Pacific coastal

Being a non american citizen, I want to visit California on a cruise. I wonder why I am not finding any cruise lines which offer San Francisco-LA sailings. Only Princess

Any suggestion?

Well, San Francisco to LA is an illegal itinerary for a non-US flagged ship unless it also includes a distant foreign port. I believe the nearest distant foreign port in the Pacific is somewhere in South America, so it's not really practical.

Cruise lines occasionally do Vancouver to LA or San Diego during repositioning.

I didn't know it was illegal. I knew they were going to include ports like Ensenada, but still not too many choices. So I suppose the same applies to the east southern coast. Impossible to visit on a cruise ports like Charleston or any port of the area. Miami and heading to the south most of the time.

Interesting being illegal.

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As long as a ship goes to a foreign port such as Ensenada it's perfectly legal. I did a California coastal, this year on the Crown Princess and Ensenada was the foreign port it went to. Plus it went to SF, Santa Barbara, & San Diego and started in LA.

I don't know why more cruise companies ignore West coast departures. But I am happy Princess does do them.

As long as a ship goes to a foreign port such as Ensenada it's perfectly legal. I did a California coastal, this year on the Crown Princess and Ensenada was the foreign port it went to. Plus it went to SF, Santa Barbara, & San Diego and started in LA.

I don't know why more cruise companies ignore West coast departures. But I am happy Princess does do them.

Actually Princess ships are a bit too big for me. But I suppose I'll book at the end. I wanted to have a second choice.

Celebrity did it with the Century but I seems that they dropped it.

Actually Princess ships are a bit too big for me. But I suppose I'll book at the end. I wanted to have a second choice.

 

Celebrity did it with the Century but I seems that they dropped it.

Look at NCL--they still have them.

:confused: I do not have a clue what this act is supposed to protect?:rolleyes:

:p Our cruise consultant said that some on a Royal Caribbean cruise had to pay for a tour in Ensenada that they did not take so that the Act would not be violated!:eek:

:confused: I do not have a clue what this act is supposed to protect?:rolleyes:

:p Our cruise consultant said that some on a Royal Caribbean cruise had to pay for a tour in Ensenada that they did not take so that the Act would not be violated!:eek:

You do not have to pay for any tours. You can even stay on the ship if you want to.

:confused: I do not have a clue what this act is supposed to protect?:rolleyes:

 

:p Our cruise consultant said that some on a Royal Caribbean cruise had to pay for a tour in Ensenada that they did not take so that the Act would not be violated!:eek:

PVSA-passenger vessel services act. It's the passenger version of the Jones Act that deals with cargo.

California round trip cruises use Ensenada as a foreign port. Been there many times and haven't paid for a tour in the last (at least) 15 cruises. We walk into town for lunch.

You do not have to pay for any tours. You can even stay on the ship if you want to.

:p I do not know the details. but our travel agent had to deal with this! We have not had to do it either! :rolleyes:

Being a non american citizen, I want to visit California on a cruise. I wonder why I am not finding any cruise lines which offer San Francisco-LA sailings. Only Princess

 

Any suggestion?

Look to Amtrak. Much of the Coast Starlight route is along the ocean. Takes all day but it's pretty.

Otherwise you could fly. Southwest has lots of flights to the LA area out of the Bay Area.

Thanks SadieN. Sounds a good option too.

As long as a ship goes to a foreign port such as Ensenada it's perfectly legal. I did a California coastal, this year on the Crown Princess and Ensenada was the foreign port it went to. Plus it went to SF, Santa Barbara, & San Diego and started in LA.

I don't know why more cruise companies ignore West coast departures. But I am happy Princess does do them.

It's legal if it starts and ends in the same US city. That's why it will go to Ensenada. The problem is when it starts in one US city and ends in a different US city. There are no "distant" foreign ports on the Westcoast.

You will also not find foreign airlines doing US city to US city flights. They usually have originated out of the US.

As long as a ship goes to a foreign port such as Ensenada it's perfectly legal. I did a California coastal, this year on the Crown Princess and Ensenada was the foreign port it went to. Plus it went to SF, Santa Barbara, & San Diego and started in LA.

I don't know why more cruise companies ignore West coast departures. But I am happy Princess does do them.

As long as you disembarked in LA (same port where you started), then you just needed to visit any foreign port, which in this case was Ensenada, Mexico. The original poster asked specifically about an SF to LA itinerary. Since this itinerary would be between two different U.S. cities, it requires a visit to a "distant" foreign port, which means South America.

Thanks SadieN. Sounds a good option too.

A re positioning cruise is very nice and if you start in Vancouver Canada and sail to Los Angeles or San Diego you will have a marvelous time. NCL and Princess and Celebrity, HAL and other lines do this to move ships from Alaska to the Caribbean in September.

A re positioning cruise is very nice and if you start in Vancouver Canada and sail to Los Angeles or San Diego you will have a marvelous time. NCL and Princess and Celebrity, HAL and other lines do this to move ships from Alaska to the Caribbean in September.

The main problem with that is limited availability.....:-(

:p I do not know the details. but our travel agent had to deal with this! We have not had to do it either! :rolleyes:

As others have said, the PVSA Act prohibits ships going between American ports without a stop in Ensenada or Vancouver, in the case of west coast cruises or Hawaiian cruises that start and end in SD, LA, or SF. It's an act that goes back to the late 19th Century and will probably not going away anytime soon, if ever. In fact, NCL was trying to get the law changed to be more restrictive because they were claiming the popular Hawaiian cruises were hurting their Pride of America cruises in Hawaii. Fortunately, the right politicians stepped in to get that plan stopped.

And as on any cruise, you are never required to leave the ship in any port except on the last day of the cruise, of course. Your TA should know this.

Being a non american citizen, I want to visit California on a cruise. I wonder why I am not finding any cruise lines which offer San Francisco-LA sailings. Only Princess

 

Any suggestion?

Ceebrity offers a Round Trip 9 night Pacific Coastal that boards 4 Sept 2015. 43 days from now. Still many cabins available in all categories. I can't wait!

Pat

Most California coastal cruises will be repositioning to and from the Alaska cruise season. If you want a smaller ship - look at the Oceania sailings. There are limited choices but there are some websites that will do a search. An overnight in San Francisco is great if you can get it - there is a lot to see and do. Many of the CA cruises start or end in Los Angeles so you can always spend a night or two in LA to see the sights.

Thanks. I think I had missed the Celebrity options

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Seems we also missed the Celebrity and Royal options for the current cruise cycle...most future ones go north rather than Coastal California,..we prefer the U.S. loop with stops in Ca & Ensenada

we would like to hear more from those who took Ruby Princess or NCL....

thanks....

We went on a CA Coastal on the Crown last March (not during spring break). There were a few kids onboard but not many. An older demographic.

We'd do that it in again. Many that we talked to had done the itin several times.

Thanks...we are seriously thinking of booking it.

I am still with the decision. Ruby Princess on the 1st nov. I have to check airfares (outrageous from Europe even in coach) and pre and post tours of LA. Of course sleeping in the Queen Mary is a must. Haunted cabin please :-)

Any tour operator in Long Beach which offer post cruise tours of LA with final drop at the airport?

As others have said' date=' the PVSA Act prohibits ships going between American ports without a stop in Ensenada or Vancouver, in the case of west coast cruises.[/quote']

 

Don't forget Victoria! :o

 

Tom