Having a friend join the cruise for 1 night

On our next cruise we'll be visiting Dublin for two days. A friend of mine will be in Dublin at the same time. It would be great if he could join us for one night. We have two cabins for 2 persons so there is plenty of space.

Is it possible for him to "book a cruise" for those 2 days?

Seriously doubt it, but you need to ask the cruise line involved.

If it is possible, my limited experience is the cruise line would want the full fare for the entire cruise anyway. The only reduction you may see is a reduction in port fees for the ports your friend would not be visiting, not a huge portion of the fare in most cases.

I would seriously doubt it, about 99% sure. It would require a whole lot of paperwork to change the passenger manifest, and since Dublin is not an embarkation port (I'm assuming), there would not be a normal infrastructure for embarking and disembarking a passenger.

Further, while I don't know the cruise line or the ship, unless it is flagged to one of the EU countries, the EU cabotage laws, and Ireland's would come into effect. Non-EU flagged ships are not allowed to carry passengers from one port in a given country to another port within that same country, without a port call at another EU or non-EU country. Not sure how EU or Ireland handle "cruise to nowhere", but that is essentially what this would be.

Check with your TA or cruise line. But don't hold your breath. As mentioned, if you got approval, it would probably cost your friend the full fare for the cruise

I would say you would be charged for the full cruise. My niece wanted do something like this

on our Hawaii/Tahiti cruise. She wanted to just be on from San Diego to Honolulu (forget about the Jones act or what ever it is). The cruise line told her she could do it, but the cost would be for the whole cruise no matter what day she left the ship. Also my BIL had to leave when we arrived in Paapetta Tahiti as he had a death in the family. (a week before the cruises ended) No refund was offered.

I would say you would be charged for the full cruise. My niece wanted do something like this

on our Hawaii/Tahiti cruise. She wanted to just be on from San Diego to Honolulu (forget about the Jones act or what ever it is). The cruise line told her she could do it, but the cost would be for the whole cruise no matter what day she left the ship. Also my BIL had to leave when we arrived in Paapetta Tahiti as he had a death in the family. (a week before the cruises ended) No refund was offered.

The OP is talking about an overnight in port, not cruising partway so your examples do not equate.

But that said, I don't think permission for overnight would be given. They MIGHT be able to visit for the day if previous permission is given.

To OP: you'll have better luck just asking for day visit. But even that must come in writing from cruise line. In your request include your friend's full legal name (as on passport), their address, and passport number.

On our next cruise we'll be visiting Dublin for two days. A friend of mine will be in Dublin at the same time. It would be great if he could join us for one night. We have two cabins for 2 persons so there is plenty of space.

 

Is it possible for him to "book a cruise" for those 2 days?

Why don't you book a place in Dublin for one of the nights and spend the time off ship in town?

DON

It's an interesting situation...I only find two cruises that ON in Dublin:

1. Fred Olsen Black Watch, a 3 day cruise that starts in Liverpool, ON in Dublin, and goes back to Liverpool.

2. Azamara Quest, boards and overnights in Dublin before leaving on an 11 night cruise.

Depending on the cruise line, it might be doable - at a cost. EM

Please let us know if you are granted permission. It's an interesting scenario and wonder if they will permit it.

Thanks everyone for so many answers!

Check with your TA or cruise line. But don't hold your breath. As mentioned, if you got approval, it would probably cost your friend the full fare for the cruise

She wanted to just be on from San Diego to Honolulu (forget about the Jones act or what ever it is). The cruise line told her she could do it, but the cost would be for the whole cruise no matter what day she left the ship.

Because we will have 2 separate cabins meant for two, that may not even be (much) more expensive.

Why don't you book a place in Dublin for one of the nights and spend the time off ship in town?

That would be option 2 (option 3=split up after the last bar which could be very, very late :)). But this would be the perfect opportunity to show that a cruise ship, even one from HAL, is not the floating retirement home he thinks it is :)

I would seriously doubt it, about 99% sure. It would require a whole lot of paperwork to change the passenger manifest, and since Dublin is not an embarkation port (I'm assuming), there would not be a normal infrastructure for embarking and disembarking a passenger.

Is there not some "special status" for people just visiting a ship? "You can get on the ship for 24 hours or until it sails whichever comes first. After that we will consider it an embarkation and come up with hefty fines for not telling us".

I guess local servicemen can work on the ship. I've seen a reporter doing an interview on the bridge. I guess there must be an official exception for people who visit a ship but are not really embarking in any port. (At a cost, of course, but HAL is specialized in tripling costs like that and putting them on my card :))

Further, while I don't know the cruise line or the ship, unless it is flagged to one of the EU countries, the EU cabotage laws, and Ireland's would come into effect.

He wouldn't even be leaving the port, but it has a Dutch flag, anyway.

It's an interesting situation...I only find two cruises that ON in Dublin:

1. Fred Olsen Black Watch, a 3 day cruise that starts in Liverpool, ON in Dublin, and goes back to Liverpool.

2. Azamara Quest, boards and overnights in Dublin before leaving on an 11 night cruise.

Depending on the cruise line, it might be doable - at a cost. EM

I meant this one, HAL Prinsendam, 2 sep 2015, Celtic & Gaelic explorer (which I cannot find on CC). We haven't made a final booking though.

Please let us know if you are granted permission. It's an interesting scenario and wonder if they will permit it.

I will!

Thanks everyone for so many answers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there not some "special status" for people just visiting a ship? "You can get on the ship for 24 hours or until it sails whichever comes first. After that we will consider it an embarkation and come up with hefty fines for not telling us".

not in the post 9/11 world there isn't

I guess local servicemen can work on the ship. I've seen a reporter doing an interview on the bridge. I guess there must be an official exception for people who visit a ship but are not really embarking in any port. (At a cost, of course, but HAL is specialized in tripling costs like that and putting them on my card :))

 

 

 

 

 

the two scenarios you mention are official reasons to be on bioard, not for tourism purposes. it is very unlikely that the port will have the facilites or wherewithal to do the necessary security screening.

That would be option 2 (option 3=split up after the last bar which could be very, very late :)). But this would be the perfect opportunity to show that a cruise ship, even one from HAL, is not the floating retirement home he thinks it is :)

If you can't get your friend on for the one night, there are a tonne of cheap hotels and hostels in Dublin. It sounds like you won't be looking to stay at the Ritz.;)

The other option would be doing the "When in Rome" thing. Any Irishman or wannabe Irishman in your circumstance would simply keep on drinking 'till you're ossified and have a whale of a time 'till morning! Cause if you fear 'the fear' your not Irish!:D

Signed,

O'DirtyDawg

A nice thought...but doubtful like many above have posted that this would ever be allowed...Book a hotel to spend time with your friend.

Is there not some "special status" for people just visiting a ship? "You can get on the ship for 24 hours or until it sails whichever comes first. After that we will consider it an embarkation and come up with hefty fines for not telling us".

 

Princess has the Bon Voyage program that's available in some US ports on some selected sailings. You have to surrender your ID when you board and be off of the ship by a specific time. It won't be a matter of "oopsie I never got off" as the ship won't leave port until you leave the ship. You won't be able to "stowaway." In the past (don't know if this still happens), there are TA tours. I was on one on the Celebrity Summit in May 2006 while the ship was in the Port of Los Angeles during a turnaround (one group of passengers getting off and then the next set boarding), and we had to submit our personal info (passport number, DOB, address, etc.) and had to surrender our ID before being allowed on board. We were told when to be back at the desk to disembark. On those tours and on the Princess BVE program, the number is kept down to keep track of nonpassengers onboard.

 

 

I guess local servicemen can work on the ship. I've seen a reporter doing an interview on the bridge. I guess there must be an official exception for people who visit a ship but are not really embarking in any port. (At a cost, of course, but HAL is specialized in tripling costs like that and putting them on my card :))

 

One reporter from a local TV station here has been on a few cruises to report on. But he was part of the manifest if he was there after sailaway and on the cruise. He probably didn't pay for the cruise himself (either his TV station or the cruise line paid). Otherwise, a reporter doing a story (for example, about the recent work slowdown at the West Coast ports) and wants to do a stand up on the deck, would have to be cleared along with the photographer. But really, most of these standups would be done off the ship (it's been some years since I've worked on a film crew, but most of the time, it's easily for the stand up to be on the pier: 1) you won't have passengers photobombing you, and 2) you need to get the shot done and be off, perhaps recording your voice over on the way to your next story.

 

You can try, but I wouldn't hold my breath about having your friend on the ship without him/her booking the actual cruise and paying for the entire cruise. It's not as simple as sneaking someone into your hotel room.

I don't know how you'd fit anyone else in the cabins with all those drones taking up so much space.

The other option would be doing the "When in Rome" thing. Any Irishman or wannabe Irishman in your circumstance would simply keep on drinking 'till you're ossified and have a whale of a time 'till morning! Cause if you fear 'the fear' your not Irish!:D

O'DirtyDawg

LOL, you're describing exactly my plans for Dublin.

A nice thought...but doubtful like many above have posted that this would ever be allowed...Book a hotel to spend time with your friend.

It's not my "SO-friend" if that's what you mean (I'm not native to English) so we'd be having enough fun in bars or whatever. But it would be nice to show the ship. (No doubt that after 11 PM we will need to get ashore to find some fun but I've complained enough about that in another thread)

I don't know how you'd fit anyone else in the cabins with all those drones taking up so much space.

I've decided to just let them fly all the time, so don't worry too much.

Princess has the Bon Voyage program that's available in some US ports on some selected sailings. You have to surrender your ID when you board and be off of the ship by a specific time.

I see it's the exception' date=' and in this case it's not on embarkation day, but I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to want that. As a cruise addict (it took me only one) I feel a need to show the ship a bit more than pictures can tell. Especially to people who think (God knows why) cruising is the extended version of Bingo in an elderly home.

You can try, but I wouldn't hold my breath about having your friend on the ship without him/her booking the actual cruise and paying for the entire cruise. It's not as simple as sneaking someone into your hotel room.

I've learned that :)

We inquired about this same thing for a friend of ours who was going on an HAL ship and it was not permitted. Their port of embarkation was Southampton and they wanted to bring on a visitor in Cork, but HAL says they do not permit visitors to come on board for any reason except for a short period of time at the embarkation port, and even then, it's a pain in the behind because of all the paperwork. Security concerns are getting tougher every day, and I, for one, am happy that cruise ships don't allow people coming and going at will.

Thanks everyone for so many answers!

 

 

 

Is there not some "special status" for people just visiting a ship? "You can get on the ship for 24 hours or until it sails whichever comes first. After that we will consider it an embarkation and come up with hefty fines for not telling us".

 

I guess local servicemen can work on the ship. I've seen a reporter doing an interview on the bridge. I guess there must be an official exception for people who visit a ship but are not really embarking in any port. (At a cost, of course, but HAL is specialized in tripling costs like that and putting them on my card :))

 

I will!

Anyone boarding the ship (or for that matter the port area) has to be cleared. There are generally three levels of clearance:

1. Those who are expected and have proper documentation (crew and passengers who have already provided documentation at embark, and company employees who have documentation). These people can board the ship and roam the ship freely.

2. Those who are expected, have the proper documentation, but are not part of the above category. This will include technicians, reporters, and people on the "Bon Voyage" experience that Cruisin Chick mentions. These people will be allowed to board, but must be accompanied by a crewmember at all times while onboard. I normally have to go to the gangway to vouch for and escort technicians onboard. This will also usually include government personnel, even including military personnel.

3. Those who are not expected. These will be denied boarding until the Captain can verify their presence with the home office, and then they will fall into category 2.

This is all due to the ISPS (International Ship and Port Security) Code from the IMO. HAL does not wish to go through all the necessary paperwork to clear your guest for one night, and then track that person down to ensure that they disembark before the ship sails, etc.

To give an idea of how strict ISPS rules are, the USCG frequently sends armed parties aboard cruise ships while arriving and departing US ports to ensure no "terrorist" activity happens. We had 6 board our ship, and the Security Officer was checking ID's (on men in USCG uniforms, armed with automatic rifles), when he found one that had left his ID ashore. He disallowed this person from boarding, and when that person complained to his superior, the commanding officer stated that if the Security Officer hadn't turned him away, the ship would have been cited for an ISPS violation.

<<<< We have two cabins for 2 persons so there is plenty of space. >>>>

That isn't necessarily the point. There are often threads on these boards from people asking if they can book a certain number of people in a cabin and then add another person to the booking later. The answer given is always that you can't depend on it being allowed even if there's a spare bed in the cabin because it has to do with the lifeboats.

Could always stay ashore in Dublin to be with your friend.

LOL, you're describing exactly my plans for Dublin.

 

 

 

It's not my "SO-friend" if that's what you mean (I'm not native to English) so we'd be having enough fun in bars or whatever. But it would be nice to show the ship. (No doubt that after 11 PM we will need to get ashore to find some fun but I've complained enough about that in another thread)

 

 

 

I've decided to just let them fly all the time, so don't worry too much.

I have NO idea what you mean when you quote me as saying "SO-friend".....:confused::confused::confused:

He disallowed this person from boarding, and when that person complained to his superior, the commanding officer stated that if the Security Officer hadn't turned him away, the ship would have been cited for an ISPS violation.

Wow.

From the Wikipedia article I get that ISPS was implemented because of 9/11 and the bombing of the Limburg. The latter had an attack by another vessel, so ISPS wouldn't help much there. Would you think all this paperwork makes cruising any safer? I mean, people brag about smuggling wine aboard and even if they paid corkage I don't think someone would check if it didn't contain explosives.

even if there's a spare bed in the cabin because it has to do with the lifeboats.

The ship wouldn't be leaving port in this case, but I've dropped the idea altogether anyway.

I have NO idea what you mean when you quote me as saying "SO-friend".....:confused::confused::confused:

You advised me to book a hotel to spend time with my friend, I understood that in a different way than what you probably meant. :D He already has a room, and I'll have another, floating one :)

Wow.

 

From the Wikipedia article I get that ISPS was implemented because of 9/11 and the bombing of the Limburg. The latter had an attack by another vessel, so ISPS wouldn't help much there. Would you think all this paperwork makes cruising any safer? I mean, people brag about smuggling wine aboard and even if they paid corkage I don't think someone would check if it didn't contain explosives.

In fact, the reason so much liquor gets aboard is that the scanners are trained to look more for things that look like dangerous items than alcohol. Yes, working everyday with ISPS has made my life much more complicated and a pain in the butt, but it does what it is intended to do, and restrict access to those that are accredited. While the Limburg happened out at sea, one of the reasons that armed USCG personnel board ships is to prevent the use of the ship itself as a terrorist weapon. Generally, two or three will stand watch in the Engine Control Room, and two or three will be on the bridge, while the ship is entering/leaving port. I can recall, even on a US flag tanker, with a US crew, as we approached the Golden Gate bridge, the "Sea Marshall" edged closer to the helmsman to ensure he didn't steer the ship into the bridge.