May 21, 2012 - Mickey's Mooseketeers Take Alaska 2012!

[peterpan47]

Wagners will be all over Alaska:
Tracy Arm - Palo Brunch
Skagway - Grizzly Fall Ziplining (5)
Juneau - Juneau City & Mendenhall Glacier (3)
Juneau - Glacier Adventure by Helipcopter (2)
Ketchikan - Adventure by Kart Expedition (2)
Ketchikan - Classic Misty Fjords Flightplane (2)
Ketchikan - Salmon Fishing (1)
It's coming up fast - starting to focus on clothes to pack. There is still snow all over the ground in these cities.

Will you be on the early Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour? If so we will be together on that one!

 

[Lovebug Eeyore]

Will you be on the early Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour? If so we will be together on that one!

Yes, it will be Bob and the girls on that one.

 

[peterpan47]

Yes, it will be Bob and the girls on that one.

Cool! We'll see them there

 

[Shoshie]

Tracy Arm - Spa Villa (for me)
Skagway - Liarsville Goldpannng with the Characters (A Litle Pixie Dust and her fam are with us on that one)
Skagway - Rasul
Juneau - Mendenhall and the Roberts Tramway
Juneau - Palo Dinner
Ketchikan - Ziplining

So excited!!

 

[spark21]

Saw this on the main boards about issues with doing repro-Alaska b2b - does anyone know anything about this?

I know its about the reverse trip but could this be an issue for this trip?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2905608

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Saw this on the main boards about issues with doing repro-Alaska b2b - does anyone know anything about this?

I know its about the reverse trip but could this be an issue for this trip?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2905608

It COULD be an issue for any B2B cruisers that are doing Seattle to Vancouver then Vancouver to LA. Call DCL and ask about it. I know on HAL, there have been times that cruisers were not allowed to book cruises like this because of the PVSA.

 

[spark21]

It COULD be an issue for any B2B cruisers that are doing Seattle to Vancouver then Vancouver to LA. Call DCL and ask about it. I know on HAL, there have been times that cruisers were not allowed to book cruises like this because of the PVSA.

I'm confused how Seattle-Vancouver-LA is different to our cruise - I live in England so cannot ring DCL - dropped them an email - ill post back anything they feed back

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm confused how Seattle-Vancouver-LA is different to our cruise - I live in England so cannot ring DCL - dropped them an email - ill post back anything they feed back

According to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, no foreign-flagged ship may carry passengers from one US city to a different US city without a distant foreign port stop. A distant foreign port is defined as any port not in North America or the Caribbean. While the Seattle-Vancouver and Vancouver-LA cruises are separate cruises, the PVSA views them as one cruise, hence Seattle-LA. And it can't be done, legally.

 

[spark21]

According to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, no foreign-flagged ship may carry passengers from one US city to a different US city without a distant foreign port stop. A distant foreign port is defined as any port not in North America or the Caribbean. While the Seattle-Vancouver and Vancouver-LA cruises are separate cruises, the PVSA views them as one cruise, hence Seattle-LA. And it can't be done, legally.

So LA-vancouver and vancouver to Seattle back to back would also be illegal?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So LA-vancouver and vancouver to Seattle back to back would also be illegal?

Yes.

 

[peterpan47]

Saw this on the main boards about issues with doing repro-Alaska b2b - does anyone know anything about this?

I know its about the reverse trip but could this be an issue for this trip?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2905608

I'm not on the repo cruise, but I was curious about this situation. I just looked at the itinerary for the repo cruise and discovered it stops in Victoria before it goes to Vancouver; thus, since they are counting the two cruises as one cruise, that "one" long cruise would go from LA to Victoria before it goes to Vancouver, and then to Alaska and back to Seattle. Would Victoria count as a foreign port?. It will be interesting to see what the B2B cruisers find out.

Mary

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm not on the repo cruise, but I was curious about this situation. I just looked at the itinerary for the repo cruise and discovered it stops in Victoria before it goes to Vancouver; thus, according to the way I am understanding this law, since they are counting the two cruises as one cruise, that "one" long cruise would go from LA to Victoria, (then ignoring Vancouver), to Alaska and back to Seattle. This would have one foreign port in there not counting Vancouver. Maybe I am understanding this incorrectly, but it makes sense to me. It also makes sense that Disney would plan ahead to keep problems from occurring for anyone.

Mary

Neither Victoria nor Vancouver is a distant foreign port. A distant foreign port visit is required for a cruise that begins in one US city and ends in a different US city. A distant foreign port is defined as any port NOT in North
America or in the Caribbean.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm not on the repo cruise, but I was curious about this situation. I just looked at the itinerary for the repo cruise and discovered it stops in Victoria before it goes to Vancouver; thus, since they are counting the two cruises as one cruise, that "one" long cruise would go from LA to Victoria before it goes to Vancouver, and then to Alaska and back to Seattle. Would Victoria count as a foreign port?. It will be interesting to see what the B2B cruisers find out.

Mary

Same answer as for original post:

Neither Victoria nor Vancouver is a distant foreign port. A distant foreign port visit is required for a cruise that begins in one US city and ends in a different US city. A distant foreign port is defined as any port NOT in North
America or in the Caribbean.

 

[peterpan47]

Same answer as for original post:

OK. I think I understand now. There is still a lot I don't understand about it though, like why, if you get off the ship and go through Customs and then have to check back onto the ship for the second cruise, you wouldn't be counted as stopping in Vancouver. This doesn't affect me this time, but it may at some time, so I am definitely interested in understanding the situation.

Mary

 

[Shoshie]

But if you go L.A. to Vancouver you aren't going between U.S. ports.
You have to stop in Vancouver (and on the one up there they port in Victoria and Vancouver before disembarking in Vancouver and ending the cruise).

Those who are doing B2b have to disembark in Vancouver and reboard --- before the one to Alaska and back to Seattle.

I looked up the PSVA and I don't see how this is a violation.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

But if you go L.A. to Vancouver you aren't going between U.S. ports.
You have to stop in Vancouver (and on the one up there they port in Victoria and Vancouver before disembarking in Vancouver and ending the cruise).

Those who are doing B2b have to disembark in Vancouver and reboard --- before the one to Alaska and back to Seattle.

I looked up the PSVA and I don't see how this is a violation.

As I said, this IS two separate cruises, but the PVSA views B2B cruises as one cruise, even if you disembark the ship. So the PVSA sees this B2B as LA to Seattle, with stops in Victoria, Vancouver, and Alaskan ports.

There have been at least two other cruiselines (Princess & HAL) who have had to deal with this, and they will not let people book this B2B because it violates the PVSA.

All I'm saying is, call DCL and get it in writing that you will be OK to do this B2B. That way, at least, when you are made to disembark the ship after the first leg, you have a chance of some reimbursment from DCL.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OK. I think I understand now. There is still a lot I don't understand about it though, like why, if you get off the ship and go through Customs and then have to check back onto the ship for the second cruise, you wouldn't be counted as stopping in Vancouver. This doesn't affect me this time, but it may at some time, so I am definitely interested in understanding the situation.

Mary

I don't know why, but it would be my guess that because you're, basically, just "visiting" the city, just like all the other ports you go to, it's just considered a port stop, not a termination of the cruise.

It can be done, if you do, say, an LA-Vancouver cruise, disembark, stay 24 hours in the city, embark on a different ship, and go Vancouver-Seattle - that's OK.

 

[mrp4352]

Saw this on the main boards about issues with doing repro-Alaska b2b - does anyone know anything about this?

I know its about the reverse trip but could this be an issue for this trip?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2905608

As someone who knows nothing about this law other than what I've read here in the last couple of days, I wonder if it makes a difference that the Wonder is overnightting in port in Vancouver on the cruise before ours?

 

[spark21]

I definitely know nothing about this law - I'm still awaiting a response from DCL but did find that Victoria and Vancouver are listed as foreign ports on the cbp website. I'm sure many people will have done these back to backs in the past - looking at the fish extender lists it would affect many people if we werent able to do these two cruises b2b

 

[PrincessShmoo]

As someone who knows nothing about this law other than what I've read here in the last couple of days, I wonder if it makes a difference that the Wonder is overnightting in port in Vancouver on the cruise before ours?

Is that overnighting as in the LA-Vancouver cruise arrives at, say, 7:00 am and everyone disembarks. And then the Vancouver-Seattle cruise embarks at, say, 5:00 pm the next day? In that case, I believe, the B2B people would be OK. If it's arriving on one day and everyone stays onboard and disembarks the next morning (the second day), and the the ship leaves that afternoon for the second cruise, I don't think that would be OK.