Vancouver Shuffle - doing coastal cruises without flying out of Vancouver

My friend Cruisin Rob put this up to help people find west coast re-positioning voyages that start and end at different US ports and get to travel on 2 different ships within the same week by transferring in Vancouver.

http://cruisingrobsblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/west-coast-cruises-capitalizing-on.html

My friend Cruisin Rob put this up to help people find west coast re-positioning voyages that start and end at different US ports and get to travel on 2 different ships within the same week by transferring in Vancouver.

 

http://cruisingrobsblog.blogspot.com/2018/01/west-coast-cruises-capitalizing-on.html

I sure would check with HAL before trying this, as I have heard that it is not legal (but I do not know for certain). Either way, I would hate to book this approach and then find out at the last minute that I could not do it, thus getting stuck for one (or both) of the cruise fares.

Super helpful. I've never seen it laid out so well. We've done this, switching cruise lines.

The problem with calling a cruise line is that few people employed by the lines truly understand the PVSA, especially when it comes to your using different cruise lines.

Both changing cruise lines, as well as changing ships within a line make the voyages into two voyages, and therefore fall outside the purview of the PVSA.

Or a far less expensive option is simply landing in Seattle (seatac), take the light rail into Seattle and board Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver. Train ride is very relaxing through beautiful scenery, only takes about 3 hours and the sky train is very close to the train station, with a direct ride to the cruise terminal. No concerns about legality with this option. We've done it many times.

Wonder if the timing will work. Mostly it doesnt for us. 2 trains a day. Other departures are by bus which also gets the job done but not as enjoyable.

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Both changing cruise lines, as well as changing ships within a line make the voyages into two voyages, and therefore fall outside the purview of the PVSA.

So the "Spring shuffle" (Nieuw Amsterdam + Zaandam) wouldn't be legal since both are HAL ships?

So the "Spring shuffle" (Nieuw Amsterdam + Zaandam) wouldn't be legal since both are HAL ships?

Or a far less expensive option is simply landing in Seattle (seatac), take the light rail into Seattle and board Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver. Train ride is very relaxing through beautiful scenery, only takes about 3 hours and the sky train is very close to the train station, with a direct ride to the cruise terminal. No concerns about legality with this option. We've done it many times.

Other options for Sea-tac to Vancouver include Quickshuttle, which goes from Seatac to Vancouver, and Boltbus, which goes from by the light rail stop to Seattle to the Vancouver train station (the quickest option, with only stops in Bellingham and at the border, and the cheapest, with fares from $10-20 and buses every 2 hours or so).

In certain cities you might save money by flying into Bellingham and then taking the train or bus to Vancouver. Allegiant Air has cheap flights from LA, San Diego, Oakland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Ive been told as long as you don't sail on the same ship, you are in the clear.

There are numerous stories of the cruiselines canceling individual reservations a few months out if someone attempts to do a Seattle to Vancouver, then Vancouver to SD on the same ship. As long as you change ships you should be in the clear.

Ive been told as long as you don't sail on the same ship, you are in the clear.

 

There are numerous stories of the cruiselines canceling individual reservations a few months out if someone attempts to do a Seattle to Vancouver, then Vancouver to SD on the same ship. As long as you change ships you should be in the clear.

Correct. The PVSA prevents a foreign carrier from transporting a person from one US port to another without touching a distant foreign port. So you cannot get on a ship in Alaska, stay on in Vancouver and get off in Los Angeles. But you can sail to Vancouver and either get on a different ship (cruise line doesn't matter) or stay a few days and get on a different ship going to LA. You could even sail from Alaska to Vancouver. Stay for two weeks while the ship goes up to Alaska and back. Take the same ship south to LA.

Our son has sailed from Seattle to Vancouver, switched ships and sailed down to San Francisco. No problem because it is two different ships. We have sailed from Seattle to Vancouver, stayed two days, and sailed a different ship to LA. No problem again.

You can even sail from Alaska to Vancouver through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. Again no problem because you stop in either Colombia or Aruba on the way, which are the normal "distant foreign ports." But you can't get off in LA because that is Alaska to LA, different US ports without a "distant foreign port" in between.

This is also why you can't sail from California to Hawaii one way.

chengkp75 said it would "fall outside of the purview of the PVSA" and, therefore, it would be legal.

Sorry, I read it wrong. Good to know that you just need to change ships.

Sorry, I read it wrong. Good to know that you just need to change ships.

I was told by a cruise line that one had to stay two nights on land, even if changing ships. Legal or not, the cruise line has the last word.

We didn't want to spend the first part of the cruise worrying about the second part of the cruise In the end it was simpler and cheaper just to fly to/from Vancouver.

igraf

We have taken the bus from Seattle airport to Vancouver. 3 hours. Pretty ride. It stopped at the cruise terminal.

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A couple of years ago I booked a late Sept. Alaska cruise and as part of the booking I received a message from HAL telling me that there I could not then book a specific Pacific Coastal cruise (I do not remember the details though). So, I would check with HAL and get it in writing before I booked.

Excellent post! I have done many of these shuffles. I love them because I can try different ships and get a cheaper flight. I've also done Amtrak a few times and like that option as well. In fact, I'll be flying into Seattle this September and taking Amtrak the next morning to Vancouver before my Pacific coastal cruise.

Excellent post! I have done many of these shuffles. I love them because I can try different ships and get a cheaper flight. I've also done Amtrak a few times and like that option as well. In fact, I'll be flying into Seattle this September and taking Amtrak the next morning to Vancouver before my Pacific coastal cruise.

Be aware that you might be cutting it a bit close. The train often runs late, plus you can have a bit of a wait for the taxi at the train station. We did this in late Sept and did not get to our hotel until around 2 PM as I recall.

Be aware that you might be cutting it a bit close. The train often runs late, plus you can have a bit of a wait for the taxi at the train station. We did this in late Sept and did not get to our hotel until around 2 PM as I recall.

Sound advise! I would never trust Amtrak like that. We are staying a night in Vancouver before the cruise.