How do you join cruise late?

[bridegirl]

I'm hoping one of you experts knows how this works...

We are booked for aug 13 mexico cruise, but my husband need to get on the ship at the first port, how do we arrange that?

Thanks in advance!

Susy

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I'm not sure if they can do it, but I would call the cruise line (or have your travel agent do so) as soon as possible. They would have to make arrangements for this in advance. I don't think he can just show up on the pier at Puerto Vallarta.

 

[windermerejudy]

I am almost 98% sure that is not allowed. There are many south Florida cruisers especially ones from Key West who have tried to board in KW and DCL has said no. I think your husband is out of luck. You must board and depart from the originating city. Partially due to the fact that there is nowhere to check in or go through customs... like in the origin place i.e. SanPedro, PC...In your port stops you must have your KTTW card and show that and ID to get back on but how is he going to get a KTTW card. I know entertainment gets on and off the ship but that is different. I bet someone knows out there.

 

[miclen]

We are in a similar situation. We are booked on the August 20 repositioning cruise. We called and they said he could board at a port but they had toknow about it in advance. I hope we got the correct informaiton!!

 

[mickeyboat]

I am almost 98% sure that is not allowed. There are many south Florida cruisers especially ones from Key West who have tried to board in KW and DCL has said no. I think your husband is out of luck. You must board and depart from the originating city. Partially due to the fact that there is nowhere to check in or go through customs... like in the origin place i.e. SanPedro, PC...In your port stops you must have your KTTW card and show that and ID to get back on but how is he going to get a KTTW card. I know entertainment gets on and off the ship but that is different. I bet someone knows out there.

I think the reason people cannot board in Key West is because it is a US Port. I don't think there is the same restriction if you board at a foreign port. As a matter of fact, we almost missed the ship on our cruise, and we were planning on boarding in St. Maarten. Check with DCL.

Denae

 

[logan1_2000]

On the April 2, 2005 Magic Eastern, there was a group that missed embarkation because of a delayed NWAirlines flight on which DCL had booked many guests for whom DCL was arranging transportation to Port Canaveral. They ended up boarding in St. Maarten, but their transportation to St. Maarten was all handled through DCL and was not a pre-arrangement. Don't know when/where some elements of check in took place (was told they were put up in WDW for the at-sea days), but did see one of the passengers have his cruise documents/contract pages ripped out at Guest Services--though obviously to get there he had to have had a KTTW to get on-board.

The question to ask is what would someone who misses embarkation on their own travel do in order to "catch up" with the ship and board in the next port--that seems like the applicable situation for your spouse.

 

[clten]

Typically if you miss the ship, you contact the cruiseline (so they don't give away or sell your cabin) and make arrangements to board in the next foreign port. (Because of the Jones Act, you cannot board in the next port if it is a US Port - which is why if you don't make the ship for a West Carib sailing, you can't board in Key West). The check in would be at the pier where you are meeting the ship. The cruiseline would have to make arrangements for you to be met to get you past the port security check (since you won't have ship id yet).

Now if you are knowingly not getting on at the embarkation pier, that may be a whole other kettle of fish. You would need to speak with DCL and make sure the record is documented. I don't see any reason that would be a problem since it will be a foreign port (customs isn't a problem because you will go through Mexico customs when you enter Mexico, most likely the airport). But since it is out of the ordinary, I would also follow up the day before sailing with DCL to make sure someone meets you at the pier to get checked in smoothly.

 

[ivanova]

If it is preplanned it can be done, but you have to board from a foreign port (which is why Key West wont' work).

A perfect example, "Ducky" Williams boarded the May repo cruise in Acapulco.

I was on a cruise back in March where someone joined our group in Cozumel.

So it can be done, but does need to be pre-arranged with the cruise line, and must be done at a foreign port.