Question about early disembarkation in Canada

[LoganTheCruiser]

My family and I are going on a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise departing Vancouver. It ends in Seattle. It stops in Victoria BC as it's last stop before Seattle. We would love to get off early in Victoria, rather than sail back to Seattle with the ship, and spend more time exploring Victoria. I submitted a request with Royal but it was denied and they said because of the "Canadian Coasting Trade Act." Does anyone know if this is accurate? 

 

It also feels a little unnerving to know that we couldn't get off whenever wanted to. Almost like we're hostages. I understand forfeiting the remaining nights on your room if you left a cruise early, but for them to actually say, no, you can't get off, you're a hostage until the end...? What if I got sea sick and wanted off early? 

[broberts]

39 minutes ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

My family and I are going on a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise departing Vancouver. It ends in Seattle. It stops in Victoria BC as it's last stop before Seattle. We would love to get off early in Victoria, rather than sail back to Seattle with the ship, and spend more time exploring Victoria. I submitted a request with Royal but it was denied and they said because of the "Canadian Coasting Trade Act." Does anyone know if this is accurate? 

 

It also feels a little unnerving to know that we couldn't get off whenever wanted to. Almost like we're hostages. I understand forfeiting the remaining nights on your room if you left a cruise early, but for them to actually say, no, you can't get off, you're a hostage until the end...? What if I got sea sick and wanted off early? 

 

Since the voyage started in a Canadian port if would indeed be a violation of the act to transport passengers to another Canadian port. See https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/coasting-trade-canada/coasting-trade-act-transportation-passengers-cruise-ships.

 

That said, I doubt a Canadian could be denied landing. However there may well be fines and other penalties incurred by the cruise line. I believe passenger cruise contracts allow such charges to be passed through to the passenger.

 

[Fouremco]

The Canadian Coasting Trade Act is seldom mentioned on Cruise Critic, even on the Canadian Cruisers forum, but with respect to your situation, it is similar to the frequently discussed US Passenger Vessel Services Act. Stated very broadly, the CTA  protects Canadian marine interest, including not allowing foreign flagged ships to embark passengers in one Canadian port and disembark them in a different Canadian port. This means that a foreign ship can't run a ferry service between Canadian ports; for example, between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

 

This type of protective legislation is not uncommon, which is why foreign airlines can't fly domestic routes within Canada.

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, LoganTheCruiser said:

My family and I are going on a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise departing Vancouver. It ends in Seattle. It stops in Victoria BC as it's last stop before Seattle. We would love to get off early in Victoria, rather than sail back to Seattle with the ship, and spend more time exploring Victoria. I submitted a request with Royal but it was denied and they said because of the "Canadian Coasting Trade Act." Does anyone know if this is accurate? 

 

It also feels a little unnerving to know that we couldn't get off whenever wanted to. Almost like we're hostages. I understand forfeiting the remaining nights on your room if you left a cruise early, but for them to actually say, no, you can't get off, you're a hostage until the end...? What if I got sea sick and wanted off early? 

 

The cruise line cannot legally prevent you from disembarking, or "Jumping Ship". However, as others explained, the Coasting Trade Act is Canada's cabotage laws, which prevents foreign flag tonnage transporting pax or cargo from 1 Canadian port to another.

 

If you wish to "Jump Ship" in Victoria, you will be in contravention of the Act. If the cruise line is fined for your actions, they will pass on the costs of the fine and possibly additional administrative costs. The Act does not consider your Nationality, the contravention is due to your passage on foreign flagged tonnage.

 

For contraventions of the Act, the ship can be fined up to $50,000.

 

If you were sea sick and were medically disembarked by the ship's doctor, they may consider extenuating circumstances. However, in 40 yrs at sea, I have never seen a pax or crew member medically disembarked due to sea sickness.

 

Are you willing to receive a $50K + bill to disembark early?

[Alberta Quilter]

This is interesting.  I did something similar a few years ago but maybe there is a difference in how I did it, that allowed it to happen.  I boarded the ship in Vancouver, sailed on a 1 day cruise to Seattle.  From there, on the same ship, we did a 14 day cruise to Alaska.  It was two different booking numbers as we booked the 1 day cruise some time after booking the 14 day cruise (mostly because it's much easier for us to fly to/from Vancouver/Victoria than Seattle).  I believe I inquired about the PVSA rules at the time; I didn't know until reading this thread about Canadian cabotage laws.

 

Like the OP, the last port was Victoria.  We asked, and received permission to disembark in Victoria.  We had to take our own luggage off and, of course, go through customs/immigration.

 

Were we just lucky? 

[Fouremco]

The PVSA considers b2b cruises as a single cruise from the perspective of embarkation and disembarkation ports. So, for example, you couldn't take a cruise that starts in Hawaii and ends in Vancouver, then take the one day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. 

 

I don't know whether the Coasting Trade Act has the same restriction, or whether it simply treats each leg as a separate cruise. The CTA is so infrequently mentioned on CC that I've not seen any related information. Perhaps @Heidi13 can comment.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

The PVSA considers b2b cruises as a single cruise from the perspective of embarkation and disembarkation ports. So, for example, you couldn't take a cruise that starts in Hawaii and ends in Vancouver, then take the one day cruise from Vancouver to Seattle. 

 

I don't know whether the Coasting Trade Act has the same restriction, or whether it simply treats each leg as a separate cruise. The CTA is so infrequently mentioned on CC that I've not seen any related information. Perhaps @Heidi13 can comment.

 

Similar to the PVSA it only considers the embarkation and disembarkation ports on the same ship. I doesn't consider whether it is a single or multiple cruises.

[Greybruce]

We did this a couple of years ago , I had to write a letter to request to disenmbark in Victoria BC , we are Canadian .  Send Royal a message they will advise you.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, Greybruce said:

We did this a couple of years ago , I had to write a letter to request to disenmbark in Victoria BC , we are Canadian .  Send Royal a message they will advise you.

 

You may want to reread the 1st post.

[Greybruce]

1 hour ago, broberts said:

 

You may want to reread the 1st post.

Thanks I did reread the 1st post , my apologies .  Things must of changed.

 

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, Greybruce said:

Thanks I did reread the 1st post , my apologies .  Things must of changed.

 

 

Not aware of any changes to the Coasting Trade Act, so when you disembarked in Victoria from a foreign-flagged cruise ship you were in contravention of Canada's Cabotage Laws, with the cruise line liable for a fine of up to $50,000. Perhaps the cruise line received a warning or fine.

 

The Act does not consider that you are a Canadian citizen, it only considers the Flag State of the ship. 

[david,Mississauga]

On two of our Vancouver to Vancouver Alaska cruises on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth, passengers were permitted to disembark in Victoria the day before arrival in Vancouver. I watched as they were quickly processed by the border officials who may not have been aware of the Act.

 

  But on last year's cruise  Cunard finally realised this was in contravention of the law and it was prohibited. The daily programme quoted the relevant legislation.  Some passengers did it anyway, by simply going ashore with most others and not returning. The purser's office had said passengers whose final destination was Victoria could take their luggage ashore but had to return to the ship. I have no idea what happened to them or the line.

 

 

[Alberta Quilter]

So maybe, the cruise lines recently became aware of the Canadian restrictions.  I said in my post that my experience was a few years ago, but it was about ten years ago.  I'm surprised that border officials wouldn’t have been aware of it, though.

[broberts]

5 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

So maybe, the cruise lines recently became aware of the Canadian restrictions.  I said in my post that my experience was a few years ago, but it was about ten years ago.  I'm surprised that border officials wouldn’t have been aware of it, though.

 

It may be that over time the number of violations has increased to a level Canada is not willing to tolerate.

 

[Canadian Girl 123455]

I am in the same situation as you! Victoria is our home port. I got denied as well. If we travel to Seattle and have to come home that will cost us 20% of our total trip cost. I’d like to just go home. Can we connect Logan? I’m new to this app how can we email? 

[Heidi13]

20 hours ago, Canadian Girl 123455 said:

I am in the same situation as you! Victoria is our home port. I got denied as well. If we travel to Seattle and have to come home that will cost us 20% of our total trip cost. I’d like to just go home. Can we connect Logan? I’m new to this app how can we email? 

 

Which port will you board the vessel?

[Canadian Girl 123455]

We get on in Vancouver 

[Heidi13]

23 hours ago, Canadian Girl 123455 said:

We get on in Vancouver 

 

There is nothing to prevent you from disembarking in Victoria, but since you are sailing on a foreign-flagged cruise ship, you would be in contravention of the Coasting Trade Act. The cruise line is liable for a fine of up to $50,000, which in accordance with their terms & conditions will be charged to the pax.

 

Returning from Seattle may be less convenient, but disembarking in Victoria could be rather expensive. 

 

If you experience heavy weather in the Pacific, the cruise line could easily cancel the Victoria call, as it is not required for PVSA compliance. So you may not have the option of disembarking in Victoria, being disembarked in Seattle. If the cruise is late in the season, the potential for heavy weather is increased.