Devations to disembark at a different port

[karentravelsallover]

Hello

I am cruising from Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam in May 2023.  We have requested a deviation to disembark 2 days before the end in Edinburgh, Scotland.  This is a Holland America Zuiderdam cruise.  We have been assured that it is approved.  However, they do not seem to be able to confirm this in writing, either directly to us or to our travel agent, Costco Travel.  We have spent hours on the phone to no avail.  I'm afraid that when the time comes, we will not be allowed to get off in Edinburgh, and we have paid for hotels, etc there.  Does anyone have experience or advice on this matter?

thanks

Karen

[GeorgeCharlie]

YES, you must have it in writing and take several copies with you. Plus it's likely best to video record any interactions you may need to have with Guest Services!!

 

In the fall of 2018 we requested to get off in Halifax, rather then NY. After we boarded in Copenhagen I went to the Guest Services desk to make sure they had it on our file - they had no record. They took a copy of my letter and said they would attach it to our file.

 

A few days before we were to get off the ship, I went to Guest Services to confirm they showed us getting off in Halifax - again they said they had no record and copied our letter again. I had the person who I was talking to make an extra copy, sign & date it, that he had received a copy to put on our file.

 

I went down the evening before we were to get off and once again they said no record existed. When I showed them the signed & dated copy showing they had received a copy just a few days earlier, they said it didn't matter - they still needed a copy to give to the Security people so that they knew we were getting off in Halifax.

 

The next morning when we showed up at the gangway with all of our luggage, Security said they had not been notified and therefore we could not get off until NY, due to both the Canadian and US authorities needing 72 hours advanced notice of any deviations.

 

Fortunately, the Captain was at the gangway and when I showed him the letter, he called the Security Manager and told him to straighten it out with the authorities and we were to be allowed to get off the ship asap. About 15 minutes later Security returned and told us we were cleared to disembark.

 

Captain apologized to us and reading between the lines in his remarks, I would take it this had happened before. He even made some of the Security staff carry our luggage into the terminal. 

 

One thing which likely made it easier, was that we are Canadian citizens, therefore no need for Immigration to be involved. We didn't clear Customs either - we just walked through the terminal and got a taxi. 

 

 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

YES, you must have it in writing and take several copies with you. Plus it's likely best to video record any interactions you may need to have with Guest Services!!

 

In the fall of 2018 we requested to get off in Halifax, rather then NY. After we boarded in Copenhagen I went to the Guest Services desk to make sure they had it on our file - they had no record. They took a copy of my letter and said they would attach it to our file.

 

A few days before we were to get off the ship, I went to Guest Services to confirm they showed us getting off in Halifax - again they said they had no record and copied our letter again. I had the person who I was talking to make an extra copy, sign & date it, that he had received a copy to put on our file.

 

I went down the evening before we were to get off and once again they said no record existed. When I showed them the signed & dated copy showing they had received a copy just a few days earlier, they said it didn't matter - they still needed a copy to give to the Security people so that they knew we were getting off in Halifax.

 

The next morning when we showed up at the gangway with all of our luggage, Security said they had not been notified and therefore we could not get off until NY, due to both the Canadian and US authorities needing 72 hours advanced notice of any deviations.

 

Fortunately, the Captain was at the gangway and when I showed him the letter, he called the Security Manager and told him to straighten it out with the authorities and we were to be allowed to get off the ship asap. About 15 minutes later Security returned and told us we were cleared to disembark.

 

Captain apologized to us and reading between the lines in his remarks, I would take it this had happened before. He even made some of the Security staff carry our luggage into the terminal. 

 

One thing which likely made it easier, was that we are Canadian citizens, therefore no need for Immigration to be involved. We didn't clear Customs either - we just walked through the terminal and got a taxi. 

 

 

Good advice. And thank goodness for a good Captain, and that the Captain is REALLY in charge.

[karentravelsallover]

Thank you so much for sharing this. Both Costco Travel and HAL are refusing our request for documentation and I know this could screw everything thing up. We will keep trying!

[karentravelsallover]

On 1/31/2023 at 4:20 PM, karentravelsallover said:

Hello

I am cruising from Fort Lauderdale to Rotterdam in May 2023.  We have requested a deviation to disembark 2 days before the end in Edinburgh, Scotland.  This is a Holland America Zuiderdam cruise.  We have been assured that it is approved.  However, they do not seem to be able to confirm this in writing, either directly to us or to our travel agent, Costco Travel.  We have spent hours on the phone to no avail.  I'm afraid that when the time comes, we will not be allowed to get off in Edinburgh, and we have paid for hotels, etc there.  Does anyone have experience or advice on this matter?

thanks

Karen

 

[karentravelsallover]

OK - all set!  HAL has responded with a letter in writing that we are able to disembark in Queensferry.  YAY