Suspension of Partial Cruises by RCI

[Cruise Wonderland]

12 hours ago, islandchick said:

Why do you care???  If it doesn't affect you why are you chiming in.

I have done a med cruise on Celebrity where my DH and I got off one day early in Naples instead of the Rome stop because we wanted to stay in the Amalfi coastal area and it was much closer to do that. When we retire I think we will be doing it more often. So, it does matter to some of us that are enjoying cruises as well as land travel.  I certainly hope that they continue the practice at some point. 

 

You have already mentioned the reason. Because it is in Europe.

 

US cabotage law (Passenger Vessel Service Act, PVSA) forbids passengers on a foreign vessel to start the cruise from US Port A and leave at US Port B, unless the itinerary visits a distant foreign port.

 

There are similar regulations in Japan, China, and other countries too.

 

Even the cruise lines wish to allow the passengers to do so, the Governments do not and will impose penalty to cruise lines which violate the law.

[J0Y0US]

14 hours ago, GTJ said:

Clearly we are a minority. But if profits can be made, without significant added expense to the carrier, why not do so? Why would a cruise line desire to deny service to a minority?

 

Cruise lines already short staffed so how much extra work is this? Are various countries allowing and not allowing making it more difficult to say it's okay or not? 

 

Additionally not even extra work on ship but shoreside setting policy and updating during the covid times. 

Edited September 10, 2022 by J0Y0US

[GTJ]

On 9/10/2022 at 4:34 AM, Cruise Wonderland said:

US cabotage law (Passenger Vessel Service Act, PVSA) forbids passengers on a foreign vessel to start the cruise from US Port A and leave at US Port B, unless the itinerary visits a distant foreign port. There are similar regulations in Japan, China, and other countries too. Even the cruise lines wish to allow the passengers to do so, the Governments do not and will impose penalty to cruise lines which violate the law.

The premise of the inquiry here assumes that the transportation sought is legal and not a violation of cabotage laws. So, for example, transportation from the United States to Canada or to Mexico. The issue is not about the law, but rather about the cruise line permitting, or not permitting, a passenger to do something that is lawful (i.e., embark onto, or disembark from, a vessel).

 

On 9/10/2022 at 5:34 AM, J0Y0US said:

Cruise lines already short staffed so how much extra work is this? Are various countries allowing and not allowing making it more difficult to say it's okay or not?

All I see is negligible effort. There are a handful of countries that might prohibit entry or exit by sea (Egypt comes to mind), but that goes back to the matter quoted above: the premise of the inquiry here assumes that the transportation sought is legal. In other words, if it is lawful for passengers to disembark from the vessel and enter the country where the vessel is docked, and the cruise vessel operator is permitting other passengers to alight from the vessel for the day, what reasons are there for the cruise vessel operator to not permit a passenger to alight from the vessel and not return for re-boarding that vessel?

 

What about the reverse? That is, boarding at an intermediate port (and again, only where it would be lawful to do so). The cruise line would need to screen the passenger and his or her baggage upon boarding at an intermediate port . . . but the cruise line does that for every passenger and their on-shore purchases and other acquisitions when they are re-boarding at that same port. The cruise line would need to issue a stateroom key and on board account card to the embarking passenger upon boarding the vessel . . . but the cruise line also does that on board the vessel for any passenger who loses or damages their card.

 

Perhaps there may be some added cautions brought about by the pandemic (I am not quite sure what they may be, but let us assume that to be the case), and that is the reason for Royal Caribbean International suspending its usual practice. But beyond these health concerns, all of these actions relating to passengers embarking or disembarking at intermediate ports seem to be negligible, and within the scope of ordinary care undertaken by any transportation provider.

[Pellaz]

Reading this rather overwrought thread has been an entertaining 40 minutes.  😄  

 

Many overseas ports have COVID restrictions still in place, so I suspect Royal is covering themselves by making a blanket policy...and as has been observed, they are in the vacation business, not the ocean ferry business.  

If there were no PVSA violations or local port restrictions involved, I'd expect RCCL to restore the practice in non-emergency situations.   But...their ships, their rules.  They would be under no requirement to do so.  

 

 

 

 

[vjmatty]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:42 PM, craig01020 said:

Unless you're late coming back from a port of call. Then they have no problem leaving you there. 🤣

 

I think you may be on to something here.... possible solution for the OP.  Just chase the ship as it leaves the pier and pretend you are trying to get back on.

 

Even though I don't consider a cruise ship to be a "ferry" (a little extreme there, folks) I have disembarked in LeHavre instead of waiting until the next day to finish a transatlantic cruise in Southampton, because we were spending a week in France after the cruise.  I suppose you could argue that taking off one day out of a 17 day sailing makes it a "ferry", but the last night of a cruise is depressing anyway and you already feel the effort to get you off the ship.

 

Obviously RCI in its infinite wisdom doesn't want to permit early disembarking anymore, so if you sail one of their ships you're stuck forgoing it.  But there is no reason to criticize those who have their own reasons for wanting to do so, just because it's not for everyone.

[little britain]

Round trip from Sydney to NZ - someone on the roll call has permission to disembark in a NZ port. Apparently.

[Cigar King]

It's a year old thread...

[not-enough-cruising]

Hardly worth resurrecting

[cruiseboy89130]

7 hours ago, little britain said:

Round trip from Sydney to NZ - someone on the roll call has permission to disembark in a NZ port. Apparently.

Hearsay - might not be true!

[little britain]

4 hours ago, Cigar King said:

It's a year old thread...

 

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Hardly worth resurrecting

Resurrected because they have started allowing it again. Perhaps a one off because it is special occasion and no restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.

 

If you aren’t interested then there is no need to comment. 

Edited December 9, 2023 by little britain

[not-enough-cruising]

30 minutes ago, little britain said:

 

Resurrected because they have started allowing it again. Perhaps a one off because it is special occasion and no restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.

 

If you aren’t interested then there is no need to comment. 

Absolutely false statement. They are not allowing it, there has been no change to the policy. 

[Ourusualbeach]

57 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Absolutely false statement. They are not allowing it, there has been no change to the policy. 

Given all of the different countries that Royal is operating in, with many different operating policies I would personally never make such a blanket statement

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Resurrected because they have started allowing it again. Perhaps a one off because it is special occasion and no restrictions between Australia and New Zealand.

So are they allowing it OR is it a one-off?  You can't have it both ways and I still think resurrecting a year old thread for this is bogus.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Given all of the different countries that Royal is operating in, with many different operating policies I would personally never make such a blanket statement

Very fair point. 
 

I shouldn’t have 

[Chiliburn]

10 hours ago, little britain said:

Round trip from Sydney to NZ - someone on the roll call has permission to disembark in a NZ port. Apparently.

I have seen it done but there has to be N.Z. Immigration on duty.

Last year I saw about 100 people getting off in Wellington and going through immigration just before the last leg back to Sydney.

I asked around and apparently it was a world tour.

[Mick B]

Hi,

Fairly sure in Europe that some of the itineraries where a ship sailed round the med between Spain (Barcelona) and Italy (Rome/Civitavecchia), that the cruise line allowed guests to embark and disembark at both ports and also stay on for a round trip too. I believe this was both before and after covid. So maybe it depends in where in the world you are and what counties allow you to get on/off a ship.

I have been on many ships where people have been taken off either at port of via helicopter when at sea for medical emergencies - anyone remember hearing things like "Alpha Alpha Alpha Main Dinning room" when someone had taken ill there. I have also been on many cruises where people get on and off at various ports along the way (unless they get off at every port of call with several suitcases), so it does happen for whatever reason.

 

Coming from the UK, not sure about the US but I have been on a few TAs where people who live in Canada have not been allowed to disembark but have to remain onboard all the way to Boston or New York and then travel back. And I have been on a TA where people got off in Iceland and flew to the US due to bad seas, so they were allowed under those circumstances.

 

I personally book a cruise that I want to do which goes to where I want or need to go and enjoy it fully. But it should be up to each individual traveller to choose what he/she wants to providing the rules allow for it and would hope that everyone checks what is allowed beforehand.

 

Mick.

 

[Biker19]

29 minutes ago, Mick B said:

Fairly sure in Europe that some of the itineraries where a ship sailed round the med between Spain (Barcelona) and Italy (Rome/Civitavecchia), that the cruise line allowed guests to embark and disembark at both ports and also stay on for a round trip too. I believe this was both before and after covid.

Those are interporting sailings on which that’s normal -  very different from a downline embarkation/disembarkation. 

[Mick B]

Fair enough!