Preapproval Downline Request?

I am being told that if you know you might not be able to make embarkation and file a "Preapproval Downline Request" with Royal their minimum 7 days in advance that 100% are refused. Anyone have any experience with boarding the ship after it leaves "with" preapproval? We don't know if this is going to happen or not but concerns us that if we follow the rules they say no but if we lie and say we missed the ship they let you catch up. What gives? Would love to hear anyone's experience with this issue.

BonVoyage

Dawna

I am being told that if you know you might not be able to make embarkation and file a "Preapproval Downline Request" with Royal their minimum 7 days in advance that 100% are refused. Anyone have any experience with boarding the ship after it leaves "with" preapproval? We don't know if this is going to happen or not but concerns us that if we follow the rules they say no but if we lie and say we missed the ship they let you catch up. What gives? Would love to hear anyone's experience with this issue.

 

 

 

BonVoyage

 

Dawna

According to the web site, there are restrictions against this for cruises departing from US, Norway, and Italy, so it may be that the comments about 100% refusal are for people requesting partial cruise that departs from one of these locations.

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

According to the web site, there are restrictions against this for cruises departing from US, Norway, and Italy, so it may be that the comments about 100% refusal are for people requesting partial cruise that departs from one of these locations.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

BonVoyage

Dawna

All I can find on their site is this:

Can I take a partial cruise - Royal Caribbean International Please include a return fax number or e-mail address. If guests are pre-approved for boarding/departure in an alternate port of call, the ship's security staff is notified to expect the guests at the designated port. The approved guests are responsible for making all travel arrangements and will incur any additional expenses (for flights, hotels, transfers to the pier, etc.).

BonVoyage

Dawna

That is what makes no since, Royal says to give them the info in advance and you will get an email if they approve it or not. But you can lie that you missed the ship & catch up to it? This is so sad :mad: If you get on the ship and miss it coming back from an excursion you are also allowed to catch up to it. :(

 

 

 

BonVoyage

 

Dawna

Um...I am not so sure that they automatically let you catch up to the ship if you missed. I think that is only allowed if you booked through Cruise Air, and your flight arrives too late for you to make the cruise. The excursion thing is also conditional that you booked with the excursion through the ship. In both cases, the cruise line is guaranteeing that you will not miss your cruise, which is one perk to book both through them.

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

That is what makes no since, Royal says to give them the info in advance and you will get an email if they approve it or not. But you can lie that you missed the ship & catch up to it? This is so sad :mad: If you get on the ship and miss it coming back from an excursion you are also allowed to catch up to it. :(

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

No, if your "missing the ship" violates any laws they won´t allow you to catch up with the ship.

I remember reports about missing the ship on embarkation day and not being allowed to board at the next port (i.e. FLL to Key West), as it would violate the PVSA. So you are not automatically allowed to catch up.

All I can find on their site is this:

 

 

 

Can I take a partial cruise - Royal Caribbean International Please include a return fax number or e-mail address. If guests are pre-approved for boarding/departure in an alternate port of call, the ship's security staff is notified to expect the guests at the designated port. The approved guests are responsible for making all travel arrangements and will incur any additional expenses (for flights, hotels, transfers to the pier, etc.).

 

 

 

BonVoyage

 

Dawna

Here is the link where I saw the restrictions listed.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=322&faqSubjectName=Before+You+Purchase+&faqId=623

Hopefully, some others with more experience with this topic will chime in :).

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

No, if your "missing the ship" violates any laws they won´t allow you to catch up with the ship.

 

I remember reports about missing the ship on embarkation day and not being allowed to board at the next port (i.e. FLL to Key West), as it would violate the PVSA. So you are not automatically allowed to catch up.

BonVoyage

Dawna

I remember a cruise we were on going to Canada/New England, and a couple missed the ship, because of flight delays. They couldn't board the ship until we docked in Canada. They rented a car and drove to Halifax from NJ. They missed a couple of US ports, but it was a 14 day cruise going to Quebec and back, so they figured at least they will still have plenty of time on the ship even with missing the US ports. Can't remember if they had insurance or not. I think it was Celebrity cruise line and they told them they couldn't board until we were in a foreign port. I guess it was worth it to them. They had to pay over $600 to rent a car.

Gwen :)

Here is the link where I saw the restrictions listed.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=322&faqSubjectName=Before+You+Purchase+&faqId=623

 

Hopefully, some others with more experience with this topic will chime in :).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

Restrictions: Certain countries, such as the U.S., Italy and Norway, have cabotage laws affecting passenger movements. These laws restrict foreign flag passenger vessels (such as those operated by Royal Caribbean) from transporting guests from one port to another port in the same country. In the U.S., the cabotage law applicable to the cruise industry is commonly called the Jones Act but is legally titled the Passengers Services Act. A brief summary of this U.S. law follows:

If a passenger (as listed on a vessel passenger manifest) embarks in a U.S. port and the vessel calls in a nearby foreign port (such as Ensenada, Grand Cayman and Nassau) and then returns to the U.S., the person must disembark in the same U.S. port. (He won't be embarking in a US port) A passenger who embarks and disembarks in two different U.S. ports (such as Los Angeles and San Diego) would result in the carrier (not the violator) being fined. Does not apply as well The vessel must call in a distant foreign port before the U.S. embarkation and disembarkation ports can differ. This applys because he would board in Jamaica and disembark in Port CanaveralThe nearest distant foreign ports are in or off the coast of South America. Not sure what they mean here? If either the passenger's embarkation port or disembarkation port is in a foreign country, then the provisions of this cabotage law do not apply. Nor do they apply in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I just don't see the problem :(

We just want to do it the legal way and know it will happen if we shell out the $$ to get to Jamaica.

Someone has missed the ship before, we see it all the time on YouTube :D

BonVoyage

Dawna

I remember a cruise we were on going to Canada/New England, and a couple missed the ship, because of flight delays. They couldn't board the ship until we docked in Canada. They rented a car and drove to Halifax from NJ. They missed a couple of US ports, but it was a 14 day cruise going to Quebec and back, so they figured at least they will still have plenty of time on the ship even with missing the US ports. Can't remember if they had insurance or not. I think it was Celebrity cruise line and they told them they couldn't board until we were in a foreign port. I guess it was worth it to them. They had to pay over $600 to rent a car.

 

 

Gwen :)

BonVoyage

Dawna

Yes this happened to us in 2011 on the Oasis. My husband's company needed him to be in town for an important meeting which meant he would miss embarkation. We filled out the form and he received permission to board in Falmouth. No problems at all with that.

I am only a little confused. I get why you can't get on in FLL and get off in Key West, but why could you not get on in Key West and continue on the cruise to foreign ports? You aren't being transported between American ports, so I don't get the problem??? As an aside, I think the law is outdated, but that is another topic all together.

Thankfully we have never had this problem, and hope we do not. But I do hope OP gets the answers and resolution she is looking for!

I am only a little confused. I get why you can't get on in FLL and get off in Key West, but why could you not get on in Key West and continue on the cruise to foreign ports? You aren't being transported between American ports, so I don't get the problem??? As an aside, I think the law is outdated, but that is another topic all together.

 

Thankfully we have never had this problem, and hope we do not. But I do hope OP gets the answers and resolution she is looking for!

Not sure if this applies to the OP, but if you get on in Key West, and the last stop is a different US port, then the law requires the ship to have visited a distant foreign port, such as Curacao or South America.

We don't even stop in Key West. This is the Freedom Cruise, leave PC, sea, Labadee, Falmouth, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Sea then back to PC.

We have now talked with 3 people at Royal's trip interuption number and all say "No Way Jose!!'"

We are going to complete the Pre-Approved Downline Request and wish for the best. If they turn it down we have something in writing to give to his company and hope for them to understand. :( If not he will at least get to go to Florida on Friday, enjoy Fishlip's on Sat then see me and our group off on Sunday which will be a super bummer since we have had this trip planned for so long and they company knew about it, grr.

Thanks for all the input. Will let ya know if we get approval or another nope!

BonVoyage

Dawna

Didn't take but a couple hours and here is their reply, so now we all know. After all the cruises I have taken I always thought you could catch up with the ship :(

THE FOLLOWING PASSENGER MOVEMENT IS DENIED.

This movement will result in a violation of our ship's Closed Loop Status. As per US Customs and Border Protection, in order to protect our ship's closed loop voyage status and prevent all United States Citizens from having to undergo a full immigration check after the voyage ends, we cannot allow guests to preplan late embark at any US or Foreign port to return to the original US port from which the ship departed. The terms of the cruise ticket contract apply.

So now lets see if I travel alone or hubby's company backs down for the one day they need him.

BonVoyage

Dawna

Didn't take but a couple hours and here is their reply, so now we all know. After all the cruises I have taken I always thought you could catch up with the ship :(

 

THE FOLLOWING PASSENGER MOVEMENT IS DENIED.

This movement will result in a violation of our ship's Closed Loop Status. As per US Customs and Border Protection, in order to protect our ship's closed loop voyage status and prevent all United States Citizens from having to undergo a full immigration check after the voyage ends, we cannot allow guests to preplan late embark at any US or Foreign port to return to the original US port from which the ship departed. The terms of the cruise ticket contract apply.

 

So now lets see if I travel alone or hubby's company backs down for the one day they need him.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

That is a bummer!:mad: Not sure what has happened since 2011 when my husband did the exact same thing. This doesn't make any sense at all. Why have the form if all they will do is deny? Maybe they got burned or something with Customs?

I'm sorry for your experience and I hope your husband's company is reasonable and allows him to go. Thank you for posting this so in the future people in the same situation will know not to ask and just to pretend that they missed the sailing. Its surprising that everyone was worried about the PVSA but there turns out to be a customs issue and a case of RCI deciding to not allow one person to sail rather than inconvenience all the US passengers on the sailing

Didn't take but a couple hours and here is their reply, so now we all know. After all the cruises I have taken I always thought you could catch up with the ship :(

 

THE FOLLOWING PASSENGER MOVEMENT IS DENIED.

This movement will result in a violation of our ship's Closed Loop Status. As per US Customs and Border Protection, in order to protect our ship's closed loop voyage status and prevent all United States Citizens from having to undergo a full immigration check after the voyage ends, we cannot allow guests to preplan late embark at any US or Foreign port to return to the original US port from which the ship departed. The terms of the cruise ticket contract apply.

 

So now lets see if I travel alone or hubby's company backs down for the one day they need him.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

RCCL and Celebrity changed the ability to do that a few years ago. I have a client who lives in St. Croix. He used to look for cruises that left San Juan and had a port stop in St. Croix the next day, then we would request downline embarkation in St. Croix. To him, it was worth missing one dinner and one breakfast, not to have to fly to San Juan. HOWEVER, a few years ago, we got our first denial of that request. I never did get a full explanation of why, so now I know.

Sorry it didn't work out for your DH. Hopefully, his company will back off.

Yes this happened to us in 2011 on the Oasis. My husband's company needed him to be in town for an important meeting which meant he would miss embarkation. We filled out the form and he received permission to board in Falmouth. No problems at all with that.

Wow I am glad I am not that important to my company :)

...The vessel must call in a distant foreign port before the U.S. embarkation and disembarkation ports can differ. This applys because he would board in Jamaica and disembark in Port CanaveralThe nearest distant foreign ports are in or off the coast of South America. Not sure what they mean here? If either the passenger's embarkation port or disembarkation port is in a foreign country, then the provisions of this cabotage law do not apply. Nor do they apply in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands...

The nearest foreign ports are in South American countries OR the Dutch ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). No port in Central America (including Panama) is distant, nor are any other islands in the Caribbean (such as Trinidad) except the ABCs or those that are owned by a South American country (such as Isla Margarita, Venezuela).

Thom

Wow I am glad I am not that important to my company :)

I didn't think it was all that serious, but they paid for his flight to Jamaica, so I guess they felt his presence was necessary:rolleyes:.

That is what makes no since, Royal says to give them the info in advance and you will get an email if they approve it or not. But you can lie that you missed the ship & catch up to it? This is so sad :mad: If you get on the ship and miss it coming back from an excursion you are also allowed to catch up to it. :(

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

actually no you cannot always just miss the ship( purposely or otherwise) and 'catch up'. there are times and places where if you miss embarkation you are NOT permitted to embark at a later port due to a variety of reasons.

if they are no facilities or officials available to check you on board it ain't gonna happen and some ports WILL NOT make arrangements to do so