Notice from HAL on not being able to book BtoB cruise due to passenger services act.

I know that this issue comes up every now and then, so I thought I would share a notice I just received from HAL right after I booked an upcoming cruise.

Basically it says that I cannot book the previous sailing (on the same ship) prior to my cruise as this would be a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. So, I cannot do a Back to Back (I was not going to anyway).

Just a heads up.

Actual Message:

Thank you for booking an upcoming cruise with Holland America Line. Please be

advised that due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, this sailing cannot be

combined with ms Zuiderdam - 10/03/18:

10/03/2018 to 10/13/2018 from New York, New York, US to Quebec City, Quebec, CA

If you have any questions regarding this message, please contact our

Reservations team

I don't know where your cruise ends, but suspect it ends in Ft. Lauderdale. That would take you from NYC to Ft. Lauderdale, two different US ports, without stopping at a distant foreign port, if HAL allowed it.

That is a violation of the PVSA.

I have to wonder, though, if someone tried to book both cruises, or even was able to book before they caught it, and they are now letting everyone know.

Or, is HAL just getting pre-emptive about letting people know don't bother to get your hopes up.

I don't know where your cruise ends, but suspect it ends in Ft. Lauderdale. That would take you from NYC to Ft. Lauderdale, two different US ports, without stopping at a distant foreign port, if HAL allowed it.

That is a violation of the PVSA.

 

I have to wonder, though, if someone tried to book both cruises, or even was able to book before they caught it, and they are now letting everyone know.

Or, is HAL just getting pre-emptive about letting people know don't bother to get your hopes up.

Yes, my cruise ends in Fort Lauderdale.

I just wanted to point out that HAL does keep an eye out for these issues. Nice of them to let me know right away, even though I was not thinking of doing this.

I can see why you could not book a B2B as described - because that would be from NY to FLL. I wonder if they would catch it if you made two entirely separate bookings. It seems unlikely that they would check passenger lists to see if it was being done. Of course, you would have to debate and hang out for a couple of hours in Quebec.

I did a 2 week round trip from Boston to Quebec City and back. It was sold as a 14 day cruise and therefore no one really left the ship.

Any cruise that is from a USA port to a NON South American port, can only be one way loop and passengers need to get off.

However, it is the ship itself that has the rule. So you could get off and get on another ship, or stay for a week and then pick up another leg going back.

Also if the ship starts in New England and wants to end up in FLA it needs to go to a South American port.

It is also why doing Panama Canal they stop in Columbia before getting to LA or S Diego.

The rule has been kept because if does protect the shipping and small fisherman. I think the rule needs to change for cruise ships only and would be nice.

Also if the ship starts in New England and wants to end up in FLA it needs to go to a South American port.

Correction: the passenger on the ship would have to go to a distant foreign port.

It would not necessarily have to be a port in South America. A port in Europe (or Asia, Australia, or any other port listed as "distant" in the regs) would do it.

This is confusing, because following the law, HAL could not sell this as one longer cruise.

And, booking the two cruises separately, and leaving the ship and going thru a full new check-in would not be a violation?

Wonder what is up?

This is confusing, because following the law, HAL could not sell this as one longer cruise.

And, booking the two cruises separately, and leaving the ship and going thru a full new check-in would not be a violation?

 

Wonder what is up?

booking as two, leaving the ship and doing a full check in would not change things - it would still be a violation and most likely would be flagged as not allowed prior to boarding the first cruise.

But, this would involve visiting a non-US port in Canada, right....

Hhhhmmm????

If we were to cruise to Hawaii, I might consider departing from Vancouver, so then we could stay on the island and fly home later from there, instead of cruising with a stop at Mexico.

Any cruise that's round trip the same US port is fine. The cruise line packaging a B2B into one collectors cruise on a single booking satisfies that as long as it begins and ends in the same US port.