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One Day Cruise on Sapphire Seattle to Vancouver

fee&j

By fee&j,
in Princess Cruises

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fee&j

fee&j

Posted
Posted

I wonder if anyone can explain to me in a way I can understand, why you can't take Sept 11 Alaska cruise, stay on board for the one day Seattle to Vancouver cruise and then take the 5 day cruise to LA. I have emailed Princess but you get told that it is a Maritime law and they don't consider Vancouver a foreign port. We are Canadian and I don't recall ever reading that Vancouver has become a US city. I even asked who could take this cruise and they said anyone. Why do you have to get off the ship in Seattle stay overnight somewhere and take a bus to Vancouver, to get back on the ship. Thanks a lot for you help. Fiona Herman

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can786

can786

Posted
Posted

The reason you cannot do this is because of an outdated US law called the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) which prohibits foreign flagged ships from carrying passengers from one US port to another US port without a stop in a DISTANT foreign port. In your scenario, you would board the ship in Seattle and stay onboard all the way to Los Angeles. While the ship does stop in Vancouver, Canada, that is not considered to be a distant foreign port. If a foreign flagged ship sails roundtrip from a US port it only needs to stop at any foreign port, which is why roundtrip Alaskan cruises from Seattle will stop in Victoria or Vancouver.

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jollyjones

jollyjones

Posted
Posted

I got caught in this exact same problem for May 2011 (only in reverse) - it is against American law for one ship to take you from Seattle to LA without stopping at a distant foreign port - never mind that it is ridiculous and outdated, that is the law. I solved it by changing from the Sapphire to the Golden in Vancouver - it's OK on different ships - the Sapphire takes me LA - Vancouver, and the Golden takes me from Vancouver to Seattle (via Alaska).

 

This is, of course, why they do the one day cruise - a five day coastal cruise from Seattle to LA is illegal so they have to reposition to Vancouver. I'm sure Princess would prefer not to have to do this as, last time I looked, the one night repo wasn't selling well.

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DaveyCaper

DaveyCaper

Posted
Posted

This may actually work for us - possibly. We have the Sept 11 2011 cruise booked on the Sapphire and need to get to Vancouver (we are from Eastern Canada). We are thinking of booking this one day cruise - anybody answer the following:

 

- Can we do this legally? Would we have to disembark and then re-imbark?

 

- What would we expect entertainment and activity wise?

 

- Would this count as a cruise towards Princess status (we are a couple away from platinum)?

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laraja

laraja

Posted
Posted
I wonder if anyone can explain to me in a way I can understand, why you can't take Sept 11 Alaska cruise, stay on board for the one day Seattle to Vancouver cruise and then take the 5 day cruise to LA. I have emailed Princess but you get told that it is a Maritime law and they don't consider Vancouver a foreign port. We are Canadian and I don't recall ever reading that Vancouver has become a US city. I even asked who could take this cruise and they said anyone. Why do you have to get off the ship in Seattle stay overnight somewhere and take a bus to Vancouver, to get back on the ship. Thanks a lot for you help. Fiona Herman

 

Your cruise would, in effect, be a cruise from Seattle to Los Angeles and would require a distant foreign port. Vancouver is a near foreign port.

 

1. Cruise starts at one US port and ends at a different US port (ie. Ft. Lauderdale to LA)...the ship must stop at a DISTANT (outside the continent) foreign port before reaching it's final destination.

 

2. Cruise sails roundtrip from/to the same US port (ie. roundtrip Seattle)...the ship may stop at a NEAR (outside the country) foreign port before reaching it's final destination.

 

A partial Panama Canal transit, roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale, need only stop at a port in the Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America to fulfill this requirement.

 

Full transit from Ft. Lauderdale to LA requires a stop on a another continent (usually Columbia, S.A.) to be legal.

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DrivesLikeMario

DrivesLikeMario

Posted
Posted
We ran into this strange situation as well...and not sure why Mexico qualifies and Vancouver does not...Mexico is not my destination of choice right now, unfortunately with all of the violence...

 

You're not alone, Carol. So many of the ships are pulling out of the new cruise terminal in San Diego and many are cutting back in LA too.

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TravelnAl

TravelnAl

Posted
Posted
If Victoria is not a distant port (which makes geographical sense) how does the Sea Princess run a 10 Day RT trip cruise out of San Francisco to Alaska with Victoria being the only non USA port????

 

Because it is a round trip. Round trips only need to stop at any foreign port. One ways, SEA to LA for example must stop at a DISTANT foreign port

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TravelnAl

TravelnAl

Posted
Posted

Originally Posted by sunsetbeachgal

We ran into this strange situation as well...and not sure why Mexico qualifies and Vancouver does not...Mexico is not my destination of choice right now, unfortunately with all of the violence...

 

Mexico does not qualify as a distant foreign port either.

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RickEk

RickEk

Posted
Posted
This may actually work for us - possibly. We have the Sept 11 2011 cruise booked on the Sapphire and need to get to Vancouver (we are from Eastern Canada). We are thinking of booking this one day cruise - anybody answer the following:

 

- Can we do this legally? Would we have to disembark and then re-imbark?

 

- What would we expect entertainment and activity wise?

 

- Would this count as a cruise towards Princess status (we are a couple away from platinum)?

 

Yes, I believe that it would be legal to take the 7-day Seattle roundtrip and then tack on the 1 day trip to Vancouver.

 

I haven't been on a one-dayer, but I'm sure they'd have stuff to do. :)

 

Yes, it would definitely count as a valid cruise on your way to Platinum.

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fee&j

fee&j

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Thanks for your input it is starting to make some sense. You would think Princess would put a disclaimer on it, ie can't be combined with the cruise to Alaska or the cruise to LA.. We are still going to do it, I have another question can you stay at a Princess hotel in Seattle and then get a Princess transfer to the ship in Vancouver. Thanks again. Fiona

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donna5

donna5

Posted
Posted
Thanks for your input it is starting to make some sense. You would think Princess would put a disclaimer on it, ie can't be combined with the cruise to Alaska or the cruise to LA.. We are still going to do it, I have another question can you stay at a Princess hotel in Seattle and then get a Princess transfer to the ship in Vancouver. Thanks again. Fiona

 

When you get back please let us know what they fined you.:D And if you were denied boarding and lost your money on the last cruise:eek:.

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LARGIN

LARGIN

Posted
Posted
Thanks for your input it is starting to make some sense. You would think Princess would put a disclaimer on it, ie can't be combined with the cruise to Alaska or the cruise to LA.. We are still going to do it, I have another question can you stay at a Princess hotel in Seattle and then get a Princess transfer to the ship in Vancouver. Thanks again. Fiona

 

If you are taking ground transportation from Seattle to Vancouver and catching the ship there the next day, you are legal. That is the only way this will work. As for a Princess transfer from Seattle to Vancouver, I think so. I would call Princess to make the arrangements.

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ONT-CA

ONT-CA

Posted
Posted

We'll be sailing to Hawaii, return, from LA in a week or so. To meet these foreign port conditions we will stop in Ensenada, Mexico for a few hours. They consider Ensenada a foreign port but not Vancouver? Who is writing these rules?

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Kamloops50

Kamloops50

Posted
Posted
Vancouver is not a distant port but Victoria is. Go figure.
I

 

If Vancouver is not a distant port then all cruises that leave Vancouver to Alaska ( 7 day rtn or 7 day one way) should be considered illegal and the cruise lines should be fined . If Victoria is a foreign port :confused:why not Vancouver. They are both part of Canada and not the US . If Vancouver isn't a foreign distant port then Victoria isn't. They should then cruise to Japan or Russia on every Alaska cruise.

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sultan_sfo

sultan_sfo

Posted
Posted

Lot of misinformation gets thrown around in discussions about PVSA. Vancouver is a "near" foreign port. Vancouver is not a "distant" foreign port.

 

We'll be sailing to Hawaii, return, from LA in a week or so. To meet these foreign port conditions we will stop in Ensenada, Mexico for a few hours. They consider Ensenada a foreign port but not Vancouver? Who is writing these rules?
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sultan_sfo

sultan_sfo

Posted
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It is OK to have an itin that starts in any US Port and "ends" in any foreign port. PVSA does not come into play in these cases.

 

I

 

If Vancouver is not a distant port then all cruises that leave Vancouver to Alaska ( 7 day rtn or 7 day one way) should be considered illegal and the cruise lines should be fined . If Victoria is a foreign port :confused:why not Vancouver. They are both part of Canada and not the US . If Vancouver isn't a foreign distant port then Victoria isn't. They should then cruise to Japan or Russia on every Alaska cruise.

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ONT-CA

ONT-CA

Posted
Posted
Lot of misinformation gets thrown around in discussions about PVSA. Vancouver is a "near" foreign port. Vancouver is not a "distant" foreign port.

 

Enesada is but 70 miles from the US border. Does that constitute a "distant" foreign port?

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sultan_sfo

sultan_sfo

Posted
Posted

PVSA defines a "distant" foreign port as well as a "near" foreign port. All ports in Mexico and Western Canada are "near" foreign. Ensenada is a "near" foreign port. A call in Ensenada satisfies the RT LA/Hawaii/LA or RT San Diego/Hawaii/San Diego Itin etc. Ensenada would not satisfy LA / Hawaii (a cruise that "ends" in Hawaii).

 

If a Pax does a combination cruise (B2B) then for PVSA the cruise is supposed to have taken the Pax from initial embarkation port to the port where the combination ends.

 

Enesada is but 70 miles from the US border. Does that constitute a "distant" foreign port?
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