Leaving a cruise early and making own way home?

[Tikka234]

Hi can you leave a cruise early? 2 of our party booked for next year may need to leave our cruise on day 11 on 14 nt cruise in France is this possible  there in a cabin for 3 so 1 will be left in that cabin. I know I will need to speak to p o just wondering  if anyone has experience  of this thanks

[david63]

Only P&O will be able to give a definitive answer to that question.

 

It is possible but there are many factors involved, not least being which port and if that port has facilities to allow passengers to disembark.

[AchileLauro]

It should be possible as crew and entertainment staff do it all the time but you need to speak to P&O and arrange it.

Alternatively just misbehave badly enough and P&O will take the decision out of your hands.

[molecrochip]

Yes it is possible but there are some caveats.

 

- unless it’s an emergency then tender ports are generally out

- needs sorting via P&O direct

- no refund or reduction in cruise fee/drinks package.

- some countries are a no because of visa issues

- personal arrangements to get home must be made, generally from port customs office/ship

[Windsurfboy]

I left a day early on Cunard no issues, but we had been through passport control in Cape town had our passports stamped.

 

Of course no refund.

 

Any problems will be with immigration at the port.  Unless there are proper immigration facilities in the port , then when you come to leave France there will be nothing in your passport or system to say when you entered EU. 

 

After October 6th the new system comes into play , with biometrics and fingerprint etc. So if British passengers have to go through proper immigration at first EU port you'll be OK. If it's like now and no passports contol for cruise ships it could be more complicated. 

 

 

[molecrochip]

Except for medical emergencies, P&O have to declare on arrival who is leaving the ship. In a lot of countries, you are either called to immigration as part of ship clearance procedures and can then leave later, or given a set time later for immigration at which you’re then led from the ship.

[Tikka234]

Thanks for your replies will contact p o 

[sandancer]

Some cruise lines charge a fee for leaving early but don’t know if this applies to P&O. I think Celebrity used to charge $200. 

[Ranchi]

We have had family members join cruises part way through and also leave cruises early. I have to say this is all a few years ago (ie before Brexit & Covid.) In each case we liaised with P&O beforehand. They didn’t like the idea of joining at a tender port but did allow me to do it if I took responsibility in case the ship didn’t tender at that port (Andalsnes.) 

Surprisingly getting off in Gibraltar seemed more complex than joining. Passport was collected as we departed the previous port and was handed back when going ashore in Gib. 
There is no reduction for missed nights but neither was there any supplement - at the time! 

Edited July 7 by Ranchi

[Lady Meer]

On 7/6/2024 at 3:55 PM, Windsurfboy said:

I left a day early on Cunard no issues, but we had been through passport control in Cape town had our passports stamped.

 

Of course no refund.

 

Any problems will be with immigration at the port.  Unless there are proper immigration facilities in the port , then when you come to leave France there will be nothing in your passport or system to say when you entered EU. 

 

After October 6th the new system comes into play , with biometrics and fingerprint etc. So if British passengers have to go through proper immigration at first EU port you'll be OK. If it's like now and no passports contol for cruise ships it could be more complicated. 

 

 

I think the ETIAS is now starting in 2025?

[FangedRose]

On 7/6/2024 at 3:55 PM, Windsurfboy said:

After October 6th the new system comes into play , with biometrics and fingerprint etc. So if British passengers have to go through

I'm sure that's been pushed back (again).

[9265359]

4 minutes ago, FangedRose said:

I'm sure that's been pushed back (again).

 

The Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) starts on the 6th October 2024 and it is the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) that has been pushed back and is now due to start in mid-2025.

 

EES is the system that requires you to provide fingerprints and a facial image on your first entry to the EU.

 

EES is the system to replace the 'wet stamping' of passports and will record the entry and exit of non-EU nationals on a computer system to track that they have not exceeded the time they can spend in the Schengen area - normally 90 days in a rolling 180 days.

 

Individuals will be able to check that website to see the number of days they have spent in Schengen and how many days you have remaining that you can spend, but EES is going to catch out a *lot* of people who have been playing fast and loose with the 90/180 rule.

 

Theoretically EES should identify family members of EU citizens as although their details are recorded, the time they spend in the Schengen area with their EU citizen family member doesn't count against the 90/180 day rule (time spent on their own does).

 

ETIAS is different to EES and is a travel authorisation for visa exempt non-EU citizens.

 

ETIAS requires you to proved lots of information, not only name, address, and date of birth, but also such information about education, occupation, criminal convictions, past travel in certain areas of the world.

 

The ETIAS authorisation lasts three years or the expiry of your passport if earlier, and costs 7 euros unless you are over 70 or under 18 or a family member of an EU citizen - those people still need to apply for ETIAS, it is just there is no cost.

 

Essentially EES tracks *when* you have been in the EU and ETIAS allows the EU to identify *who* they don't want to let in.

[FangedRose]

3 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

 

The Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) starts on the 6th October 2024 and it is the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) that has been pushed back and is now due to start in mid-2025.

 

EES is the system that requires you to provide fingerprints and a facial image on your first entry to the EU.

 

EES is the system to replace the 'wet stamping' of passports and will record the entry and exit of non-EU nationals on a computer system to track that they have not exceeded the time they can spend in the Schengen area - normally 90 days in a rolling 180 days.

 

Individuals will be able to check that website to see the number of days they have spent in Schengen and how many days you have remaining that you can spend, but EES is going to catch out a *lot* of people who have been playing fast and loose with the 90/180 rule.

 

Theoretically EES should identify family members of EU citizens as although their details are recorded, the time they spend in the Schengen area with their EU citizen family member doesn't count against the 90/180 day rule (time spent on their own does).

 

ETIAS is different to EES and is a travel authorisation for visa exempt non-EU citizens.

 

ETIAS requires you to proved lots of information, not only name, address, and date of birth, but also such information about education, occupation, criminal convictions, past travel in certain areas of the world.

 

The ETIAS authorisation lasts three years or the expiry of your passport if earlier, and costs 7 euros unless you are over 70 or under 18 or a family member of an EU citizen - those people still need to apply for ETIAS, it is just there is no cost.

 

Essentially EES tracks *when* you have been in the EU and ETIAS allows the EU to identify *who* they don't want to let in.

I know what it is. But I'm still sure the start date has been pushed back.

[nosapphire]

No confirmed dates for either system.

EU link may be useful. Indicates start date for EES 2nd half of 2024, start date for ETIAS starting first half of 2025.

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/index_en

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

Many papers and https://etias.com/articles/eu-border-security-ees-launch-2024 say october 6th for biometrics and fingerprints 

[terrierjohn]

55 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Many papers and https://etias.com/articles/eu-border-security-ees-launch-2024 say october 6th for biometrics and fingerprints 

Will ships passengers have to do the biometrics at the first or all ports or will the EU allow the manual system to continue, with cruise ships confirming all passengers and crew have returned from shore visits.

[9265359]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Will ships passengers have to do the biometrics at the first or all ports or will the EU allow the manual system to continue, with cruise ships confirming all passengers and crew have returned from shore visits.

 

It's complicated - Microsoft PowerPoint - Seatrade 2024 - EU Border Systems CLIA presentation (cruising.org)

 

But it would seem to be that for cruises starting and ending in the UK with Schengen area stops that ETIAS (when it comes in) would need to be checked on embarkation, but EES is not needed since, as now, the ship is effectively confirming that passengers have returned back on-board. So the old 'Southampton to the Med and back to Southampton' cruises are not getting involved with EES.

 

For cruises starting or ending in a Schengen area port and ending or starting in a non-Schengen port (mainly repositioning cruises) then EES (and ETIAS if arriving) does apply as that is when you are entering or leaving the Schengen area.

 

For cruises starting and ending from a Schengen area port and only Schengen stops then nothing is required, because the EES and ETIAS would be done when you entered and left the Schengen area, for example at the airport.

 

However for cruises starting and ending from a Schengen area port that include non-Schengen stops then whether to process EES is down to the Schengen member states involved and the risk profile of the passengers. So that is potentially problematic for Gibraltar (at the moment, unless they get their way to join Schengen), Cyprus, north African ports, (and very theoretically, Ireland - but I doubt there are any cruises that start and end from a Schengen country and take in Ireland as a stop but don't take in the UK).

 

So all fun and games, and I would expect that some cruise companies who do cruises out of Schengen ports but which include non-Schengen stops to north Africa or Gibraltar will now be thinking about whether it is worth the hassle in future.

[Ardennais]

And all so unnecessary! 

[westerdam]

20 hours ago, FangedRose said:

I know what it is. But I'm still sure the start date has been pushed back.

There is talk about pushing it back again possibly into 2025 sometime.  Problems with the port of Dover, smaller airports, and I would imagine some very small ports and border crossings in the middle of nowhere like Corfu to Albania. The announcement is supposed to be by the end of August.  I forget the exact date.  Until then it is looking like October 6th. 

[9265359]

13 hours ago, Ardennais said:

And all so unnecessary! 

 

That ship sailed in 2016, although fortunately some of us have ancestry that mean it does not apply.

 

Edited July 9 by 9265359

[nosapphire]

15 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Many papers and https://etias.com/articles/eu-border-security-ees-launch-2024 say october 6th for biometrics and fingerprints 

The statement of date is qualified by the remark "according to confirmation by The Independent" along with a link to said newspaper and the article by Simon Calder (December 2023).

The homepage of ETIAS.com also specifies that it is not affiliated to the EU, it appears to be a website that gathers and collates reports from elsewhere,mainly other news sources, it is not an original source.

A useful site, but no more so than any other news report.
The date should be confirmed in August - hopefully - and should then start showing on the "official" sites.

[terrierjohn]

If, as @9265359 states, EES will not affect most P&O cruises or any sailings out of the UK, then we have no need to be concerned on this part of the forum. 

For other EU holidays the airport or ferry port wIll deal with the EES process, and ETIAS when it comes in will operate similar to the US ESTA, and will be linked to your passport and should not really cause us any problems.