1 Day Coastal Cruises/Status Run

[MoonPet]

Hi all!

 

Within the frequent flyer community is something called a mileage run, where you take a flight for the sole purpose of earning miles, usually for the purpose of meeting a certain threshold to earn/maintain elite status.

 

My husband is considering a "cruise run" in order to fast track him to Elite status so that we can use the benefits on upcoming cruises.

 

Having never done the 1/2/3 day coastal cruises, I was wondering if anyone can share their experiences and thoughts about this possible itinerary. I'm not sure if he would be in violation of the passenger act that has to do with border crossings, this is where I really need your expert opinions.

 

This is his planned itinerary:

 

19 September -- 1 day sailing on the Golden Princess, SEA-YVR

 

20 September -- arrive YVR, do walk off disembarkation, take Amtrak at 8:45 am back to SEA. Arrive SEA at noon, board the Star Princess for the 1 day sailing SEA-YVR.

 

21 September -- arrive YVR. Stay on Star for the 2 day sailing to SFO.

 

We figure that with the double credits given to single passengers, this should net him 6 cruise credits.

 

Thoughts?

[Essiesmom]

The Seattle to Vancouver is not a problem. But they might have a hiccup with the Star B2B, as it involves transporting him between two US ports without visiting a DISTANT foreign port. Vancouver does not count as a distant foreign port. Not sure if there is a way around that by booking it as two separate cruises in different cabins, getting off in Vancouver...EM

[sultan_sfo]

Sep 19 and Sep 20 are OK.

But because of PVSA rules, you will not be allowed to stay on the Star because you are then going from SEA / YVR / SFO and the rules do not allow a cruise ship to transport pax from one US Port to another US Port with touching a "distant" foreign port.

 

No problem with cruise credits.

 

...

This is his planned itinerary:

 

19 September -- 1 day sailing on the Golden Princess, SEA-YVR

 

20 September -- arrive YVR, do walk off disembarkation, take Amtrak at 8:45 am back to SEA. Arrive SEA at noon, board the Star Princess for the 1 day sailing SEA-YVR.

 

21 September -- arrive YVR. Stay on Star for the 2 day sailing to SFO.

 

We figure that with the double credits given to single passengers, this should net him 6 cruise credits.

 

Thoughts?

[mississauga]

This is his planned itinerary:

 

19 September -- 1 day sailing on the Golden Princess, SEA-YVR

 

20 September -- arrive YVR, do walk off disembarkation, take Amtrak at 8:45 am back to SEA. Arrive SEA at noon, board the Star Princess for the 1 day sailing SEA-YVR.

 

21 September -- arrive YVR. Stay on Star for the 2 day sailing to SFO.

 

 

I think he would be ok to do the Sept. 19 Golden Princess SEA- YVR and then the Sep. 20 Star Princess SEA-YVR but not stay on for the Sept. 21

sailing to SFO.

 

His other option would be to do the Sept. 19 Golden Princess, stay over in YVR and board the Star on Sept.21 to sail to SFO.

[Colo Cruiser]

The key to this is booking the Star segments seperately.

This is what I have been told by a couple of different TA's. :)

[LARGIN]

The key to this is booking the Star segments seperately.

This is what I have been told by a couple of different TA's. :)

Bad advice. If this is caught they could deny boarding..

[mississauga]

The key to this is booking the Star segments seperately.

This is what I have been told by a couple of different TA's. :)

 

 

I have read on these boards that even if you have the 2 Star cruises booked, just prior to sailing, Princess will notify you that it cannot be done and will cancel one of them. I have never personally experienced this ... just read about this happening.

[sultan_sfo]

If one does this, make sure the TA will pick up the fine that will be levied!

 

The key to this is booking the Star segments seperately.

This is what I have been told by a couple of different TA's. :)

[triple7tahoe]

OR he could take the Star to VAN and then the Coral to LAX. The Coral leaves for LAX on the same day as the Star leaves for SFO

[vickie_bernie]

yup others are right, you can do the first two cruises but you can't do the last leg on the Star. Princess will notify you prior of the conflict. However we have heard of people getting off a Princess ship in Vancouver and getting on another Princess ship and sailing back to US. Like poster above said take the Coral. Somehow that is okay (don't really know the difference) Or you can sail on a different line but that doesn't give you the added credits.

 

We always do the coastals one in the fall and one in the spring. It helps offset all the 14 day cruises we take that also count as one credit. Happily we are elite for our Panama cruise.

 

We did do the Star in May on a one day Vancouver to Seattle, it was crazy, got on late and then the cruise seemed to be over as soon as my head hit the pillow. Didn't want to get off. :eek: I've written about it in my blog.... the good the bad and the not so ugly

[VibeGuy]

Yeah, do *not* risk getting clever on the Star consecutive sailings - between the fines and the risk of a cancelled booking....

 

We're doing the status runs ourselves, but we're staying over in YVR to get on Sapphire on the 23rd. He might want to consider the Pacific on the 17th as one option....

 

E

[jamu]

I have read on these boards that even if you have the 2 Star cruises booked, just prior to sailing, Princess will notify you that it cannot be done and will cancel one of them. I have never personally experienced this ... just read about this happening.

 

A couple years ago I did try to book a 1-day Sea - YVR and then a 3 day YVR - to LA. Two different ships on Princess. Princess let me book, but they called me last minute and told me I had to cancel one - I could not do both. They would make you get off the Star - so I am sure they would catch it and cancel one of those cruises. They'll start quoting the law to you, too. (We cancelled the 1 day SEA - YVR and did the 3 day YVR - LA)

[paul929207]

PVSA prohibits most cruise ships (including all the Princess ones) from transporting passengers from one US port to another with few exceptions. Your Star Princess plan does not meet the exceptions. Princess will not let you book this b2b. If you book it, they will likely discover it and make you cancel one. If you get by Princess and take the cruise, they US government will fne you. I believe the fine is $300 per person.

[laemerald]

Hi all!

 

Within the frequent flyer community is something called a mileage run, where you take a flight for the sole purpose of earning miles, usually for the purpose of meeting a certain threshold to earn/maintain elite status.

 

My husband is considering a "cruise run" in order to fast track him to Elite status so that we can use the benefits on upcoming cruises.

 

Having never done the 1/2/3 day coastal cruises, I was wondering if anyone can share their experiences and thoughts about this possible itinerary. I'm not sure if he would be in violation of the passenger act that has to do with border crossings, this is where I really need your expert opinions.

 

This is his planned itinerary:

 

19 September -- 1 day sailing on the Golden Princess, SEA-YVR

 

20 September -- arrive YVR, do walk off disembarkation, take Amtrak at 8:45 am back to SEA. Arrive SEA at noon, board the Star Princess for the 1 day sailing SEA-YVR.

 

21 September -- arrive YVR. Stay on Star for the 2 day sailing to SFO.

 

We figure that with the double credits given to single passengers, this should net him 6 cruise credits.

 

Thoughts?

I don't think the amtrak train leaves vancouver till late at night now I heard that for the olympics amtrak will start another train that goes to seattle in august but not yet its supposed to leave in the morning but not sure if its a go yet.

[Colo Cruiser]

If one does this, make sure the TA will pick up the fine that will be levied!

 

 

Exactly.

[Cruisers from WA]

I tried to do the back to back cruises, booking separately a few years ago and Princess called and said I would have to cancel one of the cruises....they gave me the option of which to cancel, and since I had air booked from lax back to Seattle it was a "no brainer" to cancel the over night cruise.

 

BTW: Elite is wonderful! :D

[VibeGuy]

Something I do find interesting....HAL/Carnivore Corporation have been sued for collecting PVSA fines from passengers who missed their embarkation in SEA and flew to meet the ship in Juneau, then debarked in SEA (a PVSA violation) .....even though HAL was *never* fined by Customs & Border Protection. There was a class-action lawsuit a few years back.

[septrack]

We did something similar a few years back. Took Dawn SEA-Vancouver, spent the night, then took the Coral Vancoiuver-LAX the next day. My understanding is that you have to overnight before the return trip.

 

One other thing, we booked insides on both trips and were upgraded to balconies on both legs.

 

Not a bad way to earn credits.

[VibeGuy]

You don't *have* to overnight; you can either overnight or change ships (inside a line or across lines).

[2pbears]

You don't *have* to overnight; you can either overnight or change ships (inside a line or across lines).

 

I don't believe changing ships within a line will qualify. I think you would have to switch to a different line if you were not planning to spend a night between trips.

 

Just curious but it looks as though you are spending quite a bit of money to jump to Elite (double payments for a single passenger for 3 cruises as well as airfare across the US). None of my business but does Elite status offer enough to offset the additional cost?

[VibeGuy]

It really is vessel-specific; the Maritime Administration office of the Department of Transportation is emphatic that a change of vessel in a foreign port, regardless of distance or time between changes, counts as two sailings. It's completely legal (and possible) to book Line A Ship 1 to Vancouver, and then Line A Ship 2 from Vancouver, as separate voyages that coincidentally line up time-wise. There would be no restriction, in fact, on marketing such a voyage . . . just the inconvenience of having to schlepp between the two ships, and having a bunch of angry people at the Purser's Desk going "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO CHANGE SHIPS - NOBODY EVER TOLD ME THAT!".

 

As for me, the OP is the one spending the cash; I live in Seattle and plan to take the city bus to the terminal. ;0)

[fridaythecat.u.k.]

Sep 19 and Sep 20 are OK.

But because of PVSA rules, you will not be allowed to stay on the Star because you are then going from SEA / YVR / SFO and the rules do not allow a cruise ship to transport pax from one US Port to another US Port with touching a "distant" foreign port.

 

No problem with cruise credits.

 

Slightly off topic (sorry!) but I have read about this funny law on CC a couple of times (is it Jones law or something?). Can someone explain what it's all about and what's the big deal if you sail from one US port to another anyway? I'm sure there must be a logical reason but I can't think of what it could be :D

[noj]

Several years ago we did I think Golden Princess from Sea to Vancourver and then "walked across the pier" to NCL back to Seattle. There were 7000 people trying to get on ships that day in Vancouver!!!!

The Jones Act or PVSA was there to protect our maritime industries and has more to do with moving freight between two ports of the nation than with moving people. But apparrently most martime nations have such protections!!!!

[MoonPet]

Thank you all for the incredible wealth of information here. Cruise Critic at its best!

 

Please continue to share info/experiences if you have.

[MoonPet]

Just curious but it looks as though you are spending quite a bit of money to jump to Elite (double payments for a single passenger for 3 cruises as well as airfare across the US). None of my business but does Elite status offer enough to offset the additional cost?

 

 

Coastal sailing fares aren't too pricey, even with the single supplement. We feel that the benefits will be well worth it for our next longer cruises. It is a long stretch from platinum to elite; if my husband can pull this off, it will be very nice.

 

My work schedule is not as flexible, otherwise I would love to join him on this adventure.