Skip official departure in Seattle

[WitchyWoman23]

WE are taking Ovation of the Seas in July to Alaska. Our plans on departure day is to take a ferry and drive to Port Angleles to spend the next few days exploring the Olympic National Park.  I have read that departure day can see lots of traffic of other people driving to the park.

 

Can we check out and depart the ship on our last excursion day in Victoria, BC, take the Blackball ferry and customs and get to Port Angeles a day early and miss a lot of headache and driving time?

[Clarea]

Yes, but you have to arrange this in advance.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/partial-cruise-request

[Clarea]

Forgot to mention that they have been charging around $65 per person to leave the ship early.

[WitchyWoman23]

Thank you so much! We'll contact our TA

[frank808]

14 hours ago, WitchyWoman23 said:

WE are taking Ovation of the Seas in July to Alaska. Our plans on departure day is to take a ferry and drive to Port Angleles to spend the next few days exploring the Olympic National Park.  I have read that departure day can see lots of traffic of other people driving to the park.

 

Can we check out and depart the ship on our last excursion day in Victoria, BC, take the Blackball ferry and customs and get to Port Angeles a day early and miss a lot of headache and driving time?

We did just that this past July.  We were doing a S2S (side to side)Ovation and northbound on Radiance.  Instead of disembarking in Seattle and then driving back north to Vancouver, we left the ship in Victoria.  You have to arrange it in advance as the ship needs to notify Canadian immigration.  We also could not disembark until 11:30am.  Then you have to go through Canadian customs at the pier.  

 

We toured Victoria until the afternoon then took the V2V high speed ferry to Vancouver.  Ride was very smooth and seats were very comfortable.  A little wider than domestic first class seats on United (non lie flat).  Ferry was empty and service was friendly and attentive.  Great sightseeing.

[Monk86]

17 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

Forgot to mention that they have been charging around $65 per person to leave the ship early.

A charge for leaving early seems very excessive. Theoretically couldnt you just walk off with all your belongings and not return....or if you wanted to be nice about it....as you went past the security guards just tell them you were finished and keep going.

[Biker19]

30 minutes ago, Monk86 said:

A charge for leaving early seems very excessive.

Yes, it used to be free, but RCI started charging that 2+ years ago.

[spookwife]

1 hour ago, Monk86 said:

A charge for leaving early seems very excessive. Theoretically couldnt you just walk off with all your belongings and not return....or if you wanted to be nice about it....as you went past the security guards just tell them you were finished and keep going.

not excessive at all as the cruise line has to arrange for Immigration/Customs to be available  in a location not ordinarily required.  the host nation charges the cruise line for this and its only fair that they pass that cost on to  the ones who are using it.  

 

 

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, Monk86 said:

A charge for leaving early seems very excessive.  ...

 

They have to arrange for a different type of customs experience.  The guests are no longer "in transit" as  a typical passenger on a day stop, but actually entering the country.  Different legal situation.

[Monk86]

Fair enough...I was thinking of a European disembarking in Europe...obviously that changes with other places as you suggest.

 

Thanks

[papaflamingo]

1 hour ago, Monk86 said:

Fair enough...I was thinking of a European disembarking in Europe...obviously that changes with other places as you suggest.

 

Thanks

They charge the $65 in Europe also.  We had friends get off in Dover instead of riding the ship back to Amsterdam last July.   They also had to pay the $65.  

[SRF]

4 hours ago, Monk86 said:

A charge for leaving early seems very excessive. Theoretically couldnt you just walk off with all your belongings and not return....or if you wanted to be nice about it....as you went past the security guards just tell them you were finished and keep going.

 

Then you will have illegally entered that country.  

 

The fee is to arrange customs and immigration to legally process you.

[Monk86]

48 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Then you will have illegally entered that country.  

 

The fee is to arrange customs and immigration to legally process you.

As my post explained above, I was under assumptions of boarding and disembarking in the same jurisdiction.

[SRF]

You still need to enter the country, as your going on the cruise is an exit from the country.

 

You round trip cruise from the US, don't you clear immigration and customs when you return?  Even though you are in the same jurisdiction?