Canada/New England: Leaving the ship in Newport and rejoining in Boston

The Crown Princess leaves from Brooklyn and is doing a 7-nt round trip up the coast to Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, and Halifax, then returns to Brooklyn.

 

I want to hitch a ride on the local Newport transport up to Providence and then the Acela to Boston for an overnight. This will afford me the opportunity to catch the spectacular new "Phantom of the Opera" Broadway National Tour production at the Boston Opera House that night and then start my next day much earlier with some sightseeing and be at the Museum of Fine Arts long before the ships 11am scheduled arrival time. At the end of the day I'll rejoin the ship in Boston

 

Is leaving the ship from one US port and rejoining in another allowed on this kind of itinerary? If so, do I just let Princess Cruises know beforehand (how much notice should I give them?). All of my stuff will stay on the ship except for a change of clothes and my necessary identification. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

:cool:

No, no, and no. It would be a violation of the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act) very often discussed on these boards. In order for Crown to do this she would have to visit a distant foreign port between your embarkation in Brooklyn and your debarkation in Newport, that would be one of the ABC islands or Cartagena (or maybe Iceland, which might be closer...). They will not give permission. It wouldno longer be a closed loop cruise, for you and everyone else on the ship. EM

Disappointing. I've done this itinerary once already, wasn't really keen on Crown Princess to begin with (was looking forward to the Salty Dog, though), and there's really nothing I want to see in most all of the ports it's visiting with the exception of the MFA Boston. "Phantom of the Opera" is playing there and I thought it would be a great to be able to catch it, but the only way was to leave in Newport.

 

Oh, well, it won't be the first time I've cancelled a cruise in favor of a land-based vacation. Looks like now Boston will get my money and Princess won't.

It might be possible - you should check with Princess. PVSA applies to the beginning and end of your cruise. If you leave most of your stuff on the ship and then rejoin after your brief overland detour, it could be considered okay.

 

Ask Princess, worst they can say is no. Though you have to be booked on the cruise to make the request officially, which is the only way to get a true answer.

 

Also, remember no port is ever guaranteed, and if you miss Newport, the whole plan goes up in smoke.

Needs to be approved by Princess in advance (do it now).

 

Also, Newport can be easily missed due to winds and it is a tender port.

 

I actually don't know if it violates PVSA.

Thanks. I booked this cruise back in February, and only last night devised this "plan" to try and detour to Boston. The 7-nt cruise was a really great deal: a single occupancy rate in an inside cabin with me adding in pre-paid tips, the unlimited soda and more package, Platinum insurance, all coming to $1295 and includes $250 OBC. That's a steal. And the OBC was going to be used primarily in the specialty restaurants the entire week, especially The Salty Dog as much as possible because I like the looks of the menu.

 

However, my priorities are not always "cruising", so if cancelling the cruise means being able to see the "Phantom of the Opera" on a road-trip to Boston, then that's what I'll do.

 

:cool:

Also, remember no port is ever guaranteed, and if you miss Newport, the whole plan goes up in smoke.

 

Also, Newport can be easily missed due to winds and it is a tender port.

 

 

And there is no Plan B. ;p

 

Final payment for the cruise due to the travel agent is in late-June, tickets for the show probably won't go on sale to the general public until a month later. Weather for New England in September is as predictable as...well, you know. Hurricane season? Argh.

 

Tough choices.

 

:cool:

As Essiesmom said it is a violation of the PVSA, Princess will not give permission since it would be a $300 fine for them for knowingly permitting it. They would still be fined even if you did it without their permission. Actually it could be a $600 fine since you would be transported from Brooklyn to P-town and then from Boston to Brooklyn. Kind of some sort of cosmic-no-go!

 

Even if you offered to voluntarily pay the fine the answer is the same. Even though Princess pays the fine to the government, they will ding you for in the end.

Ask Princess, but I don't think it would be allowed. I believe this is the part of the law that applies. Non- coastwise-qualified vessel would be your ship.

 

 

"Second, a non-coastwise-qualified vessel transports a passenger on a voyage solely to one or more coastwise ports and the passenger disembarks or goes ashore temporarily

at a coastwise port. (19 CFR § 4.80a(b)(1)).

For example, a non-coastwise-qualified vessel that embarks a passenger in Los Angeles and transports him/her to one or more of the Hawaiian Islands where he/she goes ashore temporarily and returns to Los Angeles where he/she disembarks, violates the PVSA."

It is a PVSA violation. You would not be allowed to reboard in Boston.

 

Can't hurt to ask, but I asked about a similar plan in Hawaii...and it didn't fly.

 

We saw Phantom 3 weeks ago in West Palm...it's a great show!

It might be possible - you should check with Princess. PVSA applies to the beginning and end of your cruise. If you leave most of your stuff on the ship and then rejoin after your brief overland detour, it could be considered okay.

You are sort of correct in that the PVSA applies to the beginning and end. However, it's irrespective of the cruise itself. It's based on the passenger, not the ship. Doesn't matter how many combined cruises or early disembarkation you, the passenger, do. If the OP disembarks in Newport, they have ended their cruise and violated the PVSA as they boarded in Brooklyn and disembarked in Newport. Doesn't matter if they rejoin the ship in Boston. If they accidentally missed the ship in Newport and reboarded in Boston, it's still a PVSA violation.

 

If you take a Hawaiian cruise, you are warned repeatedly to not miss the ship at any port. The reason is that if you miss the ship, you have disembarked and no matter where you re-embark, it's a PVSA violation. Same thing applies to the OPs question.

Can't hurt to ask, but I asked about a similar plan in Hawaii...and it didn't fly.

 

We saw Phantom 3 weeks ago in West Palm...it's a great show!

 

 

I did call. She said I could always request it, and that my agent would know the result in 3-5 business days. I'm not expecting anything positive. No worries, there's always another cruise. ;)

 

We did have the most wonderful conversation while she did "the paperwork" and she had seen various incarnations of "The Phantom of the Opera" from London to Broadway, and since she was in over in Washington State told her not to miss this new national tour when it hits Vancouver in July.

 

I'd love to add "The Phantom of the Opera" (I've hear nothing but wonderful things about it) to my growing list of Broadway National Tours that includes "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder", "Something Rotten!", "The Bridges of Madison County", "Cabaret", "Fun Home", "The Sound of Music", "The Book of Mormon", "The King and I", "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time", and coming up next "Dirty Dancing" and "An American in Paris".

 

If I cancel this cruise at least I can maybe rebook later on Royal Princess doing the Mexican Riviera in a few years. I've always wanted to do that itinerary but none of the ships doing it ever interested me. Now I'm interested.

 

:D

I did call. She said I could always request it, and that my agent would know the result in 3-5 business days. I'm not expecting anything positive. No worries, there's always another cruise. ;)

 

Many of the Princess telephone representatives don't know the details of the PVSA. Many people also get the wrong answer from Princess telephone representatives about back-to-back combinations that are not legal under the PVSA. What she said was correct - you can ask. However, the answer will be No.

The Crown Princess leaves from Brooklyn and is doing a 7-nt round trip up the coast to Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, and Halifax, then returns to Brooklyn.

 

I want to hitch a ride on the local Newport transport up to Providence and then the Acela to Boston for an overnight. This will afford me the opportunity to catch the spectacular new "Phantom of the Opera" Broadway National Tour production at the Boston Opera House that night and then start my next day much earlier with some sightseeing and be at the Museum of Fine Arts long before the ships 11am scheduled arrival time. At the end of the day I'll rejoin the ship in Boston

 

Is leaving the ship from one US port and rejoining in another allowed on this kind of itinerary? If so, do I just let Princess Cruises know beforehand (how much notice should I give them?). All of my stuff will stay on the ship except for a change of clothes and my necessary identification. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

:cool:

 

I believe you are looking at the sailing leaving New York on September 17th and returning on September 24th. If you have a few extra days available, you can go to Boston ether before or after your cruise instead of trying to see Phantom of the Opera during your cruise. It is playing at the Boston Opera House the week before your cruise departure and the week after your cruise return. It is real easy to get from New York to Boston and back by train.

Many of the Princess telephone representatives don't know the details of the PVSA. Many people also get the wrong answer from Princess telephone representatives about back-to-back combinations that are not legal under the PVSA. What she said was correct - you can ask. However, the answer will be No.

 

I kind of got that from everyone else that also said "No". :D

 

I also didn't scribe here the entire conversation between me and the representative, who said that because of the PVSA law it wouldn't be possible (she gave reasons AND details) but I could always request it. She was kind enough to take the time to at least give me the option to formally make my request despite knowing the odds. She was more knowledge than what some would give her credit for not knowing the entire conversation we had discussing the law before we talked about shows while she did the paperwork. We needed something to talk about to fill that gap, otherwise it would have been a long boring call.

 

She was very kind, polite, professional, very knowledgeable, and nicer over the phone than some people are here on this forum I've "met".

 

:cool:

I kind of got that from everyone else that also said "No". :D

 

I also didn't scribe here the entire conversation between me and the representative, who said that because of the PVSA law it wouldn't be possible (she gave reasons AND details) but I could always request it. She was kind enough to take the time to at least give me the option to formally make my request despite knowing the odds. She was more knowledge than what some would give her credit for not knowing the entire conversation we had discussing the law before we talked about shows while she did the paperwork. We needed something to talk about to fill that gap, otherwise it would have been a long boring call.

 

She was very kind, polite, professional, very knowledgeable, and nicer over the phone than some people are here on this forum I've "met".

 

:cool:

 

I'm glad you got one of the more knowledgeable Princess representatives. Some of them are very good - some not so much.

I believe you are looking at the sailing leaving New York on September 17th and returning on September 24th. If you have a few extra days available, you can go to Boston ether before or after your cruise instead of trying to see Phantom of the Opera during your cruise. It is playing at the Boston Opera House the week before your cruise departure and the week after your cruise return. It is real easy to get from New York to Boston and back by train.

 

Financially for me it's one or the other, not both. If the diversion from Newport is denied, which in all liklihood is 100%, then the cruise gets cancelled and Boston becomes a road-trip. There's always another cruise.

 

:cool:

What about those people that "missed the boat"? What happens to them when they try to get back on in the next port?

What about those people that "missed the boat"? What happens to them when they try to get back on in the next port?

They are fined $300/pp. If there are medical or emergency situations, Princess will arrange a waiver.

What about those people that "missed the boat"? What happens to them when they try to get back on in the next port?

 

Their bags will likely be waiting for them in the custody of the Princess port agent and they will find a $300. per person charge to their credit card that reimburses Princess for the PVSA fine that CBP will assess.

Their bags will likely be waiting for them in the custody of the Princess port agent and they will find a $300. per person charge to their credit card that reimburses Princess for the PVSA fine that CBP will assess.

 

 

Their bags won't be in the possession of the port agent but their passport/medications and contents of the safe will.

There will not be time to pack bags as the ship is leaving.

They will be packed/gathered by the time the ship makes the next port.

As an FYI for legal purposes, in general any trip that results in an overnight stay NOT on the ship (even if stuff is left in the cabin) counts as a disembarkation for purposes of the PVSA. There are a few auto exemptions, one of which is a missed excursion beyond the control of the cruise line that results in a ship being missed (this also includes private excursions, but they have to document error, not intentional delay).