Jones Act

[Merion_Mom]

For those of you who remember what we went through last December with our aborted cruise on the Jewel of the Seas........................

 

I just cut this from a current thread on the NCL boards: (I added the red ink for emphasis)

 

#1 Yesterday, 06:50 PM

siuyan Cool Cruiser Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 11

 

Horrible Experience on NCL Spirit - 7/2/05 sailing -- The Ship Hits the Shore!!

 

I dont' know if this had been posted yet but here is our experience on the Spirit, sailing 7/2/05 to Alaska. We had 2 accidents: 1. We missed the ship; 2. The ship hits the shore and our stateroom window broken.

 

7/2/05 Sat, San Jose to Seattle

First, we started our vacation by spending 11 hours at the airport. Our flight from San Jose to Seattle was supposed to departed at 9am and arrived at Seattle at 11am. Since the ship departed at 4pm i thought we had plenty of time. However, due to mechanical failure of the flight, it was delayed for 8 hours so we MISSED THE SHIP. We finally arrived at Seattle at 7:30pm. Of course the ship already gone. Alaska Airline put us into a hotel, spent a night there. Then we had to catch the ship at the next stop Ketchikan on 7/4/05 monday.

 

7/3/05 Sun, Seattle to Ketchikan

Get up early to get on the plane flew from Seattle to Ketchikan. It was raining heavily and very windy at Ketchikan. After booking a hotel at the airport, we took the ferry to go to the Ketchikan pier, and then took a taxi to the West Cape Fox Lodge hotel. When we arrived there we then relized it's the hotel where the funicular are located. Nothing much doing at Ketchikan as we were all very tired after a long journey. We had a great lunch at a local restaurant (much better than the nasty food on board later), and dinner at the hotel restaurant. Both meals were memorable as we all had seafood (salmon, halibut, fried oyster, all very delicious).

 

7/4/05 Mon Ketchikan

When we woke up we finally saw our ship NCL Spirit from the window of our hotel room. We finally see our ship!!! It was very excited. We then checked-in on board, have them charged us $300 per person penalty for the violation of the Jones Act (you board at port A and get off port B, that's violation of a marine law called Jones Act). We then leave our luggage in our oceanview stateroom. I rented a pole at the jewlery store on the creek street for fishing. However there were no fish and also raining heavily. Nothing much today as well as we were all very tired. But we finally board the ship!!

If you recall, RC REFUSED to let us board the Jewel in Key West after USAgony made it impossible for us to reach Fort Lauderdale before she sailed. I flat out OFFERED to pay the Jones Act penalty. RC's answer was ABSOLUTELY NOT.

 

(Jones Act: http://www.sealetter.com/Oct-99/alancol.html )

 

Our mess: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=141777&highlight=jewel

 

I am starting to think that I should get upset all over again!

 

Carol

[Cruise Cat]

Unfortuanately, this one is not on the cruise line. They fought this tooth and nail when it was enacted. This is one to write your congressperson about asking them to repeal the Jones Act.

[kenandlaura06]

Sorry Carol!

[rjg41]

They fought this tooth and nail when it was enacted.

 

The modern cruise industry didn't exist when the Jones Act was enacted in 1920. However, they have and continue to ask Congress to have it changed.

[rubrrick]

ahh.......Carol.....you're too close to your next cruise to start any negitivity now. You gotta keep the vibes positive. You have, like 2 or 3 days before departure.. NO NO NO NO don't go there!!!!

 

Rick

[Merion_Mom]

I was actually kidding about the "upset" part. I found it fascinating that NCL simply charged them the fee and let them board - particularly when there is ANOTHER thread on the NCL front page right now about a cruiser who wants to book a B2B, but NCL won't let them, because it becomes a violation of the Jones Act.

 

It's all good.

 

Can you believe it? Here I am, doing a billion loads of laundry pre-cruise, and the D*** dryer breaks!?!?!?!??!

 

Carol

[loveJake]

Last year we sailed on the Disney Magic leaving Cape Canaveral on Saturday 8/14, the day after hurricane Charley hit. We were already in Florida since Monday so we had no air to deal with. The airports closed on Friday noon and reopened late Saturday morning so people traveling on air at those times and then because of backups did not make it to the port. We left late, around 7:00, but the ship was a ghost ship. Disney bussed the people to Key West the next day, which is against the Jones act, and people were boarding all day almost until we left. We were told that Disney was given a special excemption because of the hurricane, maybe just pixi dust, don't know. But this just goes to prove that all rules can be adjusted. Don't know if Disney paid a fine, but no passengers had to pay.

[hermang]

For those of you who remember what we went through last December with our aborted cruise on the Jewel of the Seas........................

 

I just cut this from a current thread on the NCL boards: (I added the red ink for emphasis)

 

 

If you recall, RC REFUSED to let us board the Jewel in Key West after USAgony made it impossible for us to reach Fort Lauderdale before she sailed. I flat out OFFERED to pay the Jones Act penalty. RC's answer was ABSOLUTELY NOT.

 

(Jones Act: http://www.sealetter.com/Oct-99/alancol.html )

 

Our mess: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=141777&highlight=jewel

 

I am starting to think that I should get upset all over again!

 

Carol

A few weeks ago I posted a comment when people griped that the VOS was sent to Canada instead of a US port because of a Hurricane. One reason given was because of the Jones Act. Many posters indicated that the Cruise lines were in favor of the act because they didn't have to pay US wages or fall under US Laws. I don't buy that. I think as others have said the act was passed in the 20's before the Cruise ship industry of the 90's and the 21st Century was born and there are special interests in congress that are keeping it alive. Me thinks it is time to write our elected representatives and either modify parts of the law or repeal it completely