Jones Act on Jewel Pacific Coastal

[OceanDreaming2]

We tried to combine the last Alaska cruise with the Pacific Coastal but were told we could not due to the Jones Act. Yesterday, we heard that several people were allowed to do so, they just had to pay the fine of $300pp.

 

How is this possible; some can and some cannot? To the best of my knowledge they were U.S. citizens.

[JohnIreland]

It's illegal so no one should have been allowed to do it.

[rvsullivan]

Where did you hear it? Was this from multiple sources or just one?

[jvsnana]

We were on your cruise and ran into a couple who lived in Burbank who said they booked it and just had to switch cabins. They were unaware of the Jones Act and had no idea what we were talking about.

We were denied the B2B booking too:(

[Budget Queen]

We tried to combine the last Alaska cruise with the Pacific Coastal but were told we could not due to the Jones Act. Yesterday, we heard that several people were allowed to do so, they just had to pay the fine of $300pp.

 

How is this possible; some can and some cannot? To the best of my knowledge they were U.S. citizens.

 

No you can not do these two cruise sailings on the same ship. Simple solution is to just switch ships- which is easy to do, which I did last year.

 

I was on the Miracle, in May, on it's first Alaska ,sailing, and there were several people, enraged they were charged the $300. They had taken the transpacific They booked the cruises separately, so the catch up, by Carnival, wasn't immediate. In one case the woman appeared to just have ignored it, I guess thinking she wouldn't be caught? Quite outspoken against "Carnival". In my opinion, they were DARN lucky to have had that fine applied. Alternative would have been a denied boarding in Vancouver. Of course, the common theme was- it was someone else's fault.

 

I know with some direct cruise bookings online- those cases are highlighted with the statement, the other cruise can not be booked.

[Urban trekker]

I too heard it from a couple on disembarkation day that they were staying on and opined that I wondered how they were able to do it and they gave me a dirty look and seemed to think I was crazy. Don't know if your citizenship has anything to do with it.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

[4774Papa]

It's illegal so no one should have been allowed to do it.

These days our laws are not always enforced.

[barnacle_boy]

Jones Act deals with cargo violations. What we're really looking at is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). You can read about here, although some sections (e.g. Cruises to Nowhere) will be outdated by the beginning of next year.

 

Don't know if your citizenship has anything to do with it.

 

Nationality doesn't matter. Carrying a foreign citizen between U.S. ports onboard a foreign-flagged ship is still a PVSA violation.

[newmexicoNita]

We tried to combine the last Alaska cruise with the Pacific Coastal but were told we could not due to the Jones Act. Yesterday, we heard that several people were allowed to do so, they just had to pay the fine of $300pp.

 

How is this possible; some can and some cannot? To the best of my knowledge they were U.S. citizens.

 

No way Jose or shouldn't be. Did you talk to these people personally or just hear it via the grapevine? I have never heard of anyone doing this. There has to be some other explanation.

[refugeeathome]

We're booked on the Pacific Coastal next year going from LA to Vancouver and then continuing on the same ship, same room, from Vancouver (via Alaska) to Seattle. Is this a violation of some sort?

[barnacle_boy]

We're booked on the Pacific Coastal next year going from LA to Vancouver and then continuing on the same ship, same room, from Vancouver (via Alaska) to Seattle. Is this a violation of some sort?

 

 

If you're embarking in Los Angeles and disembarking in Seattle it's a PVSA violation.

[JohnIreland]

We're booked on the Pacific Coastal next year going from LA to Vancouver and then continuing on the same ship, same room, from Vancouver (via Alaska) to Seattle. Is this a violation of some sort?

 

That's not a legal trip.

 

It's a US port to another US port without a stop in a distant foreign port.

[GUEST080219]

That's not a legal trip.

 

It's a US port to another US port without a stop in a distant foreign port.

 

I think that is the Pearl in April next year and it does include Vancouver, Canada does it not count as a foreign port?

What about when you add the 16 day panama canal to it as a b2b2b it gets legal because of the port stops in Mexico?

 

Super confusing especially for those not living in the US. I would always expect as long as I can book it through NCL it is legal.

[jvsnana]

No way Jose or shouldn't be. Did you talk to these people personally or just hear it via the grapevine? I have never heard of anyone doing this. There has to be some other explanation.

 

We spoke directly with the couple who said they "booked a 15 day cruise and only had to switch cabins in Between".

[barnacle_boy]

I think that is the Pearl in April next year and it does include Vancouver, Canada does it not count as a foreign port?

 

What about when you add the 16 day panama canal to it as a b2b2b it gets legal because of the port stops in Mexico?

 

Super confusing especially for those not living in the US. I would always expect as long as I can book it through NCL it is legal.

 

Traveling between two different U.S. ports is only permissible under PVSA if the ship visits a "distant foreign port." Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which enforces the PVSA, considers a "nearby foreign port" as "any port in North America, Central America, the Bermudan Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao)."

 

Therefore, Mexican and Canadian ports are considered nearby, not distant, foreign ports by CBP. This scenario would still be a PVSA violation.

 

Edit: I would like to further clarify that the particular Panama Canal itinerary that NCL is selling includes a stop in Cartagena, Columbia, which is considered a distant foreign port in South America. If you wanted to embark in Miami and disembark in Seattle that would be fine, but not because the ship makes calls in Mexico or Canada.

Edited October 1, 2015 by barnacle_boy

[Budget Queen]

No way Jose or shouldn't be. Did you talk to these people personally or just hear it via the grapevine? I have never heard of anyone doing this. There has to be some other explanation.

 

As I state above= there were at least 10 people, who I heard directly from, that had gotten on the ship in Honolulu, and HAD to pay $300. This was on the Carnival Legend- this year. ( I noted the wrong ship above, sailed the Miracle in Alaska 3 weeks last year :) )

Edited October 1, 2015 by Budget Queen

[Budget Queen]

I too heard it from a couple on disembarkation day that they were staying on and opined that I wondered how they were able to do it and they gave me a dirty look and seemed to think I was crazy. Don't know if your citizenship has anything to do with it.

 

Cheers!

 

Dennis

 

It's unknown what happened at check in, or if they had to pay $300? Was this recent?

[Budget Queen]

We're booked on the Pacific Coastal next year going from LA to Vancouver and then continuing on the same ship, same room, from Vancouver (via Alaska) to Seattle. Is this a violation of some sort?

 

Sorry, no you can't do this. You must have booked these separately. You should get a notification- one has to be canceled. I suggest you make that decision now, and make alternative plans.

[Froggitt]

Traveling between two different U.S. ports is only permissible under PVSA if the ship visits a "distant foreign port."

What about Gem cruises from New York to Boston and Portland?

[JohnIreland]

What about Gem cruises from New York to Boston and Portland?

 

Does it return to New York (allowed) or end in Canada (also allowed) ?

[punkincc]

I am no expert on the PVSA, but we had a situation in 2013 where we booked a Pacific Coastal to Vancouver and then the Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska itinerary. If it makes any difference, we had a port stop in Victoria, CA on the Alaska portion. We booked these two cruises with not a peep from NCL, but others were denied the second Alaska leg by customer service at NCL with citing of the PVSA violation. Theywere told to book another ncl ship for the second leg.

 

Not wanting a nasty surprise at the dock in Vancouver between cruises or a fine, we placed a call to the VP of Passenger Services at NCL @ 305-436-4000. We were told that these 2 cruises back to back on the same ship were indeed legal and no violation. Customer Service was educated and the others were able to book. No fines for anyone.

 

Perhaps my situation is totally different from yours, but I would not take the word of a CSR at NCL when it comes to PVSA interpretation, as clearly, in our situation, they were dead wrong. Call and get the answer from Passenger Services if there is any question.

[ChicagoBarb]

We tried to combine the last Alaska cruise with the Pacific Coastal but were told we could not due to the Jones Act. Yesterday, we heard that several people were allowed to do so, they just had to pay the fine of $300pp.

 

How is this possible; some can and some cannot? To the best of my knowledge they were U.S. citizens.

 

I tried to book the same thing but no go. So now I'm thinking about the coastal and then heading to Seattle for the Alaska.

 

Or just saying the heck with it and sail on the Escape in warm weather.

[barnacle_boy]

What about Gem cruises from New York to Boston and Portland?

 

 

Gem sails a closed loop itinerary that embarks/disembarks from the same U.S. port. The distant foreign port is only required when embarkation and disembarkation occur in two different U.S. ports. In this case, a nearby foreign port suffices.

 

I am no expert on the PVSA, but we had a situation in 2013 where we booked a Pacific Coastal to Vancouver and then the Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska itinerary. If it makes any difference, we had a port stop in Victoria, CA on the Alaska portion. We booked these two cruises with not a peep from NCL, but others were denied the second Alaska leg by customer service at NCL with citing of the PVSA violation. Theywere told to book another ncl ship for the second leg.

 

 

 

Not wanting a nasty surprise at the dock in Vancouver between cruises or a fine, we placed a call to the VP of Passenger Services at NCL @ 305-436-4000. We were told that these 2 cruises back to back on the same ship were indeed legal and no violation. Customer Service was educated and the others were able to book. No fines for anyone.

 

 

 

Perhaps my situation is totally different from yours, but I would not take the word of a CSR at NCL when it comes to PVSA interpretation, as clearly, in our situation, they were dead wrong. Call and get the answer from Passenger Services if there is any question.

 

 

Your situation is different because you disembarked in Vancouver. PVSA doesn't apply to cruises that embark or disembark in a foreign port.

[HarpHarp]

I am no expert on the PVSA, but we had a situation in 2013 where we booked a Pacific Coastal to Vancouver and then the Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska itinerary. If it makes any difference, we had a port stop in Victoria, CA on the Alaska portion. We booked these two cruises with not a peep from NCL, but others were denied the second Alaska leg by customer service at NCL with citing of the PVSA violation. Theywere told to book another ncl ship for the second leg.QUOTE]

 

This is also legal, since you debark in Vancouver, not Seattle. We took the southbound Pacific Coastal, & they embark in Vancouver so they don't violate the act.

[Cruise_More_Often]

I am no expert on the PVSA, but we had a situation in 2013 where we booked a Pacific Coastal to Vancouver and then the Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska itinerary. If it makes any difference, we had a port stop in Victoria, CA on the Alaska portion. We booked these two cruises with not a peep from NCL, but others were denied the second Alaska leg by customer service at NCL with citing of the PVSA violation. Theywere told to book another ncl ship for the second leg.

 

Not wanting a nasty surprise at the dock in Vancouver between cruises or a fine, we placed a call to the VP of Passenger Services at NCL @ 305-436-4000. We were told that these 2 cruises back to back on the same ship were indeed legal and no violation. Customer Service was educated and the others were able to book. No fines for anyone.

 

Perhaps my situation is totally different from yours, but I would not take the word of a CSR at NCL when it comes to PVSA interpretation, as clearly, in our situation, they were dead wrong. Call and get the answer from Passenger Services if there is any question.

I'm certainly no expert either, but it sounds like your itinerary began in the US but ended in Canada. That might be the reason your itinerary was allowed.