Confusion about Jones Act/ Canada Coasting Trade Act etc - Help required

[jasper15]

Hi, My husband and I are Australian.

 

A couple of days ago we booked a 16 night NCL cruise in June 2025 from Hawaii to Alaska, ending in Vancouver on June 20th. Today I booked another cruise with Princess from Vancouver on June 21st 2025 to Anchorage.

 

I have since read some posts about the Jones Act/Canada Act and now I'm not sure if these two sailings are permitted? 

 

Could someone please assist?

I do not use a TA, I have booked these cruises directly with the respective cruise lines.

 

Thank you 🙂

[GeezerCouple]

40 minutes ago, jasper15 said:

Hi, My husband and I are Australian.

 

A couple of days ago we booked a 16 night NCL cruise in June 2025 from Hawaii to Alaska, ending in Vancouver on June 20th. Today I booked another cruise with Princess from Vancouver on June 21st 2025 to Anchorage.

 

I have since read some posts about the Jones Act/Canada Act and now I'm not sure if these two sailings are permitted? 

 

Could someone please assist?

I do not use a TA, I have booked these cruises directly with the respective cruise lines.

 

Thank you 🙂

No need to worry.

[And as an aside, it's the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act) that covers transport of people/passengers.  The Jones act is similar, but for cargo.]

 

It only involves direct transportation between two USA ports without first calling at a distant foreign port (specifically defined).

If I've simplified that too much, another CC member will soon stop by to correct me!

 

So if you are getting off one cruise and not getting back on the *same* ship until the next day, there's nothing to worry about.  Getting off/on two different ships on the same day also isn't a problem.  Staying on the same ship could be a problem if they would end up making you start in one USA port and disembark in another without that distant foreign port.  (Consecutive but separate cruises on the *same* ship is what can cause unexpected trouble.  One is still on the same ship for sequential nights, so it doesn't matter if the combined trip is "called" a single cruise or more than one; it would be a violation.)

It seems that Canada may have something similar, but I'm not familiar with that.

 

But in both of your cruises, you are traveling between two different countries, so this doesn't apply.  And you have a day between the cruises, so it also doesn't apply.

 

You might want to browse more about PVSA here on CC, where there are several threads, including a current one:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3006258-passenger-vessel-services-actjones-act/

 

Enjoy both cruises.  Sounds like a wonderful combination!

🙂 

 

GC

[ontheweb]

Enjoy and stop worrying 😊 as the previous post explained you are good to go for 2 reasons that make you in compliance with the PVSA as you are not on the same ship and there is a one day difference in your sailings.

[jasper15]

Thank you both for your replies. Much appreciated as I was starting to worry about the laws.

 

Now all I have to do is work out some suitable shore excursions for the ports as I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to visit them again 🙂

[Ferry_Watcher]

Appreciate the question.  It helpful to share info about this quirky law that can trip up cruisers. The only thing I would add is PVSA would cover any passenger regardless of nationality. Sometimes folks wonder if it just impacts American travelers sailing on a foreign flagged vessel between two US ports without a stop at a distant foreign port - but it applies to everyone.

 

Enjoy your two cruises. 

[ontheweb]

1 minute ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Appreciate the question.  It helpful to share info about this quirky law that can trip up cruisers. The only thing I would add is PVSA would cover any passenger regardless of nationality. Sometimes folks wonder if it just impacts American travelers sailing on a foreign flagged vessel between two US ports without a stop at a distant foreign port - but it applies to everyone.

 

Enjoy your two cruises. 

Good clarification. It applies to the cruise actally. If there was a violation the cruise line would be fined. And then they would pass the fine on to the passengers as a charge against their onboard account.

[Heidi13]

On 5/5/2024 at 3:05 AM, jasper15 said:

Hi, My husband and I are Australian.

 

A couple of days ago we booked a 16 night NCL cruise in June 2025 from Hawaii to Alaska, ending in Vancouver on June 20th. Today I booked another cruise with Princess from Vancouver on June 21st 2025 to Anchorage.

 

I have since read some posts about the Jones Act/Canada Act and now I'm not sure if these two sailings are permitted? 

 

Could someone please assist?

I do not use a TA, I have booked these cruises directly with the respective cruise lines.

 

Thank you 🙂

 

If you were boarding in Hawaii and disembarking from the same ship in Whittier, the US PVSA would be applicable. Unless you stopped at a distant foreign port, you would be in violation of the Act. Unfortunately, no ports on your itinerary meet this requirement.

 

However, you are sailing on 2 separate ships and cruise lines. Cruise # 1 is Hawaii to Vancouver, so is an International voyage, therefore the US Cabotage Act does not apply. Your 2nd cruise is on a different ship, boarding in Vancouver and disembarking in Whittier. This is also an International voyage, so the Canadian Cabotage Act does not apply.

 

Enjoy both of your cruises.