Booking withing 72 hours of sailing

[doublebzz]

Rather than camp out in our home without power and hot water after Hurricane Wilma, my wife and I decided on a last minute cruise. When I called Celebrity, they informed my that the Department of Homeland Security prohibits cruise lines from booking passengers within 72 hours of sailing. I guess this rule applies only to Celebrity because we were able to book on a Carnival ship after Celbrity declined the booking. Has anyone else experienced this restriction?

[Michelle!]

Yup, a few weeks ago, I was told to use up some of my accrued time off. Tried to book a last minute getaway on the NCL Sun - flat out refused 4 days in advance. Gave up and did some work around the house.

[c-legs]

:) Hi,

 

That rule is indeed correct. Homeland security has to have the passenger manifest 72 hours prior to embarkation.

How Carnival '' skirted'' that requirement is unknown.

 

I suppose the degree of '' still outstanding berths unsold'' VS total capacity raises the bar as to how much a line is ready to '' push the enveloppe''.....

 

Cheers

CG

:cool:

 

 

Homeland Security prohibits cruise lines from booking passengers within 72 hours of sailing.

 

[tbelian]

How Carnival '' skirted'' that requirement is unknown.

 

I suppose the degree of '' still outstanding berths unsold'' VS total capacity raises the bar as to how much a line is ready to '' push the enveloppe''.....

 

 

Pushing the envelope is right. I wouldn't want to be on that Carnival ship should homeland security decide to all of a sudden become 'interested' .

 

Poof! No cruise.

[newmexicoNita]

I am shocked Carnival allowed this!!!! NMNita

[doublebzz]

:) Hi,

 

That rule is indeed correct. Homeland security has to have the passenger manifest 72 hours prior to embarkation.

How Carnival '' skirted'' that requirement is unknown.

 

I suppose the degree of '' still outstanding berths unsold'' VS total capacity raises the bar as to how much a line is ready to '' push the enveloppe''.....

 

Cheers

CG

:cool:

 

 

Homeland Security prohibits cruise lines from booking passengers within 72 hours of sailing.

 

 

Do you know for a fact or seen in writing this so called "72 hour" rule or could it be some cruise lines' interpretation of a rule for their own purposes. And, if there is such a rule, does it really make any sense? How many terrorists are going infiltrate a cruise ship on the spur of the moment without long range planning? I would be a hell of a lot more concerned about the fact that Homeland Security examines less than 5% of all cargo containers entering this country. What makes me doubious that such an inflexible rule exists is the fact that it apparently doesn't apply to airlines, a much more likely venue for terrorism than cruise ships.

[doublebzz]

:) Hi,

 

That rule is indeed correct. Homeland security has to have the passenger manifest 72 hours prior to embarkation.

How Carnival '' skirted'' that requirement is unknown.

 

I suppose the degree of '' still outstanding berths unsold'' VS total capacity raises the bar as to how much a line is ready to '' push the enveloppe''.....

 

Cheers

CG

:cool:

 

 

Homeland Security prohibits cruise lines from booking passengers within 72 hours of sailing.

 

 

Do you know for a fact or seen in writing this so called "72 hour" rule or could it be some cruise lines' interpretation of a rule for their own purposes. And, if there is such a rule, does it really make any sense? How many terrorists are going infiltrate a cruise ship on the spur of the moment without long range planning? I would be a hell of a lot more concerned about the fact that Homeland Security examines less than 5% of all cargo containers entering this country. What makes me doubious that such an inflexible rule exists is the fact that it apparently doesn't apply to airlines, a much more likely venue for terrorism than cruise ships.

[pbcbbc]

This is confusing to me. I know people who booked just over 48 hours advance and got on. (Carnival, this last summer.) I almost did the same two months ago, but I changed my mind, not refused. I have to wonder what the laws are as opposed to companies individual policies.

[SS Cruise Lady]

"Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Requirements: The DHS now requires cruise lines to provide a passenger manifest 96 hours before entering into any U.S. port. This is one of the reasons why cruise lines are increasingly offering passengers incentives to provide their personal information well in advance. For instance, Carnival, which encourages pre-registration on its website, gives folks who submit information 40 days prior to cruise date a pass to fast track through the embarkation process"

[canderson]

Do you know for a fact or seen in writing this so called "72 hour" rule or could it be some cruise lines' interpretation of a rule for their own purposes.

It's real enough. There was a thread here some time back that caused me to look it up and post the results here. It was a .gov site of one sort or another. There were some variations on the theme, but for passenger ships starting from a US port, the 72 definitely sounds correct.

 

With some clever searching, the thread can probably be found again... let's see.

[canderson]

Took a couple of minutes, but I did finally find it. Wasn't 72. Looks like the rule is supposed to be 96 hours (4 days) for all voyages of 96 hours (4 days) or more.

 

That said, a 3 day cruise appears to have a 24 hour requirement.

 

 

"For passenger and crew member manifests, one of the following three alternative rules will be applied, depending on the length of the voyage: (i) At least 96 hours before entering the port or place of destination, for voyages of 96 hours or more; (ii) at least 24 hours before entering the port or place of destination, for voyages of less than 96 hours but not less than 24 hours; or (iii) prior to departing the port or place of departure, for voyages of less than 24 hours."

[Federal Register: April 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 66)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 17819-17856]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07ap05-13]

 

 

 

[doublebzz]

CANDERSON

 

Thanks for your research.

 

I still believe this rule is a bunch of bureaucratic B.S. for the reasons stated in my earlier post. As someone with some security experience, I can tell you there are many vunerabilities in the area of maritime commerce but a terrorist penetration of a cruise ship within 72 hours of sailing is probably the least of them.

[canderson]

CANDERSON

 

Thanks for your research.

 

I still believe this rule is a bunch of bureaucratic B.S. for the reasons stated in my earlier post. As someone with some security experience, I can tell you there are many vunerabilities in the area of maritime commerce but a terrorist penetration of a cruise ship within 72 hours of sailing is probably the least of them.

No need to convince me. DIA is still asking to have shoes removed at the same time Logan loses over 100 ramp passes a year. Funny how the toughest airports in the world don't ask to have shoes removed. Leave it to us to reinvent the wheel -- and make a square one. Then you look at the things they will allow to be carried on an airplane -- these people have ZERO imagination. Well, at least the plastic knives will cut a tough piece of chicken. That's more than you could say for the old and dull metal ones.

 

Sigh.