disembarking a day early

[rln44]

 

 

We are considering a pacific coastal cruise which goes to Seattle, then Vancouver then turns around and hits both ports again before ending in Vancouver.  We would like to disembark a day early in the second Seattle stop as the flight connections are much better for us  .Any restrictions or penalties?  I know this question has been asked before, but didn't feel like searching through thousands of posts to find it.

[Sir PMP]

No penalties, just check with Front Desk, to make sure that there are U.S. immigration officials working.

[Mary229]

You need to get written permission from HAL.  The only exception I know of is if a ship is in the final destination for multiple nights.  It is not a big deal to get that permission 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Mary229

[electro]

Depends on where the ship starts. If it is another US port, you might not be able to disembark in Seattle without violating the PVSA. I think there is a reason the cruise ends in Vancouver and not in Seattle.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You need to get written permission from HAL..

[CruiserBruce]

30 minutes ago, electro said:

Depends on where the ship starts. If it is another US port, you might not be able to disembark in Seattle without violating the PVSA. I think there is a reason the cruise ends in Vancouver and not in Seattle.

This is the correct answer. Ending in Vancouver, but getting off in Seattle causes all of the restrictions. Two stops in Seattle and Vancouver? Sounds like some sort of B2B. We need a little more detail.

[RuthC]

It's the passenger's starting and stopping ports that will determine if this is possible. 
Electro and CruiserBruce are the correct answers on this question. The laws of the United States (PVSA) are what will rule.

[rln44]

We just booked this-Zaandam departing San Diego 4/20.  Stopping at Victoria, Vancouver, Astoria, Seattle and then Vancouver again.  The reason for the circuitous  route is to set up Zaandam's Alaska schedule beginning May2 out of Vancouver.  We are planning on visiting elderly family members in Spokane.  Connections from Seattle to Spokane are much easier than from Vancouver to Spokane so we'll just hope for the best.  Since we'll be hitting two non U.S. ports before arriving at Seattle I don't know why this would present a problem.

[oaktreerb]

The two non-US ports are not far distant ports.  You can sail from San Diego to Vancouver but not San Diego to Seattle.

 

You need advance permission from HAL to disembark a day early.  We boarded in Vancouver for a round trip Alaska cruise and HAL cleared us to disembark a day early  in Victoria since we planned to spend a week on Vancouver Island.

Edited December 24, 2023 by oaktreerb

[sunviking90]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

The two non-US ports are not far distant ports.  You can sail from San Diego to Vancouver but not San Diego to Seattle.

This. You are effectively taking a cruise from San Diego to Seattle without a distant foreign port. This is why you’ll see all of the westcoast repositioning cruises from the US end in Vancouver even if they are going to be doing an Alaska season from Seattle. Then they do the one night to position for Seattle.

[cruisinsince75]

It will probably be fine, but contact HAL for permission and find out ALL the details on how that is handled.  The problem could be clearing customs.  We did the same thing on one cruise.  St. Thomas was the last stop before we debarked in San Juan.  We wanted to stay in St. Thomas for a few days post cruise before flying home.  The plan was to stay on the ship that day, pack in the morning, have a leisurely lunch, and then head to our hotel.  At 8am our phone rings and is the front desk saying that customs was waiting for us at the port and we needed to have our bags out to be escorted to customs and immigration.  It became a rush in panic mode.  Just one officer to meet us.  He was very nice and actually took us and our luggage to the rental car office. 

[cruisinsince75]

Meant to add that it was probably fine, since you had already visited Vancouver prior to Seattle.  

[d9704011]

6 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Meant to add that it was probably fine, since you had already visited Vancouver prior to Seattle.  

It's not fine even if the ship visits 15 Canadian ports prior to Seattle.  Cannot cruise from San Diego to Seattle without visiting a  distant foreign port and Canada is not distant under the Passenger Vessal Services Act.

[cruisinsince75]

39 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

It's not fine even if the ship visits 15 Canadian ports prior to Seattle.  Cannot cruise from San Diego to Seattle without visiting a  distant foreign port and Canada is not distant under the Passenger Vessal Services Act.

I think you are right.  I was thinking of Hawaii cruises that start in San Diego and end up back in San Diego first have to stop in Ensenada on return to satisfy the Jones Act and it is only 85 miles from SD.  Or Seattle to Seattle has to stop in Vancouver or Victoria before returning to Seattle.  It is the sailing to and from different US posts that is the problem and doesn't meet the distance requirements.

Edited December 24, 2023 by cruisinsince75
additional statement

[auntmeg]

Take a look at this thread and the linked article in it.

 

 

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, cruisinsince75 said:

I think you are right.  I was thinking of Hawaii cruises that start in San Diego and end up back in San Diego first have to stop in Ensenada on return to satisfy the Jones Act and it is only 85 miles from SD.  Or Seattle to Seattle has to stop in Vancouver or Victoria before returning to Seattle.  It is the sailing to and from different US posts that is the problem and doesn't meet the distance requirements.

Well, it's not the Jones Act, firstly.  It's the Passenger Vessel Services Act.  A closed loop cruise from a US port only requires a foreign port stop (near OR far).  An open jaw cruise from one US port to a DIFFERENT US port requires a DISTANT foreign port stop.  

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Well, it's not the Jones Act, firstly.  It's the Passenger Vessel Services Act.  A closed loop cruise from a US port only requires a foreign port stop (near OR far).  An open jaw cruise from one US port to a DIFFERENT US port requires a DISTANT foreign port stop.  

 

Right, the closed loop (depart from and return to the same port) is the exception to the requirement for a distant foreign port. Since OP is asking about San Diego to Seattle, that isn't a closed loop. 

Edited December 24, 2023 by 3rdGenCunarder

[CruiserBruce]

3 hours ago, cruisinsince75 said:

I think you are right.  I was thinking of Hawaii cruises that start in San Diego and end up back in San Diego first have to stop in Ensenada on return to satisfy the Jones Act and it is only 85 miles from SD.  Or Seattle to Seattle has to stop in Vancouver or Victoria before returning to Seattle.  It is the sailing to and from different US posts that is the problem and doesn't meet the distance requirements.

Its not the Jones Act, is the PVSA, and that is a round trip, which only requires stopping at a foreign port.

[cruisinsince75]

29 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its not the Jones Act, is the PVSA, and that is a round trip, which only requires stopping at a foreign port.

Same thing.  Most commonly called the Jones Act.  

[RuthC]

42 minutes ago, cruisinsince75 said:

Same thing.  Most commonly called the Jones Act.

You've dug yourself a deep enough hole. 

The Jones Act is about movement of goods. The PVSA is about people. 
The two acts are not the same thing; they are two different laws addressing two different situations. Passed in two different years. 

Oh, even though San Juan and St. Thomas are both the US, San Juan has an exemption to the PVSA. 

[Shmoo here]

21 minutes ago, RuthC said:

You've dug yourself a deep enough hole. 

The Jones Act is about movement of goods. The PVSA is about people. 
The two acts are not the same thing; they are two different laws addressing two different situations. Passed in two different years. 

Oh, even though San Juan and St. Thomas are both the US, San Juan has an exemption to the PVSA. 

👍

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, RuthC said:

You've dug yourself a deep enough hole. 

The Jones Act is about movement of goods. The PVSA is about people. 
The two acts are not the same thing; they are two different laws addressing two different situations. Passed in two different years. 

Oh, even though San Juan and St. Thomas are both the US, San Juan has an exemption to the PVSA. 

Of course,  that poster also said " it would probably be fine" because the OP stopped in Vancouver twice. And that "its probably about clearing Customs." Which, of course has absolutely nothing to do with anything. Immigration might be a factor, but Customs is about personal property...so not sure how that would affect anything. 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, RuthC said:

You've dug yourself a deep enough hole. 

The Jones Act is about movement of goods. The PVSA is about people. 
The two acts are not the same thing; they are two different laws addressing two different situations. Passed in two different years. 

Oh, even though San Juan and St. Thomas are both the US, San Juan has an exemption to the PVSA. 

It would be nice if posters just stopped once and for all confusing the Jones Act and the PVSA. I don't know how many times I have read Jones Act when they are talking about cruise ships. It has been explained over and over. 

[richwmn]

52 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It would be nice if posters just stopped once and for all confusing the Jones Act and the PVSA. I don't know how many times I have read Jones Act when they are talking about cruise ships. It has been explained over and over. 

Unfortunately, it is not just passengers. I said something once to a staff member who said Jones act and his reply was that Jones Act was commonly used so that is what he called it.

 

[ontheweb]

9 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Unfortunately, it is not just passengers. I said something once to a staff member who said Jones act and his reply was that Jones Act was commonly used so that is what he called it.

 

That does not make it right.