PSA: B2B Alaska cruisers

[NancyIL]

Glad to hear that Disney says it's not a problem, but I'm surprised that Disney can do it and the other cruise lines can't.

It's possible DCL screwed up and they are eating the $300 pp fine. Maybe there aren't that many people doing B2B cruises.

 

[sarahgirl]

It's possible DCL screwed up and they are eating the $300 pp fine. Maybe there aren't that many people doing B2B cruises.

That's what I'm thinking. That there was a screw up on DCL's part and they are trying to cover it up. No way can DCL do something that the other cruiselines can't.

 

[WoodysMIL]

I'm very happy to hear that some of you have been in contact with Disney and that they have assured you that your B2B will be fine.

I'm personally still waiting on a response from DCL regarding this issue. Before we book.

However, after speaking with my husband I think we've decided that we are giong to go ahead and play it safe and just do the Seattle to Vancouver on 9/3.

 

[spark21]

Just thought I'd post a quick update - I was on the LA->Vancouver Vancouver->Seattle b2b - we had to change staterooms but there was no issue apart from that - we got off the boat went through Canadian customs and then went through US customs to reboard - nobody even mentioned the PSVA

 

[BreezyBus]

We are booked on the B2B -09/03 Alaskian Cruise & 09/10 VC to LA. Just received a call from Disney stating we could not do the B2B due to a law stating you could not disembark from a ship and reboard the same ship in Vancouver.

Has anyone else received a call doing the same B2B?

 

[sissy_ib]

We are booked on the B2B -09/03 Alaskian Cruise & 09/10 VC to LA. Just received a call from Disney stating we could not do the B2B due to a law stating you could not disembark from a ship and reboard the same ship in Vancouver.

We booked the B2B thru DVC so we are now trying to figure out what to do about airlines, DVD points for the second cruise, since they have to be used in same use year which is November 2012.

Has anyone else received a call doing the same B2B?

I would be fighting with DVC to make sure the points are restored back to what they were before you booked. They and DCL are the ones who made the mistake of letting you book.

 

[BreezyBus]

I would be fighting with DVC to make sure the points are restored back to what they were before you booked. They and DCL are the ones who made the mistake of letting you book.

Disney and DVC are restoring the points, we just need to re-adjust our plans. Disney has been very helpful with this.

 

[jdb in AZ]

There wouldn't be a problem if your B2B involved two different ships, right?

DH and I are doing the Disney LA--Vancouver next May, then dork around Vancouver for a few daze, then sail on a different cruise line from Vancouver to Anchorage. So we're sailing from one U.S. city to another, but on two ships, so it's not a problem, right?

 

[jlwhitney]

Disney and DVC are restoring the points, we just need to re-adjust our plans. Disney has been very helpful with this.

That is great they are being so helpful. It stinks that everything got messed up, I hope you find something else great to do for the week. Vancouver and Whistler are great places to visit and tons to do.

 

[cyclenut]

We are booked on the B2B -09/03 Alaskian Cruise & 09/10 VC to LA. Just received a call from Disney stating we could not do the B2B due to a law stating you could not disembark from a ship and reboard the same ship in Vancouver.

We booked the B2B thru DVC so we are now trying to figure out what to do about airlines, DVD points for the second cruise, since they have to be used in same use year which is November 2012.

Has anyone else received a call doing the same B2B?

Did they give you an option on which of the two to cancel? It seems at least possible that you could do Alaska on another line and DCL on the repo and still get pretty close to the same B2b experience ... Just curious.

 

[Chilly]

I'm confused as they let the earlier B2B LA Repo/Alaska Cruisers do it, why the change of mind on the return I wonder?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

There wouldn't be a problem if your B2B involved two different ships, right?

DH and I are doing the Disney LA--Vancouver next May, then dork around Vancouver for a few daze, then sail on a different cruise line from Vancouver to Anchorage. So we're sailing from one U.S. city to another, but on two ships, so it's not a problem, right?

Yes, you will be allowed to do this. Your cruise is LA-Vancouver. Then another cruise (different cruise, different ship) Vancouver-Anchorage.

I'm confused as they let the earlier B2B LA Repo/Alaska Cruisers do it, why the change of mind on the return I wonder?

I think the whole PVSA thing took them by surprise, and they tried to get around it by claiming that by making everyone pack up, disembark, go through immigration, and recheckin made it a different cruise.

But, as many other cruiselines have found out, the PVSA will not recognize it as such. The law is written "no foreign flagged vessel shall transport passengers from one US city to a different US city without a stop in a distant foreign port". A distant foreign port is defined as any port not in North America or the Caribbean.

So the LA-Van; Van-Seattle B2B transported passengers from LA-Seattle without a distant foreign port.

I have a feeling that DCL was probably fined for each passenger that they allowed to do this ($300 pp). And they don't want to do it again. If it continues to happen, besides the fine, a ship can be banned from port.

 

[BreezyBus]

Did they give you an option on which of the two to cancel? It seems at least possible that you could do Alaska on another line and DCL on the repo and still get pretty close to the same B2b experience ... Just curious.

Yes, we had the option.

 

[sayhello]

I think the whole PVSA thing took them by surprise, and they tried to get around it by claiming that by making everyone pack up, disembark, go through immigration, and recheckin made it a different cruise.

But, as many other cruiselines have found out, the PVSA will not recognize it as such. The law is written "no foreign flagged vessel shall transport passengers from one US city to a different US city without a stop in a distant foreign port". A distant foreign port is defined as any port not in the US or the Caribbean.

So the LA-Van; Van-Seattle B2B transported passengers from LA-Seattle without a distant foreign port.

I have a feeling that DCL was probably fined for each passenger that they allowed to do this ($300 pp). And they don't want to do it again. If it continues to happen, besides the fine, a ship can be banned from port.

According to the US Customs & Border Protection website, a distant foreign port is any foreign port not considered a "nearby foreign port".

A "nearby foreign port" is defined as "any port in North America [includes Canada & Mexico], Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonair, and Curacao)"

Sayhello

 

[DisneyDiva4ever]

Ok, so this is a bit confusing. I'm booked on the B2B repo from L.A. to Vancouver, and then Vancouver to Vancouver in May of 2013. I should be fine, correct? Since we are NOT going to port in Seattle....right?

I thought that tons of people did this in 2010 and they were fine. I know they had a bit of trouble getting through the correct custom lines in Vancouver, but I know there were lots of B2B cruisers.

Am I understanding this correctly? I just don't want to find out when it's too late, that I'm booked on an "impossible" cruise. ACK!

Thanks!

 

[DisneyDream2B]

We are booked on the Sept 2-9, 2013, Vancouver Alaskan cruise, followed by Vancouver to Los Angeles. We have the same stateroom for both cruises.

Is this B2B a problem?

Thank you.

 

[NancyIL]

Ok, so this is a bit confusing. I'm booked on the B2B repo from L.A. to Vancouver, and then Vancouver to Vancouver in May of 2013. I should be fine, correct? Since we are NOT going to port in Seattle....right?

I thought that tons of people did this in 2010 and they were fine. I know they had a bit of trouble getting through the correct custom lines in Vancouver, but I know there were lots of B2B cruisers.

Am I understanding this correctly? I just don't want to find out when it's too late, that I'm booked on an "impossible" cruise. ACK!

Thanks!

Yes, you will be fine because the ship doesn't go to Seattle next year. DCL's problems this year are because of the b2b LA-Vancouver-Seattle cruises in May, and the Seattle-Vancouver-LA cruises in September. You can't board the ship in one US port and disembark in a different US port, even though you are on two different cruises, without the ship making a stop in a distant foreign port. DCL's little charade of having the b2b cruisers pack their bags, disembark in Vancouver, and change cabins didn't fool the authorities!

 

[sayhello]

Ok, so this is a bit confusing. I'm booked on the B2B repo from L.A. to Vancouver, and then Vancouver to Vancouver in May of 2013. I should be fine, correct? Since we are NOT going to port in Seattle....right?

I thought that tons of people did this in 2010 and they were fine. I know they had a bit of trouble getting through the correct custom lines in Vancouver, but I know there were lots of B2B cruisers.

Am I understanding this correctly? I just don't want to find out when it's too late, that I'm booked on an "impossible" cruise. ACK!

Thanks!

Yes, you will be fine, because you are traveling between a US port (LA) as your port of embarkation and a foreign port (Vancouver) as your port of disembarkation. So the PVSA does not apply to your B2B cruise.

In 2011, the Alaskan cruise did not leave from Seattle, so all B2B's with Alaska involved only Vancouver. Were there Alaska cruises in 2010? I didn't think so...

Sayhello

 

[sayhello]

We are booked on the Sept 2-9, 2013, Vancouver Alaskan cruise, followed by Vancouver to Los Angeles. We have the same stateroom for both cruises.

Is this B2B a problem?

Thank you.

As long as you're not starting in Seattle, you should be fine, and DCL is not sailing from Seattle in 2013.

Sayhello

 

[Tehanna]

I feel just awful for those of you who are dealing with having to cancel a cruise! I'm especially sad for those of you who won't be joining us on the repositioning cruise, but I understand if you want to book the Alaska cruise.

Now, for any DCL folks who are lurking, I have some suggestion for some of that Disney pixie dust that might make this better for some heartbroken and angry people, especially since many people posted that they asked about DCL specifically this law months ago, and made plans based on the reassurance they were given. Others took the word of those that had talked to DCL and planned accordingly.

Here are my suggestions:

For those folks who end up canceling the Alaska portion of the trip:

An offer to fly the impacted passengers, paid by Disney, to Florida to enjoy WDW from a deluxe resort of Disney (dining plan and park tickets included) on September 3 (the day they would have embarked on their Alaska cruise). Followed by an offer to either stay at WDW until September 9, or an offer to take the 3-night Bahamas cruise on September 6. Then a free flight to Vancouver on the 9th to join the repositioning cruise on the 10th as planned.


For those folks who opt to cancel the repositioning portion of the cruise:

The same offer as above, but with the 3-might Bahamas cruise on September 13, ending on Sept 16, and a complimentary return flight to Los Angeles (unless your passengers were planning to fly somehwere else from LA)

Disney should cover all transportation, and pay the difference in the costs. The passengers should automatically get upgraded to the next category of stateroom for free. An additional shipboard credit would be a nice touch.


If neither of those scenarios work for the passenger, Disney should work with them for any vacation option that fits to make things right, be it a Disneyland stay, a future cruise, or whatever works.



While I am getting ready for my first cruise, I work in customer service for a well-known company, and I have seen over and over again how brand loyalty impacts the consumer. I have noticed the passion that so many DCL fans have, and I think DCL would find further "Customer evangelism" if it simply owned up to the mistake, and (pardon the pun) went overboard to make it right.

I hope that DCL does just that.