Can Brits book a cruise with HAL through US travel agent or not?

[Cashew14]

Hi everyone

 

As we know, using an US travel agent is quite often not allowed as a UK citizen depending on the regulations of the individual cruise line.

 

I was enquiring with a certain website which many people use for a Holland America Cruise and have received the response below in red. I have taken out all names which would indicate which website I was visiting and replaced the names with xxx.

 

Dear Mrs. xxxx,

 

Thanks for your email to xxx, requesting that we contact you about FASTDEAL xxxx!

 

If you have a residence in the U.S. or Canada or are traveling in the same cabin with someone that does, we can help you with any cruise we offer.

 

Unfortunately, if you do not meet the criteria mentioned above, Holland America and Princess now prohibit all U.S. travel agencies (including xxx) from selling cruises to you. The only other exception to this policy is if we previously arranged a cruise for you on Holland America or Princess and you're interested in booking again with that same cruise line.

 

We truly regret that we are not allowed to offer these cruise lines to all of our international customers. This is not a matter of international law or a policy of xxx or the U.S. government. Rather, it is a corporate policy instituted by each of these cruise lines. We are very disappointed in the restrictions these cruise lines have placed on U.S. travel agencies.

 

Fortunately, many cruise lines allow customers of all nations to book deeply-discounted cruises through xxx. Here is a list of cruise lines we can offer you: Azamara, American Cruise Lines, Blount, Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, MSC, Norwegian, Oceania, Paul Gauguin, Ponant, Pullmantur, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea, Swan Hellenic, Voyages to Antiquity, Voyages of Discovery and Windstar.

 

If you are interested in booking one of these cruise lines, please let me know.

 

Thanks again for writing, and we look forward to being of service! Sincerely,

 

xxx

Chairman & CEO

xxx

 

Now my question is, we own a property in the US but it is rented out.

 

Would we qualify to buy a cruise via an US travel agent as it says "if you have a residence in the US" or does it mean we have to be US "residents"?

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

Andrea :)