Cruise to nowhere

[Bases5]

Are cruise to nowhere still allowed. 

 I'm asking due to we are missed placed on the Horizon today,  It's looking like Wed now for a 3 day cruise.  

I'm thinking the Bahamas will be down for a while so what else could they do for 3 days?

[lab_love123]

Technically, cruises to nowhere are not allowed due to the Jones Act (I think that’s the one). **EDIT** it’s the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), not Jones. There may be some exceptions for cruises in situations like natural disasters or “acts of god,” but I think the cruise line would have to demonstrate at the least they attempted to make their foreign port. That’s just assumption on my part though. 

 

The Horizon sails from Miami, right? Nassau might not be out of the question by late next week, because they’re outside the worst of it, so they may be able to accommodate the ship. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see maybe a shorter day in Grand Turk. You might also see that 3 day become 4, and she’ll head to one of the ports in Mexico with two sea days. Then the following 7-day would become a 6-day.

 

So many unknowns; I really feel for everyone affected by the storm. Not a fun situation. 

Edited September 1, 2019 by lab_love123
Correction - PVSA not Jones.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

We are doing a 3 night cruise in November that stops in Nassau but since we won’t be getting off the ship , I’m technically calling our cruise a “Cruise to Nowhere”

[leaveitallbehind]

Hopefully chengkp75 will see this thread and respond.  But I would have to believe that with circumstances such as that created by Dorian, any change in itinerary made to secure the safety of the ship, crew, and passengers - in particular where intended ports of call are directly affected - would be exceptions to any regulation governing itineraries. The revised itineraries are just that, and were never the intended itinerary originally in place.

 

Regardless, the cruise lines are well aware of any and all regulations governing the itineraries their ships sail and I'm certain any revised itinerary now in place are within these regulations.  After all that is part of the tenants of their business operation.

Edited September 1, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[1025cruise]

Technically, cruises to nowhere are no more. However, if weather prevents a ship from docking therefore turning it into a cruise to nowhere this would be an exception that would be allowed.

 

It's not the PVSA that restricts this. Its US Immigration. The basically determined that the visas that the crew hold would be invalid if the ship did not go to a foreign country (or something like that).

[lenquixote66]

There are gambling cruises that are advertised as Cruises to Nowhere .

[1025cruise]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

There are gambling cruises that are advertised as Cruises to Nowhere .

Yes, but the ships are flagged in the US, with a US crew. They just sail out to international waters before the gambling begins.

 

Cruise ships are foreign flagged and staffed mostly with foreigners, requiring them to get a visa for when they are in the US.

[sparks1093]

It's an issue of the visas held by the crew. They would have to hold different visas in order for them to do a cruise to nowhere, which would be very expensive for the cruise lines to obtain. The visas they hold do not allow them to actually work in the US and calling at a US port doesn't constitute working in the US as long as the ship is calling on foreign ports in the itinerary. chengkp75 is much more articulate in explaining this issue.

[Elaine5715]

12 hours ago, Bases5 said:

Are cruise to nowhere still allowed. 

 I'm asking due to we are missed placed on the Horizon today,  It's looking like Wed now for a 3 day cruise.  

I'm thinking the Bahamas will be down for a while so what else could they do for 3 days?

No, they aren't.  John Heard already announced they received permission to miss a foreign port.   

[Heidi13]

On 9/1/2019 at 6:40 AM, lab_love123 said:

Technically, cruises to nowhere are not allowed due to the Jones Act (I think that’s the one). **EDIT** it’s the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), not Jones. There may be some exceptions for cruises in situations like natural disasters or “acts of god,” but I think the cruise line would have to demonstrate at the least they attempted to make their foreign port. That’s just assumption on my part though. 

 

The Horizon sails from Miami, right? Nassau might not be out of the question by late next week, because they’re outside the worst of it, so they may be able to accommodate the ship. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see maybe a shorter day in Grand Turk. You might also see that 3 day become 4, and she’ll head to one of the ports in Mexico with two sea days. Then the following 7-day would become a 6-day.

 

So many unknowns; I really feel for everyone affected by the storm. Not a fun situation. 

I believe the PVSA has a provision for "Cruise to nowhere" in Exemptions. Provided the cruise departs US Territorial Waters to the high seas and passengers do not go ashore, it not considered coastwise trade. The Chief has more experience dealing with PVSA so hopefully he can confirm.

[1025cruise]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

I believe the PVSA has a provision for "Cruise to nowhere" in Exemptions. Provided the cruise departs US Territorial Waters to the high seas and passengers do not go ashore, it not considered coastwise trade. The Chief has more experience dealing with PVSA so hopefully he can confirm.

The issue with cruises to nowhere isn't the PVSA. It's an immigration issue with the visas issued to the crew.

[MicCanberra]

On 9/1/2019 at 11:25 PM, Bases5 said:

Are cruise to nowhere still allowed. 

 I'm asking due to we are missed placed on the Horizon today,  It's looking like Wed now for a 3 day cruise.  

I'm thinking the Bahamas will be down for a while so what else could they do for 3 days?

Definitely allowed, you just need to get away from the US to do them.