Partial cruises from Grand Cayman

[ThatCaymanCouple]

We are a couple living in Grand Cayman and we got the cruising bug since we've done a Baltic cruise at the beginning of the summer.

 

The opportunity for nightly entertainment and shows in Cayman is not that great so we were wondering about the possibility of hoping on a cruise ship next time we want to go to the United States (instead of flying to go there).

 

This is a long shot but is there anyone living in a port destination that has experience about doing partial cruises from their hometown? Do you wait for a good deal and just pay for the full fare or is there a way to negotiate with the cruise lines for last minute unsold room? (We have jobs that allow us to leave at the drop of a hat)

 

Any tips and tricks about partial cruises in the Caribbean would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[kelkel2]

I would say you should contact the cruise line. I have no idea if this is even allowed, but if it is, I doubt they could cut you a deal. I'm sure you would have to pay full price. Otherwise they could just sell the cabin you were wanting to book to someone who would pay full price for the duration of the cruise.

I would be interested to see what the cruise lines have to say.

[Keith1010]

You will have to pay the full fare but the question is can you join the ship from Cayman and that likely will not be possible. Best to inquire with the cruise lines.

 

Keith

[ThatCaymanCouple]

Thanks for your answer. Since cruise ships spend a few days at sea/port before arriving in Grand Cayman, they would know if they have unsold rooms before arriving here. I thought maybe they would be more flexible on the price then :) I will definitely call the cruise lines. I was just fishing for infos and past experience before I do.

[Mary Ellen]

While what you'd like to do sounds feasible, in today's world it isn't. In all likelihood every cruise line will turn you away even if they have a good number of cabins available when they reach Grand Cayman.

 

Since similar questions arise fairly regularly, I've saved an excellent post on the topic from a previous thread:

 

I think the problem here would be more the WHTI and CBP regulations than the PVSA. Remember, the ship clears immigration with CBP every time it returns to a US port from a foreign port. Whether or not you have an interview with CBP like at disembarkation, at the first US port of return CBP will clear the ship, at least via the passenger manifest. If you leave the ship in Tortola, a new passenger manifest must be prepared to present to CBP when entering St. Thomas, showing you as not onboard. The WHTI is the CBP regulations that allow travel on closed loop cruises using the BC/DL form of documentation. This is because the passenger manifest, with your documentation, is submitted to CBP at the start of the cruise, and allows CBP the full duration of the cruise to investigate all passengers. Each time a new passenger manifest is presented, this must start all over again. For this reason, and the fact that CBP has a fee for clearing a ship, many cruise lines have stopped or restricted the late embarkations or early disembarkations that used to be common (non-flight delay). Additional to the cost, since the passenger manifest changed during the voyage, at disembarkation CBP can require a full passenger interview (more like an international flight clearance) than the cursory closed loop cruise interview. NCL experienced this last year in Tampa when they had a Tampa-Cozumel-Tampa cruise that they also marketed to European cruisers as a Cozumel-Tampa-Cozumel round trip. This caused massive delays in disembarkation because CBP had to handle the clearance differently since some passengers "embarked late" in Cozumel.

 

I'm sorry, but what you want will most likely cause delays for all of the passengers - along with extra work and expense for the cruise line.

[ThatCaymanCouple]

Thanks for your answers.

 

Oh well...it would have been great.

 

Flying it is then.

[cb at sea]

Cruises are meant to be a destination unto themselves...not transportation.

[ThatCaymanCouple]

Cruises are meant to be a destination unto themselves...not transportation.

 

I understand that you mean closed loop cruises are not meant for transportation and not the hundred of transatlantic, transpacific and everything in between cruises that people who are afraid of flying use as transportation :D

 

As I said we fly frequently and although we live in paradise, opportunities for shows and entertainment is limited here so it would have been awesome to combine the 2.