Do May Alaska cruises generally not sail full?

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, Dutchman48 said:

PVSA just prohibits you from disembarking without stopping at a foreign port first once you start your cruise.

You could not be more wrong with your over-simplified explanation. 

There are four possible routes, with three possible 'simple' rules: 
Start outside the US/end in US---no PVSA rule to enforce. 
Start in US/end in different US city---PVSA requires a distant foreign port. 
Start in US/end in same US city---PVSA requires any foreign port. 
Start in US/end outside US---no PVSA rule to enforce. 

[Dutchman48]

3 hours ago, RedIguana said:

Please go read the PVSA. Anywhere departing California and arriving Seattle is not closed loop, and would require a "distant" foreign port, which Canada is not. 

I agree any ship departing a US port must visit a foreign port before it can terminate at a US port.

But the last time I checked Canada was not part of the US and thus met the requirement of a foreign port.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post HAL uses ports in Canada (on both coasts) to meet the PVSA all the time. 

[RedIguana]

18 minutes ago, Dutchman48 said:

I agree any ship departing a US port must visit a foreign port before it can terminate at a US port.

But the last time I checked Canada was not part of the US and thus met the requirement of a foreign port.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post HAL uses ports in Canada (on both coasts) to meet the PVSA all the time. 

The foreign port requirement is only good for closed loop cruises, those that start and end in the same US port. For cruises that start and end at different US ports, the itinerary must include a "distant" foreign port, which Canada does not qualify as. Hence the statement that the coastal cruise being discussed would have to end in Canada to not violate the PVSA. There are a few exceptions built into the act, such as for Puerto Rico, but LA to Seattle is not one of them.

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

You could not be more wrong with your over-simplified explanation. 

There are four possible routes, with three possible 'simple' rules: 
Start outside the US/end in US---no PVSA rule to enforce. 
Start in US/end in different US city---PVSA requires a distant foreign port. 
Start in US/end in same US city---PVSA requires any foreign port. 
Start in US/end outside US---no PVSA rule to enforce. 

Ruth is correct as always.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, Dutchman48 said:

I agree any ship departing a US port must visit a foreign port before it can terminate at a US port.

You fail to distinguish between the requirement for near or distant foreign ports under different itineraries.
As I and others have tried (apparently in vain) to tell you, there is a difference. 

[mcrcruiser]

On 2/14/2024 at 6:42 AM, sunviking90 said:

True. The Seattle ones seem to book up more easily. A lot of first timers especially will pick Seattle for convenience over other considerations. 

flying into Seattle is a lot less that flying into Vancouver from the USA  that is the main reason 

[AKJonesy]

Not sure but I just pulled up a cruise and fees were $777 pp so that's $1500 before the fare.  In other words, that's $200 plus per day for the fees before the fare and before the daily housekeeping fees.  For the heck of it, because I saw Celebrity advertising an Alaska cruise for cheap and there was a ton of rooms available on a May sailing.  I just took a peek.  

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, Dutchman48 said:

I agree any ship departing a US port must visit a foreign port before it can terminate at a US port.

But the last time I checked Canada was not part of the US and thus met the requirement of a foreign port.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post HAL uses ports in Canada (on both coasts) to meet the PVSA all the time. 

You need to differentiate between round trip cruises out of a US port, and one way cruises starting and ending at DIFFERENT US ports. @RuthC explained it perfectly. 

[sunviking90]

54 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Not sure but I just pulled up a cruise and fees were $777 pp so that's $1500 before the fare.  In other words, that's $200 plus per day for the fees before the fare and before the daily housekeeping fees.  For the heck of it, because I saw Celebrity advertising an Alaska cruise for cheap and there was a ton of rooms available on a May sailing.  I just took a peek.  

Likely a 14 day? Port fees and taxes are very high on Alaska cruises. They easily double any “deals” I see on the 7 day one way sailings.

[sunviking90]

2 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

flying into Seattle is a lot less that flying into Vancouver from the USA  that is the main reason 

Yes, that’s what I meant about convenience (financial and logistical). Those who don’t know better and only look at those considerations are missing out on a superior lower inside passage route to/from Vancouver. 
Interestingly about 15 years ago or more when many ships pulled out of Vancouver for Seattle the sailings out of Seattle were dirt cheap. We drove down from Vancouver  twice for HAL sailings from Seattle as the price was much better than Vancouver. Both sailings were VERY rough going on the west side of Vancouver Island. I know it’s not always that way, but much prefer the Vancouver sailings for calm waters and scenery.

[AKJonesy]

2 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

Likely a 14 day? Port fees and taxes are very high on Alaska cruises. They easily double any “deals” I see on the 7 day one way sailings.

7 day

[Dutchman48]

5 hours ago, RuthC said:

You fail to distinguish between the requirement for near or distant foreign ports under different itineraries.
As I and others have tried (apparently in vain) to tell you, there is a difference. 

My bad. Was focused on in and out of same port. 

[RedIguana]

17 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

flying into Seattle is a lot less that flying into Vancouver from the USA  that is the main reason 

Another consideration is that US citizens on a closed loop from Seattle do not require passports.

[cattman]

On 2/16/2024 at 4:24 PM, sunviking90 said:

Likely a 14 day? Port fees and taxes are very high on Alaska cruises. They easily double any “deals” I see on the 7 day one way sailings.

 

On 2/16/2024 at 3:29 PM, AKJonesy said:

Not sure but I just pulled up a cruise and fees were $777 pp so that's $1500 before the fare.  In other words, that's $200 plus per day for the fees before the fare and before the daily housekeeping fees.  For the heck of it, because I saw Celebrity advertising an Alaska cruise for cheap and there was a ton of rooms available on a May sailing.  I just took a peek.  

That's interesting.. looking at the May 24 sailing of the Koningsdam R/T Vancouver, taxes, fees and port charges only total $277pp.. maybe your figures include Cruise Protection and transfers, etc

[Khlela]

On 2/16/2024 at 4:30 PM, sunviking90 said:

Those who don’t know better and only look at those considerations are missing out on a superior lower inside passage route to/from Vancouver. 

 

I personally disagree with this. I LOVE Sitka and you can only get there with the Explorer. My last cruise had to skip it due to a big storm and took the lower inside passage. It was most definitely NOT superior in my opinion. Everyone has different tastes but I wouldn't make such a blanket statement like that and assume people are only doing so because it's easier. I'm doing the Explorer out of Seattle again this year because I loved it so much. Everyone is different. 

[sunviking90]

56 minutes ago, Khlela said:

 

I personally disagree with this. I LOVE Sitka and you can only get there with the Explorer. My last cruise had to skip it due to a big storm and took the lower inside passage. It was most definitely NOT superior in my opinion. Everyone has different tastes but I wouldn't make such a blanket statement like that and assume people are only doing so because it's easier. I'm doing the Explorer out of Seattle again this year because I loved it so much. Everyone is different. 

I agree on Sitka. It is also our favourite port in Alaska. We were fortunate last year to take an 11 day Princess cruise round trip from YVR which included Sitka.

[AKJonesy]

5 hours ago, cattman said:

 

That's interesting.. looking at the May 24 sailing of the Koningsdam R/T Vancouver, taxes, fees and port charges only total $277pp.. maybe your figures include Cruise Protection and transfers, etc

Woops.  Just checked it again.  $538 for two.  So, $270pp.  I wonder where I got that $777 number from...hmmm.  Brain wasn't working that day!  :)