CantanaLobo

United web page.

Given that these tickets put you in the last boarding group, there won't be any room in the overhead bins for your roller bag anyway.

"Our playrooms"...

Dang, can't find those on the deck plans. White area maybe? Do you need to be in a suite to gain entry? :-)

If the OP wants to help people of a like mind, it would be more useful for them to list the cruise lines that would refuse to charter to that group, or any other group the OP finds unsavory - make sure there's a morals clause in the cruise contract. Then they and others of similar views could go on that line.

I bet that list is going to be really, really short.

I can get a good deal on a balcony cabin if I am willing to take a "guaranteed" cabin, meaning the ship will assign my cabin. There is always the chance that I will end up with an obstructed view. Is the gamble worth it

...But shouldn't the airline have:

 

Contacted me to tell me that I am no longer in first class.

 

And just as importantly pro-actively issued me a credit for the difference between business class and first class?

If you'd found out at the airport, they'd probably have given you three choices:

1. Go on the scheduled flight in business. Eventually you'd get the fare difference and maybe a few miles as a gesture.
   
2. Take a later flight in first and maybe get a few miles as a gesture.
   
3. Cancel the ticket for a full refund and maybe get a few miles as a gesture.
   

Don't expect anything more from the airline than eventual transportation from point A to point B - perhaps days after you planned. The only time anything will be done preemptively is if you do it. Check your reservation weekly.

And again, I say, use the OP's circumstance. He misses his embarkation and boards in Ketchikan to go to Whittier. How do you justify not allowing the AMH ferry to reflag to foreign, since they provide the exact same service? And all of the exemptions existing to the PVSA state that the exemption ends once US flag service is available, so since the AMH provides the service, there is no precedent for allowing an exemption to a cruise ship. This problem really only comes up with Alaska cruises due to the number of US ports.

Like any law enforcement agency, the CBP has discretion to enforce a given law or not. District attorneys have similar discretion to prosecute. "Why did I get a ticket and my best friend didn't and we were both going the same speed over the limit?".

With regards to CBP for example, you might declare something for which duty should be paid, but the officer might waive it for whatever reason (too much paperwork?). Or they might decide to collect it. "But you didn't collect the duty from my best friend" will avail you naught if they decide to collect from you. Same for "But you let these 14 folks get on board"

"I simply don't understand how a cruise line can treat a customer so perversely."

I don't believe the cruise lines are responsible for when the CBP might or might not grant a waiver. As chengkp75 suggests, you need to ask the CBP.

Another thing to consider is if the airline reschedules a flight such that you would have an illegal connection if the itinerary was booked on one ticket. On one ticket, the airline would either have to fix it or refund your money. On two tickets? They can tell you to pound rope or pay a change fee. (Yeah, if the change was significant enough they'd let you reschedule for free, depends on airline, but they don't have to do it just because the "connection" is too short on two tickets.)

... I can't see anything changing so I guess we either pay up or stay at home.

If you ring from on shore at the last port and explain to the purser that you need to fly back for a family emergency, I'm pretty sure they won't send out a search party to drag you back. I don't know if any peculiar American laws like the Jones Act apply - I don't really see how they could.

Different lines have developed different procedures for 'seven shorts and a long' (general alarm). That signal is not a signal to get in the lifeboats. That alarm tells you to go to the muster station (wherever that might be). The lines that have indoor musters will use a room near the lifeboats. In the event you need to evacuate, you would be directed to an appropriate lifeboat. Note that the lifeboat you are 'assigned' to may not be accessible (e.g. that part of the ship is on fire). Which is a better muster location can be debated (and no doubt will be on this thread). I just pay attention to where I'm supposed to be on whatever ship I'm on.

With all the smileys in Teecee60s post, I took it as being facetious or perhaps sarcasm. But I've been wrong before.

WN does not have a no-seat-saving policy. What they say is "choose any available seat" without defining "available seat". Is it available is there is a book (or whatever) there? That can get argued either way. Seems a recipe for confrontation, which is not a good thing on an aircraft nowadays.

Getting back on topic, we'll do the 24-hour check-in going to the embarkation port, and get EB coming back. Once on the cruise I'd prefer not to deal with checking in 24-hours before the flight. So in the OPs case, we would not get it DEN-SEA, but would for SEA-DEN.

In my case, it's a vacation mindset/cost tradeoff. $30 (2 X $15) I can swallow to not be bothered. $60 (4 X $15) I'm not sure I could justify. Different folks will have different notions of the value of EB.

To all who posted comments about what you would do or all types of doomsday scenarios, You di not answer the OP's question. They did not ask for an opinion about what you would do, only wanted to know what is required.

But this is CC, and how much fun would that be? :)

... One would think with all the papers we get they would include a overseas emergency number. ...

Should air2sea of know better or is it buyer beware?

Not a dig particularly against the cruiseline. Airlines (well, United anyway) are perfectly capable of selling you a ticket that does meet the MCT, and then later have a schedule change where the connection is now below the minimum. Check your reservation weekly regardless of where you get it from.

Out of curiosity, who paid for the hotels, three planes, and a bus? air2sea?

The more than can charge your for, the better they like it!

I seem to remember the captain on one cruise tried to orient the ship so that the tender platform being used was somewhat protected from the wind. Hard to do that if you want to protect both sides of the ship - one for the tenders, and one for the 'bouncy dock'.

As others asked, what is the airline?

United, for non-'priority' boarding does window seats (group 3), then middle (group 4), and finally aisle seats (group 5). So picking a seat in the back has little bearing on there being overhead bin space available when you get your seat - pick a window if you want group 3.

'Priority' for United is groups 1 and 2, which includes first/business seats, Sliver and above MileagePlus members, people that pay for 'Priority Access', and folks that hold certain United co-branded Chase credit cards. It seems at times like half the plane has priority, although that may be because we originate from a United hub.

As for sitting in the back of the bus, I'd rather not - lines of folks waiting for the lavatories, being last off the plane, and the noise and what not from the galley are the downsides to me. That's just a preference - I would not pay extra to avoid the back.

.... I used to work at a airport first passenger than cargo...

IMHO knowing the difference between non-stop vs direct is probably more important than the distinction between ship and boat. Calling up Carnival and saying I want to book a "room" on their Sunshine "boat" won't get me a surprise. Calling up an airline and saying I want to book a direct flight could. ( "Why is the plane/aircraft/ship stopping here?")

Sometimes a term of art matters. The trouble is trying to know when.

(You have my permission to sue me for slander over this post.)

What's FF? Frequent flier? Did you book an award ticket?

If you called United, I wouldn't expect the CSR in whichever call center to have the foggiest idea if you could make the the airport from ship. About as reliable as asking a cruise line CSR if 1 hour is too short of a connection at some airport.

Along with klfrodo, I've no idea how the EU regs apply, besides being aware they're supposed to provide better consumer protection than what we have in the US.

The only two ways I know of contacting UA is by phone or email. I've read they can be contacted on Twitter.

Do check your flights weekly after the weekend. United will quite cheerfully change things and not notify you. They could change it to leave earlier. A sufficient change should allow you to change your flights without a fee, but there needs to be award space if you booked an award ticket.

... Does first class luggage get different treatment than coach? ...

I agree with you, don't stuff the bags just because you have 70 pounds. And don't check two bags each just because you can. The voice of experience from schlepping such luggage on the French TGV after a river cruise. Airline didn't care, train didn't care, cruiseline didn't care, but my aching back sure did.

"The woman, who was in a rage, shouts: ‘I could have driven there in the four hours I have been waiting here."

LGA-MIA in four hours? What does she drive? I want one :)

...I guess it's all my fault. We should all just accept that First Class means little more than Coach...and that American Airlines has created a system whereby there is virtually no way to reach anyone at corporate. ...And anything else that happens is just MY fault....

Not your fault, merely unrealistic expectations of what is being peddled by the airlines as domestic "First Class". You'd get the same thing on United, except your flights are likelier to be late. Just think of domestic first class as a recliner rental and some free baggage, cause that's all your fare really pays for. Not specific seats, not specific equipment, not specific routes, not specific dates. Just eventual transportation from A to B in a that class of cabin.

If you don't like it and want to complain, the airline will just laugh. Flights are full, why should they care? They're sure as heck not going to invest their customer service budget on leisure travelers.

(Never cruised from NO, but we visited for four days and a Carnival ship was docked one of the days. Does that count?)

We run the numbers both ways. If the cost is roughly the same, we prefer pre. But if the airfare+hotel is sufficiently cheaper post, we go with that.

We stayed in Avignon after our Avalon cruise. Avignon Centre is the closest to where the boats tie up. You have to go through Avignon to get to the station. Walkable for us. You can't pick up the TGV from the Centre station. There is a shuttle train between Avignon Centre and Avignon TGV.

Lovely walled city BTW.

Combinability or lack thereof is why I own Carnival stock but not Royal or NCL. I generally prefer index funds, but will buy individual stocks for a compelling reason. The Carnival OBC is compelling. The Royal OBC is not.

If they were to make it combinable a'la Carnival, I'd likely buy some Royal stock. However, I suspect the folks who set the policy are not going to find my buying 100 shares of Royal stock a compelling reason to change that policy.