Early Disembarkation at Port other than the final port....how does that work?

So on the Iberian adventure we are getting off at the last port before Southampton, Lisbon. We are meeting family and staying in Portugal for 2 weeks.

So we have notified Cunard. And our cruise itinerary does now show that the day that we disembark.

But how will that work? Anybody else do this before? Do we just pack and leave the boat? Do they escort us or direct us to Portuguese Customs?

I will ask on the boat but I am curious how it all works.

Assuming you have a EU passport or a valid visa:

You pack your bags and go. That's it!

Still, I would drop by the purser's desk the day before, just to settle your bills and to tell them that you will vacate your cabin a few days early.

At the minimum I'd want to have a written acknowledgement from Cunard in case there's any misunderstanding on the day.

I support Underwatr's comment / advice.

A couple yrs. ago, I wanted to disembark @ Hilo, Hawaii, ( my home ), from the QV. It was one of the stops between Sydney and SF.

The STRONG answer that "C" gave at that time was,

""""NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that is not possible, its not a port of embarkation/disembarkation.""

Maybe things have changed. I hope so.

I assume you will already be in the EU so immigration and customs will not be issues. You will need to understand how your luggage will be taken off the ship, unless you are packing light and will walk off with your bags. For this, check with the Purser's Office on board. And you need to verify on board that all is in order so that they will not be looking for you when the ship leaves Lisbon.

My husband once boarded the QM2 in St. John's, Newfoundland, in the middle of a cruise. We arranged this ahead of time. But still, his boarding took some time and stress as they were not fully prepared for this deviation.

I support Underwatr's comment / advice.

 

A couple yrs. ago, I wanted to disembark @ Hilo, Hawaii, ( my home ), from the QV. It was one of the stops between Sydney and SF.

 

The STRONG answer that "C" gave at that time was,

""""NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that is not possible, its not a port of embarkation/disembarkation.""

 

Maybe things have changed. I hope so.

No doubt you are aware of the problem with the Passenger Vessel Services Act (often incorrectly referred to as the Jones Act) in your situation. Non-US vessels incur a penalty if they transport a passenger between US ports.

So what you were proposing was a violation of US maritime law, and thus, was not allowed by Cunard. What the OP is proposing is entirely outside of these considerations.

For what it's worth, for our farewell to the QE2 in 2008, we joined a West Med cruise from Southampton in Rome/Civitavecchia. We arrived at the gangway at the pier. A crew member radioed up and a Purser's Desk member came down to escort us on and take us to the desk to officially check in. (Of course, getting off has more considerations)

No doubt you are aware of the problem with the Passenger Vessel Services Act (often incorrectly referred to as the Jones Act) in your situation. Non-US vessels incur a penalty if they transport a passenger between US ports.

 

So what you were proposing was a violation of US maritime law, and thus, was not allowed by Cunard. What the OP is proposing is entirely outside of these considerations.

If the ship was en route to San Francisco from Australia, as I read it, there was no PVSA violation.

I support Underwatr's comment / advice.

 

A couple yrs. ago, I wanted to disembark @ Hilo, Hawaii, ( my home ), from the QV. It was one of the stops between Sydney and SF.

 

The STRONG answer that "C" gave at that time was,

""""NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that is not possible, its not a port of embarkation/disembarkation.""

 

Maybe things have changed. I hope so.

I mentioned this in a previous discussion regarding early disembarking, but there will be new members who have not read my comments. Through our travel agent we got the same answer a few years ago (from the California office) when we wanted to disembark a westbound crossing in Halifax rather than go to Brooklyn. While our TA went "up the ladder" to discuss the issue I contacted Canadian Immigration and asked if this would be a problem. A senior official got back to me and said Cunard was wrong to say that because Canadian passport holders cannot be prevented from entering their own country.

In the meantime the TA got through to someone in Southampton who said there would be no problem and couldn't understand why California said no. Cunard then issued a "notice of deviation of itinerary." During the crossing we met a couple who lived in Halifax. They were told at first they would have to go to Brooklyn then make their way home. Eventually 30 passengers made the same arrangements and left the ship in Halifax.

If the ship was en route to San Francisco from Australia, as I read it, there was no PVSA violation.

True - but there would've been had the traveler embarked in SF and disembarked in HI, as he requested.

- Mark

Our first trip on the QE2 was in 1989, when she was traveling to HI and then dead-heading to Japan to be a floating hotel for 6 months. As the plane landed in San Diego, we clearly saw the ship docked there as we landed in the early afternoon. (presumably taking on stores, and probably later, our luggage) We were bussed to the SD Civic Center where we were checked-in, given shuttle bus tickets and told to wait. And wait. Eventually, the convoy of busses went over the border to Ensenada, where we were taken by tender to board the ship around 8-9 PM.

Because they couldn't transport passengers from San Diego to Honolulu. (...without a distant foreign port)

- Mark

True - but there would've been had the traveler embarked in SF and disembarked in HI, as he requested.

All that's presented here is that hihilo wanted to disembark in Hawaii rather than the destination port.

...A couple yrs. ago, I wanted to disembark @ Hilo, Hawaii, ( my home ), from the QV. It was one of the stops between Sydney and SF.

The STRONG answer that "C" gave at that time was,

""""NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

that is not possible, its not a port of embarkation/disembarkation."....

Underwatr,

This is what I based it on. Perhaps I overreached in an assumption, but I assume we both agree on what would be and would not be a violation.

- Mark

More information ( as we beat this to death) !

I 'hihilo' am a citizen of the USA..... I boarded this particular cruise in FLA, and was on board for about 55 days, visiting many ports in South America, the amazing 900 miles into the Amazon.... and then many islands across the south pacific, and then NZ + Australia, as this was 1/2 of the W/C of the QV that year, actually 2017, so not so long ago.

So, yes, my trip ( start) was USA...& ending, if I had been able to, would have been a USA port. So * I get* the info about rules/ regulations prohibiting taking a passenger from one US port to another US port.

When I first inquired about the voyage, while on QE the previous year,

the printout was handed to me, which shows in B O L D letters the only ports that are equipped to embark and disembark passengers. Many ports visited, for day trips, are not in B O L D and therefore not equipped to take on new guests , or discharge 'old' guests. The issues of immigration personnel, customs officers, baggage handling, sea-pass cards creation, etc are NOT available at all ports.

So there are various ' twists' to this scenario, and Rules To Be Followed.

I remain IN LOVE with all 3 Q's.

We took QV from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Ponte Delgado and Port Canaveral. We got off in Port Canaveral, rented a car and drove to Atlanta. We were two of about a dozen getting off a day early. We just notified the Concierge of our plans once we were aboard. We did carry our luggage off ourselves. We cleared US customs along with everyone getting off for tours at the same time. It didn't seem to be an issue.

We took QV from Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale with stops in Ponte Delgado and Port Canaveral. We got off in Port Canaveral, rented a car and drove to Atlanta. We were two of about a dozen getting off a day early. We just notified the Concierge of our plans once we were aboard. We did carry our luggage off ourselves. We cleared US customs along with everyone getting off for tours at the same time. It didn't seem to be an issue.

Because you joined the ship in the UK, Not USA