Reboarding on the Big Island

[mdmourges]

Does anyone know if you can get off in Hilo, stay the night in a hotel and reboard the ship in another port on the big island the following day(assuming the ship is stopping at two ports on the island)? Thanks.

 

Mark

[Senga]

As long as you advised them I wouldn't think there would be a problem. But the question is, why would you want to. You'll have paid for your accommodation and food on the cruise and would need to book a hotel and purchase food until you rejoined the ship in Kona.

[lisiamc]

On our trip, we tendered at Kona. If the weather was bad, you could be standing at the Kona pier watching the ship sail to the next island. Organising a flight to catch up with it could be more trouble than it's worth.

 

Besides, you would miss sailing past the lava flow in the dark. It was a highlight for us - not something that can be seen from the land.

 

Lisa

[mdmourges]

lisiamc, you make a good point on the tendering issue. I hadn't though about that. I was just hoping to spend an overnight on one of the island, but the risk, now pointed out to me, seems a bit high. thanks.

 

mark

[nmtraveler]

It might cost you $200 each to get back on the ship in Kona because of the Jones Act. The Jones Act is why you are going to Ensenada before you disembark in California.

[smeyer418]

Its definitely $250.00 per and it will be a $500.00 fine for getting off on one port in Hawaii(even on the same island) and then getting off back in San Diego...since it would be considered two transports....the only exception is you can do this on the NCL America ships which are American Flagged.

[lysolqn]

As mentioned, the Jones Act prohibits X (a foreign carrier) from transporting passengers from one US port to another without first visiting a foreign port. Doubt highly X would permit you to disembark at one port on the big island, then reboard at another - even if you were willing to pay the fine.

[C 2 C]

I wonder what would happen if you accidently missed the ship? Would the Jones Act prevent you from reboarding and force you to fly home?

[Char]

lisiamc, you make a good point on the tendering issue. I hadn't though about that. I was just hoping to spend an overnight on one of the island, but the risk, now pointed out to me, seems a bit high. thanks.

 

mark

There are some itineraries that DO overnight on one island. For instance, RCI has the Radiance overnighting in Maui, giving a full 2 days in Lahaina. That particular sailing is 9/28/07, but I imagine there are others if you look for them. Of course, RCI isn't Celebrity, and Maui isn't the Big Island, but the itinerary does what you are looking for....staying overnight.

[mdmourges]

I spoke to my person at Celebrity and he said you can indeed stay overnight as long as you arrange it with them in advance. The Jones act says if you "permanently" disembark from the ship you are subject to fines, etc. He said he has done this for folks in the past without an issue. Regardless, I still think the risk of missing a tendered ship is too high.

 

Mark

[LSilver]

Mark:

 

I would think that the chances of missing a tendered ship is at most only a little greater than missing a docked one.

 

Say that the ship is going to be in Kona from 9am - 4pm. The first tender will arrive before 10am and last one probably will leave about 3pm -- that give you 5 hours to catch a tender.

 

I don't think the ship is in Kona for any less time than what I used in my example -- and if it's there longer, then you have even more time to catch a tender.