B2B denied

we just tried to book B2B from LA to VAN-VAN to SF. first leg booked successfully but princess would not let me book the other because they don't consider Vancouver an Exotic Foreign Port. we can't float from LA to Vancouver then disembark the ship and return to float back from Vancouver to San Francisco. i know there is some law but i thought it was just a foreign port and i also thought that Vancouver WAS a foreign port. i have never been to Vancouver but i did not think it was Vancouver USA. i actually thought it was Vancouver BC. i asked them about our previous 14 day Hawaii LA to LA trip and they told me Ensenada Mx was classified as an Exotic Foreign Port... after my laughing stopped i asked him if he had ever been to sanada....needless to say, now we have to fly from the non exotic Vancouver to somewhat exotic Las Vegas where we live....thanks for letting me vent...:mad:

They are correct.

 

The best way to figure out the West Coast is that you can't start in a US port and end in a different US port (with out a distant foreign port, not just a foreign port). So LA to SFO will not work.

 

LA to LA works with a stop in a foreign port (doesn't have to be distant foreign port). In this case, you started and ended in the same port with a stop in Mexico.

 

This is a US Law (Passenger Services Act). Princess would love to sell it to you but they can't.

This nothing to do with Princess but with US law. Foriegn registered ships going from and returning to the same port need to stop at a foriegn port. Ships starting in 1 US port and ending in another city need to stop at a distant foriegn port. If booking a B2B the rule still applies. The definition of distant foriegn port is defined in the law.

Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean Islands do not count. Only Aruba, Curaco and Boaire as well as South American ports count which why cruises from LA to Florida stop in Columbia or 1 of the islands noted.

If you book 1 ship heading up to Vancouver and take another ship southbound the next day or later that would be allowed.

Had the same problem a few years ago...solved it by doing Holland America in Alaska for 7 days, then got off the ship and immediately boarded the Crown Princess from the same terminal in Vancouver for a coastal cruise back to LA. Sometimes ya just gotta be creative:(

As others said it isn't princess...this topic comes up every year with the short Coastal cruises...sorry!

If you change ships in Vancouver you can do it, but you can't do it on the same ship. For example this fall we are sailing Seattle to Vancouver on Golden Princess then disembarking Golden and boarding Island Princess and sailing Vancouver to San Francisco.

As others said it isn't princess...this topic comes up every year with the short Coastal cruises...sorry!

Right. It's illegal per the Passenger Vessel Services Act which essentially says that if you embark in one US port and disembark in another, regardless of how many B2B's you take, the ship (and you) must go to a "far" foreign port. "Near" is Mexico, Canada and Central America. "Far" is elsewhere and the ship would have to go to South America for it to be legal.

 

Cruises that embark and disembark at the same US port must go to a "near" foreign port. That's why round-trip Alaskan cruises stop in Victoria and/or Vancouver, and R/T Hawaii cruises stop in Ensenada.

 

If you boarded in VAN, it would be legal. If you board in LA, go to VAN, stay overnight or change ships and go from VAN to SF, it would be legal.

Vancouver (Canada) is deemed by the US PVSA law as a Foreign Port, but as others have said, it's not a "distant" Foreign Port.

 

You could have done LA to Vancouver (BC, Canada), then back to LA on the same ship. This is because closed loop cruises (leave and return to the SAME US port) only need to visit ANY foreign port, and Vancouver BC Canada counts as this.

 

Too bad your proposed trip as a back-2-back is a few miles short of going all the way back to LA and creating a "closed loop". A round trip LA to Vancouver back to LA (if it was available from Princess, which it is likely not) would have been similar to your Hawaiian cruise you mentioned - closed loop with a visit to any "foreign" port - so legal under PVSA.

As others have stated, it's a law, not the doing of Princess. Was a suggestion made that you use a different ship (with or without an overnight stay) for the second booking?

I wished this outdated law would be canceled. Just think how nice it would be not to have to stop in Ensenada but instead have an extra day in the Hawaiian Islands:D

I wished this outdated law would be canceled. Just think how nice it would be not to have to stop in Ensenada but instead have an extra day in the Hawaiian Islands:D

Wouldn't that be GREAT! :D

 

And it would also eliminate the problems with the Alaskan cruises!

I wished this outdated law would be canceled. Just think how nice it would be not to have to stop in Ensenada but instead have an extra day in the Hawaiian Islands:D

 

It is not the Jones Act unless you are crate full of auto parts.

 

And you really wouldn't like it to go away. Tons of new and expensive regulations would put cruising out of reach of many people.

Betty Cruiser- if what you say is done with an overnight stay in Vancouver on land that will work but not back on same day

 

As PaminCA -hi Pam- says she is correct as far as this foreigner understands

 

I am an Australian doing the GOLDEN coastal in May from La to Van but have to stay 2 nights in Vancouver then do Alaska on Island.

(Wanted to get off Golden and immediately board Coral to Alaska but not allowed

 

Hope this is easy to understand

Betty Cruiser- if what you say is done with an overnight stay in Vancouver on land that will work but not back on same day

 

As PaminCA -hi Pam- says she is correct as far as this foreigner understands

 

I am an Australian doing the GOLDEN coastal in May from La to Van but have to stay 2 nights in Vancouver then do Alaska on Island.

(Wanted to get off Golden and immediately board Coral to Alaska but not allowed

 

Hope this is easy to understand

 

Nope I don't have to stay overnight, just change ships.

Betty Cruiser- if what you say is done with an overnight stay in Vancouver on land that will work but not back on same day

 

As PaminCA -hi Pam- says she is correct as far as this foreigner understands

 

I am an Australian doing the GOLDEN coastal in May from La to Van but have to stay 2 nights in Vancouver then do Alaska on Island.

(Wanted to get off Golden and immediately board Coral to Alaska but not allowed

 

Hope this is easy to understand

I agree with Betty, by switching ships you do not violate the PVSA. Whomever told you otherwise was mistaken, and if that was the Cruiseline, then it may be an uphill battle to convince them otherwise, but you can ask for a ruling if you are interested in pursuing it.

Nope I don't have to stay overnight, just change ships.

 

Exactly.

 

If anyone runs into this, ask for it to be escalated to their legal department. Most people answering the phones know squat about the PVSA

I wished this outdated law would be canceled. Just think how nice it would be not to have to stop in Ensenada but instead have an extra day in the Hawaiian Islands:D

Yup. And it would be the end of the US airlines and shipping industries. The airlines are currently protected by the PVSA which is why it hasn't been repealed. Otherwise, you'll see foreign government-subsidized airlines flying from NY to LAX or MIA. Bye bye American, United, Southwest, etc.

The OP can do a cruise on Star Princess from LA to YVR and then take the Golden Princess the next day from YVR to SEA... that'd be legal.

Yup. And it would be the end of the US airlines and shipping industries. The airlines are currently protected by the PVSA which is why it hasn't been repealed. Otherwise, you'll see foreign government-subsidized airlines flying from NY to LAX or MIA. Bye bye American, United, Southwest, etc.

 

The law could be changed to allow an exception for cruise ships and keep the restrictions for the other modes affected.

If you book 1 ship heading up to Vancouver and take another ship southbound the next day or later that would be allowed.

 

Or even the same day if there was another ship. Just as long as it is not the same ship.

The law could be changed to allow an exception for cruise ships and keep the restrictions for the other modes affected.

True. I suspect this hasn't been done because cruise ships constitute a very small percentage of those affected by the law. It would take a lawmaker who understands the cruise industry and doesn't have a vested interest in structuring a change to benefit one cruise line (such as the late Sen. Inouye whose wife is godmother to an NCL ship.)

i also thought that Vancouver WAS a foreign port.

 

Some of us would say that LA is the foreign port! :D

The law could be changed to allow an exception for cruise ships and keep the restrictions for the other modes affected.

 

Yup, or changed in another way.

 

Cruises are able to go between domestic cities here without any flow-through requirements about flights.

i do understand why it can't be done, distant, near, it is just lame. i looked at booking another ride back south but no sailings in that time frame, i would have spent a night or two to make it work. now i'm looking at flights to SF to spend a few nights and then fly home.:(

i do understand why it can't be done, distant, near, it is just lame. i looked at booking another ride back south but no sailings in that time frame, i would have spent a night or two to make it work. now i'm looking at flights to SF to spend a few nights and then fly home.:(

 

have you looked at other cruise lines such as HAL, they do many coastal cruises as well. Can you stay in vancouver for a day or two and catch a different boat?