disembarkation midcruise

[rundent]

I know that you can leave a cruise if you get prior approval from the maritime authorities through your cruise line, but what if you for one reason or other do it without this authorization? Let's say that your cruise originated in CONUS and you hopped off in St. Thomas. I'm not planning to do this, but not idle curiosity either.

[LHT28]

There was a post elsewhere on CC

A person did this in a US port ..they were fined the next time they tried to board a cruise ship

Besides that you are holding up the ship by waiting for you & inconveniencing others

The ship will wait a bit longer than scheduled sailaway but the cruise line may also have to pay extra fees

 

if you are not going to return in that port get permission or call the port agent

 

just saying

[Max2]

We jumped off the Riveria in Turkey and went on a multi-day tour. We informed Oceania before the cruise that we would leave and then meet them 3 days later to begin the 2nd cruise in Istanbul. There were no problems with Oceania as long as you let them know before hand. I followed up several times. We had the same cabin and so we left our things in there while gone.

[Cruseforme]

There was a party of 12 that had talked to Oceania prior to the cruise, that wanted to disembark early in the Bahamas, on our last cruise from LA to Miami last Christmas. Alas they did not do it, because due to rough seas we did not make the Bahamas, so they needed to book a flight to get back to the Bahamas for their land stay. However, other than an emergency (medical or otherwise), you need prior permission to disembark early.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Cruseforme

[ORV]

I know that you can leave a cruise if you get prior approval from the maritime authorities through your cruise line, but what if you for one reason or other do it without this authorization? Let's say that your cruise originated in CONUS and you hopped off in St. Thomas. I'm not planning to do this, but not idle curiosity either.

 

Being how St Thomas is part of the US there might be issues, depending on where else you stopped first. Best to check with the cruise line and and clear it first.

[rundent]

I know that you must clear it with the cruise line, as I stated, but what if you don't for some reason or another [time constraint]?

[Cruseforme]

I would call Oceania or a good dedicated Oceania TA if you require the answer. I believe we would all be speculating.

[pinotlover]

One becomes a missing person. The cruise line must notify the port authorities that a passenger didn't return and give all the personal info.

 

I've seen the local police out tracking down stray cruisers in St. Lucia that didn't make it back to the boat. Use a credit card if you want to be found quickly!

[Hambagahle]

And I suppose there are also Immigration issues. Cruise ships clear their entire manifest as such and I don't think individuals would be registered as tourists when on the ship. Staying behind at the very least should involve a trip to the local Police to see what "Landing" formalities need to be taken care of. Could also be visa issues too.

[billrco90278]

We are departing a day early from a future Oceania Cruise. We informed Oceania of our plans and were told to submit an application for early departure. We did so, and it was approved two days later.