DH can only stay 7 days of 12 day cruise!

[zubee23]

I can stay on the ship for the entire cruise. He can only be gone (self-employed) for one week at a time. Can he leave and fly home from one of the ports and I finish the trip? Of course, we know we have to pay for the entire trip, and let NCL know but is this doable? Is it violating maritime laws of some sort? BTW, we haven't booked anything yet.

Thanks!

[garycarla]

You will get lots of different answers.

 

But, here is one scenario that does happen from time to time.

 

Man misses ship.

Ship sails without him.

He has to find his own way home.

 

Permission? None.

 

The one big maritime law thing is that cruiseships generally can not tranport someone directly from one US port to another.

[wg6530]

Where would you be boarding? US?

 

If you leave from a US port, he cannot legally (Jones Act) debark early at another US port. "Missing" the ship is a risky option-there could be a hefty fine, especially if the US authorities realize it was planned (he had an airline reservation or other travel arrangements). You could beg the cruiseline to ask customs to waive the rule, but I doubt that would work for a known work obligation.

 

It might be legal if he boards in the US and debarks at a foreign port and flies back to the US, but you'll want to check with the cruiseline.

 

I have no idea if any how it might work for other nations.

[blackerbys17]

I would call NCL directly and ask them. Only they can tell you if it is OK. I also suggest getting it in writing, just in case.

 

If it were me I would simply pick a 7 day cruise versus a 12 day cruise.

[fridaythe13th]

I can stay on the ship for the entire cruise. He can only be gone (self-employed) for one week at a time. Can he leave and fly home from one of the ports and I finish the trip? Of course, we know we have to pay for the entire trip, and let NCL know but is this doable? Is it violating maritime laws of some sort? BTW, we haven't booked anything yet.

Thanks!

 

Friends of mine have done this a few years on a repo (although not NCL). They leave Boston and go to a couple of the islands. The DH gets off at St Thomas where they have a "winter home". The DW and DS stay onboard and disembark in Miami, then fly to STT. He arranges everything beforehand with the cruiseline as he takes off a few pieces of luggage with him. Your best bet would be to call the NCL corporate office directly.

[time2cruise1]

Friends of mine have done this a few years on a repo (although not NCL). They leave Boston and go to a couple of the islands. The DH gets off at St Thomas where they have a "winter home". The DW and DS stay onboard and disembark in Miami, then fly to STT. He arranges everything beforehand with the cruiseline as he takes off a few pieces of luggage with him. Your best bet would be to call the NCL corporate office directly.

 

St Thomas would be on port you can't can't get off legally without paying a fine. It is a US port. Now if you get off in a non US port it can be done.

[gtalum]

As long as it's a foreign port, there won't be any problems. Let the purser know so that they don't wait or look for him at the port where he debarks.

[fridaythe13th]

St Thomas would be on port you can't can't get off legally without paying a fine. It is a US port. Now if you get off in a non US port it can be done.

 

They go to foreign ports before getting off in STT. Maybe that's the difference? He never mentioned anything about paying a fine. I'll have to ask him. They have done this three times now. Interesting....

[time2cruise1]

They go to foreign ports before getting off in STT. Maybe that's the difference? He never mentioned anything about paying a fine. I'll have to ask him. They have done this three times now. Interesting....

 

It would only work (unless you just get off and tell nobody) if the ship went to a Distant Foreign port first. That is why repos stop in Aruba or South America.

[SPMorrissey]

Where would you be boarding? US?

 

If you leave from a US port, he cannot legally (Jones Act) debark early at another US port. "Missing" the ship is a risky option-there could be a hefty fine, especially if the US authorities realize it was planned (he had an airline reservation or other travel arrangements). You could beg the cruiseline to ask customs to waive the rule, but I doubt that would work for a known work obligation.

 

It might be legal if he boards in the US and debarks at a foreign port and flies back to the US, but you'll want to check with the cruiseline.

 

I have no idea if any how it might work for other nations.

I saw 2 couples strolling up to the ship in Key West at 5:05pm and security/border control weren't letting them getting on the ship.

They were so p*ssed off, I loved it! It was the 4th stop and they should have known the ship will leave without you.

[Clairescurtains]

On our last cruise [another line] one of the husbands couldn't be there the entire cruise but he joined us later a few days into the cruise. The wife started the cruise by herself and then he arrived later. Perhaps you could arrange it that way.

[wrp96]

St Thomas would be on port you can't can't get off legally without paying a fine. It is a US port. Now if you get off in a non US port it can be done.

 

Actually there is an exception in the PVSA for San Juan and the Virgin Islands so no fine unlike if you tried to disembark in Key West.

 

 

To the OP, you need to pre-clear this with NCL as it really will depend on the ports. If you are asking about a European cruise for example, there are some countries in Europe that have similiar cabotage acts as the US that could affect where he would be able to disembark. But generally unless there would be a cabotage act violation, you are able to disembark early - just arrange it in advance.

[CruisnGram]

I saw 2 couples strolling up to the ship in Key West at 5:05pm and security/border control weren't letting them getting on the ship.

They were so p*ssed off, I loved it! It was the 4th stop and they should have known the ship will leave without you.

 

If the people were "strolling" as you claim, then I don't have much sympathy. However, as someone who has missed a ship through no real fault of my own, I can tell you that sometimes people do have problems and its not their fault. I learned a couple lessons from that incident, one being I'll never laugh at someone for missing a ship ever again. People do know that the ship will leave without them....they sometimes just can't prevent it from happening.

 

CG

[travelhungry]

I don't know about NCL, but I just asked RCI the same question for a Medit cruise. They said they needed the request in writing at least 14 days prior to departure, and that there might be additional debarkation fees charged by the port.

[dtracker]

What a shame...they'd have to drag me off early kicking and screaming! :D

Once I'm on board, nothing could make me leave!

 

DT

[elruth]

We were on the Majesty from Charleston to Nassau, Freeport and then Port Canaveral. I was at the reception desk when a young college student asked if when we were in Port Canaveral, Fl she could disembark and fly home due to a family emergency. They told her it would cost her $ 200.00.

[gbcruise]

Im not understanding I guess, why wold the line charge a passenger since they have already paid their cruise fare to leave early? Do they charge each individual person who is kicked off a ship or who misses getting back on?

 

And from a different perspective. I have been self employeed for almost 16 years. It was a horrible situation at my husband's work to get vacation time cleared orginally & not have to reschedule time & time again. Husband is now self employeed & a great perk to that is we now vacation when we find best pricing compared to getting away without missing many of our teens activities. Must be very tough to know the wife is cruising yet your stuck working.

[beachchick]

Im not understanding I guess, why wold the line charge a passenger since they have already paid their cruise fare to leave early? Do they charge each individual person who is kicked off a ship or who misses getting back on?

 

And from a different perspective. I have been self employeed for almost 16 years. It was a horrible situation at my husband's work to get vacation time cleared orginally & not have to reschedule time & time again. Husband is now self employeed & a great perk to that is we now vacation when we find best pricing compared to getting away without missing many of our teens activities. Must be very tough to know the wife is cruising yet your stuck working.

 

The cruise line isn't charging this as additional fare or even a penalty. It's because he or she would be disembarking at a US port in violation of the Passenger Services Act/Jones Act. The cruise line would be penalized by the US ICE (or whichever agency has authority these days) and would pass the penalty cost along to the passenger. That's only fair. Why should the cruise line pay $200 to allow a passenger to disembark in violation of the law? And if the cruise line kicks off passengers due to behavior, then the passengers are indeed charged any appropriate government fees. (The penalty would not apply if the passengers were kicked off at a non-US or USVI port.)

 

beachhick

[ute_fan]

If the people were "strolling" as you claim, then I don't have much sympathy. However, as someone who has missed a ship through no real fault of my own, I can tell you that sometimes people do have problems and its not their fault. I learned a couple lessons from that incident, one being I'll never laugh at someone for missing a ship ever again. People do know that the ship will leave without them....they sometimes just can't prevent it from happening.

 

CG

 

Hi Cruisin'Gram!

 

I had a feeling you might chime in here..... :D How are things going? Speaking of such a subject, did you ever hear anything back about the possible fine you were looking at? I've wondered what happened with your situation.

[negc]

St Thomas would be on port you can't can't get off legally without paying a fine. It is a US port. Now if you get off in a non US port it can be done.

Check with the cruiseline. While St. Thomas is a US port, I believe that it and San Juan are specifically exempted from the provisions of the Passenger Services Act which prohibits cruisers from embarking in one US port and disembarking in another without visiting a "distant foreign port". If the cruise goes to Aruba before visiting St. Thomas, it would be no problem even without the exemption. You should alert the cruiseline of your intentions regardless of whether it is allowable or not.:)