$600 "Guest Relations" Charge RCI

While ON SHORE in Key West, my wife had a Diabetic reaction and had to
be taken by ambulance to the medical center where she was held
overnight.
We were unable to board the ship and return to Miami.
We contacted RCI and they kindly made arrangements to have our bags
packed and available at Port in Miami.
I certainly appreciate them helping us out.
But when I got my Visa bill, my Seapass charges seemed quite a bit
higher than I estimated.
I called and was told they applied a $600 "guest relations"charge.
I guess that was for packing our bags.
Somehow $600 seems like a lot, especially due to a medical emergency.
Can any travel agents comment on this?

"Da Fla Bear" wrote
While ON SHORE in Key West, my wife had a Diabetic reaction and had to
be taken by ambulance to the medical center where she was held
overnight.
We were unable to board the ship and return to Miami.
We contacted RCI and they kindly made arrangements to have our bags
packed and available at Port in Miami.
I certainly appreciate them helping us out.
But when I got my Visa bill, my Seapass charges seemed quite a bit
higher than I estimated.
I called and was told they applied a $600 "guest relations"charge.
I guess that was for packing our bags.
Somehow $600 seems like a lot, especially due to a medical emergency.
Can any travel agents comment on this?


Check a little further and you may find that this includes the fine RCI had
to pay when you got off the ship in Key West. That is a violation fo the
Passenger Services Act (you can't get on the ship in one US port and get off
in another without stopping in a foreign port). Violating this law is a
$300 pp fine.... and that squares with your $600 charge.

Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Services_Act

Oh... if you bought trip insurance, this is probably covered.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

Feb. 8, 2009 Solstice Valentine http://www.cruisemaster.com/solstice.htm
May 10, 2009 ALASKA http://www.cruisemaster.com/moagc4.htm
October 16, 2010 OASIS http://www.motherofallgroupcruises.com

George, thank you.
That might be it.
But we embarked from Miami, then stopped in Nassau, then stopped at Coco
Key, THEN we disembarked in Key West (after passing immigration on
board).
So we did stop in another Country, The Bahamas, before we entered the US
again.

"Linda Bluestone" wrote in message
...
George, thank you.
That might be it.
But we embarked from Miami, then stopped in Nassau, then stopped at Coco
Key, THEN we disembarked in Key West (after passing immigration on
board).
So we did stop in another Country, The Bahamas, before we entered the US
again.


It is a confusing law... the ship has to stop at a "distant foreign port"
and Nassau doesn't qualify.

"Distant" doesn't have anything to do with actual distance, but just how
various countries are classified and with every law, there are exceptions
and exemptions, etc.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

Feb. 8, 2009 Solstice Valentine http://www.cruisemaster.com/solstice.htm
May 10, 2009 ALASKA http://www.cruisemaster.com/moagc4.htm
October 16, 2010 OASIS http://www.motherofallgroupcruises.com

George,
Thank you very much.
You are one of the reasons that this board is full of solid information
about cruising.

On Oct 11, 9:18 am, (Da Fla Bear) wrote:
While ON SHORE in Key West, my wife had a Diabetic reaction and had to
be taken by ambulance to the medical center where she was held
overnight.
We were unable to board the ship and return to Miami.
We contacted RCI and they kindly made arrangements to have our bags
packed and available at Port in Miami.
I certainly appreciate them helping us out.
But when I got my Visa bill, my Seapass charges seemed quite a bit
higher than I estimated.
I called and was told they applied a $600 "guest relations"charge.
I guess that was for packing our bags.
Somehow $600 seems like a lot, especially due to a medical emergency.
Can any travel agents comment on this?

Stat away from the Chocolate Bar next time !

"George Leppla" wrote in message
...

It is a confusing law... the ship has to stop at a "distant foreign port"
and Nassau doesn't qualify.

"Distant" doesn't have anything to do with actual distance, but just how
various countries are classified and with every law, there are exceptions
and exemptions, etc.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

So you're saying that it would be OK to get off the ship in Miami but not in
Key West because the cruise didn't terminate there? That is confusing.

On 10/11/2008 10:18 AM Da Fla Bear did a "happy dance", then made these
writings:
While ON SHORE in Key West, my wife had a Diabetic reaction and had to
be taken by ambulance to the medical center where she was held
overnight.
We were unable to board the ship and return to Miami.
We contacted RCI and they kindly made arrangements to have our bags
packed and available at Port in Miami.
I certainly appreciate them helping us out.
But when I got my Visa bill, my Seapass charges seemed quite a bit
higher than I estimated.
I called and was told they applied a $600 "guest relations"charge.
I guess that was for packing our bags.
Somehow $600 seems like a lot, especially due to a medical emergency.
Can any travel agents comment on this?



Since your wife is diabetic and may have a reaction (as she did) it may
have paid to have MedEvac Insurance.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest friend, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

That's right - the law forbids foreign carriers from transporting US
passengers between two different domestic ports. So, it does not
matter that you visited a foreign port, the fine is because you were
transported from Miami and Key West. By law you are required to return
from the US port you started from.

[Default] Thus spake "Boomer" nospam.aol.com:


"George Leppla" wrote in message
...

It is a confusing law... the ship has to stop at a "distant foreign port"
and Nassau doesn't qualify.

"Distant" doesn't have anything to do with actual distance, but just how
various countries are classified and with every law, there are exceptions
and exemptions, etc.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

So you're saying that it would be OK to get off the ship in Miami but not in
Key West because the cruise didn't terminate there? That is confusing.


The law requires that the cruise originate and terminate at the same
port, or visit a "distant foreign port" in the interim. This is how
transcanal cruises work.

Disney, Carnival and RCI all had to pay the fine (actually, a civil
penalty) when Port Canaveral was closed a few weeks back. HOWEVER,
all have appealed on the basis of force majeur and will apparently be
refunded the penalties. They didn't slap the clients with this.