Missing the boat questions!!

[Tomct]

I have a question that I think I know the answer to, and since it is likely "NO", I have two follow up questions.

 

Q1. Would NCL allow someone to skip boarding at the original departure point, and board at the first port of call? In my hypothetical situation, the cabin would be occupied by a spouse from the beginning. I'm guessing they no longer allow boarding from any of the mid points.

 

Q2. What happens if someone shows up at the original departure point after the ship has departed, with or without a spouse already on board? Logistically it sounds the same, noting that in my hypothetical case, the spouse would not want to show up at the original departure point, but rather fly to the first port of call. Of course "stuff" happens, and the ship may not make that port, but as I said, that stuff can happen.

 

Q3. What happens when someone onboard gets a call from home that an emergency at home has occurred? It could be family health or work related, but that person must fly home from the last port of call. (What if that person coincidentally "anticipated" that such a situation might occur, and just happened to have a flight reserved?)

[heelfan94]

Question right back at ya: How do you get on the cruise ship without a spouse???? Mine trails me everywhere. :)

[Don Haynes]

If you are flying back for an emergency, you'll need a passport. Your spouse will also have to do the mandatory muster drill when he arrives, possibly ruining any shore excursion that day.

[monicajay]

Tomct,

 

Answer to Q3 -

 

This March, while travelling on the Dawn we received news of a family tragedy, I informed the front desk in the lobby that my family would be disembarking in St. Thomas and to please close my account. There were no special questions, then in St. Thomas when I collected our passports ( we are Canadian) I told them I would not be handing them back in as we were leaving. Again, no problems or questions. I was told to meet with a Customs officer at 8h00 am. Nobody questioned us as we got on the tender with all our suitcases (nor did anybody ever offer to help) and we found a taxi and headed to the airport.

 

It was so easy that my husband and I commented that in fact if someone was trying to run away and hide you could just take a cruise and get off in the destination of your choice.

 

We were very disappointed by the lack of care or concern by NCL staff and have written them a letter in regards to this. We received a card that they are looking into in. But this is for another post . To answer your question, based on our experience it would be very easy to get off in any port.

[Tomct]

Question right back at ya: How do you get on the cruise ship without a spouse???? Mine trails me everywhere. :)

 

This is a hypothetical question on behalf of a couple, but one of them would like to skip the initial 2 day leg due to a prior comittment, and join the cruise at the first port.

 

As for your situation, I'm sure your spouse just can't take being away from you!!

[chasetf]

This is a hypothetical question on behalf of a couple, but one of them would like to skip the initial 2 day leg due to a prior comittment, and join the cruise at the first port.

 

As for your situation, I'm sure your spouse just can't take being away from you!!

So instead of trying to deal in hypotheticals, why doesn't you friend call the cruise line and ask them. The PSA probably plays a part here and it would be important to know what port the one of them is not embarking at and which port they do want to embark.

[Cosmopolitan]

I have a question that I think I know the answer to, and since it is likely "NO", I have two follow up questions.

 

Q1. Would NCL allow someone to skip boarding at the original departure point, and board at the first port of call? In my hypothetical situation, the cabin would be occupied by a spouse from the beginning. I'm guessing they no longer allow boarding from any of the mid points.

 

We met a woman on the Dawn, her husband was embarking at another port. Not sure how that turned out but they did arrange it.

 

We do see crew embarking at other ports.

[chasetf]

.......We do see crew embarking at other ports.

Passengers have to conform to PSA requirements........I do not know whether crew are subjected to PSA..... but even if they were they could embark at a foreign port and disembark 8 mos later at another foreign port and not have a problem.

[dforeigner]

We met a woman on the Dawn, her husband was embarking at another port. Not sure how that turned out but they did arrange it.

 

We do see crew embarking at other ports.

 

 

Crews are not affected by the passenger services act.

[goldmom]

We were on the Dawn a few years ago. We were talking to a couple from Florida who missed the boat in NY. They had to fly back to Florida (which was our first port) and board the ship there. They also said that they were fined, I think it was $200 each, for boarding the ship in a port other than the port of embarkation.

 

Anyone know if this is still the case?

[Tomct]

So instead of trying to deal in hypotheticals, why doesn't you friend call the cruise line and ask them. The PSA probably plays a part here and it would be important to know what port the one of them is not embarking at and which port they do want to embark.

 

I call it "doing your homework", as the info gathered in this brief amount of time from the fgreat olks here on the board is just what I was looking for. Goldmom's example of a potential fine is certainly one thing I hadn't thought of. I know boarding in ports along the way was common in the past, but the world has certainly changed, and I am trying to gather as much info as possible in advance. Expecting a "NO", and knowing "NO" is not always "NO", I realize there may be other ways to "skin the cat", and want to know what questions to ask, or even who to ask when the 1-800 answer comes back "No".

 

Thanks to everyone who has responded thus far.

[brunolvr]

We were on the Dawn a few years ago. We were talking to a couple from Florida who missed the boat in NY. They had to fly back to Florida (which was our first port) and board the ship there. They also said that they were fined, I think it was $200 each, for boarding the ship in a port other than the port of embarkation.

 

Anyone know if this is still the case?

 

I've also heard of fines being imposed when either boarding at a port other than the port of embarkation and also for leaving the boat before the port of disembarkation.

[shoreguy]

We were on the Dawn a few years ago. We were talking to a couple from Florida who missed the boat in NY. They had to fly back to Florida (which was our first port) and board the ship there. They also said that they were fined, I think it was $200 each, for boarding the ship in a port other than the port of embarkation.

 

Anyone know if this is still the case?

 

I believe so because they boarded in a US port and disembarked in another US port. Seems to me the fine is around $300. Lots of folks boarded the Dawn Blizzard cruise in Jamaica in 2006 no problem.

[billie5]

This does not answer your questions, but here is an embarkation/disembarkation which is allowed.

 

On a western Caribbean cruise, we decided we wanted to overnight at the Chichen Itza ruins, so we told the purser's office that we were going to disembark at Cozumel, and then the following day embark again at Progresso (which is on the opposite side of the Yucatan peninsula from Cozumel -- we rented a car to make the land trip). Ship officials tried everything they could to dissuade us, but in the end they took our passports and made the necessary arrangements with Mexican immigration officials.

 

And overnight at Chichen Itza was unforgettable.

 

Bill

[chasetf]

This does not answer your questions, but here is an embarkation/disembarkation which is allowed.

 

On a western Caribbean cruise, we decided we wanted to overnight at the Chichen Itza ruins, so we told the purser's office that we were going to disembark at Cozumel, and then the following day embark again at Progresso (which is on the opposite side of the Yucatan peninsula from Cozumel -- we rented a car to make the land trip). Ship officials tried everything they could to dissuade us, but in the end they took our passports and made the necessary arrangements with Mexican immigration officials.

 

And overnight at Chichen Itza was unforgettable.

 

Bill

You did not violate the PSA..... OP's suggestion probably might.... he has to check.

[chasetf]

I believe so because they boarded in a US port and disembarked in another US port. Seems to me the fine is around $300. Lots of folks boarded the Dawn Blizzard cruise in Jamaica in 2006 no problem.

Again... does not violate PSA. Foreign port to US is ok.

[chasetf]

I call it "doing your homework", as the info gathered in this brief amount of time from the fgreat olks here on the board is just what I was looking for. ........... Expecting a "NO", and knowing "NO" is not always "NO", I realize there may be other ways to "skin the cat", and want to know what questions to ask, or even who to ask when the 1-800 answer comes back "No". .

You have to ask if the variance you are looking at violates the PSA. If it does, I doubt the cruise line will allow it because there is a $300 fine involved....... and I think if it happens to often the cruise line has a problem.