Same Day Fly in

[Cuizer2]

I have received the information that the fine is not levied if the reason you have missed the sailing is due to factors beyond your control and can document that. Even if you are forced to pay for some reason you will be given information of where to send your documents to dispute the fine.

 

I'm trying to figure out if this information came from the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.

[mary_228]

I'm trying to figure out if this information came from the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.

The information came from a frequent contributor to CC, this time in response to my question on the Travel Insurance Forum.

cruiseco replied:

By the way, even if you do have to pay the fine, with proper documentation that the situation was unavoidable the fine is often waived. Just plain missing the flight because you overslept wouldn't do it but a documented carrier-caused delay normally would. The act is not designed to punish those who, because of the normal problems of travel and through no fault of their own, happen to end up in violation. The fines designed to keep both travelers and cruise lines from intentionally skirting the regulations. If a fine is assessed you will be notified of where to send the paperwork to request a refund.

[greatam]

The information came from a frequent contributor to CC, this time in response to my question on the Travel Insurance Forum.

cruiseco replied:

By the way, even if you do have to pay the fine, with proper documentation that the situation was unavoidable the fine is often waived. Just plain missing the flight because you overslept wouldn't do it but a documented carrier-caused delay normally would. The act is not designed to punish those who, because of the normal problems of travel and through no fault of their own, happen to end up in violation. The fines designed to keep both travelers and cruise lines from intentionally skirting the regulations. If a fine is assessed you will be notified of where to send the paperwork to request a refund.

 

As I pointed out in the Alaska forum, your travel delay and missing the ship HAS to meet the requirements in your insurance policy. From your previous posts, your potential of missing the ship is generally about an hour or two. THIS is generally NOT enough time to claim ANY KIND of benefits from your travel insurance policy. You MUST ARRIVE at the ORIGINAL destination how ever many hours AFTER your ORIGINAl flight was due to arrive. MOST policies have a 4-6 hour travel delay provision. And as I pointed out previously, that does NOT mean arrive 3 hours late into Seattle, take two days to get to Ketchikan or Juneau to join the ship. It means arrive SEATTLE how ever many hours your insurance policy states PAST the original arrival time before ANY travel delay benefits come into play. And the benefits in MOST policies will barely cover the $300 fine (if covered) as well as maybe a hotel room. Generally $500-750 per person. Airfare from Seattle to the first Alaska port on a walk up, same day one way basis can easily reach $450 pp.

 

Example: Your plane is scheduled to arrive at noon in Seattle. Your insurance policy states 6 hours for the travel delay benefits to start. Your plane arrives at 4PM and by the time you make it to the pier, your ship is sailing away. Sorry, NO benefits.

 

Everyone REALLY better check out the travel delay provisions in their travel insurance policies. A cursory search through Insure My Trip shows TWELVE hours delay for Travelguard, 6 hours for Access America, 5 hours for Travelex. I only looked at the basic policies.

[Cuizer2]

The information came from a frequent contributor to CC, this time in response to my question on the Travel Insurance Forum.

cruiseco replied:

By the way, even if you do have to pay the fine, with proper documentation that the situation was unavoidable the fine is often waived. Just plain missing the flight because you overslept wouldn't do it but a documented carrier-caused delay normally would. The act is not designed to punish those who, because of the normal problems of travel and through no fault of their own, happen to end up in violation. The fines designed to keep both travelers and cruise lines from intentionally skirting the regulations. If a fine is assessed you will be notified of where to send the paperwork to request a refund.

 

Unless there is an official with the CBP that is willing to back this up, I would not count on it at all.

[Gonzo70]

I have received the information that the fine is not levied if the reason you have missed the sailing is due to factors beyond your control and can document that. Even if you are forced to pay for some reason you will be given information of where to send your documents to dispute the fine.

 

Sorry, but that is totally inaccurate information. The fine is not generally waived. Furthermore, one usually doesn't have the option of paying the fine and boarding the ship. The fine generally occurs when one must leave a cruise early and in doing so the PVSA is violated (i.e. on a Pacific Coastal cruise that starts in San Diego, and one has to leave in the San Francisco stop because a family member becomes ill or passes away). People generally are simply not allowed to board the ship if boarding would cause a PVSA violation to occur, even if the people are willing to pay the fine (as there can be additional repercussions to the cruise line for allowing a PVSA violation to transpire).

[navybankerteacher]

The information came from a frequent contributor to CC, this time in response to my question on the Travel Insurance Forum.

cruiseco replied:

By the way, even if you do have to pay the fine, with proper documentation that the situation was unavoidable the fine is often waived. Just plain missing the flight because you overslept wouldn't do it but a documented carrier-caused delay normally would. The act is not designed to punish those who, because of the normal problems of travel and through no fault of their own, happen to end up in violation. The fines designed to keep both travelers and cruise lines from intentionally skirting the regulations. If a fine is assessed you will be notified of where to send the paperwork to request a refund.

 

And just how certain are you that:

1) You can obtain the "proper documentation that the sitution was unavoidable" (and what that "proper documentation" would be;

 

2) "You will be notified of where to send the paperwork" (and by whom),

and

 

3) Your request for a refund will be honored (also by whom)?

 

You provide a lot of comforting information -- but have you any "documentation" that your happy ending has a chance of working out?

[Gonzo70]

And just how certain are you that:

1) You can obtain the "proper documentation that the sitution was unavoidable" (and what that "proper documentation" would be;

 

2) "You will be notified of where to send the paperwork" (and by whom),

and

 

3) Your request for a refund will be honored (also by whom)?

 

You provide a lot of comforting information -- but have you any "documentation" that your happy ending has a chance of working out?

 

And the even larger issue is that the person in all likelihood would not be permitted to board the ship in a U.S. port other than the port of embarkation - even if they are willing to pay the fine. As such whether or not the fine would be reimbursed is likely to be a mute point.

[mary_228]

And the even larger issue is that the person in all likelihood would not be permitted to board the ship in a U.S. port other than the port of embarkation - even if they are willing to pay the fine. As such whether or not the fine would be reimbursed is likely to be a mute point.

I posted on the AK forum and an AK resident said she sees people boarding at her AK port all the time. I asked on the AK forum if anyone had ever been denied boarding and got no responses. Doesn't mean it hasn't happeneded, but surely of the thousands of AK cruisers each summer, someone would have had this unhappy experience. I spoke to HAL and was assured that should my flight be delayed, I would call the emergency number and they would make the arrangements for me to meet the ship. But I guess you all know better, not sure how, since none of you have mentioned that this has happened to you (or someone you know) and were fined or unable to board. I guess this thread should be titled, why I fly in a day early and good luck to the rest of you. :confused:

[greatam]

I posted on the AK forum and an AK resident said she sees people boarding at her AK port all the time.

 

ONE WAY CRUISES that start in Vancouver-YES. There are often delayed cruisers out of VAncouver as the ship MUST get out of the port at certain times due to the tides. You are on a RT Seattle cruise. Different rules apply.

 

 

I spoke to HAL and was assured that should my flight be delayed, I would call the emergency number and they would make the arrangements for me to meet the ship. But I guess you all know better, not sure how, since none of you have mentioned that this has happened to you (or someone you know) and were fined or unable to board. I guess this thread should be titled, why I fly in a day early and good luck to the rest of you. :confused:

 

This sure isn't what you posted in the Alaska forum.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1406275

[Gonzo70]

I posted on the AK forum and an AK resident said she sees people boarding at her AK port all the time. I asked on the AK forum if anyone had ever been denied boarding and got no responses. Doesn't mean it hasn't happeneded, but surely of the thousands of AK cruisers each summer, someone would have had this unhappy experience. I spoke to HAL and was assured that should my flight be delayed, I would call the emergency number and they would make the arrangements for me to meet the ship. But I guess you all know better, not sure how, since none of you have mentioned that this has happened to you (or someone you know) and were fined or unable to board. I guess this thread should be titled, why I fly in a day early and good luck to the rest of you. :confused:

 

You apparently are only listening to information that supports what you want, even if it is incorrect or you are taking it out of context. What you are proposing to do in your particular case would be ILLEGAL (boarding in one U.S. port on a cruise that ends at a different U.S. port and does not call upon a distant foreign port). I have never heard of someone being granted permission to do this and I have heard many cases where people have not been allowed to do this.

[mary_228]

Just spoke with the Cruise Line Agency operations manager in Ketchikan, who confirmed that there are frequently 20-60 people catching up with the cruise shipsin Ketchikan. In his experience, the cruise line frequently pays the $300 Jones Act fine when they have booked the air for the passenger. For those on their own, they will likely have to pay the fine themselves. He says it is a big money maker for the government. I believe that an itinerary that is changed to reflect a sailing from Ketchikan to Victoria, BC (on my sailing, this is the last port) will not be in violation. HAL has allowed at least one other passenger to construct such an itinerary, so it seems that there is a way around the fine. I am happy that someone figured out a solution.

[greatam]

Just spoke with the Cruise Line Agency operations manager in Ketchikan, who confirmed that there are frequently 20-60 people catching up with the cruise shipsin Ketchikan. In his experience, the cruise line frequently pays the $300 Jones Act fine when they have booked the air for the passenger. For those on their own, they will likely have to pay the fine themselves. He says it is a big money maker for the government. I believe that an itinerary that is changed to reflect a sailing from Ketchikan to Victoria, BC (on my sailing, this is the last port) will not be in violation. HAL has allowed at least one other passenger to construct such an itinerary, so it seems that there is a way around the fine. I am happy that someone figured out a solution.

 

Again, you are trying to set a defined set of circumstances (people boarding the ship late in Ketchikan) into YOUR scenario.

 

I will bet most of the people boarding in Ketchikan were booked on a cruise which began in CANADA. This is legal per PVSA. YOUR scenario is NOT.

 

In your scenario, you will need to present a complete plan to HAL BEFORE you will be allowed to board in Ketchikan and get off the ship in Victoria. All this stuff has to be arranged IN ADVANCE. When we did something similar on a Hawaii cruise, I had to fax Celebrity, they in turn faxed to the Captain and I had to present the return fax from the Captain in Ensenada BEFORE we were allowed to board.

 

Last minute walk up airline tickets today were $387pp from SEA to Ketchikan. 4 nonstops per day and most almost full. The tickets will only get more expensive, the further into the "Alaska season" you go. Your travel insurance may or may not pay for the tickets. All depends on how delayed you are initially into SEA.

 

If you are sincerely worried about making the ship on time, I would change your tickets to the day before. Certainly much cheaper than trying to find a flight to Ketchikan (or other points) and changing your entire itinerary.