Not getting back on in San Juan

[Tasha4199]

I feel like I should know the answer to this, but I just had my uncle offer to cover a cruise for me, my mom, and grandma leaving THIS SATURDAY from Miami. It stops in San Juan on Thursday, where I currently live, so would I be able to just get off the ship that day while my mom and grandma continue back to FL? It stops at HMC, then day at sea, then St. Thomas, then SJ. Thanks!

[Shmoo here]

I feel like I should know the answer to this, but I just had my uncle offer to cover a cruise for me, my mom, and grandma leaving THIS SATURDAY from Miami. It stops in San Juan on Thursday, where I currently live, so would I be able to just get off the ship that day while my mom and grandma continue back to FL? It stops at HMC, then day at sea, then St. Thomas, then SJ. Thanks!

 

You need to get in touch with the cruise line and ask. It's entirely up to them if they will allow you to debark early from the cruise. I suggest, if (that's a big if) they say it will be OK, you get it in writing. And make copies that you can show at the port when you check in, as well as onboard at the Customer Service desk to show that you will debarking early.

 

I'll tell you, many times recently such requests have been denied.

[mts315]

If you get left in port it is your responsibility to get back home. In this case that should be pretty easy.:p

[lostdart1]

Without a doubt you will have to make special arrangements for this scenario.

 

I live in St Thomas and wanted to get on the boat in St Thomas and while it could be done there were fees involved. I am going to say $300/person. It had to do with maritime laws of closed looped cruises between US ports.

 

Essentially we were paying the fines that the cruise ship would have to pay.

 

I elected to fly over to San Juan.....

[Shmoo here]

Without a doubt you will have to make special arrangements for this scenario.

 

I live in St Thomas and wanted to get on the boat in St Thomas and while it could be done there were fees involved. I am going to say $300/person. It had to do with maritime laws of closed looped cruises between US ports.

 

Essentially we were paying the fines that the cruise ship would have to pay.

 

I elected to fly over to San Juan.....

 

Yours is really not quite the same situation. In your case the cruise would not be a round trip (closed loop) cruise beginning and ending in the same US port. This is a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act. And as such the cruiseline would be subject to the $300 fine (per passenger violating). This fine is typically passed onto the passenger via the onboard account.

 

The OP's cruise, while beginning in one US port and ending in a different US port is exempt from the PVSA:

 

EXCEPTIONS

Transportation of Passengers Between Puerto Rico and Other U.S. Ports—46 U.S.C. § 55104

An exception to the PVSA permits non-coastwise-qualified vessels (vessels not qualified to engage in the coastwise trade) to transport passengers on voyages between ports in Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports until qualified U.S. vessels are available.

 

The issue here is that a closed loop cruise requires certain processing procedures for clearing passengers once it returns to the home port. Allowing someone to embark early, changes it from a "closed loop" cruise to a "foreign itinerary" cruise. Foreign itinerary cruises have a different, more time-consuming procedure for processing passengers when they return to the final port. Even if the cruiseline allows only one passenger to debark early, all passengers on the ship will need to be processed with the lengthier process. Recently, many cruiselines are not allowing this to happen, even though they did in the past.

[Tapi]

While San Juan is exempt from the PVSA closed loop requirement, you still need to check with Carnival as they are the ultimate authority on what you will be allowed to do.

 

With that said, what's the rush to get off in San Juan, even if you live there? You'll be cutting your cruise short, miss Half Moon Cay, and you'll still be paying for 7 days even if you only enjoy 4 or 5 days. IMHO, the 2 hour flight from Miami back to San Juan is a small price to pay to fully enjoy your vacation and your family.