Leaving the cruise early?

[Angelcreek]

I'm not very familiar with how the laws work. Here is the scenario:

 

Considering the 4 day Pacific coastal next week on the Sun for my husband and myself. First port stop is Astoria where he would need to disembark because he has jury duty starting that Friday. I would continue on and finish the cruise to it's final disembarkation in San Diego on Friday. Is this possible to do? Would we incur fines etc? Pardon my naivety......this situation has never come up for us before. One thing I do know...one can never get a reliable answer from NCL customer service.:D

Edited September 18, 2016 by Angelcreek

[Son of a son of a ...]

I assume he was not selected for a jury, he just got a notice to appear.

 

Postpone jury duty - it is done all the time. He will still serve, but just at a later date. He won't get picked anyway ... not good to put a juror in the box who had to cut vacation short to serve.

[1025cruise]

In this situation, he would probably not be allowed to disembark.

[casofilia]

If you are willing to pay full fare for just 1 or 2 nights and it is a closed loop cruise what is to stop him just not turning up before the ship leaves Astoria. You can be very apologetic and explain that he had hired a car to go to Portland for the day and was caught up in a traffic snarl-up!!

[www3traveler]

Astoria does NOT have the facilities to allow disembarkation. The nearest Custom Agents would be in Seattle several hours to the North.

 

Astoria does have a very small airport but no commercial plane service. Portland, Oregon is 90 plus miles on two lane road to the East.

 

Postponing jury would be easier. I have done it more than once to be on a cruise.

[kcwingwalker]

Yes you can, but you'll still be charged for days your husband is not onboard. This is when a good PCC comes in handy.

 

Your husband will need written permission from NCL and permission from the port where he is disembarking. It does take a while, but it can be done.

 

I would be inclined to ask to be dismissed from jury duty during that time period.

 

Good Luck:)

[hawkeyetlse]

Would we incur fines etc?

If you are thinking about fines for violating the PVSA, no, there is no problem with a trip from Vancouver to Astoria. (It's Canada to the US, just like the full itinerary of your cruise, Vancouver to San Diego). This does not mean that NCL has to allow you to disembark there. But as casofilia suggested, they can't stop you from going ashore and just never coming back to the ship…

Astoria does NOT have the facilities to allow disembarkation. The nearest Custom Agents would be in Seattle several hours to the North.

Don't passengers on this cruise already go through US Customs before boarding in Vancouver? (If not, they would need to bring customs agents down to meet the ship, for everyone on the ship, not just for this one passenger.)

 

It does seem like a huge waste to travel to Vancouver for a 4-night cruise, and to leave after one night…

[Angelcreek]

Thank you for all of the replies!

 

Yes, I understand it seems like a waste of time or money. We live on the North Oregon Coast....plan was to take 1 night Pearl from Seattle to Vancouver then board the Sun the next day. We would get 1 night together on the Pearl and 1 night together on the Sun before he leaves and then I get a couple of days to myself!:cool: Would cost the same either way (vs solo booking) and it sounds like a fun adventure!

 

From what I've read on the Port Vancouver website we will clear US Customs before boarding there. He doesn't want to opt out of jury duty........he feels that it is his obligation and privilege as a citizen........I respect that. Maybe he'll just have to "miss" the ship departing Astoria. Of course, we would inform the ship prior to departure that he was leaving because of an emergency or something so we wouldn't delay anyone.

[Turtles06]

He doesn't want to opt out of jury duty........he feels that it is his obligation and privilege as a citizen...

 

It is indeed his obligation and privilege, and I am very grateful that your husband feels that way. However, he would not be shirking his civic duties at all if he merely asked to *postpone* his jury duty to a later date. This really is done all the time. Unless your state is very bizarre, it should not be problem (he had a trip already scheduled and paid for), and it would not in any way, shape or form mean he was doing something bad or getting out of his obligation; he would just be called for jury duty at a later date.

 

I have to say, an unwillingness to ask for a postponement makes me think he just doesn't want to do the full cruise.

 

Whatever you guys do, I hope you both have a great time.

[Angelcreek]

It is indeed his obligation and privilege, and I am very grateful that your husband feels that way. However, he would not be shirking his civic duties at all if he merely asked to *postpone* his jury duty to a later date. This really is done all the time. Unless your state is very bizarre, it should not be problem (he had a trip already scheduled and paid for), and it would not in any way, shape or form mean he was doing something bad or getting out of his obligation; he would just be called for jury duty at a later date.

 

I have to say, an unwillingness to ask for a postponement makes me think he just doesn't want to do the full cruise.

 

Whatever you guys do, I hope you both have a great time.

 

Nothing booked yet.......just a spontaneous idea we had.

 

He doesn't want to defer now because it could screw up our spring plans which are much more involved. To be honest we just wanted a couple of days on a ship since it's been almost a year since we have been on a cruise and the rates are great! We get some "couple" time and I get some "me" time. Win/win for us;)

 

And thank you. Yes, we will have a good time doing this or finding something else if it's not in the cards this time.:)

[sctexan]

He doesn't want to opt out of jury duty........he feels that it is his obligation and privilege as a citizen

 

No one but a very select few (caregivers of small children, people over 70, and a couple of other categories) ever truly "opt out" of jury duty. What many, many people do is ask to appear at another time. I certainly admire your husband's willingness to do his civic duty but there is absolutely no reason that he should cut his trip short to appear.

 

Ask for a postponement and have a great cruise together. Unless you and he would rather not, which it kind of sounds like you don't. [emoji1]

 

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Edited September 19, 2016 by sctexan

[Trellaine]

I have an interesting question as well. At least I think. I'm a Canadian leaving from Vancouver to Victoria to Astoria and then LA.

 

What happens if I find cruising isn't for me...for whatever reason.

 

Can I just grab my bags and leave the shop? Find my way home?

 

Not sure how it would work.

[easyboy]

Astoria does NOT have the facilities to allow disembarkation. The nearest Custom Agents would be in Seattle several hours to the North.

 

Astoria does have a very small airport but no commercial plane service. Portland, Oregon is 90 plus miles on two lane road to the East.

 

Postponing jury would be easier. I have done it more than once to be on a cruise.

You have good points. Postponing jury duty to a later date is more practical.

[hawkeyetlse]

What happens if I find cruising isn't for me...for whatever reason.

 

Can I just grab my bags and leave the shop? Find my way home?

You are not a prisoner on board (as long as you pay off your onboard charges). If you decide you want to leave the cruise midway, they will help you make this happen. It is easier in some ports than in others. On your itinerary, I don't see why they wouldn't let you quit the cruise in Victoria or Astoria. I don't know if Canada has cabotage laws that make it illegal for NCL to take you from Vancouver to Victoria, but if they get fined for it, they will make you pay the fine.

[chengkp75]

You are not a prisoner on board (as long as you pay off your onboard charges). If you decide you want to leave the cruise midway, they will help you make this happen. It is easier in some ports than in others. On your itinerary, I don't see why they wouldn't let you quit the cruise in Victoria or Astoria. I don't know if Canada has cabotage laws that make it illegal for NCL to take you from Vancouver to Victoria, but if they get fined for it, they will make you pay the fine.

 

Yes, Canada has the Coasting Trade Act, and in this case, unlike the $300/passenger fine of the US PVSA, the CTA invokes a fine up to $50,000 per violation to the ship.

[Zaphod1962]

I have an interesting question as well. At least I think. I'm a Canadian leaving from Vancouver to Victoria to Astoria and then LA.

 

What happens if I find cruising isn't for me...for whatever reason.

 

Can I just grab my bags and leave the shop? Find my way home?

 

Not sure how it would work.

 

Carnival has a guarantee that covers this situation.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/478

 

I'm not going to clutter up this thread with the details but, within the first 24 hours they will refund 110% of your fare and get you home. I don't know about other lines, and Carnival will fly you home, or back to the port if you drove there, so a passport would be required.

[hawkeyetlse]

Yes, Canada has the Coasting Trade Act, and in this case, unlike the $300/passenger fine of the US PVSA, the CTA invokes a fine up to $50,000 per violation to the ship.

Oh yes, I remember now that we had this discussion in a previous thread. In that case it might be better for Trellaine to suffer through one more night of the cruise and get off the ship in the US instead… :D

[dublell]

What you want to do is legal, but be aware that problems could come up. I was on a coastal cruise a couple years ago where storminess and rough seas at the mouth of the Columbia caused the Astoria port to be closed, and we had to continue on with an extra sea day.

[mabones]

Last week my DH was to appear for Jury Duty on a Monday. He was told on the Thursday before that they needed him for the overnight shift. That night, he went on the Jurors website for our area & was able to change his date for next year!!!

 

The information will be on his reply card.

[Tiggertastic]

Just make sure ncl approve it. If you disembark without, they get fined and you will be passed the fine

 

 

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[chengkp75]

Just make sure ncl approve it. If you disembark without, they get fined and you will be passed the fine

 

 

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Well, not quite. Whether or not NCL approves it, if it violates either US or Canadian law, the ship will be fined, and the ticket contract gives the line the right to pass the fine along to you. If, however, the disembarkation does not violate the law, then whether or not you have permission doesn't matter, and no one gets fined. However, having said that, if you ever want to cruise with them again, get permission.