CTN no more?

[vlynn]

Per John Heald from Carnival:

 

Disappointing news :

Due to recent changes in how ships are cleared into and out of the United States by U.S. officials, certain short duration cruises without a foreign port of call are subject to itinerary changes beginning in 2016 . Unfortunately, this means that we will not be permitted to operate cruises-to-nowhere

This does include the Carnival Vista's 3 day cruise to nowhere from New York.

Those who are booked on our cruises to nowhere will receive a letter very soon explaining this.

So sorry.

 

He also stated that this change would affect all CTN sailings on all lines? Has anyone heard anything from RCI?

 

I appologize if this has already been discussed.

[uksimonusa]

just saw that as well, it seems strange to me, what will happen to all the gambling boats that go out of Florida on a 6 hour cruise to nowhere?

[Theresa522]

Per John Heald from Carnival:

 

Disappointing news :

Due to recent changes in how ships are cleared into and out of the United States by U.S. officials, certain short duration cruises without a foreign port of call are subject to itinerary changes beginning in 2016 . Unfortunately, this means that we will not be permitted to operate cruises-to-nowhere

This does include the Carnival Vista's 3 day cruise to nowhere from New York.

Those who are booked on our cruises to nowhere will receive a letter very soon explaining this.

So sorry.

 

He also stated that this change would affect all CTN sailings on all lines? Has anyone heard anything from RCI?

 

I appologize if this has already been discussed.

We still have our Anthem RCL cruise showing up and I haven't received an email YET however, I am sure it is going to come soon. SOOOOOO SAD..

[Merion_Mom]

We still have our Anthem RCL cruise showing up and I haven't received an email YET however, I am sure it is going to come soon. SOOOOOO SAD..

 

Don't do anything, Theresa. They will "make you an offer." :)

[orville99]

Don't do anything, Theresa. They will "make you an offer." :)

 

[foflocruiser]

just saw that as well, it seems strange to me, what will happen to all the gambling boats that go out of Florida on a 6 hour cruise to nowhere?

 

 

 

they were grandfathered

[foflocruiser]

This is NOT new news...this has been the policy for the past 2 to 3 years. The cruiseline may write the Customs and Border Protection in Washington asking for an exception.

Bimini Superfast had to discontinue their evening 'cruises to nowhere' about 2 years ago.

The casino vessels out of Port Canaveral were grandfathered in...

[orville99]

What is interesting is that there is nothing on the CBP website that indicates any changes in the rules. I wonder if this has more to do with the possibility of ships being forced to keep duty free shops closed on board if a ship doesn't actually go to a foreign port.

[MADflyer]

This is NOT new news...this has been the policy for the past 2 to 3 years. The cruiseline may write the Customs and Border Protection in Washington asking for an exception.

Bimini Superfast had to discontinue their evening 'cruises to nowhere' about 2 years ago.

The casino vessels out of Port Canaveral were grandfathered in...

 

So, could this suggest that RCI, NCL, HAL and Princess have been granted exceptions for their future scheduled sailings and that Carnival have not done so with their booked Vista sailing?

[MADflyer]

What is interesting is that there is nothing on the CBP website that indicates any changes in the rules. I wonder if this has more to do with the possibility of ships being forced to keep duty free shops closed on board if a ship doesn't actually go to a foreign port.

 

I was wondering the same thing. I have heard nothing about 'recent' changes until this post.

 

I wonder if Cruise Critic will need to update their feature on 'Cruises to Nowhere Basics'?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1683

Edited June 11, 2015 by MADflyer

[renech]

So, could this suggest that RCI, NCL, HAL and Princess have been granted exceptions for their future scheduled sailings and that Carnival have not done so with their booked Vista sailing?

 

I hope you're correct.

I *just* booked the Anthem CTN. Great timing. :p

[vlynn]

John Heald confirmed this affects all Northeastern Cruise Lines. That is all I know.

 

Some people are suggesting it has to do with the following ruling:

 

U.S. Custom's consistent opinions holding that crewmembers are not in compliance with their D-1 visa status when they operate "cruises to nowhere," the Court has no difficulty concluding that CBP's November 2013 determination was not arbitrary, capricious, or contrary to law. ...

 

Again, I am not saying this is true, the actual change that caused the cancellations has not been confirmed. To the best of my knowledge.....take it for what it's worth.

Edited June 11, 2015 by vlynn
addition

[TempusFugit]

 

Great, now I want to watch the Godfather series...again...:D

[MADflyer]

As Vista is arriving from Barcelona just prior to setting sail on a 3 day cruise to nowhere, I first though this might be the reason.

 

Anthem is established much prior to her cruise to nowhere at her Bayonne homeport.

 

I could understand that the cruise lines might have some crew visa issues doing cruises to nowhere though and this might be the case.

[PH8]

I wound up on a CTN.............wasn't planned,but a few years ago,the MN's 3 night Bahama itinerary turned into a CTN..........we didn't stop anywhere......

 

Were not allowed to buy liquor in the shops or any of the duty free stuff........

 

Weirdest thing,we didn't have to fill out the customs forms at the end....just get up,get off and go!

[ladysail2]

I did receive an itinerary notice today regarding my Carnival Vista cruise in 2016. We reach NYC on Nov. 3, and were going to head out for a Southern Caribbean on Nov. 7....now we are leaving NYC on Nov. 5. Perhaps a 3/4-day CTN had to be cancelled. The notice didn't give a reason for the change.

 

Joyce :D

[chengkp75]

There are two threads on the Carnival forum where I've posted. Basically, all CTN's after 1 January will not be allowed. You can go over there and read some of the legal cases and suppositions. CTN's were always an exception to the PVSA, so CBP now says that crew on CTN's will need different visas, some say B-1, i think H-1, instead of the D-1 crew visa.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

There are two threads on the Carnival forum where I've posted. Basically, all CTN's after 1 January will not be allowed. You can go over there and read some of the legal cases and suppositions. CTN's were always an exception to the PVSA, so CBP now says that crew on CTN's will need different visas, some say B-1, i think H-1, instead of the D-1 crew visa.

 

So I guess that means that the Anthem CTN will soon be cancelled. I wonder what they'll do with the ship for 3 days? Or will they alter one of the itineraries that come before or after it?

[chengkp75]

So I guess that means that the Anthem CTN will soon be cancelled. I wonder what they'll do with the ship for 3 days? Or will they alter one of the itineraries that come before or after it?

 

Carnival appears to be lengthening itineraries to cover the 3-4 day CTN's already. There will be some scrambling, but I doubt the ships will sit for days.

[Theresa522]

Don't do anything, Theresa. They will "make you an offer." :)

I won't and hopefully it will be a free 7 night cruise in a suite!!! ;) lmfao but I will settle for an $25 obc for our next cruise. :D

[ehfl]

just saw that as well, it seems strange to me, what will happen to all the gambling boats that go out of Florida on a 6 hour cruise to nowhere?

 

Those have always been compliant with the PVSA. They are registered/flagged in the US, and were most likely built in the US. They have US crews and US owners.

 

The restrictions are vessels that don't meet these standards.

[Ken at the beach]

This really shouldn't be an issue for Royal. Unlike Carnival they do not regularly schedule any CTN's. The only ones that Royal does are one or two for a new ship.

 

I'm wondering if this would also apply to non revenue cruises as well.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Ourusualbeach

[Merion_Mom]

This really shouldn't be an issue for Royal. Unlike Carnival they do not regularly schedule any CTN's. The only ones that Royal does are one or two for a new ship.

 

I'm wondering if this would also apply to non revenue cruises as well.

 

Ken, the only RC cruise that is affected is the March 4, 2016 Anthem cruise. And she will have been sailing for almost a year at that point, four months in the U.S. already.

[chengkp75]

This really shouldn't be an issue for Royal. Unlike Carnival they do not regularly schedule any CTN's. The only ones that Royal does are one or two for a new ship.

 

I'm wondering if this would also apply to non revenue cruises as well.

 

The passengers on a non-revenue cruise are still classed as passengers, so if it goes nowhere, it would be a CTN.

[KyleClark]

Heck! I'm on that Anthem cruise! Why don't they just stay in port? It is in the beginning of March.