Vancouver to Seward...Missed ship...

[Jade13]

I think the best solution is for your friends to find a cruise departing a day later that has an available cabin.

 

As far as "Cruise Air" there are different types. I believe most of what one can book on "Choice Air", which is just the Celebrity and Royal Caribbean booking site, are standard fares where the cruise line is acting as a travel agent.

 

Your friends need to look at their travel insurance if they bought any and find out if they are covered for missed connections. Most have specific time frames such as 6 hours and coverage would be based on the amount they insured (typical 100% to 150% of the insured amount).

 

I don't know exactly what Celebrity promises but many people mistakenly believe that cruise lines "guarantee you won't miss the ship or they will get you to the next port" when many of these claims are just that they will assist you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Cruise Raider]

Did they get back on in Seattle the next day?

 

No, they did not ... not that I know of. There were a couple of hundred that disembarked in Victoria so can't say for sure that nobody got back onboard in Seattle. But, for those that boarded in Honolulu, this was their final destination ... they had to pack up and leave the ship. We also heard of a lot of people that lived on Vancouver Island so it was easier for them to disembark that day early, too. It was so much quieter onboard that last night ... very noticeable.

[BourbonNBluesLuvr]

Celebrity and most cruise ships are not US flagged, right?

 

We're about to leave from Cape Liberty, NJ and our first port is Bar Harbor, ME, so even though it is not a US flagged vessel it is going between 2 US ports (and if we happened to miss the departure, I'm sure we could catch up to the ship in Maine). But if we were REALLY late we could not join at the next port in Canada, correct?

 

 

Hello,

 

Correct...most cruise ships are not US flagged.

 

Just the opposite, reference your second question...The law is not concerned with the fact that your ship goes from one US port to another during the course of the cruise...but rather...regulates where the initial embarkation port, and final disembarkation ports are. So in your example, if you are referring to a roundtrip NJ to NJ cruise...if you were to miss the ship in NJ, you would not be allowed to board in Bar Harbor...as then your embarkation is one US port (Bar Harbor) and final disembarkation is a different US port (NJ), without calling at a distant foreign port.

With permission from the cruise line, you would be allowed to board in Canada...because then the ship is transporting you from a foreign port to a US port, and the PVSA is not violated.

 

BBL

[Cruise Raider]

Celebrity and most cruise ships are not US flagged, right?

 

We're about to leave from Cape Liberty, NJ and our first port is Bar Harbor, ME, so even though it is not a US flagged vessel it is going between 2 US ports (and if we happened to miss the departure, I'm sure we could catch up to the ship in Maine). But if we were REALLY late we could not join at the next port in Canada, correct?

 

That is correct ... most major cruise ships are not US flagged. I think NCL might (?) still have one or two ships over in Hawaii that are US flagged ... at least they used to. They have to pay US wages and abide by US labor laws.

 

As far as your cruise out of Cape Liberty, it really depends on where your cruise ends. If your disembarkation port is in the US, then you will not be able to catch the ship in Maine. If it ends in Canada ... you could catch it in either Maine or the next port in Canada and you'd be ok.

[jelayne]

They had Celebrity Air which promises to get them to the next port. The FINE per the website is $300 per person.

 

 

I may not be looking in the right place but what I find on the a Celebrity Choice Air site says "If any delays or cancellations jeopardize your travel plans, we work quickly with the airlines to get you on the next available flight to your ship."

 

Hopefully your friends called Choice Air as soon as they knew there was a chance their plane would be late. However, If there wasn't flight that would get them to Vancouver before the ship left and they can't board legally after Vancouver then I'm not sure Choice Air has any liability.

[warmwinds]

Hello,

 

Correct...most cruise ships are not US flagged.

 

Just the opposite, reference your second question...The law is not concerned with the fact that your ship goes from one US port to another during the course of the cruise...but rather...regulates where the initial embarkation port, and final disembarkation ports are. So in your example, if you are referring to a roundtrip NJ to NJ cruise...if you were to miss the ship in NJ, you would not be allowed to board in Bar Harbor...as then your embarkation is one US port (Bar Harbor) and final disembarkation is a different US port (NJ), without calling at a distant foreign port.

With permission from the cruise line, you would be allowed to board in Canada...because then the ship is transporting you from a foreign port to a US port, and the PVSA is not violated.

 

BBL

 

Thanks to both you and Cruise Raider...just goes to show how murky and confusing the rules are. It's just the opposite of what I thought.

 

We will certainly do our level best to get to New Jersey on time!

[Bo1953]

Since they had Celebrity Air, they need to get with Celebrity for a refund for their failure to live up to the advertised benefits

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

 

It could be a situation whereby CA had no control over the delay i.e. departure/connecting airport may not have many flights for this passenger (thinking regional), the only flight which could make any connection on time or ????

 

 

Without more detailed info, there can be no judgement as to who is at fault, if in fact there is any fault. Hopefully if the travelers had CA, they also took out, at minimum, X's insurance.

 

Yet, these things do happen and I trust it will never happen to us. For our Alaska cruise in a few weeks, we decided to go out a week early and chill, for the most part, and tour before heading to the ship as we are traveling cross country.

 

bon voyage ....

[hubofhockey]

What a stupid law. Maybe at some point in the future, it will get changed to allow for special circumstances. For now, it's just a shame.

[warmwinds]

Enlighten those of us who do not know - who was the law originally intended to protect from what?

[Fouremco]

Enlighten those of us who do not know - who was the law originally intended to protect from what?

A Wiki article providing an overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

[XtaSea]

This happened to us trying to get to Vancouver for an Alaskan cruise a few years back. Bad weather stuck us in Dallas and while we didn't actually miss our flight, the delay meant we would miss the sailing. Choice Air, which doesn't actually guarantee anything but help in case of problems, said PVSA would prevent us from joining the ship at any other port. We verified this with our TA, who also verified it with Celebrity. No options. We spent the night in Dallas and returned home the next day, immediately starting the process for our travel insurance claim (we received full compensation for everything, including the night we spent in Dallas). For 10 or 12 cruises, we had always flown to the departure port day-of with no issues. That was the last time. Knowing we can do nothing about the weather, or antiquated laws, now we always arrive a day or two early, and fully insured. We're trying Alaska again in September, with two days pre-cruise in Seattle and fingers crossed.

[grandgeezer]

Since they had Celebrity Air, they need to get with Celebrity for a refund for their failure to live up to the advertised benefits

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

Choice Air is not responsible for the flight being delayed. Because of the flight being late, they missed the flight. Choice Air, through the kindness of their heart, get them to the next port. What good is that if they are denied boarding? Next you'll recommend that they sue. ItS unfortunate but things happen.

[Hydrokitty]

It's really an obsolete law since AFAIK there are no US flagged US ships that carry passengers from a US port to a US port (other than perhaps a river boat) to protect....which is why the law was put in place in the first place.

 

Unfortunately, no one in government seems to care enough about this archaic law to get it repealed...

 

I would bet that no one in recent government (regardless of political party) even knows about this law. It is truly archaic and also applies to airlines. For example you can fly an American flagged airline anywhere in the world but you cannot fly a foreign flagged airline from one US airport to another US airport.

[Islander500]

They know. Don't know whether this amendment would have addressed this area in its entirety, but like everything else, it becomes a quagmire of special interests and lobbyists.

 

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/industry-rises-in-opposition-to-mccain-jones-act-amendment

Edited June 25, 2017 by Islander500

[Fouremco]

Choice Air is not responsible for the flight being delayed. Because of the flight being late, they missed the flight. Choice Air, through the kindness of their heart, get them to the next port. What good is that if they are denied boarding? Next you'll recommend that they sue. ItS unfortunate but things happen.

Kindness of their heart? Choice Air's whole business is based on the premise that they'll get you where you are going on time:

 

Why choose ChoiceAir®?

ChoiceAir® provides premium benefits that give you everything you want in airfare. It provides the best value, the assurance that the flights you select will get you to the ship on time, the flexibility to choose your airline, and flights, and the assurance that a round-the-clock support specialist is available throughout your travel.

[sanger727]

Enlighten those of us who do not know - who was the law originally intended to protect from what?

 

 

 

I believe the law is to protect US marine industries. As in a non-US flagged ships can't transport people or cargo within the US. Only US flagged ships (with the associated higher costs) can. So a company can't flag a ship in the Bahamas and hire a cruise from the Philippines to run US river cruises or ferries or ship around the US. None of these issues would be issues if the cruise lines flagged their ships in the US and followed US labor laws - but they don't.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[varoo]

Well it really doesn't matter if they should have flown in a day in advance. This is what they did. I am trying to find out if anyone has been able to or know of anyone who has been able to board in these situations. Surely they are not the only ones who have had this happen to on this routing...fine or no fine.

Yes, several years ago we were on the Millennium northbound and about half a dozen people boarded in Ketchikan with their luggage.

We chatted with them while waiting in line, and they said that their flight to Vancouver (booked with Celebrity) had been canceled so they had to spend the night at a hotel and catch a flight up to Ketchikan early the following morning.

I do not know whether or not they were doing the round trip, disembarking in Vancouver, and didn't think to ask them at the time.

I only know that they were allowed to board in Ketchikan, but have no idea of who ended up paying for what.

In any case, there are still cabins available on the southbound leg next week, so if the people involved are willing to stay on for the B2B and disembark in Vancouver, it would be legal for them to board in Ketchikan and they should have no further problems.

But if they booked Choice Air, then it seems to me that Choice Air should be responsible for getting them to the ship and covering the extra costs involved.

Have they contacted Choice Air?

Edited June 25, 2017 by varoo

[WpgCruise]

Kindness of their heart? Choice Air's whole business is based on the premise that they'll get you where you are going on time:

Why choose ChoiceAir®?

ChoiceAir® provides premium benefits that give you everything you want in airfare. It provides the best value, the assurance that the flights you select will get you to the ship on time, the flexibility to choose your airline, and flights, and the assurance that a round-the-clock support specialist is available throughout your travel.

 

There is no "Guarantee" from Choice Air in this statement.

 

Using this thread as an example, how could Choice Air "Guarantee" something that is prohibited by law ?

 

All that Choice Air is committing to doing is working with the airlines, that's it, nothing more . We as consumers need to understand this when thinking there is a "Guarantee"

[Ma Bell]

There is no "Guarantee" from Choice Air in this statement.

 

Using this thread as an example, how could Choice Air "Guarantee" something that is prohibited by law ?

 

All that Choice Air is committing to doing is working with the airlines, that's it, nothing more . We as consumers need to understand this when thinking there is a "Guarantee"

 

Yes, I've used Choice Air many times and never thought there was any guarantee, only that they will do their best to find a way to get you there rather than you having to do it yourself. They are making sure that the flights you choose will get you there in time...if there are no problems. If there's a problem they are available to try to make other arrangements to get you there. Of course if you get there and are legally unable to board there's nothing they can do about it. They are a travel agency.

[bigbeergut]

Please keep us updated on the final resolution for your friends.

[caribill]

 

I don't know exactly what Celebrity promises but many people mistakenly believe that cruise lines "guarantee you won't miss the ship or they will get you to the next port" when many of these claims are just that they will assist you.

 

The general promise on the Celebrity web site: "We have experts on hand monitoring your flights. If any delays or cancellations jeopardize your travel plans, we work quickly with the airline to get you on the next available flight to your ship."

 

But the details say "If there are no viable options, we will work with our airline partners to accommodate you on a flight to the next available port, where you may legally join the ship."

 

But there is no mention of what Celebrity will do for you if there is no way to legally join the ship.

[caribill]

I would bet that no one in recent government (regardless of political party) even knows about this law. It is truly archaic and also applies to airlines. For example you can fly an American flagged airline anywhere in the world but you cannot fly a foreign flagged airline from one US airport to another US airport.

 

Actually, some do know.

 

NCL worked with Alaska congressmen to try to change the law because NCL did not like the competition from other cruise lines cruising from west coast USA ports to Hawaii and back to the same USA west coast port with a stop in Ensenada, Mexico to satisfy the PVSA requirements. What they wanted was a requirement that such closed loop cruises would have to spend 50% of their port time in foreign ports, a requirement that would not only eliminate the mainland round-trips to Hawaii, but also all round-trip Alaska cruises out of Seattle and and many closed loop cruises from east coast ports to Canada.

[genegri]

Too bad Alaska Marine Highway doesn't run their cross gulf route this week or it could be a really interesting and different way to see Alaska.

 

That route connects Bellingham to Whittier in 5 to 6 days, visiting many more ports than any cruise ship. The downside is it does not sail into the glaciers, and the amenities are very spartan in comparison.

[Lookingforfacts]

A few years ago a poster, I think in the Alaskan forum had a complaint. Cruise line wouldn't let him violate the PSVA. He did some research and cruise line was paying the fine and accommodating cruise air passengers. Not sure where he got that information.

[casper106]

And that's why you should never fly to the embarkation port the day the cruise is due to leave.

 

US citizens should write to the representatives to bring this silly archaic law to an end.

 

The only "US" ship is NCL's Pride of America which sails around the Hawaiian Islands. Over priced for what is. An overall mediocre experience.