they are new to CC they might have thought this was where they should ask permission to do it, just a thought

[chengkp75]

On a Canada/NE cruise on Grandeur less than two years ago, when we arrived in Boston (our first stop) we found out about a death in my wife's family in the Albany area. We spoke to guest services and they approved her departure in Boston so she could drive to Albany. They charged the $300 fine and explained it was a government fee, not theirs. But there was absolutely no problem about leaving the cruise early, otherwise.

We contacted RCCL customer relations10 days later to check to see if there were waivers for emergencies. They explained that a waiver is given when a ship is diverted by weather or mechanical problems but not for individuals. I thanked them, and we later received a $300 OBC for our next cruise - unsolicited. I thought that was above and beyond.

 

This is correct, the ship cannot hold you hostage, but know that the fine has increased recently to $675, IIRC. In cases like this, typically the cruise line will provide you with the voyage number and fine number from CBP, and you can then contact CBP and start a request to get the fine returned to you. It takes time. This is what happens when someone is medically disembarked (or deceased).