Moving from 3* to 4*

[KBC73]

We are very close to 4*.

We are booked from Montreal to Tampa on the Rotterdam.

We are thinking about the cruise from Boston to Montreal just prior. This would make it a back to back.

When we leave Boston we would be 3* but become 4* before we get to Montreal.

On the leg from Montreal to Tampa would we be 4?.

The web site says it take up to 10 days to update changes to mariner status.

[fatcat04]

I'd call the Mariner Society about this and check with them. They may be able to provide you with documentation to help you onboard for that second cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you have 2 different confirmation numbers, contact the Mariner Society -- 1-800-547-9139 and get either a letter from them or an e-mail indicating that at the end of the first cruise you will become 4 Star Mariners. Show that to the front office once the second cruise begins.

If it is a Collectors Cruise -- only 1 confirmation number -- you won't get the 4 star status until the next cruise.

[balanceok]

I don’t know about HAL, but on Royal Caribbean they upgraded our status on the second leg of the B2B when we moved up. They just added a sticker to our card and changed it in the system. I spoke to the rep on the ship to get it done. I assume HAL would do the same.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[hrhdhd]

We are very close to 4*.

We are booked from Montreal to Tampa on the Rotterdam.

We are thinking about the cruise from Boston to Montreal just prior. This would make it a back to back.

 

You probably won't be able to book a cruise from Boston to Tampa--it's a violation of the PVSA. Unless the route to Tampa includes a stop at a distant foreign port (ABC islands, Colombia).

[Shmoo here]

You probably won't be able to book a cruise from Boston to Tampa--it's a violation of the PVSA. Unless the route to Tampa includes a stop at a distant foreign port (ABC islands, Colombia).

Good catch.

[DaveOKC]

You probably won't be able to book a cruise from Boston to Tampa--it's a violation of the PVSA. Unless the route to Tampa includes a stop at a distant foreign port (ABC islands, Colombia).

 

I bet HAL will not let you book the back to back that you want to (as mentioned above). But, you should call them and ask to be certain.

[*Miss G*]

Wouldn’t the Canadian ports in between count? That whole PVSA thing confuses me.

[hrhdhd]

Wouldn’t the Canadian ports in between count? That whole PVSA thing confuses me.

 

No. There is no port in North America that qualifies as a distant foreign port, which is required to be transported between two U.S. ports.

[*Miss G*]

No. There is no port in North America that qualifies as a distant foreign port, which is required to be transported between two U.S. ports.

But this is where it’s confusing to me. What qualifies as a distant port? You can do a round trip NE/Canada sailing Boston to Boston, for example. Is it because you’re returning to the same port that qualifies it for not being a PVSA violation?

[catl331]

But this is where it’s confusing to me. What qualifies as a distant port? You can do a round trip NE/Canada sailing Boston to Boston, for example. Is it because you’re returning to the same port that qualifies it for not being a PVSA violation?

As hrhdhd said, the distant foreign port is required when you are going from US city to another, and a round-trip to the same port requires only a stop at a near foreign port: Boston-Montreal-Boston or NYC-Bermuda-NYC or Seattle-Victoria-Seattle or FLL-Nassau-FLL are okay. Boston-Tampa would have to stop someplace in South America, which includes Aruba/Bonaire/Curacao. The definition of a distant port is what the law says it is: nothing in North America.

 

However: if you change ships or spend at least 24 hours on land in Montreal then Boston-Montreal-Tampa is okay!

 

And this only applies to foreign-flagged ships. The NCL Pride of America can do Honolulu round-trips without a near foreign port because it is US flagged.

Edited September 2, 2018 by catl331

[*Miss G*]

Gotcha. Thank you!

[KBC73]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I will call the Mariner Society on Tuesday for their opinion.

[ZN1300]

Mexico is in North America and is a foreign port. I've been on many Holland America Blues Cruises out of San Diego and the only place they went was Mexico.

As far as the B2B, This year we are doing a B2B on the Oosterdam, Venice to Ft. Lauderdale with Barcelona being the middle port. We wanted to get the thermal suite for the Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale leg. I call HAL and they said that since we booked it as one cruise we couldn't purchase the thermal suites for half the cruise.

[joekerstef]

Mexico is in North America and is a foreign port. I've been on many Holland America Blues Cruises out of San Diego and the only place they went was Mexico.

But if you're leaving from San Diego and returning to San Diego, that does not violate PVSA. The issue is transport from one U.S. port to a different U.S. port.

[richwmn]

Mexico is in North America and is a foreign port. I've been on many Holland America Blues Cruises out of San Diego and the only place they went was Mexico.

As far as the B2B, This year we are doing a B2B on the Oosterdam, Venice to Ft. Lauderdale with Barcelona being the middle port. We wanted to get the thermal suite for the Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale leg. I call HAL and they said that since we booked it as one cruise we couldn't purchase the thermal suites for half the cruise.

That is fine as long as the cruise starts and ends in San Diego. It would not be allowed if your cruise ended in a US city other than San Diego

[Shmoo here]

Just to clarify:

 

A foreign flagged ship may NOT transport passengers from one US port to a different US port without a stop at at DISTANT foreign port. A distant foreign port is described in the PVSA as any foreign port NOT " in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, orthe West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands ofthe Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao)." 19 CFR § 4.80a(a)(2)."

 

Even though it's two separate cruises, the PVSA views it as one cruise, if the transportation is on the same ship.

 

All cruises must call at some foreign port (except for the previously mentioned Price of America). But it can be a "nearby" foreign port, as long as the embarkation and debarkation ports are not 2 different US ports.

[Shmoo here]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I will call the Mariner Society on Tuesday for their opinion.

As explained, you won't be able to book that Back to Back. But, give them a call.

[catl331]

All cruises must call at some foreign port (except for the previously mentioned Price of America).

But there's one more minor exception that should be mentioned: a "cruise to nowhere" that just drives around the ocean for a day or two or three and stops nowhere and returns to its starting port is allowed. Those don't happen very often though. The last one I recall for HAL was when the Eurodam first came to the US and did just a loop at sea out of NYC for 2 nights IIRC.

[hrhdhd]

But there's one more minor exception that should be mentioned: a "cruise to nowhere" that just drives around the ocean for a day or two or three and stops nowhere and returns to its starting port is allowed. Those don't happen very often though. The last one I recall for HAL was when the Eurodam first came to the US and did just a loop at sea out of NYC for 2 nights IIRC.

 

These are no longer allowed if departing from the U.S.

 

From our very own CC: "Due to U.S. government regulations, cruises to nowhere will not be allowed from American ports, starting in 2016. Ships leaving the U.S. will be required to call on at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. Cruises to nowhere departing from foreign countries will not be impacted."

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1683

[catl331]

These are no longer allowed if departing from the U.S.

 

From our very own CC: "Due to U.S. government regulations, cruises to nowhere will not be allowed from American ports, starting in 2016. Ships leaving the U.S. will be required to call on at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. Cruises to nowhere departing from foreign countries will not be impacted."

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1683

I missed that! Thanks. :o

[catl331]

These are no longer allowed if departing from the U.S.

 

From our very own CC: "Due to U.S. government regulations, cruises to nowhere will not be allowed from American ports, starting in 2016. Ships leaving the U.S. will be required to call on at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. Cruises to nowhere departing from foreign countries will not be impacted."

This

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1683

This must only apply to foreign-flagged vessels, because Victory Casino Cruises still runs two such cruises to nowhere out of Port Canaveral every day.

[hrhdhd]

This must only apply to foreign-flagged vessels, because Victory Casino Cruises still runs two such cruises to nowhere out of Port Canaveral every day.

 

Maybe that's the case. Perhaps it could also be that VCC's trips aren't "cruises" for this purpose (e.g., no overnight time at sea)?

[Shmoo here]

But there's one more minor exception that should be mentioned: a "cruise to nowhere" that just drives around the ocean for a day or two or three and stops nowhere and returns to its starting port is allowed. Those don't happen very often though. The last one I recall for HAL was when the Eurodam first came to the US and did just a loop at sea out of NYC for 2 nights IIRC.

Actually, there is an exception: If a cruise has 2 different US ports for the beginning and end of the cruise, and one of those ports is in Puerto Rico, no DISTANT foreign port is required.

[ZN1300]

But if you're leaving from San Diego and returning to San Diego, that does not violate PVSA. The issue is transport from one U.S. port to a different U.S. port.

I realized that as soon as I hit 'submit reply'. However on one Blues Cruise out of San Diego we couldn't make any ports because of a hurricane stirring up the waters in the southern baja. The ship just circled in the Magdalena Bay for days as we enjoyed the sunshine, blues music and drank all the booze onboard.

 

When finally continuing up the baja coast we stopped in Ensenada, a port that was not on the original itinerary. We were told, rightly or wrongly, that this was done because the ship had to stop in at least one foreign port.