Am I understanding this correctly.....

[Horizon chaser 1957]

6 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

That has a lot more chance of happening as an Executive Order.  At the moment cruises to nowhere are prohibited by INS or Labor Department regulations while PVSA is actual law.  A cruise like that would have ample opportunities for scenic cruising,

 

Roy

 

 

Roy, thanks for the explanation. It would also be a good re-start cruise, given that there’s no chance of contagion coming on board or going ashore during the voyage.

[Lady Arwen]

32 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

It would go a long way to opening up the Alaska cruise season. The cruise lines want it and Alaska wants it. Let's do it!

If only a “let’s do it!” attitude could make it happen.  Unfortunately, laws and politics are in the way.  I try not to get too excited anymore about cruises, as we’ve had seven cancelled in 2020 and two in early 2021.  Booked for October 2021 on Rotterdam and praying we make it.

[rafinmd]

Let me suggest a faint glimmer of hope although I doubt if it will please the OP.  We have a vaccine on the horizon and some consensus building on masks (With the such a diverse group as our President Elect, Chris Christie, and Maryland's Governor all strongly behind them).  If we can see our numbers  starting to decrease, and enough limitations on how cruises work I wonder if Canada might allow some tightly restricted cruises to happen.  Suppose the ship left Seattle, negative Covid tests were required, and the first stop was Vancouver, allowing ONLY cruise line sponsored excursions, Canada might be persuaded to let it happen,  Perhaps if the policies continued throughout the cruise and testing was again done the final sea day, Canada might even allow their citizens to board in Vancouver and then take a sealed bus back from Seattle.  It would be a start.  Progress against Covid is the combined effect of many small actions.  Any thoughts?

 

Roy

Edited December 18, 2020 by rafinmd
Typos

[ScottC4746]

6 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Yes, but they have to stop in a “foreign port” as per the Passengers act.  Usually, Victoria, BC for Alaska cruises.  Check your itinerary.

They could just stop in Victoria, but not let anyone off the ship.

[CruiserBruce]

2 minutes ago, ScottC4746 said:

They could just stop in Victoria, but not let anyone off the ship.

The "not let anyone off" proposal has been discussed here frequently. It violates the PVSA.

[ScottC4746]

18 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The "not let anyone off" proposal has been discussed here frequently. It violates the PVSA.

True I forgot it is boots on the ground to count.

[kevingastreich]

22 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

The "not let anyone off" proposal has been discussed here frequently. It violates the PVSA.

Let people off but nobody can leave the cruise terminal? That might satisfy the PVSA and the Canadian Govt. Sorta like they make you do on a B2B.

Edited December 18, 2020 by kevingastreich

[ScottC4746]

5 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

Let people off but nobody can leave the cruise terminal? That might satisfy the PVSA and the Canadian Govt. Sorta like they make you do on a B2B.

As I remember Victoria, which I was last there about 10 years ago, is more of a dock than a terminal that lets off in a neighborhood.

[kevingastreich]

16 minutes ago, ScottC4746 said:

As I remember Victoria, which I was last there about 10 years ago, is more of a dock than a terminal that lets off in a neighborhood.

Vancouver has Canadian Place.  Very large

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, kevingastreich said:

Let people off but nobody can leave the cruise terminal? That might satisfy the PVSA and the Canadian Govt. Sorta like they make you do on a B2B.

The B2B doesn't include a requirement to do "boots on the ground", and some cruise lines don't have you go ashore. The requirement is to clear the ship to zero and all non-cruise line employees have to clear Immigration, technically. So cruise lines have you meet, and be accounted for, in a location on the ship. Once all pax are accounted for, you are clear to move on. And this only applies to in the US. Other countries, a turnaround day is the same as any port day...come and go as you please.

[kevingastreich]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

The B2B doesn't include a requirement to do "boots on the ground", and some cruise lines don't have you go ashore. The requirement is to clear the ship to zero and all non-cruise line employees have to clear Immigration, technically. So cruise lines have you meet, and be accounted for, in a location on the ship. Once all pax are accounted for, you are clear to move on. And this only applies to in the US. Other countries, a turnaround day is the same as any port day...come and go as you please.

Yes, it sounds like it will work.  It should be looked into further to save the Alaska cruise season. People are depending on it. Alaska IS NOT Key West!

[Mary229]

5 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Let me suggest a faint glimmer of hope although I doubt if it will please the OP.  We have a vaccine on the horizon and some consensus building on masks (With the such a diverse group as our President Elect, Chris Christie, and Maryland's Governor all strongly behind them).  If we can see our numbers  starting to decrease, and enough limitations on how cruises work I wonder if Canada might allow some tightly restricted cruises to happen.  Suppose the ship left Seattle, negative Covid tests were required, and the first stop was Vancouver, allowing ONLY cruise line sponsored excursions, Canada might be persuaded to let it happen,  Perhaps if the policies continued throughout the cruise and testing was again done the final sea day, Canada might even allow their citizens to board in Vancouver and then take a sealed bus back from Seattle.  It would be a start.  Progress against Covid is the combined effect of many small actions.  Any thoughts?

 

Roy

Canada thinks they are going to have an exceedingly slow roll out of vaccines, I think they are going to be pleasantly surprised at the progress.  I think February 15 is the day to watch, a solid 6 weeks after Christmas with any resulting upswing in cases and a month into vaccinating the first class of the general public.  It appears the roll out is moving along very well. 

[oaktreerb]

17 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

This - the not having to depart from the home of the Canucks hockey team, still looking to win Lord Stanley's illustrious cup - is true however, the good ol' Passenger Vessel Service Act (PSVA) of 1235, or thereabouts, requires foreign-flagged ships, which depart from and return to, the same U.S. port to stop in between at a foreign port. That means that an Alaska cruise out of Seattle is allowed to call at Alaskan ports provided a stop is made in Vancouver or another Canadian west coast port before returning to Seattle.

 

Even though some folks claim to be able to see Russia from the commune of Wasilla in our 49th state, a "PVSA" stop in Vladivostok on an Alaskan cruise is a do not pass go, do not collect $200 greenbacks logistically so essentially, foreign flagged ships will thus call on always beautiful and picturesque Victoria, BC, the home of a Dutch Carilion, usually during the last night of the cruise, departing around midnight, for the short hop to, and oh dark thirty arrival at, the emerald city (there have been variations of this which allow more time in Victoria then just an evening for dinner, desert at "Oh Gelato," Oh Yummy in your tummy, and her other fine sights)

 

Soooooooooo, if our good, fine and just plain nice neighbors to the north, sorry, a thousand apologies; good, fine and just plain nice "neighbours" with a "u" added, to the north, their government in Ottawa, Ont. that is, keep them, thair borders locked up, "Oh Heavens to Murgatroyd!," with hardworking and dapper CBSA agents turning "Over there, over there" Yanks away by telling them to go back to mothers, there will not, just like 2020, be a 2021 Alaska season unless of course,  Joe and Co. (I almost said something that would, no doubt, get me in trouble, something having to do with insomnolence, but my senses came to me, and I to them) waive that ancient and totally unnecessary act 

 

OK, crawling back under my rock  

🤔Come on Joe...we’ve got to get moving forward.  

Edited December 19, 2020 by oaktreerb

[RuthC]

12 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Can we sail from Seattle, go into port in Victoria, and everybody just stay on the ship?  

No. Did you read the previous posts which explained that? 

[oaktreerb]

14 hours ago, RuthC said:

No. Did you read the previous posts which explained that? 

I thought I deleted this post by editing it to say something else.  Sorry.  I tried to change it to say something like “Come on Joe.  We need to start moving forward”.  Looking forward to some progress in 2021.  I was responding to a comment in Copper’s post.  I think you saw the original comment before I quickly amended it.

Edited December 19, 2020 by oaktreerb

[HappyInVan]

16 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

🤔Come on Joe...we’ve got to get moving forward.  

 

We need to focus on the here and now! 🙄

 

 

[oaktreerb]

49 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

We need to focus on the here and now! 🙄

 

 

You are right.  I’ve been masking and distancing and missing birthday and holiday celebrations since March.   With the vaccine there is hope.  I’m hoping for a coordinated distribution of the vaccine.  I’m ready to move forward and I’ll continue to follow CDC guidelines and I urge others to do the same.  

[StLouisCruisers]

51 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

You are right.  I’ve been masking and distancing and missing birthday and holiday celebrations since March.   With the vaccine there is hope.  I’m hoping for a coordinated distribution of the vaccine.  I’m ready to move forward and I’ll continue to follow CDC guidelines and I urge others to do the same.  

 

Same here.

[highscar]

Re staying on board. San Diego-Hawaii-San Diego. Call at Encenada Mexico no passengers allowed off.  Perfectly legal. 

[zelker]

1 hour ago, highscar said:

Re staying on board. San Diego-Hawaii-San Diego. Call at Encenada Mexico no passengers allowed off.  Perfectly legal. 

We were on the same cruise (March 1-18, Eurodam) and stopping there but not allowing anyone off was an exception due to Covid.  

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, highscar said:

Re staying on board. San Diego-Hawaii-San Diego. Call at Encenada Mexico no passengers allowed off.  Perfectly legal. 

Nope. Not any more. Been discussed here a lot recently.

[kevingastreich]

On 12/18/2020 at 12:22 PM, ScottC4746 said:

True I forgot it is boots on the ground to count.

Are you sure about that?  We have been on numerous Alaska cruises that stopped in Canada and never once were we required to leave the ship. We need a definitive answer from a lawyer familiar with the PV Act on whether this would work or not.  Otherwise, it's all just speculation.

[kevingastreich]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Nope. Not any more. Been discussed here a lot recently.

Keyboard warriors "discussing it" doesn't make it true. Nothing in this thread so far is definitive proof that the PVSA can't be amended to achieve what we are proposing.  Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.  Let's get on it!

[richwmn]

10 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

Are you sure about that?  We have been on numerous Alaska cruises that stopped in Canada and never once were we required to leave the ship. We need a definitive answer from a lawyer familiar with the PV Act on whether this would work or not.  Otherwise, it's all just speculation.

It doesn't matter if individual passengers get off, as long as the option is there. In your case, it was your choice to stay on the ship, others disembarked

[CruiserBruce]

4 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

Keyboard warriors "discussing it" doesn't make it true. Nothing in this thread so far is definitive proof that the PVSA can't be amended to achieve what we are proposing.  Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.  Let's get on it!

There are people here who have worked as officers on cruise ships who say it's not legal. I can't bring up the one I want by tagging him right now, but he is not a "keyboard warrior". There might be people who know more about it than you.