getting off ship for home emergency

[smeyer418]

Thank you CPT...

[sail7seas]

With regard to the fines that might be assesed...the US regulations/laws in question apply to a vessel picking up and dropping off at a US port. If there is no non-US stop between boarding and leaving....there is an issue. Given the question at hand involves a NON US port....the US laws do not apply. I'm not a lawyer, but was an enforcer.....

 

 

 

 

Unless of course, it applies when the ship returns to FLL (or Miami or whatever U.S. port from which and to which it left/arrived) but is missing one or more guests who were on the ship when it embarked and sailed for that voyage?

 

Itineraries from/to U.S. ports must meet certain conditions. Some itineraries require all guests sail the entire voyage. The ship must begin and end in the same port and if any guests have disembarked along the way, a fine might (in some cases) be assessed.

No?

 

As to Philip217 ..... Up to him to respond or not as he wishes if he even sees this thread again.

[smeyer418]

Unless of course, it applies when the ship returns to FLL (or Miami or whatever U.S. port from which and to which it left/arrived) but is missing one or more guests who were on the ship when it embarked and sailed for that voyage?

 

Itineraries from/to U.S. ports must meet certain conditions. Some itineraries require all guests sail the entire voyage. The ship must begin and end in the same port and if any guests have disembarked along the way, a fine might (in some cases) be assessed.

No?

 

As to Philip217 ..... Up to him to respond or not as he wishes if he even sees this thread again.

 

 

the rule(PVSA) which you don't want me to tell you applies when a person is transported between two different US ports. It doesn't apply when the person is returned to the same port or got off in a foreign port. if the person is not on the ship and got off in a foreign port he/she/it wasn't transported between two different US ports...but of course you won't read this.. so it doesn't matter where the ship goes after you get off in a foreign port...(it also doesn't apply if the ship went to a distant foreign port but that's different from the case at hand)....

 

 

so if you get on Miami and get off in Key west without going to a distant foreign port you are fined. if you get on In Miami and get off in the Bahamas there is no fine even if the ship returns to Miami without you.

 

you can say what ever you want but it isn't a violation and there is no fine. As the CG poster said PVSA doesn't apply when you get off in the Bahamas...

[dforeigner]

If the private island is considered a distant port, then there will be no fine. Otherwise, there will be a fine.

 

Example. One takes a two day cruise from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver, Canada is a foreign port but, under US law, it is not a distant foreign port. Therefore, people are not allowed to re-board that same ship on that same day for a cruise from Vancouver, Canada ending in LA.

 

Here are the facts rather than someone's personal opinion or interpretation of the law. Having said that, under the US Constitution, the only ones that can legally interpret law are those under the Judicial branch, i.e Judges.

 

Passenger Vessel Services Act (46 App. U.S.C. 289)

 

Transportation of passengers in foreign vessels

 

No foreign vessel shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port, under a penalty of $200 for each passenger so transported and landed.

 

There is no violation of U.S. cabotage law in cases where passengers board a non-coastwise qualified vessel at one U.S. port and disembark (at the conclusion of the voyage) at another U.S. port, as long as the vessel makes an intermediate stop at a "distant foreign port" (19 CFR 4.80a).

 

http://www.trans-inst.org/3.html

[smeyer418]

the fine was increased to $300...

 

but there is no fine unless the person is transported "between ports or places in the United States" quoted from above , so there is no fine if they get off in the Bahamas...

 

I know you are trying to be helpful but it requires reading it carefully...

 

and not to confuse people but before you ask Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have an exemption...

[dforeigner]

the fine was increased to $300...

 

but there is no fine unless the person is transported "between ports or places in the United States" quoted from above , so there is no fine if they get off in the Bahamas...

 

I know you are trying to be helpful but it requires reading it carefully...

 

I am aware of that, unfortunately, the WEB site has not been updated. Having said that, I am glad you brought it to my attention as others may not be aware of this.

[dforeigner]

but there is no fine unless the person is transported "between ports or places in the United States" quoted from above , so there is no fine if they get off in the Bahamas...

 

I know you are trying to be helpful but it requires reading it carefully...

 

and not to confuse people but before you ask Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have an exemption...

 

I take it you miss the distant port clause. Just because it is a foreign country does not mean it is automatically considered a distant port.

[smeyer418]

I take it you miss the distant port clause. Just because it is a foreign country does not mean it is automatically considered a distant port.

 

No I didn't miss it. It only comes into play if the cruise terminates at a different US port, getting off in a foreign port permanently is not a PVSA violation, distant or local. If it was you couldn't go from Seattle to Vancouver on a Non US flagged ship. which you can do. You just can't get back on, on a BTB if the same ship then goes to LA. You can if its a different cruise line.

[wrp96]

I take it you miss the distant port clause. Just because it is a foreign country does not mean it is automatically considered a distant port.

 

 

It doesn't matter in this case whether it is distant or not. If they get off the ship in the Bahamas, the PVSA does NOT apply. The distant foreign port clause only applies if you go from one US port to a different US port. If you board the ship in Port Canaveral and get off the ship in the Bahamas, it is NOT a cruise between 2 different US ports.

 

You can twist it whatever way you want the PVSA would not apply in the OP's case.

[abigayle]

We were on a Princess cruise last October and had a family emergency, just had to get home. We tried in St Thomas, St Maarten and Princess Cay. At each port we would have had to wait until the next morning to get a flight back to Florida, and then continue on to Canada. It would have taken longer than to stay on the ship. We were really desperate to get off in Princess Cay but would have had to hire a small plane to get to Nassau and then again couldn't make a connection that day and we were due back in Ft Lauderdale anyway the next morning. We got no help from Princess. The pursers desk told us to go on the internet (Expedia) and check flights on our own. They were not helpful at all and we just felt trapped. Emergencies happen, but we will never go a cruise again if we know a family member is sick because you just can't get home quickly from the Caribbean Islands.

[WJB]

Just wanted to let everyone know I have some answers to my original question based on a response on another board of a nearby island-which has an International airport-with American Airlines and Continental flights- They also have a ferry service which I called and they put me in contact with a Yacht company that would be willing if needed to get us off Castaway Cay-the unbelivable part is it is all at a reasonable cost-I have all the phone numbers I need and feel much better having some plans. Thanks for the responses.

[martinimadam]

WJB - Thanks for letting us know. Hope you don't need the info you have, but, at least you now have it!

 

Have a lovely cruise and try to relax (I'm sure you'll be able to, now).

[sail7seas]

Just wanted to let everyone know I have some answers to my original question based on a response on another board of a nearby island-which has an International airport-with American Airlines and Continental flights- They also have a ferry service which I called and they put me in contact with a Yacht company that would be willing if needed to get us off Castaway Cay-the unbelivable part is it is all at a reasonable cost-I have all the phone numbers I need and feel much better having some plans. Thanks for the responses.

 

 

Good news. Happy it gives you peace of mind.

 

You know how it goes...... Seeing as you are prepared and have a plan in place, you won't need it!! At least we hope so.

 

Have a great cruise and hope all is well in your family.