Cancruz

We have a "X" Visa card. If we don't have enough OBC, we add from our points. If we don't use those points, "X" sends it back to the card. Works for us.

Concierge processes Valet pkg. $20. per person. Always works for us.

It's a tremendous help to me! What happened to the luxury? Hope they are working on renewal. Worth the extra $$'s.

Sorry, posted twice.

Look under Cruise Critic for "Ports of Call." Info for your destination from cruisers.

Most important is to join your roll call. Loads of info and perhaps small group tours.

Lots of info on http://www.Trip Advisor. Look up each port, and it will rate many activities.

Have a great cruise!

Café Al Bacio also - muffins, croissants, scones...

Ramp from cabin to balcony. Two chairs and a small table. DH's power chair fits down the ramp and over to the rail. I use the balcony more than he.

His favorite amenity is the cabin door. Put the card key in the door and it automatically opens. It's much easier than trying to push a heavy door.

Make sure the bathroom grab bar is on the correct side.

"X" is our favorite!

Love Mast Grill's HB's & fries! Buns are too much. We use lettuce and fixings and, use a fork. If we want to eat on the balcony, I put all on one plate. Still warmer than room service.

We check our luggage and carry on, and use a backpack on boarding for valuables - no problems.

In January for a Silhouette B2B, I requested luggage tags. Received them when we arrived home. Had great cruises.:D Printed our own tags, and covered them with transparent tape. Used small staple to tape bottom.

We like the "X" pkg for $20. each. It includes printing boarding passes and luggage tags. Put them in the hall and pick them up at home airport. Yes, you still have to go to security.

DH has a power chair. Have to get a special taxi, and I handle luggage. It's so worth it!

Thanks, Andy, for the encouraging post. Makes a positive spin on the other reviews. Have always enjoyed the shows even if I've seen them before. Will give the new style a chance.

So sorry to hear. My DH was a musician and director. It was hard enough to get him to go to the canned music. Do they still have some guest musical artists with the house band?

We prefer the Elite+ Breakfast if we're not touring; love the Bellinis and café mocha. Three full meals, El Bacio, and ice cream is a bit much - not to mention martinis.;) We do eat breakfast in the dinning room on disembarkation before going to Tuscan to wait. Fly day can be long and airport food is yuk & $$.

We had to disembark at a MX port following Pacific Coastal cruise. It took an entire day to bus back to San Diego our previous port. Everyone had to get off each bus go through customs and reload the bus. We knew before we sailed, but thought it was just over the border. Felt like Gilligan. One of the passengers from San Diego wanted to take his luggage to his house so they would just have their overnight bag. No go.

Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886

See also: Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) regarding cargo vessels

The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (sometimes abbreviated to PVSA, Passenger Services Act, or PSA) is a protectionist piece of United States legislation which came into force in 1886 relating to cabotage. Essentially, it says:

No foreign vessels 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 (now $300) for each passenger so transported and landed.

As a result, all vessels engaged in the coastwise trade have been required to be coastwise-qualified (i.e., U.S.-built, owned and documented). Under the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (46 U.S.C. § 55103), non-coastwise-qualified vessels cannot transport passengers directly between U.S. ports. Generally, a passenger is any person carried on a vessel who is not directly and substantially connected with the operation of such vessel, her navigation, ownership, or business. The precise definition of what constitutes a U.S. port ("coastwise point") includes artificial islands and similar structures, as well as to mobile oil drilling rigs, drilling platforms, and other devices attached to the seabed of the Outer Continental Shelf for the purpose of resource exploration operations, and the anchored warehouse vessels that supply drilling platforms.[1]

The handful of U.S.-flagged cruise ships in operation are registered in the U.S. to permit cruises between the Hawaiian Islands, or from the continental U.S. to Hawaii.

The Passenger Vessel Services Act, however,

does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from and returning to the same U.S. port, provided the ship visits any foreign port;

does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from a U.S. port, visiting a distant foreign port, and then continuing to a second U.S. port. However, in order to embark in a U.S. port and disembark in a second U.S. port, the vessel must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbean except Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America);

does not prevent a ship from taking on passengers at a U.S. port and then returning them to another U.S. city by ground or air, or vice versa, as long as the cruise ship returns to its departing point without stopping (a "cruise to nowhere"), or stops in at least one distant foreign port.

In accordance with this law, cruise lines that operate foreign-flagged vessels are fined $300 for each passenger who boarded such a vessel in one U.S. port and left the vessel at another port. The cruise lines typically pass this cost on the passengers who "jump the ship". Exemptions are available in the case of family emergencies etc.[2]

Contents [hide]

1 Exceptions

2 Inter-island transportation in Hawaii

3 See also

4 External links

5 References

Exceptions[edit]

Some exceptions have been made to the requirement of the Passenger Services Act. For example, Canadian vessels may transport passengers between Rochester, New York and Alexandria Bay, New York until such time as a U.S. carrier enters the market (46 U.S.C. § 55121(a)), and between ports in southeastern Alaska (46 U.S.C. § 55121(b)).

As of October 30, 2003, foreign vessels are also allowed to transport passengers (but not cargo) between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico (46 U.S.C. § 55104). However, this exemption will disappear if U.S.-flagged ships resume passenger operations of this type.[2]

Waivers from the PVSA can be requested in case of national defense interest.

Inter-island transportation in Hawaii[edit]

Pride of Aloha (now Norwegian Sky), NCL America's formerly U.S.-flagged ship, which is not required to call on foreign ports.

The law has had an interesting consequence with regard to the cruise ship industry within the state of Hawaii. Foreign-flagged cruise ships may carry passengers between ports in the Hawaiian Islands as long as no passenger permanently leaves the vessel at ports other than the origination port and the vessel makes at least one call at a foreign port. Norwegian Cruise Line created a subsidiary, NCL America, and introduced three new US-flagged vessels: Pride of Aloha in 2004, Pride of America in 2005, and Pride of Hawaii in 2006. Previously, with its foreign-flagged vessels, NCL needed to include a four day detour to Tabuaeran (Fanning Atoll) in the Line Islands (Republic of Kiribati) on its Hawaiian itineraries.

Reportedly due to financial losses, in 2007 NCL renamed Pride of Hawaii to Norwegian Jade, and reflagged and relocated the ship to Europe. In 2008, NCL also relocated Pride of Aloha to Florida, reflagging it and renaming it to Norwegian Sky at the same time. Thus the Pride of America is the sole NCL ship currently in Hawaii service.

Not on menu - ask and you shall receive. Don't forget to ask for the chocolate!

Thanks for the update, Andy! This will be our 2nd CC because it was the only HC cabin 10 months out. Perhaps, it was to be. Our wonderful TA went to bat for us.

Thanks for the update, Andy! This will be our 2nd CC because it was the only HC cabin 10 months out. Perhaps, it was to be. Our wonderful TA went to bat for us.

Loving all your adventures and pics!!! We have been to all of the ports, but not on Equinox. We will sail on her in early NOV. DH is handicapped; cruising allows him travel freedom.

I am very adventurous which is okay with my DH as long as I go with others. Our adult DDs are not so happy with me. So, when I started reading your volcano adventure, I thought this is great! Before you finished the ladder scenario, I was out :eek:

Thanks for allowing me to tag along with your adventures. BTW try an almond joy martini w/chocolate - best ever!

Thanks Jagoffe and fleckle, for your answers. We check email to see if everything is okay with family and friends. We usually leave minutes. In January, I was able to help people, who didn't use computers, book motels and flights during the snowstorm.

Thought we would be okay, but 2 stewardesses couldn't make it. We arrived at 9AM; schedule at 11 AM were delayed several times; gave up at 5 PM. Several of us volunteered to give emergency info and serve drinks, but to no avail. Their advice was to rebook immediately (long lines) because there were no hotels. I booked our hotel first then booked flight from hotel where we could rest. Rewarded with a six row upgrade. BTW, the next day flight was oversold. Pays to pay it forward.

Sorry about the "hairy dog" story.

Can Elite Plus just use the allotted minutes? We try to get away from the world, especially during the elections! :eek:

From another Wolfpack Mom, whose DD and DH along w/ our DGs stayed in Cary :o,

Don't know about a suite, but in our accessible balcony my DH has a fold down seat with a handheld shower head, and his own controls. I have a fixed shower head.

I asked for 9 Attention to Detail cards at the guest relations desk on a cruise - made me feel like I did something wrong. If I had thought quickly enough, I would have said, "Don't worry, it's not for you."

Ditto for 14 nights Southern/ Eastern and especially Celebrity. What a beautiful vacation! Experience luxury and the World!

We had an amazing English teacher/guide w/a Russian driver, (sweet heart). Our guide secured our visa, all entrances, and tickets for shows. I'm relatively sure that we didn't use a credit card. Guide counseled on purchases, but relatively certain we used Euros. We wanted to bring some rubles home to grands.

We were there for White Nights. Truly was partial light all night, more so than Alaska.

Anecdote: Stopped for a quick bite for lunch. Menu was in English. I ordered an omelet, DH and other couple ordered cheeseburger. My omelet was great. Their cheeseburgers were literally cheese on a bun w/ lettuce. Sometimes its the little things that are remembered.