Leaving a cruise early?

[MunFam]

We did get travel insurance, so I'll check into that once we get "official" word. We are traveling with my parents too though (in a different cabin), so that complicated things like rebooking, etc.

Ugh! I am so sorry! My husband is always on standby with his job. Its stressful always living on the edge.

 

[cashe]

I'll go in his place! Lol.

On another note, people have missed the ship before and they've left them, what happens then?

 

[algae]

Eons ago, we left a Med sailing early. All we had to do was let the cruise line know with enough notice and they took care of the rest. Best thing to do is call DCL directly and ask how to do it, if possible, in your particular situation.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'll go in his place! Lol.

On another note, people have missed the ship before and they've left them, what happens then?

If you miss the ship in a port, and it's your fault, it's on you to either catch up with the ship at the next port and fly back to the embarkation port to collect your luggage. One reason why having a passport for cruising is nice - you can't fly out of a foreign airport without one.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Eons ago, we left a Med sailing early. All we had to do was let the cruise line know with enough notice and they took care of the rest. Best thing to do is call DCL directly and ask how to do it, if possible, in your particular situation.

As noted before, sailing in Europe is different. They allow embarkation/debarkation at ports other than the actual embarkation/debarkation ports all the time. Travel throughout the EU isn't as regulated as travel out of/into the US.

 

[cashe]

If you miss the ship in a port, and it's your fault, it's on you to either catch up with the ship at the next port and fly back to the embarkation port to collect your luggage. One reason why having a passport for cruising is nice - you can't fly out of a foreign airport without one.

So wouldn't him disembarking and flying out there be sort of like him "missing" the ship?

 

[MUN]

Does anyone have any experience with a member of your party having to leave a cruise early? We leave on the Wonder on March 1 and my husband just found out that he needs to be in Seattle on March 6 to give a presentation for his company. The only port on our cruise he can possible "leave" from is Cozumel - the only other stop is Castaway Cay. Cozumel is day 3 of our cruise. We're bummed (understatement), but its necessary Not sure how that works though.

You could cancel the cruise and have your trip insurance handle the costs of the missed vacation. Then rebook for a later date. Good luck with all of this, I hope everything works out.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So wouldn't him disembarking and flying out there be sort of like him "missing" the ship?

Sort of. Except, if he just debarks and shows up at the airport, without the proper documents allowing him to enter the country (other than as a "day visitor") could land him in trouble.

If you miss the ship, you generally work with the port agent to get out of the country. Essentially, being "escorted" out of the country as a person not legally there.

 

[lanejudy]

As PP has indicated, there probably is a way to do it, how DCL will handle the request is up to them. I believe the issue becomes one of immigration. As already noted, the ship's manifest is cleared as a whole at most ports, passengers do not individually go through immigration each stop. On a closed-loop cruise, it is expected that passengers embark AND debark at the same US port, otherwise it is no longer considered closed-loop and runs into maritime transportation laws. Most likely, the cruise line is fined and they then have the option to pass that fine along to the passenger.

OP - I hope DCL has some firm answers for you so you'll know how to proceed. Good luck and I hope you (all) get to enjoy your cruise!

 

[SillyInventor]

Most likely, the cruise line is fined and they then have the option to pass that fine along to the passenger.

Or worse: have their docking rights revoked, which would be disoustras.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Most likely, the cruise line is fined and they then have the option to pass that fine along to the passenger.

Or worse: have their docking rights revoked, which would be disoustras.

Actually, both of those options only relate to violations of the PVSA. This isn't the issue here.

The only (biggest) issue here is whether DCL is willing to do the more involved (longer) paperwork required for a "foreign itinerary" cruise vs. the normal paperwork that they have to submit for a "closed loop" cruise. And making arrangements for clearing a departing guest in a non-embarkation port (having the proper personnel available).

 

[jetskigrl]

I realized that only DCL will be able to provide the answer regarding leaving early, but what about checking with your DH's company on their policy. At my work, if I am called back from a vacation (or forced to cancel a vacation for which I have been approved for leave), the company must pay all non-refundable expenses that I incur. If your DH's company has that policy and he has already been approved for the time off, they may decide that having to pay for his cruise is a bigger issue than finding someone else to do the presentation. Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Figee17]

Thank you everyone for your replies and support. As PrincessShmoo suspected, he is not allowed to debark in Cozumel and therefore can not go on the cruise. Since we booked with my parents (in another room) and my son is SO excited about it (maybe a reason for keeping it a surprise?), we are going and we will likely just cancel his portion. Our only other option is to do a name change, but I'm not sure anyone (that I'm willing to share a room with) would be able to go at such short notice.
We plan on taking whatever credit we get through insurance (apparently we have to submit it to insurance, they have to deny it and then DCL will give us 75% of the third person's fare as a credit for a future cruise taken within a year) and booking another cruise.
Its not ideal but there's not much that we can do. My parents, my son, and I will have a blast and we'll do a cruise with just DH, DS, and I sometime soon.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you everyone for your replies and support. As PrincessShmoo suspected, he is not allowed to debark in Cozumel and therefore can not go on the cruise. Since we booked with my parents (in another room) and my son is SO excited about it (maybe a reason for keeping it a surprise?), we are going and we will likely just cancel his portion. Our only other option is to do a name change, but I'm not sure anyone (that I'm willing to share a room with) would be able to go at such short notice.
We plan on taking whatever credit we get through insurance (apparently we have to submit it to insurance, they have to deny it and then DCL will give us 75% of the third person's fare as a credit for a future cruise taken within a year) and booking another cruise.
Its not ideal but there's not much that we can do. My parents, my son, and I will have a blast and we'll do a cruise with just DH, DS, and I sometime soon.

Sorry to hear the news. But you'll have a great cruise.

I'll just point out here, that cancelling the 2nd adult in your room will just move the child up to the "adult" position. The first 2 occupants of a room are full adult fare. So the fare you will be cancelling would the fare for the child.

 

[Figee17]

I'll just point out here, that cancelling the 2nd adult in your room will just move the child up to the "adult" position. The first 2 occupants of a room are full adult fare. So the fare you will be cancelling would the fare for the child.

Yes, I know

 

[Dug720]

Ugh, that sucks! I know I fuss about being restricted to school break travel since I teach, but one advantage there is that I can't be "called back" mid-vacation. Even a couple of years ago when Hurricane Sandy forced NYC schools into a day deficit even before winter, they took away part of our Winter Break, but if you could show you had booked your vacation and airfare (the clincher as generally the airfare was already paid for and non-refundable) encompassing the break (or even going beyond the couple of days we got off), you were allowed to take the days and could not be punished for it. I mean, they came out of your reserve bank, but your principal could not deny you your vacation or punish you in some way for taking it.

Fingers crossed everything works out with insurance!

 

[sambycat]

i'm just throwing out there that i would consider not cruising at all if i were your husband rather than deal with the whole leave off the cruise thing. no matter what anyone told me from DCL or i think i understood, i would be so nervous it would make it hard for me and my spouse to enjoy the vacation. it stinks! good luck.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

i'm just throwing out there that i would consider not cruising at all if i were your husband rather than deal with the whole leave off the cruise thing. no matter what anyone told me from DCL or i think i understood, i would be so nervous it would make it hard for me and my spouse to enjoy the vacation. it stinks! good luck.

OP has reported that her husband will not be able to debark early, and is therefore not going on the cruise.

 

[Figee17]

Ugh, that sucks! I know I fuss about being restricted to school break travel since I teach, but one advantage there is that I can't be "called back" mid-vacation. Even a couple of years ago when Hurricane Sandy forced NYC schools into a day deficit even before winter, they took away part of our Winter Break, but if you could show you had booked your vacation and airfare (the clincher as generally the airfare was already paid for and non-refundable) encompassing the break (or even going beyond the couple of days we got off), you were allowed to take the days and could not be punished for it. I mean, they came out of your reserve bank, but your principal could not deny you your vacation or punish you in some way for taking it.

Fingers crossed everything works out with insurance!

The "funny" part about this is its the FIRST year I have NOT had to travel on restricted school schedules since I am taking a year off from teaching for multiple reasons. I was SO excited we could travel "whenever"..thats what I get - jk.
The same thing happened to us in MA when we had an ice storm a number of years ago...we lost most of both vacations we usually had but if you had non-refundable plans, you were allowed to go and not get penalized.
The training he has to do for work is really a big opportunity for him in his career, so its not something we feel he can say no to.
Thanks for the support, everyone