Boston to NYC then down south?

[CantWaitToCrz]

A friend claims that another friend is booked on an NCL ship out of Boston next weekend (March 18 or 19) with a stop to get more passengers in NYC. I don't see anything on NCL with Boston departures and it seems odd to have two departure ports. Does anyone know anything about this? My friend was wondering what ship it might be.

[shof515]

they are various laws that prevent this from happening

[mugtech]

There is one transatlantic that comes from Europe to NYC and then ends in Miami. Another transatlantic starts in Tampa, stops in Miami, and then to Europe. These are the only cruises in the USA I know of that allow people to board in either Tampa or Miami, selling as two different cruises. Don't know if the transatlantic would allow people to get off in NYC or would have to travel to Miami. Usually everyone must go through immigration in the first USA port after visiting foreign ports, such as LA after a canal cruise, but getting off in NYC might require some kind of special arrangements.

[chengkp75]

The first cruise departure listed for the port of Boston is not until 25 April, for any line, and that departure is HAL's Veendam. NCL's first departure is 5 May.

 

There is nothing whatsoever stopping a ship from "interporting", which is what this proposed scenario would be, some pax do a Bos-Bos round trip, some do a NYC-NYC round trip. Not very common in the US, but it could be done, except that there is no listing for Boston in March.

 

There would be no legal problem with a TA that starts in Europe and ends in Miami letting pax get off in NYC, it would be completely up to the cruise line as to whether they would want to arrange this. The TA that starts in Tampa could pick up more pax in Miami, again perfectly legally, as the cruise ends in Europe.

[cage keeper]

The 2 NCL ships that cruise out of NY on March 19 Are the Breakaway (we will be on her) and the Gem. I wish it were going to Boston first as we will be there for a conference until the 18. Wouldn't need to do 2 trains. Both ship are round trip NY.

[Bootman4U]

There is nothing whatsoever stopping a ship from "interporting", which is what this proposed scenario would be, some pax do a Bos-Bos round trip, some do a NYC-NYC round trip. Not very common in the US, but it could be done, except that there is no listing for Boston in March.

 

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I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/23/~/the-jones-act-%26-the-passenger-vessel-services-act

[Homosassa]

I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/23/~/the-jones-act-%26-the-passenger-vessel-services-act

No, I am afraid you are. The scenario described by Chengkp does not involve the embarking of a passenger in one US port and using the ship to travel, without a "foreign" port in between, to another US port where the passenger permanently leaves the ship.

 

He is talking about passengers having the same US embarkation and debarkation port that may be different from another passenger on the ship.

[chengkp75]

I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken:

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/23/~/the-jones-act-%26-the-passenger-vessel-services-act

 

If passengers were getting on in Boston and getting off in NYC, or vice versa, you would be correct. However, that is not what "interporting" means. Interporting is the practice by cruise lines of having two different embarkation/debarkation ports on the same cruise. So, some cabins would be available for a Boston to Boston round trip (with a stop at any foreign port, and the OP mentions the cruise "goes south", so this would be a Bermuda or Bahamas cruise from Boston, which is entirely legal. A percentage of cabins would not be offered to those wishing to board in Boston, and they would be offered to passengers who wished to board in NYC for a NYC to NYC round trip (again with a stop at any foreign port). So, the Boston passengers would get on say Sunday, and the NYC passengers on Monday, and the Boston passengers would get off in Boston the following Sunday, and the NYC passengers would remain on until NYC the next day, after new Boston passengers had embarked. Each separate group of passengers has completed a closed loop cruise under the definitions of the PVSA.

 

I am fully aware of the limitations of both the PVSA and Jones Act, as I have dealt with them on a daily basis during my career.

[CantWaitToCrz]

Thanks everyone!