Grand Princess delayed flight

[Cuizer2]

Clarifying.

Round trip cruises can have a near foreign port, hence porting Ensenada and Victoria on the West Coast. Those beginning and ending at different US ports red to go to a distant foreign port. This is why you can't do a one way LA-Vancouver b2b Vancouver-Seattle. Think the closest West Coast distant foreign is in Central America. Someone will let us know which port really soon.

At times the PVSA penalty has been waived. Know it was waived a few years ago for pax in Puerto Rico.

 

 

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There are no distant foreign ports in Central America. You are asking about the closest distant foreign port, but closest to what? Alaska or California? It could be Russia or it could be South America, depending on where you are measuring from and to.

[SadieN]

There are no distant foreign ports in Central America. You are asking about the closest distant foreign port, but closest to what? Alaska or California? It could be Russia or it could be South America, depending on where you are measuring from and to.

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

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[IECalCruiser]

If you are departing from a U.S. port on a closed loop Alaskan cruise, have made your own travel arrangements and miss the cruise, you are out of luck due to the PVSA violation. There is a next port guarantee with Princess EZ Air so if your flight was delayed and you missed the ship, presumable Princess would be required to pick up the penalty. Would be interested to know if anyone has actual experience.

[caribill]

If you are departing from a U.S. port on a closed loop Alaskan cruise, have made your own travel arrangements and miss the cruise, you are out of luck due to the PVSA violation. There is a next port guarantee with Princess EZ Air so if your flight was delayed and you missed the ship, presumable Princess would be required to pick up the penalty. Would be interested to know if anyone has actual experience.

 

No.

 

Princess will work with the airlines to find a reasonable alternative to provide flights to the next appropriate* port at no additional air cost to the guest.

 

*Factors taken into account in determining the appropriateness of a port of call include, but are not limited to:

 

visas and other legal documentation that may be required

application of the Passenger Services Act to the new itinerary

airport/port infrastructure

comparability of cost, flight connections, and travel time required (note, any refund due on the unused air ticket must be used to offset the cost of the new air ticket)

where in the original itinerary this port is located

 

In this case, Vancouver would be the first port that would meet the restrictions. Sailing from Vancouver to San Francisco would be allowed.

Edited July 7, 2016 by caribill

[IECalCruiser]

No.

 

Princess will work with the airlines to find a reasonable alternative to provide flights to the next appropriate* port at no additional air cost to the guest.

 

*Factors taken into account in determining the appropriateness of a port of call include, but are not limited to:

 

visas and other legal documentation that may be required

application of the Passenger Services Act to the new itinerary

airport/port infrastructure

comparability of cost, flight connections, and travel time required (note, any refund due on the unused air ticket must be used to offset the cost of the new air ticket)

where in the original itinerary this port is located

 

In this case, Vancouver would be the first port that would meet the restrictions. Sailing from Vancouver to San Francisco would be allowed.

With those restrictions it looks like Princess could say almost any alternative port on any cruise is not appropriate. I was just wondering if anyone has had actual experience missing an Alaskan cruise due to a delayed EZair flight.

[fonekween]

I've learned a lot about Princess & EZAIR today, thank you! I'm debating on whether or not to print my question with all of your answers & show it to my brother or just keep quiet. What's done is done & his booking their flights & insurance through Princess is what it is. I'm surprised Princess allowed the booking of a flight arrival at noon obviously knowing the ship sails at 4! Sorry y'all have to wait two weeks to see what happens, & I'm sure however the story plays out will be interesting!

[caribill]

With those restrictions it looks like Princess could say almost any alternative port on any cruise is not appropriate.

 

There is a thread about a couple who missed embarkation for a round trip Los Angeles cruise to Hawaii last year.

 

They flew to Hawaii (first port after leaving Los Angeles) and boarded the cruise there, having missed almost half of the cruise.

 

Boarding in Hawaii and then returning to Los Angeles violates the PVSA, so on the way back they had to disembark in Ensenada, Mexico and make their way on their own back to the USA.

[caribill]

I'm surprised Princess allowed the booking of a flight arrival at noon obviously knowing the ship sails at 4!

 

Princess allows EZAir booking of any flight that is scheduled to arrive in time for passengers to get to the ship. This is true in San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale and everywhere else in the world they have an embarkation port.

 

As you are aware, the wise passenger (who has the time available) will arrive a day earlier. But as you are also aware, on embarkation day there will be a number of busloads of passengers who flew in that day, either having booked the flight on their own or having used EZAir.

 

Of course airlines also have minimum connecting times at various airports. Even though it may be legal, a connection time of 40 minutes at ORD in the middle of winter is insane.

[Cuizer2]

With those restrictions it looks like Princess could say almost any alternative port on any cruise is not appropriate. I was just wondering if anyone has had actual experience missing an Alaskan cruise due to a delayed EZair flight.

 

That is not true. On the Caribbean cruises Princess could take you to any foreign island. If you start your cruise in a foreign port, you can be delivered to any US port without violating the PVSA.

[Cuizer2]

PVSA ...

 

For those of you who are just guessing at the PVSA rules, click on the link below and read the publication put out by the US Department of Homeland Security entitled:

 

What Every Member of the

Trade Community Should Know about:

The Passenger Vessel Services Act

This publication is intended to provide guidance and information to the trade community. It reflects the position on or interpretation of the applicable laws or regulations by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as of the date of publication, which is shown on the front cover. It does not in any way replace or supersede those laws or regulations. Only the latest official version of the laws or regulations is authoritative.

http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pvsa_icp_3.pdf

[Pam in CA]

Hmmmm, lets see. This itinerary is from SFO-Juneau-Skag-Ketch-....then Victoria-SFO. The Jones act would still be fulfilled by the passenger hitting a non US port prior to arrival in SFO. You could essentially get in Victoria and sail to SFO with no violation. Clear as mud.

If they miss the ship in San Francisco and board in Juneau, their only option is to disembark in Victoria which would be legal under the PVSA. Penny wise, pound foolish to fly in embarkation day.

 

Princess air doesn't guarantee anything other than make a concerted effort to get the passenger to the next port. If it's illegal, they won't. Whether the ship waits is up to the Captain. There are many variables such as tides, harbor pilot availability, time needed to get to the next port, and even other ships that cannot sail until yours does. I was once on a ship that waited for four passengers who, as the Captain said, "couldn't tell time" and not only did we lose our time slot for sailing but we also lost our pilot and wound up sailing hours later which impacted our next port. Most Captains won't do that.

[Cuizer2]

Princess air doesn't guarantee anything other than make a concerted effort to get the passenger to the next port. If it's illegal, they won't. Whether the ship waits is up to the Captain. There are many variables such as tides, harbor pilot availability, time needed to get to the next port, and even other ships that cannot sail until yours does. I was once on a ship that waited for four passengers who, as the Captain said, "couldn't tell time" and not only did we lose our time slot for sailing but we also lost our pilot and wound up sailing hours later which impacted our next port. Most Captains won't do that.

 

What good is a harbor pilot who gets lost. The harbor pilot is supposed to be the expert on the harbor. I wouldn't trust a harbor pilot who gets lost in the harbor.

[satxdiver]

I have been on week long voyages where Princess has held the ship 4 hours waiting for late pax who booked through EZair and had Princess transfers. The ship will wait a reasonable length of time depending on weather etc. If it cannot wait, the pax will be put in a hotel, given food vouchers and put on an airplane to the next port.

 

Chances are the OP's relatives will not be the only Princess pax on the flight. Since they booked through Princess, they will know the status of their flight. So the relative is correct that they will wait. It appears they like to cut it very close and have no problem with it. Princess will give a second briefing to any late arriving pax.

 

Personally I like to arrive at least the day before and sometime even earlier so that I can start the vacation and arrive at the ship relaxed and ready to go. It is a personal choice.

[Cuizer2]

If they miss the ship in San Francisco and board in Juneau, their only option is to disembark in Victoria which would be legal under the PVSA. Penny wise, pound foolish to fly in embarkation day.

 

That is actually a good idea. One could still visit Alaska via cruise ship, but would then be faced with being over 900 miles from where they originally had plans to be. Not an ideal situation to be in.

[moki'smommy]

I consider the cost of a hotel (for flying in the day before) to be cheap cruise insurance. If you try to fly in the day of a cruise and something happens, you have relatively few options. This would be particularly true in the event of weather issues. Best case, you get up at the crack of dawn or earlier, hope all goes well, and ultimately arrive at the cruise terminal tired and more ready for a nap than the start of a great vacation.

 

 

If you plan to come in the day before and have issues, you have many more possible options--weather clearing, alternative airlines, etc.

 

If everything goes well and you spend the night at a hotel in or near the port city, you have the option of sleeping late, having a leisurely breakfast, and an unstressed drive to to the cruise terminal. You start the cruise rested and ready to enjoy the vacation.

Edited July 7, 2016 by moki'smommy

[peety3]

I have been on week long voyages where Princess has held the ship 4 hours waiting for late pax who booked through EZair and had Princess transfers. The ship will wait a reasonable length of time depending on weather etc. If it cannot wait, the pax will be put in a hotel, given food vouchers and put on an airplane to the next port.

One of our Seattle-Alaska 7-day round-trips, someone was late coming back to the ship in Skagway. I was curious and "did the math": according to my calculations, if the ship were delayed by any more than 3.5 hours, the only way it'd get to Victoria,BC on-time 48 hours later is if the currents are helping - it'd be at max speed the WHOLE way.

 

Moral of the story: find someone who's done the itinerary before and see if you can get the listing of average speeds per leg of the cruise. Any leg that's long AND high speed is a leg that can't tolerate much delay.

[iceleven]

One of our Seattle-Alaska 7-day round-trips, someone was late coming back to the ship in Skagway. I was curious and "did the math": according to my calculations, if the ship were delayed by any more than 3.5 hours, the only way it'd get to Victoria,BC on-time 48 hours later is if the currents are helping - it'd be at max speed the WHOLE way.

 

Moral of the story: find someone who's done the itinerary before and see if you can get the listing of average speeds per leg of the cruise. Any leg that's long AND high speed is a leg that can't tolerate much delay.

 

Increasing speed of the ship to make it to the next port isn't always the answer especially in Alaska where there are often half a dozen ships in any given port all at the same time.

[cruisemom63]

My cruise agent assured me we would be OK traveling the same day. We are coming from Florida on the June 30 sailing as well. We get in at 11 am. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but don't think I'll ever fly in same day again.

[fonekween]

UPDATE: With tomorrow being the 20th & the ship sails at 4pm, it came out last night that my brother's aware that IF they miss the ship that Princess will get them to the first port & stated that it's guaranteed that they will do so. All of you who've said the same in response to my initial question he is in agreement with regarding that fact. Yay! I also discovered their flight doesn't actually arrive from Dallas until 12:47pm, & here I've been worried about it arriving at noon because that's what he initially told me & now I find out it's basically 1pm. YIKES!!! He had no idea about the SFO fog issue, either, so that's now a concern but with their flight due in later than I thought, I'm assuming fog won't be an issue. What's done is done & they either make the ship or they don't! He's not happy about his discovery only yesterday of not being able to bring his rum on board, understands the reasoning behind it but doesn't like the change & doesn't drink enough to warrant buying a beverage package. They will each be bringing on board one bottle of wine, but with their having to check it in the luggage for the Tulsa-SFO flight tomorrow, do they need to remove it from their luggage & bring it on with their carry-ons, or are they okay to leave it in their luggage without being called to the naughty room?

[cherylandtk]

Yes, they need to remove the wine and put it in their carryon for check in. Otherwise, it will be seen when the luggage is X rayed and will be put aside instead of delivered to their rooms.

[peety3]

He's not happy about his discovery only yesterday of not being able to bring his rum on board, understands the reasoning behind it but doesn't like the change & doesn't drink enough to warrant buying a beverage package.

Option C (though it may be too late and the selections are definitely limited): buy a bottle of rum on the ship. They pre-sell these things online, and I would assume if it can be pre-purchased, it can be purchased outright on the ship (just make sure that an on-ship purchase can be consumed while underway).

[IECalCruiser]

fonekween, Arrival at the next port is not guaranteed. Please let us know how it worked out for your brother tomorrow.

[fonekween]

I spoke to my own cruise travel agent this morning as well as to Princess just now. Both confirmed what many of you have already told me: with his having booked their flights through Princess (everything....flights, as well as transportation to & from the ship & travel insurance), if they miss the ship Princess will put them up in a hotel & fly them to the next port. My travel agent stated he has clients that have booked it all through Princess (SFO cruises to Alaska), missed the ship due to flight delays, & that's exactly what happened, they were put up in a hotel all expenses paid & flown to next port. When they were flown & how long they were put up in a hotel wasn't discussed so I don't have any answer for that! During my conversation with Princess, I also was able to arrange for a bottle of champagne to be delivered to their stateroom on their actual anniversary to celebrate #50! I'm on pins & needles & sending prayers upstairs for all to go well tomorrow & wishing PTZtv had a camera in SF so I could watch their ship sail....particularly knowing that they're safely on board. Stay tuned, folks!

[notentirelynormal]

UPDATE: With tomorrow being the 20th & the ship sails at 4pm, it came out last night that my brother's aware that IF they miss the ship that Princess will get them to the first port & stated that it's guaranteed that they will do so. All of you who've said the same in response to my initial question he is in agreement with regarding that fact. Yay! I also discovered their flight doesn't actually arrive from Dallas until 12:47pm, & here I've been worried about it arriving at noon because that's what he initially told me & now I find out it's basically 1pm. YIKES!!!

 

There is no way in this lifetime he can make the ship. Let's think about a clock for a minute. From the time the plane is scheduled to land to the time the ship is scheduled to be leaving port is only 3-1/4 hours.

 

There is the 1-1/2 rule for the manifest. The ship might sail late to accommodate this.

 

First, 12:47 is the time the plane touches down, not arrives at the gate. You have to get off the plane, walk to pick up your suitcases. Another 20 to 30 minutes? Unless you are in first class you have to wait for everyone to deplane and then of course for the luggage to arrive. Now, to the curb to get your ride. Then the ride itself. (30 minutes minimum?) Then from the curb to the ship. He is living in a fantasy world.

 

Please come back when he either hits or misses the ship so we can get "the rest of the story".

[fonekween]

There's NO way that I would EVER have done with he has, but with his having booked his flights through Princess, one would think Princess wouldn't have booked the flight knowing full well what time their ship leaves. They're being met at baggage by Princess, & in my discussion with Princess an hour ago, I was assured (assuming the flight's on time), their getting to ship isn't an issue. Princess booked their flights, he didn't. Every cruise they've been on has been with Princess, & they've always flown in the same day without an problem. It's just not a chance that I would ever take & am praying that it works in their favor again this time!