This may be a crazy question but I’m gonna ask it

say someone wanted to vacation for a week or so in Blize or Roatan Honduras and they boarded a cruise ship and sailed to that destination and then got off there to stay for their week or so. I’m sure you would inform them. Then they purchased another cruise and didn’t board in NOLA but instead wanted to board again from this location. Seems like if you get the right deal it could possibly be cheaper to cruise then fly there even paying for 2 cruises. Even if not what a way to travel. It’s probably even asked before and don’t get all why would you do that on me was just a crazy thought and was curious if it could be done or not.

You could obviously get off the ship on the first cruise and not come back on by "missing the boat" But I doubt there is anyway you could plan to board back on a ship that is there for a port of call. The only Caribbean islands that I know of that are also an embarkation point are Barbados and San Juan. I dont see anyway you get back to mainland US via your proposed method. "Miss the boat" and fly home, thats your only option.

I’m not really sure, but I’m guessing with the proper arrangements you could. People miss embarkation at the home port and fly to the next one so I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to as long as Carnival knows about it. You would have to make sure it didn’t violate any of the passenger acts of course. I don’t know for sure, it’s all speculation on my part.

Technically you could do it. You would need to arrange for a early disembarkation in Belize on the first leg and then a down line embarkation on the second leg. All of this would need to be arranged with Carnival in advance and it is all subject to the decision of the Captain of the ship. I had seen many people do one or the other in the past, but not so much recently. Cruise lines have stopped allowing this for various reasons.

say someone wanted to vacation for a week or so in Blize or Roatan Honduras and they boarded a cruise ship and sailed to that destination and then got off there to stay for their week or so. I’m sure you would inform them. Then they purchased another cruise and didn’t board in NOLA but instead wanted to board again from this location. Seems like if you get the right deal it could possibly be cheaper to cruise then fly there even paying for 2 cruises. Even if not what a way to travel. It’s probably even asked before and don’t get all why would you do that on me was just a crazy thought and was curious if it could be done or not.

What you are suggesting sounds like a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act and Carnival would likely be fined and in turn would collect that from you.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/23/kw/Jones%20Act%20Penalties/session/L3RpbWUvMTUyOTQxMTc5NS9zaWQvZDJRUlZBUG4%3D

If legal you would have to pay for two cruises.

say someone wanted to vacation for a week or so in Blize or Roatan Honduras and they boarded a cruise ship and sailed to that destination and then got off there to stay for their week or so. I’m sure you would inform them. Then they purchased another cruise and didn’t board in NOLA but instead wanted to board again from this location. Seems like if you get the right deal it could possibly be cheaper to cruise then fly there even paying for 2 cruises. Even if not what a way to travel. It’s probably even asked before and don’t get all why would you do that on me was just a crazy thought and was curious if it could be done or not.

No. You could probably make it a one-way trip. You'd need to talk to someone at Carnival to find out what you'd be required to do to make it happen. But unless the island had U.S. Customs agents at the port, you wouldn't be allowed to board a different ship at a different time for the return trip home.

What you are suggesting sounds like a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act and Carnival would likely be fined and in turn would collect that from you.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/23/kw/Jones%20Act%20Penalties/session/L3RpbWUvMTUyOTQxMTc5NS9zaWQvZDJRUlZBUG4%3D

The link doesn’t work. But from what I see it doesn’t allow a person to embark and debark at different US ports. So if the person came back to the same port, I don’t think it would be in violation.

I don't see how this would be cheaper than flying. Just did a search for 3 months from now and it came in at $464 roundtrip per person from Montreal to Belize.

The link doesn’t work. But from what I see it doesn’t allow a person to embark and debark at different US ports. So if the person came back to the same port, I don’t think it would be in violation.

Interesting. That could be the only loop hole to it is if you went back to the same port after an extended stay somewhere. May be a little too close to bending the rules though for me. Was just a thought and wondered if it would work

Also I want to add that you mentioned that doing this would be "cheaper than flying". If you paying for 2 cruises (or even 1 cruise) to Belize and back is cheaper than airfare, you seriously should consider flying another airline. I can fly round trip to Belize City for under $750 on Southwest.

I don't see how this would be cheaper than flying. Just did a search for 3 months from now and it came in at $464 roundtrip per person from Montreal to Belize.

I don’t either unless you got a heck of a couple of real good deals which sadly I haven’t seen recently as you would need to Pay for 2 cruises. Looking at airfare to/from Roatan is around $900 each from MIA this summer. So I guess maybe you could break even or come close with 2 people in an inside in that case.

The link doesn’t work. But from what I see it doesn’t allow a person to embark and debark at different US ports. So if the person came back to the same port, I don’t think it would be in violation.

Sorry about the link. Must be a browser issue because it works for me in IE 11.

I don't see how this would be cheaper than flying. Just did a search for 3 months from now and it came in at $464 roundtrip per person from Montreal to Belize.

Ah, but then in Belize there's that local flight to your final destination after the international one.After landing in Belize City, we had a 10 or 15 minute flight to San Pedro Island that cost just as much as the international one. I think we went on Tropic Air. Fantastic flight over all those tiny islands and cays, and I got to sit next to the pilot. Others may want to fly to elsewhere.

In Roatan, we stay at Infinity Bay Hotel, on West Bay Beach right next to Tabayana. The hotel usually provides airport transfers for the 15/20 minute ride.

To the OP, just use your cruise as a scouting trip, and if a port or resort looks appealing, then plan your land vacation for your next get away.

Sorry about the link. Must be a browser issue because it works for me in IE 11.

I think because it’s shortened. I’ve had that problem when posting links on here before.

Carnival would charge you the $700 fine, however they aren't likely to grant permission because it changes the returning passenger manifest which creates significant paper work with Customs on return, delaying debark.

The only thing I've ever seen that's anything like this scenario is the Grand Bahamas Cruise Line offers a deal were you cruise from West Palm Beach, depart the cruise halfway through it in Freeport, stay at a resort for how many nights you want and then join another cruise and head back to WPB. So, I'm assuming the scenario you propose could legal, although complicated and expensive, as you'd be paying for 2 cruises and at best get one full cruise out of it.

Now, on the other hand, I could see finding a cruise where the port you want to stay at is the last port on the cruise and the only thing after that is a day at sea, arrange to end your cruise there and spend all the time you want there and fly home.

Carnival would charge you the $700 fine, however they aren't likely to grant permission because it changes the returning passenger manifest which creates significant paper work with Customs on return, delaying debark.

What $700 fine?

It wouldn't be up to the captain to approve, it would be corporate. What you want to do would change the whole cruise out of the 'closed loop' designation, and mandate more manifests and fees to CBP. It would have absolutely nothing to do with PVSA and anyone who suggests that has a poor understanding of the PVSA, And Barbados and San Juan are not the only embarkation ports outside the US proper. There are European lines that cruise the Caribbean in winter and do cruises that start and finish in many different places. EM

I think you should just try it, and don't tell Carnival, and let us all know how it worked out.

While it is possible to accomplish what you are doing, Carnival is likely to deny your deviation request. If you have your heart set on doing it, there are other cruise lines that offer a lot of segmented voyages. As these are the same cruises to many different ports of disembarkation, they are no strangers to managing the manifests with complicated itineraries.

Princess will allow you to disembark whenever you choose assuming the deviation request is completed and you agree to pay any fees that may be incurred by the cruise line (such as the PVSA). In addition, Princess will let you delay your boarding to another day/port assuming the proper request had been sent and you understand they will not prorate the cruise.

PVSA would not apply in this case as you would be spending a minimum of one night in the country you disembarked and/or changing ships. You would even be able to return to a different US port should you wish and wouldn’t need to visit a distant foreign port to do so.

This is not a violation of the PVSA. So I don’t see how any fines would come into play. As others said, getting there wouldn’t be the problem, it would be getting back. The cruises are designed to be found trip for all passengers. I believe that when 1 passenger doesn’t complete it round trip (say misses the boat), it messes up the manifest. There’s a big difference between planning to board in Miami and catching up in Belize vs intending to board in Belize.

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Ah, but then in Belize there's that local flight to your final destination after the international one.After landing in Belize City, we had a 10 or 15 minute flight to San Pedro Island that cost just as much as the international one. I think we went on Tropic Air. Fantastic flight over all those tiny islands and cays, and I got to sit next to the pilot. Others may want to fly to elsewhere.

 

In Roatan, we stay at Infinity Bay Hotel, on West Bay Beach right next to Tabayana. The hotel usually provides airport transfers for the 15/20 minute ride.

 

To the OP, just use your cruise as a scouting trip, and if a port or resort looks appealing, then plan your land vacation for your next get away.

Hadn't actually thought about that, but even if the short flight is as much as the long one you're still looking at about $1600 for two, which is still less than two cruises.

I think you should just try it, and don't tell Carnival, and let us all know how it worked out.[/quote.

 

Lol that is awesome advice!!

 

 

To everyone else who are why would you do that people lol I was just asking if it were possible. I have not crunched the numbers but who would not wanna cruise ship to your destination instead of fly ?

The simplest answer is no not by a mass market cruise line. An island hopper ferry, boutique, or charter line might be able to do this.

Most countries have a entry and exit fee for most other nationalities arriving on their soil, cruise ships are exempt from this as their passengers are only staying a short time. In the foreign government's "mind" the passengers are just doing a layover, not unlike an airline stopping for a plane change. Speaking of airlines most include this entry/exit fee in the cost of your final destination ticket price.

This is also why many cruises do not offer multi-day port stops. Tourist staying longer than 24 hours in certain ports of call would be subject to passport/visa requirements of that nation as well as the entry/exit fees.