Jones Act!?! Anyone ever hear of this?

[riquohog]

We sail in 21 days on the Glory! We are so pumped! Looking over Carnival's site on the FAQs for embarkation, I came across this little nugget;

Cruise only Guest: Guest who do not purchase our Fly Aweigh program will be responsible for any and all travel expenses incurred, INCLUDING THE $300 PER PERSON JONES ACT FEE THAT CARNIVAL MAY INCUR FOR VIOLATING THIS ACT. GUESTS WILL BE CHARGED THE FEE UPON BOARDING THE SHIP AND CAN PAY WITH CREDIT CARD,CASH OR ON THEIR SIGN AND SAIL CARD.

Wha-wha-what!?! I'm hoping this is like the added fee when oil prices rise to cover fuel blah-blah that Carnival doesn't enforce...

I will really flip if I have to shell out another $1200 for this wonderful piece of legislation.

Our travel agent never mentioned this?

Anyone?

 

Thanks!:eek:

[nbsjcruiser]

Boy, that's a new on one on me. Never saw this before.

[iamsteph]

searched ''jones act cruising'', and this came up. (please let me know if I can't link to websites, i'll take it down)

http://www.cruiseco.com/Resources/jones_act.htm

[marysb]

The Jones Act is the law saying that the non US ships must dock in another country other than the US (e.g. all the Alaska Cruises must have a Canadian stop on the Itinerary). Here is a link on how it may affect a cruise passenger. Just don't leave the ship permanently until your cruise is over.

 

http://www.cruiseco.com/Resources/jones_act.htm

[SnowshoeCat]

Are you asking if anyone has ever heard of the Jones act (in which case, most of the people here probably have), or are you asking if anyone has ever heard of the red, capitalized part of your post? If it's the red part, I think they're saying IF you violate the act, you will be responsible for the fee (if you buy your own airfare). If you buy Carnival's airfare, maybe they cover the fee if you need to fly home early. Maybe :confused: What is your itinerary?

[golfadj]

Would be nice if this law would go away.

[Retired Sparky]

If you miss the ship and catch up next port non US the ship will and you be fined. They don't want to pay for your mistake !!

[Chigirlcruzin]

You don't have the whole story. Carnival is not allowed to transport passengers from one US port to another without a stop to a distant foreign island. These stops are generally way south (ABC islands) and most cruises don't go there. However, the Glory starts and ends in the same US port, referred to as a close loop cruise. You don't have to worry about it. The only time you would need to pay is if you started a cruise in Miami, stopped in Key West, and you chose to disembark (just an example). Carnival doesn't schedule cruises that would cause pax to pay a $300 fine. Because of this, many repositioning cruises cannot be made as back to back cruises. You have nothing to worry about. I hope this makes sense. I'm sure someone else can explain it better.

[mamajules]

This is the Paasenger Services Act. As it applies to cruise passengers - on any foreign flagged (registered) ship, which Carnival ships are (Panama) passengers cannot debark from the ship until it has visited a foreign port. Meaning - you cruise from a US port - if it stop in another US port (key west , US virgin islands) BEFORE a foreign port you cannot debark the cruise (as in some problem that you are leaving the cruise early such as family emergency) without incurring this fee

 

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[Chigirlcruzin]

Agreed. It's archaic and the reasons for its existence are no longer applicable.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

I'm surprised that Carnival refers to it as the Jones Act, which refers to the transport of interstate cargo. The act for which they could be fined for violating is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) that has jurisdiction over passenger ships. Or maybe Carnival thinks of their passengers as cargo...:rolleyes::eek::D

[nybumpkin]

I'm surprised that Carnival refers to it as the Jones Act, which refers to the transport of interstate cargo. The act for which they could be fined for violating is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) that has jurisdiction over passenger ships. Or maybe Carnival thinks of their passengers as cargo...:rolleyes::eek::D

I'm surprised as well. The PVSA dates back to the 1880's, while the Jones Act (formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) does not relate to passenger vessels. BTW, every US president back to Wilson has supported both acts. They're not going away anytime soon.

[robtx100]

This law is the reason most Hawaii cruises leave from Vancouver or Ensenada. The only ship that can sail the Hawaiian Islands without visiting a foreign port is Nowegian Pride of America because it is U.S. flagged and staffed.

[thinfool]

:confused:The way I read the quote from the OP a violation would apply to this scenario...

 

You miss the ship in Miami, catch up to it in Key West and continue the itinerary. It is going to return you to Miami. >violation!!< :(

 

The context makes it sound like...if you book with Anchors Aweigh there is some way that you aren't liable for a PVSA fine. If you 'pay your own way' to Key West the fine would apply.

 

Is this correct, or did I miss something?:confused:

[douglinc@msn.com]

I'm surprised that Carnival refers to it as the Jones Act, which refers to the transport of interstate cargo. The act for which they could be fined for violating is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) that has jurisdiction over passenger ships. Or maybe Carnival thinks of their passengers as cargo...:rolleyes::eek::D

 

How would you know this. doesn't look like you've ever been on a Carnival ship.

 

Doug

[Kamloops50]

I'm surprised as well. The PVSA dates back to the 1880's, while the Jones Act (formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) does not relate to passenger vessels. BTW, every US president back to Wilson has supported both acts. They're not going away anytime soon.

 

The Jones Act was updated to the PVSA act in the 1920's. The act doesn't allow foreign flagged ships from carrying passengers between two US ports without visiting a foreign port.

This is why closed looped cruises (Alaska & Hawaii ) stop in foreign ports.

Hawaii cruises from San Diego , Los Angeles & San Francisco stop in Ensenada for four hours. Alaska cruises from Seattle stop in Victoria or Prince Rupert.

[steven93921]

:confused:The way I read the quote from the OP a violation would apply to this scenario...

 

You miss the ship in Miami, catch up to it in Key West and continue the itinerary. It is going to return you to Miami. >violation!!< :(

 

The context makes it sound like...if you book with Anchors Aweigh there is some way that you aren't liable for a PVSA fine. If you 'pay your own way' to Key West the fine would apply.

 

Is this correct, or did I miss something?:confused:

 

That is the way I understand it also. You would be charged this fee when you board since you would debark in a different US port without stopping at a distant foreign port since you took responsibility by booking your own airfare. If you let Carnival handle the airfare, they are taking on the responsibility of paying this fee if they fail to get to the correct port.

[riquohog]

Thanks for everyone's input on this. I now think I understand the "rules";

get off the ship after leaving any US port and then debark to a different US port would violate the Jones Act thus triggering the penalty.

 

Unless I'm missing something this Act only applies to travel by ships registered to foreign countries that depart US ports and return to same port. It wouldn't therefore apply to say an emergency flight back to the US from any visited country?

 

It is a rather arcane law IMHO..

 

We are traveling to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Caymen. We have insurance so in the event I guess we would be covered.... I hope.

 

Man! do I worry about weird stuff...:o

[nybumpkin]

Unless I'm missing something this Act only applies to travel by ships registered to foreign countries that depart US ports and return to same port. It wouldn't therefore apply to say an emergency flight back to the US from any visited country?

There are waivers available for emergency situations, depending on the emergency.

[big_duck]

The context makes it sound like...if you book with Anchors Aweigh there is some way that you aren't liable for a PVSA fine. If you 'pay your own way' to Key West the fine would apply.

 

Is this correct, or did I miss something?:confused:

 

If you mean Fly Aweigh, Carnival is just saying that if you miss the ship because of flights they booked for you and somehow end up in violation and fined - their bad, they'll cover it.

[thinfool]

If you mean Fly Aweigh, Carnival is just saying that if you miss the ship because of flights they booked for you and somehow end up in violation and fined - their bad, they'll cover it.

 

yep...thanks Don. :)

[H82seaUgo]

We sail in 21 days on the Glory! We are so pumped! Looking over Carnival's site on the FAQs for embarkation, I came across this little nugget;

Cruise only Guest: Guest who do not purchase our Fly Aweigh program will be responsible for any and all travel expenses incurred, INCLUDING THE $300 PER PERSON JONES ACT FEE THAT CARNIVAL MAY INCUR FOR VIOLATING THIS ACT. GUESTS WILL BE CHARGED THE FEE UPON BOARDING THE SHIP AND CAN PAY WITH CREDIT CARD,CASH OR ON THEIR SIGN AND SAIL CARD.

Wha-wha-what!?! I'm hoping this is like the added fee when oil prices rise to cover fuel blah-blah that Carnival doesn't enforce...

I will really flip if I have to shell out another $1200 for this wonderful piece of legislation.

Our travel agent never mentioned this?

Anyone?

 

Thanks!:eek:

 

being the jones act only applies to cargo, i now wonder what they think of their paying customer.

[big_duck]

being the jones act only applies to cargo, i now wonder what they think of their paying customer.

 

Actually the Jones Act applies to cabotage which can be cargo or passengers.

 

 

P.S. The villan? of the piece. http://www.mctf.com/

[4spring]

We had this come up during our cruise March 12th. The family we were dining with, had booked their cruise with another family & that family missed the departure due to their flight arriving late. We left out of JAX, & because our first port with Key West, this family would have been charged $300 per person to embark in Key West (they were told that this was due to the Jones Act). Since there were four in their family ($1200), they opted instead to fly to the Bahamas, stay three days there & then board the ship when we made port in Nassau. Unfortunately for them, it was a 5 night cruise & they ended up missing three days of the cruise because of this. They joined the ship on Thurs & we returned to JAX on Sat morning.

[crusinpsychRN]

Thanks for everyone's input on this. I now think I understand the "rules";

get off the ship after leaving any US port and then debark to a different US port would violate the Jones Act thus triggering the penalty.

 

Unless I'm missing something this Act only applies to travel by ships registered to foreign countries that depart US ports and return to same port. It wouldn't therefore apply to say an emergency flight back to the US from any visited country?

 

It is a rather arcane law IMHO..

 

We are traveling to Cozumel, Belize, Roatan and Grand Caymen. We have insurance so in the event I guess we would be covered.... I hope.

 

Man! do I worry about weird stuff...:o

 

 

Many, many other reasons to get insurance. GET insurance!!!!

 

Jones Act needs to be done away with.