If you get thrown off the ship

[medcoder]

WE were on the Celebrity Summit a few years back doing a Alaska to LA cruise. Deeelightful. There was a couple onboard who were forever a challenge. One night after we had left SanFrancisco we noticed we had returned to port after about 2 hours at sea. Looking over our balcony we noticed a police care and the couple being escorted off the ship to the police car. I have always wondered if the couple was charged for the extra fuel that was spent doing 4 hrs of rd trip back to port and the port fees. Or were there extra port fees involved. We have never seen this before or since and a couple we friended who had sailed about 50 times also hadn't seen this before. Mind you this was the talk of the ship the next day! Anyone who knows the answer please post. Thanks

[mlkitt3]

Have not heard of this before but on a north Atlantic crossing a few years ago the ship spent about 4 hours searching for a lost man even turning the ship around thinking he may have gone overboard the whole ship was woken at 6:00am and all rooms searched they made 3 seperate announcements into every stateroom the speakers in the bed heads loud enough to wake the dead. He was found drunk some where and was put ashore in Iceland. Not sure if he had to pay for all the extra fuel that was used to turn the ship around and do a sea search? He was the talk of the ship for the rest lf the cruise and even jokes were running hot within a short period of time.

[ghstudio]

Have not heard of this before but on a north Atlantic crossing a few years ago the ship spent about 4 hours searching for a lost man even turning the ship around thinking he may have gone overboard the whole ship was woken at 6:00am and all rooms searched they made 3 seperate announcements into every stateroom the speakers in the bed heads loud enough to wake the dead. He was found drunk some where and was put ashore in Iceland. Not sure if he had to pay for all the extra fuel that was used to turn the ship around and do a sea search? He was the talk of the ship for the rest lf the cruise and even jokes were running hot within a short period of time.

 

surely there is a bit more to this story. Being drunk enough not to respond to PA announcements somewhere is not a reason to put someone off the ship.

[arekayone]

We were in Falmouth, Jamaica on an RCI cruise last December, we saw a young couple "escorted" off the ship with their luggage. Our balcony overlooked the area they were left at, the woman was frantic on the phone trying to figure out what to do. I don't know what they did, but we speculated they may have tried to bring drugs on board as the captain made another announcement regarding drugs soon after we got underway.

 

When the cruise ended and we were at the port in New Orleans, as soon as the gangway was up two NOLA cops boarded and escorted a guy off in handcuffs.

 

The curiosity is killing me....would love to find out what those situations were all about.

[GiannaD]

There is a long thread on the Royal Caribbean board about a group that was thrown off the Oasis. I think Celebrity likely has the same policy.

 

Oasis 8/25/12 - Security Incident

 

Search the thread under the above title.

[Sheffie]

We have relatives who were not allowed on a ship due to the wife not having her passport with her. She said that if the ships number of passengers on departure and return are not the same, the ship has to pay a fine. THEY were assessed this fine, since it was their fault. I bet those kicked off of ships have to pay the same fine, too.

 

So costly for so many reasons.

[debshomespun]

This would be another good reason to travel with a passport. Just think if these people are thrown off the ship for unruly behavior, and they don't have passports. Besides all the extra money to get back to the US, there would be a ton of red tape to go through to return. Maybe a good lesson for those that get kicked off!

[ghstudio]

We have relatives who were not allowed on a ship due to the wife not having her passport with her. She said that if the ships number of passengers on departure and return are not the same, the ship has to pay a fine. THEY were assessed this fine, since it was their fault. I bet those kicked off of ships have to pay the same fine, too.

 

So costly for so many reasons.

 

I suspect that someone exaggerated a bit....there is no fine that I am aware of for someone leaving the ship prior to it's return to port....whether they are put off the ship involuntarily, get off the ship voluntarily due to sickness/accident or choice, or jump overboard.

[cruisestitch]

That seems very odd that there would be such a fine, unless it was for "unexplained" passenger deviations. It's fairly common for passengers to join the ship at the first port stop then finish the cruise. In the Caribbean a couple of years ago many passengers who lived on the first island we visited came aboard that morning -- they saw no reason to fly to the States to board the ship and be back on their home island the next morning, which made sense. They wouldn't have been allowed to do that if there had been a large fine imposed, I'm guessing.

[Christine Frances]

I have also read of people embarking and/or debarking at different ports but it has always involved contacting the cruise line ahead of time and obtaining written permission. Don't know what the ramifications would be in any other circumstance.

 

 

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[phoenix_dream]

We have relatives who were not allowed on a ship due to the wife not having her passport with her. She said that if the ships number of passengers on departure and return are not the same, the ship has to pay a fine. THEY were assessed this fine, since it was their fault. I bet those kicked off of ships have to pay the same fine, too.

 

So costly for so many reasons.

Maybe I'm just reading this wrong, but if she was not allowed on, then how could the departure and return numbers have been different? Does this mean she got off at a port where she was required to show her passport upon return to the ship but she had lost it or something? I have never had to do this, although my travels have only been Alaska and the Caribbean. Just wondering what you meant.

[BillB48]

There are a couple of different things at work here.... Often times you can leave the cruise early at one of stops. Normally this does involve doing it with the cruise line's permission. The main reason for this is when you get off the ship as part of a port call you have not formally entered the country and are considered "in transit." There could be some problems when you go to leave the country and fly home if you have not formally entered the country by going through their immigration officials.

 

An instance where a "fine" can enter the picture, is because of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act). For example you board your ship in Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Cozumel and then Key West. At Key West you decide to not rejoin the ship for the final leg to FLL so that you can enjoy the sunset party in Mallory Square. You will have caused the ship to violate the provision of the PVSA which prohibits a foreign flagged vessel from transporting passengers between two US ports. The ship is fined $300 for each violation and they pass that on to you.

[ghstudio]

There are a couple of different things at work here.... Often times you can leave the cruise early at one of stops. Normally this does involve doing it with the cruise line's permission. The main reason for this is when you get off the ship as part of a port call you have not formally entered the country and are considered "in transit." There could be some problems when you go to leave the country and fly home if you have not formally entered the country by going through their immigration officials.

 

An instance where a "fine" can enter the picture, is because of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act). For example you board your ship in Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Cozumel and then Key West. At Key West you decide to not rejoin the ship for the final leg to FLL so that you can enjoy the sunset party in Mallory Square. You will have caused the ship to violate the provision of the PVSA which prohibits a foreign flagged vessel from transporting passengers between two US ports. The ship is fined $300 for each violation and they pass that on to you.

 

If you are put off the ship by celebrity, it is their choice, not yours...so they would have no grounds to charge you any fine. They could have, at their option, kept you on board (perhaps under security). As far as the PVSA, if you are taken off the ship for legal reasons (some crime) or if you are injured/sick, there would be no fine.

 

The story sounds good...but it's just not plausable.

[tunaman2011]

There are a couple of different things at work here.... Often times you can leave the cruise early at one of stops. Normally this does involve doing it with the cruise line's permission. The main reason for this is when you get off the ship as part of a port call you have not formally entered the country and are considered "in transit." There could be some problems when you go to leave the country and fly home if you have not formally entered the country by going through their immigration officials.

 

An instance where a "fine" can enter the picture, is because of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act). For example you board your ship in Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Cozumel and then Key West. At Key West you decide to not rejoin the ship for the final leg to FLL so that you can enjoy the sunset party in Mallory Square. You will have caused the ship to violate the provision of the PVSA which prohibits a foreign flagged vessel from transporting passengers between two US ports. The ship is fined $300 for each violation and they pass that on to you.

 

Greetings

 

In the above senario there would be no violation since the passenger did stop in a foreign port (Cozumel) before leaving the ship. You are not required to start/return to the same port. If this were true there would be no Florida to California trans-canal cruises. Now if Key West was the first stop and the passenger did not return to the ship, there would be a violation.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[judyfssw]

I've been on many ships where people were taken off the ship by ambulance. I would imagine that the numbers must match and someone from the country where the person disembarked would give the Captain some piece of paper with the reason for the early disembarkation. And, then there are the people who die on board. That would certainly throw off the numbers.

[Algebralovr]

Greetings

 

In the above senario there would be no violation since the passenger did stop in a foreign port (Cozumel) before leaving the ship. You are not required to start/return to the same port. If this were true there would be no Florida to California trans-canal cruises. Now if Key West was the first stop and the passenger did not return to the ship, there would be a violation.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

 

Sorry, but Cozumel is considered a near foreign port. That would be a violation of th PVSA. The FL to CA through the Canal include a stop at a distant foreign port and thus are allowed. If the ship only goes to a near foreign port, all passengers who boarded at the start of the cruise are required to stay on board until the end of the cruise when it returns to the port from which it originally left. This is why if you miss the ship in Miami you cannot just board in Pr, but must wait until St. Martin or St. kitts. If you missed the ship on the west-bound Carribean cruise, you could get on in Cozumel, but not in Key West. A passenger could get off in another country, but not another US port.

[mo&fran]

Sorry, but Cozumel is considered a near foreign port. That would be a violation of th PVSA. The FL to CA through the Canal include a stop at a distant foreign port and thus are allowed. If the ship only goes to a near foreign port, all passengers who boarded at the start of the cruise are required to stay on board until the end of the cruise when it returns to the port from which it originally left. This is why if you miss the ship in Miami you cannot just board in Pr, but must wait until St. Martin or St. kitts. If you missed the ship on the west-bound Carribean cruise, you could get on in Cozumel, but not in Key West. A passenger could get off in another country, but not another US port.

PR is exempt from PVSA, and I believe St THomas is also.

[Despegue]

Ghstudio,

 

A passenger is accountable for all costs incured resulting from a decision by the Master to offload said passenger due to Safety and/or security concerns.

 

This is Maritime Law and is mentioned in the terms and conditions of the carrier.

[BillB48]

Greetings

 

In the above senario there would be no violation since the passenger did stop in a foreign port (Cozumel) before leaving the ship. You are not required to start/return to the same port. If this were true there would be no Florida to California trans-canal cruises. Now if Key West was the first stop and the passenger did not return to the ship, there would be a violation.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

 

It was not my intention to start a PVSA debate:o. Your first point about Coz has been explained since it is a Near Foreign port. Just for clarity a Near Foreign port is any port in North America, all the Caribbean Islands (except the ABC Islands) and Bermuda. All off Central America is considered North America, therefore a Near Foreign port as well. The Distant Foreign ports in this hemisphere are the ABC Islands and South America. This is why on the trans Canal cruises there always a stop included in Cartagena and/or the ABC Islands.

 

I'm sure happy that government just makes things simple:D!

[GreenChile]

...The curiosity is killing me....would love to find out what those situations were all about.

 

Here is a website http://www.cruisejunkie.com/events.html with some info about "events at sea".

[Hawaiidan]

The Master of the ship has latitude in debarking passengers for cause, drugs crime,health etc. without penality I saw a man removed while the ship was underway in Alaska by helicopter...in custody.

 

As to charges there is no charge to persons in SAR/rescue situations, nor port charges.

 

I was sort of amused to read about a Passenger on a flight to Japan from SF, that turned the plane around because of 2 unruly drunks.. They were booked and fined by the courts $87,000.00 to pay for the jet fuel used to United !!!

[fleckle]

It is easy for some people's imaginations to run wild and for them to make all sorts of assumptions and start gossiping without knowing the facts.

 

There can be a number of valid reasons why passengers may want to disembark before the final destination.

 

It is also possible that you may even see passengers being escorted off the ship with their suitcases, and then see them back on the ship again later.

 

I know this for a fact because we received permission to offload some suitcases at an intermediate port on one of our cruises and we needed to fill out and submit the appropriate customs forms.

 

We never gave it a second thought at the time, but now reading this thread makes me wonder what rumors the gossips might have started seeing us being escorted off the ship with our suitcases, or seeing us back on the ship again later. :D

[Ships R Great]

I am sure it is not in any way possible but I would like to leave one ship (Amsterdam RT-Baltic) in St. Petersburg, Russia and reboard the next ship that comes through to take me back to Amsterdam. Wouldn't that be great? Then I'd have a week in St. Petersburg instead of a measly day. One day is not enough!

 

And I know I could just fly over there but I would rather sail!

[patty1955]

This has nothing to do with cruises or sailing, but it kind of relates. I apologize for not remember the specifics, but it still makes the point.

Several years ago, a man made a stupid comment to a fellow passenger on a KLM flight. The comment was overheard and the plane landed so the first passenger could be arrested. He was convicted of making a terrorist threat. Several years later, he filed bankruptcy. I work for the court. KLM filed a claim in his bankruptcy for over $10,000 for the cost to divert the plane.

[cruisestitch]

"I am sure it is not in any way possible but I would like to leave one ship (Amsterdam RT-Baltic) in St. Petersburg, Russia and reboard the next ship that comes through to take me back to Amsterdam. Wouldn't that be great? Then I'd have a week in St. Petersburg instead of a measly day."

 

Two issues at work here. The first is getting a visa from the Russian government that would allow this. Private visas are expensive but can be arranged for. Normally either the ship, or the tour operator if you are taking a private tour, arranges for group visas. Individual visas can run upwards of $350 if not on a ship's tour or private tour.

 

The second issue, and this is where the real expense probably comes in, is that you would probably have to buy two cruises to make this happen.

 

I know people who have a time-share in Aruba and have used the ship to get them to Aruba, and then a few weeks later, come back to the States by ship. They have two buy two full cruises and eat the cost of the part of each cruise they aren't using.