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Anyone ever had to leave ship mid-cruise?

knothead

By knothead,
in Royal Caribbean International

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knothead

knothead

Posted
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If we get to go on our cruise next week, we might have to return home if my MIL should pass away. I have travel guard who assures me that I would be covered if We should have to fly home due to the death of a family member. I'm just wonder if anyone can share their experience, so I can be prepared as to the steps I should take in the event this should happen. TIA

 

God Bless Everyone!

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reverie04

reverie04

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I have never left mid week on a cruise before, but I imagine that I would talk to the pursers desk at the beginning of the cruise on the first day and tell them your suituation and ask them for their procedure. Better yet, call RCCL and find out their direct policy. Don't stop asking until you get some answers!

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HB Cruiser

HB Cruiser

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We had our business destroyed by fire the second night of our seven day eastern Caribbean cruise in August '02. Had to disembark in San Juan after leaving from Ft. Lauderdale on the Enchantment.

 

After we got the phone call we immediately went to the purser's desk and asked them for assistance in what we needed to do. THEY WERE WONDERFUL!!!! This will not be their first experince with this situation even though it will be yours. They definitely know what to do and how to assist you. We cannot say enough about how they handled our situation. This is one reason we continue to cruise with RCL and do not stray.

 

Tim & Crystal

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jimbulger

jimbulger

Posted
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If we get to go on our cruise next week, we might have to return home if my MIL should pass away. I have travel guard who assures me that I would be covered if We should have to fly home due to the death of a family member. I'm just wonder if anyone can share their experience, so I can be prepared as to the steps I should take in the event this should happen. TIA

 

God Bless Everyone!

 

 

The procedeure is pretty painless just go to the pursers desk and they take care of it.

 

you will have to make your own arrangements but travelguard re-imburses you

 

best wishes

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ssoceo

ssoceo

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The only thing I was surprised about was this past spring when my neighbors had to get off the Jewel since he mom passed away. They had insurance - but the cruiselines asked his wife why she was also going to leave early. Strange... But they got home at their expense then reimbursed by insurance company.

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RDeagazio

RDeagazio

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I had clients on the Monarch this week who left the ship on Wed in Catalina to head back to Houston before the hurricane. They were charged a $300.00 per person penalty but that was mainly due to the fact that the ship had not yet called on a foreign port. The Purser's desk was great in making their arrangements with the local authorities. Continental waived the change fee to allow them to get home before the storm.

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suzyluvs2cruise

suzyluvs2cruise

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We were on the Vision of the Seas in May 02 and leaving the ship mid-cruise was not as easy as I had thought it would be. I'm hoping my experience is unique and that my complaints to RCI have changed how they deal with an emergency situation. My DIL called the ship mid AM when we were in Mazatlan, Mexico. She called again early evening. We did not get the message until nearly midnight when we returned to our cabin and found it taped to the door. (the phones on the ship at the time did not have a message light). The message stated "your mother is in the hospital, call home". We immediately went to the purser's desk, anticipating their help, and were told that we had to come back in the AM. We asked to speak to a supervisor and were told no one was available. We had no choice but to wait until early AM. Long story short - we did not get much assistance and had to make our own air arrangements off the ship. We did get a little help with immigration (as we were leaving the ship in a foreign port) but that was all. I would have thought an emergency message would be immediately taken to your cabin. If it had been we could have left the ship in Mazatlan. The end result was good and my mother (92 at the time) had surgery by the time we made it home.

 

We had travel insurance but it didn't cover all our costs. We insured the cruise cost as there was no airfare involved. Coverage is up to that $$ amount. The more you pay for the cruise the higher the insurance amount. That's why the insurance premiums are based on cost of trip. Airfare for 2 from Puerta Vallarta to San Diego cost more $$$ than the cruise amount so we were responsible for the difference. Some policies have trip interruption at 150%. Ours was 100%. Dealing with the insurance company was very easy with quick reimbursement.

 

You better believe I raised heck with RCI. On our next cruise on Princess I asked the Purser's desk how emergency calls/arrangements are handled. Their reply reassured me that their assistance is exactly as it should be.

 

I would hope that my experience was the exception and not the rule. Good luck and I hope you have a great cruise.

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Jim M

Jim M

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I had this happen this past February. My dad passed away. After my sister was able to get a message to the ship, everyone was very nice about it. However, I had to make all arrangements to get a flight back. At $9.95 per minute on the ships phone, that meant using internet only.

 

I WAS glad that I had a passport, both for leaving St Marten and for re-entering the US on an international flight.

 

Had no idea that insurance would cover this once I was on the cruise. Never pursued it.

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RandyD

RandyD

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I had clients on the Monarch this week who left the ship on Wed in Catalina to head back to Houston before the hurricane. They were charged a $300.00 per person penalty but that was mainly due to the fact that the ship had not yet called on a foreign port. The Purser's desk was great in making their arrangements with the local authorities. Continental waived the change fee to allow them to get home before the storm.

 

I'm almost sure that I heard on the news that the government had suspended the Jones Act following Katrina. Now maybe it was only the part regarding foreign tankers transporting oil/gas from one US port to another when the northeast pipelines were drastically reduced in capacity. But in the case of your clients it would be worth checking out at $300 per person penalty that they had to pay. Randy

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KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

KINGBOBOFTHENORTH

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I believe that once your ship has docked at a foreign port you can leave the ship without a penalty. In the instance given above the ship left a U.S. port and had only docked at Catalina Island, California, also a U.S. Port. So for a passenger to embark and disembark at U.S. ports on a foreign-flagged ship is against the law. The cruise line will be penalized and they are seeking the fine money from the passengers.

 

BobK/Orlando

coming up: Sovereign of the Seas (10/05)

Costa Mediterranea (01/06)

Norwegian Sun (05/06)

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RDeagazio

RDeagazio

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KINGB.. That's exactly the reason they were charged the $300.00 pp.. The ship sailed from LA, made port calls in San Diego and Catalina, since my clients departed before the ship called at the foreign port (Ensenada) they were charged the same amount the cruise line had to pay the authorities.

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Retired not Expired

Retired not Expired

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We were on the Majesty and had left the Bahamas. We were at the last port and checked into leaving the ship and driving back home but we all would have been charged the $300. Are you saying that if we were in the Bahamas, we could have left the cruise and not paid the $300?

 

Yes, I believe you could have gotten off in the Bahamas without paying the fine. The Jones act says you can't get on in one U.S. port and get off in another without traveling to a DISTANT foreign port. I'm not real sure what they consider distant, but if the only port outside the U.S. was the Bahamas, they probably wouldn't consider it distant enough. Therefore, you would have to go back to the port where you got on. But you can get on in the U.S. and off at any foreign port or vice versa

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knothead

knothead

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Thanks to everyone that thought & prayed for my MIL & our family! She passed away on saturday night & her funeral will be tomorrow!

 

So if things work out it looks like we will make it on our cruise after all. We will have heavy hearts but maybe this will help us get though a difficult time!

 

Thanks for all the replys I learned what to do in a case like this & hope I never have to worry about it again!

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knothead

knothead

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**** See you all on the Mariner in 4 1/2 days!!!! ****

 

Everyone have a safe trip & Thanks again for all the thoughts & prayers. My family is pulling it back together & going on with the next phase of our lives. Mine just happen to include a CRUISE!!!

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