Why no US Destination Cruises???

[freedom1114]

It seems like it would be so much fun to do a cruise around the gulf of Mexico. Something like leaving from NOLA, calling in Mobile, Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, Tampa, Key West.

 

I bet a lot of people would be interested in such a cruise. Theres so many places in the US I have never been to it would be fun to expereince them in a cruise atmosphere!

 

Anybody else? Why has it never been done? They could always tender obviously not all of those mentioned have piers.

[kruzerci]

I would love that. We spend a lot of time on the Panhandle and that would be like combining the best of both worlds if it was a short cruise. I don't know that I would want to spend 7 days cruising the gulf...

[Merion_Mom]

A simple reason: IT IS ILLEGAL.

 

It's called the Passenger Services Act.

 

If you believe in wikipedia, here is their article on the topic.

 

You could also google it.

[The Grumpus]

It seems like it would be so much fun to do a cruise around the gulf of Mexico. Something like leaving from NOLA, calling in Mobile, Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, Tampa, Key West.

 

I bet a lot of people would be interested in such a cruise. Theres so many places in the US I have never been to it would be fun to expereince them in a cruise atmosphere!

 

Anybody else? Why has it never been done? They could always tender obviously not all of those mentioned have piers.

There are probably small cruise ships that do that kind of cruise. I know there are small cruise ships the sail the Chesapeake Bay and up the East Coast. The problem with large ships/cruise lines like RCCL doing a itinerary like that is that foreign flagged ships are not allowed by law to transport passengers between ports or places in the United States.

[freedom1114]

A simple reason: IT IS ILLEGAL.

 

It's called the Passenger Services Act.

 

If you believe in wikipedia, here is their article on the topic.

 

You could also google it.

 

Ahhh. Didnt think about that until you mentioned it :p.

 

Well, nonetheless it would be fun lol. I guess that would be why RC never has 7 day Hawaii cruises too.

[Merion_Mom]

Ahhh. Didnt think about that until you mentioned it :p.

 

Well, nonetheless it would be fun lol. I guess that would be why RC never has 7 day Hawaii cruises too.

 

Exactly.

 

NCL has one such ship, and they had to fake having it built in the United States, had to flag it in the United States, and some specific percentage of their crew must be U.S. citizens.

[publius]

Add a stop in Cancun and your "round-the-Gulf" cruise should work alright.

[Euphemus]

I think that this a great idea, however, under the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (yes *1886*), foreign-flagged vessels cannot transport passengers directly between U.S. ports. All of RC's vessels are foreign-flagged. In fact, most major cruise lines, with the exception of NCL, are made up entirely of foreign-flagged ships, which eliminates all but one from doing this itinerary.

 

NCL has one ship (Pride of America?) that sails under the US flag and they use it for around the Hawaiian islands cruising.

 

Itineraries that begin from a US port must make one stop at a (so-called) distant foreign port before disembarking passengers at another US port (or the original port.) Confused yet? This is all very convoluted, byzantine, and arcane. Grover Cleveland was the President when this law was enacted. :eek: I believe the original intent was to insure that US constructed ships, crewed by US citizens, served US ports in order to support the shipbuilding industry and the merchant marine force. Unfortunately, in the intervening 124 years, both areas have declined.

 

Sometimes people will refer to this law as the Jones Act...however, the Jones Act (from 1920) refers to cargo ships not passenger ships.

[Charles4515]

It seems like it would be so much fun to do a cruise around the gulf of Mexico. Something like leaving from NOLA, calling in Mobile, Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, Tampa, Key West.

 

I bet a lot of people would be interested in such a cruise. Theres so many places in the US I have never been to it would be fun to expereince them in a cruise atmosphere!

 

Anybody else? Why has it never been done? They could always tender obviously not all of those mentioned have piers.

 

Others have already explained the legalities but even if were legal I don't see the ports you mention as being of much interest. Been to Mobile, Panama City, Tampa, Penasacola and Key West and only Key West holds any interest to me and even that is minimal.

[thelion]

Exactly.

 

NCL has one such ship, and they had to fake having it built in the United States, had to flag it in the United States, and some specific percentage of their crew must be U.S. citizens.

 

I worked on that ship :) Pride of America. It wasn't "faked" as built in the US. The hull was from a US built ship and therefore qualified under the Act. And it is 90% of the crew that had to be US citizens. Most of us were comprised of Guam citizens since it gave the line the best of both worlds : cheap and officially US citizenship.

 

Of all the ships I worked on, I loved PoA the best. There was just something about that ship. I loved how people would ask if I could put their trash in the "Mahalo" lol I miss her. :(

[The Big Booper]

NCLA had 3 ships originally but evidently there were all kinds of problems so the fleet has been whittled down to one. Staffing problems - US citizens from the mainland didn't take kindly to the work conditions and hours, etc.

[BND]

Exactly.

 

NCL has one such ship, and they had to fake having it built in the United States, had to flag it in the United States, and some specific percentage of their crew must be U.S. citizens.

 

We were told the reason there are no US flagged ships is because ALL the crew has to be US citizens. You can thank the Unions for that one.

[BND]

Okay, how do "cruises to nowhere" not fall under the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886?

[JohnKen3]

You depart and return to the same port without stopping anywhere in between so in theory, you are not transporting passengers. It just a very long trip out to sea and back again

[steamboats]

US flagged vessels have to be built in the US, staffed with US crew (certain percentage) and then can sail US ports only without hitting a foreign country (PVSA and Jones Act).

 

NCL´s Pride of America and Pride of Hawaii (now Norwegian Jade) have been started to be built in the US (Louisiana). But then American Classic Voyages went bankrupt after 9/11. Only parts of the hull were finished and the second vessel was steel plates only. NCL bought the Hawaii contract which included the "vessels". Realizing that no US shipyard has the knowledge of building a cruise ship they got the permission to ship everything to Meier Shipyard in Germany. I think not even the started hull was used but cut in two pieces and rebuilt. So actually both ships were built in Germany. The Norwegian Sky (Pride of Aloha) was never built in the US but also went under the agreement that NCL can use foreign built ships.

 

steamboats