Disembarking before end of cruise

[thuyronald]

Hi Everyone,

 

Wondering if anyone has disembarked a ship prior to the end of the cruise.

 

My husband and I are planning to take the Vision of the Seas cruise in October. Our ship will visit Port Said and Alexandria before heading to Athens to end the cruise. We would like to do an extension to Egypt with the Nile cruise from either Port Said and Alexandria. There's no point in waiting to get to Athens and then having to fly back to Egypt (Cairo) to do this trip extension.

 

I was wondering if anyone has done this and if there's a problem with doing so.

 

If anyone has information or experience regarding this matter, we would love to hear from you.

 

Thanks Twee

[Cindy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Wondering if anyone has disembarked a ship prior to the end of the cruise.

 

 

My DH & I left a cruise early a few years ago when my dad unexpectedly passed away. We went through immigration on the ship before we disembarked. There were several other couples leaving the ship early. It appeared some of them had planned their cruise that way.

[madforcruising]

From RCCL.com

Yes! Partial cruises allow you to enjoy part of your cruise vacation in the event that you are unable to meet the ship in the scheduled boarding port, or would like to end your cruise earlier than the scheduled departure date.

 

Requests for security clearance concerning late boarding or early departure must be submitted in writing to the Guest Flight Operations office for consideration at least one week prior to sail date. Guests must have a confirmed reservation in order to receive clearance. If the reservation was made by a travel agency, the agency must submit the request on travel agency letterhead. Guests with reservations made directly through Royal Caribbean International or royalcaribbean.com can submit their own request. Please include a return fax number or e-mail address.

 

If guests are pre-approved for boarding/departure in an alternate port of call, the ship's security staff is notified to expect the guests at the designated port. The approved guests are responsible for making all travel arrangements and will incur any additional expenses (for flights, hotels, transfers to the pier, etc.). Prepaid gratuities will be added to all approved reservations for the length of cruise.

 

Restrictions: Certain countries, such as the U.S., Italy and Norway, have cabotage laws affecting passenger movements. These laws restrict foreign flag passenger vessels (such as those operated by Royal Caribbean) from transporting guests from one port to another port in the same country. In the U.S., the cabotage law applicable to the cruise industry is commonly called the Jones Act but is legally titled the Passengers Services Act. A brief summary of this U.S. law follows:

 

If a passenger (as listed on a vessel passenger manifest) embarks in a U.S. port and the vessel calls in a nearby foreign port (such as Ensenada, Grand Cayman and Nassau) and then returns to the U.S., the person must disembark in the same U.S. port. A passenger who embarks and disembarks in two different U.S. ports (such as Los Angeles and San Diego) would result in the carrier (not the violator) being fined. The vessel must call in a distant foreign port before the U.S. embarkation and disembarkation ports can differ. The nearest distant foreign ports are in or off the coast of South America. If either the passenger's embarkation port or disembarkation port is in a foreign country, then the provisions of this cabotage law do not apply. Nor do they apply in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Similar passenger movement restrictions exist for cruise vessels calling in Italy and Norway.

 

Please direct any requests and/or questions to the following e-mail address or fax number:

Fax Number: (305) 373-6695

E-mail: AirSeaGFO@RCCL.com

 

Request Form

[thuyronald]

Thank you for the information. I didn't realize that you needed to get clearance from the cruise line at least a week before.

 

Twee

[madforcruising]

Thank you for the information. I didn't realize that you needed to get clearance from the cruise line at least a week before.

 

Twee

 

You are welcome, it can be done if not against any laws, but has to be prearranged. Good luck on your trip planning.

[petel]

Thank you for the information. I didn't realize that you needed to get clearance from the cruise line at least a week before.

 

Twee

 

You must also comply with Egypt visa requirements.

 

Here is a link to the State Department site for international travel:

 

International Travel A-Z Index of Topics

Here is a link to a copany that provides visa information:

REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS TO OBTAIN VISA TO ENTER EGYPT

Have a great trip! :)

[aggie1]

We were on the VOS transatlantic from Barcelona to Galveston in Dec. 07. There was a couple from Switzerland and a couple from Australia at our table whose kids were married. Our last stop was Cozumel and both couples got off as this was where their kids (son worked for ElCid) lived and both couples owned homes there as well. Our table consisted of DH and myself, 3 sisters from Tx, a single man from Scotland and the 2 couples. Very interesting table!!!! Back to subject, they said that RCL was informed they were doing this when they booked and they had no problems. All paperwork was turned in prior to embarking, went thru immigration morning they left. They were escorted off ship before anyone else left and our table went with them so we could meet the kids and grandkids. It was sad seeing them leave, but we still stay in touch.

[bluegirlum]

On Liberty in December, the group at the MDR table behind us was getting off at Labadee to do humanitarian work in Haiti. They had not arranged it before getting on the ship, but once they got on, they were able to work it out. I think if they were able to do it there, you should be able to do it.

[FOXTROT]

We got off a cruise a day early. We went through the cruise line & it was a piece of cake.

[thuyronald]

Thanks everyone for all your help.

 

We are planning to do our own Egypt visa ahead of time.

 

Twee

[livylotte]

Wow! I love epic journeys! And I'd love to go on a Nile cruise and stay in Egypt longer than the overnights the cruise ships offer. I can't fly and there are no ferry's at the moment to/from Egypt from the Med. I don't know why I never thought of this!!! I've been looking into travelling overland via Libya and visiting Leptis Magna on the way but it would be much nicer I think to arrive and depart by cruise ship.

 

I'm on a cruise in October to Egypt and I know I will want to return one day.

 

Please could you post if you manage to arrange this trip, I'd love to hear all about it!

[thuyronald]

We may end up doing a land trip instead.

 

thanks everyone for your help.

 

Twee