Take A Cruise To Nowhere?

[JeffElizabeth]

Considering quarantine rules in some nations and cities,  would you take a cruise to nowhere? Or maybe a trip that has only scenic cruising? For you, is it more about the cruising lifestyle or do you want to see new places and take tours? I have read that some Caribbean cruise passengers have stopped leaving the ship. They have already seen many of the ports and enjoy life onboard more. We were always about seeing new places when we started cruising twenty years ago but I could see doing it this way too. 

[SilvertoGold]

Certainly we would.  Mexico is a prime example of this: we didn't get off once in 14 days except for San Diego and had a wonderful time. A trip of scenic cruising would be great.  Thinking of how much we enjoy Glacier Bay day, seeing Hubbard Glacier and the inside passage - could be a lovely week of cruising.

 

 

[Shmoo here]

13 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Considering quarantine rules in some nations and cities,  would you take a cruise to nowhere? Or maybe a trip that has only scenic cruising? For you, is it more about the cruising lifestyle or do you want to see new places and take tours? I have read that some Caribbean cruise passengers have stopped leaving the ship. They have already seen many of the ports and enjoy life onboard more. We were always about seeing new places when we started cruising twenty years ago but I could see doing it this way too. 

Cruises to Nowhere are not legal from US ports.  There were dropped about 2-3 years ago.''

 

For us, we like stopping in ports and learning something about the different countries.  But we also like the cruising part.

Edited May 23, 2020 by Shmoo here

[JeffElizabeth]

Interesting.  I read this idea off an Australian website.  Back in Prohibition times, they would do them so Americans could drink at sea.  A trip to Half Moon Cay might be legal.

Edited May 23, 2020 by JeffElizabeth

[Shmoo here]

7 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Interesting.  I read this idea off an Australian website.  Back in Prohibition times, they would do them so Americans could drink at sea.  A trip to Half Moon Cay might be legal.

If the Bahamas are allowing cruise ships in......

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by Shmoo here

[rkacruiser]

There has been discussion about the OP's question on other threads.  The reaction seems mixed in what I have read.  Some seasoned cruisers would be OK with no port stops or maybe a cruise island port stop.  Some still want port visits.  My feeling is that most guests new to cruising would be more attracted to cruises that would allow port visits.  

 

Shmoo here correctly stated that cruises to nowhere are no longer allowed from U.S. ports.  Maybe that "regulation" and the one that requires cruises sailing from a U.S. port must visit a foreign port before returning to the United States needs to be changed at this time.

 

[RMLincoln]

We have had "service calls" at Ensenada Mexico on our round trips to Hawaii from San Diego.  No one got off the ship.  Seemed like that made it legal. But I think there was at least a pilot who got on and off the ship, so it's not entirely without potential exposure.  m--  

[DFD1]

Yes, we would take a cruise to nowhere. There is risk however, that we would die of boredom before we got back to the dock unless HAL did some things to bring shipboard life back to a reasonably interesting level.

It's been awfully dull on board lately.

Edited May 23, 2020 by DFD1

[1025cruise]

I wouldn't mind a cruise to nowhere, if it were legal.

[LuAnn]

Yes we would...in fact the last several cruises we have not disembarked at all. That is mainly because we are never sure how DH will be feeling regarding walking etc. But the sea days are my favorites and I have always said I would be happy to sail around in a circle!! :)...maybe I'll get my wish? 🙂 But we are lucky in that we have sailed quite a bit in the last 15 years and been to many ports. I'm sure I would feel differently if I was younger and new to cruising!!

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

My feeling is that most guests new to cruising would be more attracted to cruises that would allow port visits. 

 

 

Hi, I'm cruisemom42 and I am a travel addict.

 

I've been cruising since the early 1970s. I'd never consider a cruise to nowhere. I cruise to see new places and enjoy being at sea. But being at sea on its own would not be sufficient for me.

[Reagan0712]

I would for about the same time it takes to cross the Atlantic.

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Hi, I'm cruisemom42 and I am a travel addict.

 

I've been cruising since the early 1970s. I'd never consider a cruise to nowhere. I cruise to see new places and enjoy being at sea. But being at sea on its own would not be sufficient for me.

 

Totally agree with you 🙂 

I know some people that do Caribbean that don’t get off the ship or just get off for a minute because they’ve been there and done that.

 

Not our cup of tea.  We go to places worth seeing and spend a lot of time planning how to do it.  I truly love time at sea as well but I don’t sail just be on a ship.  I sail HAL for the itineraries which is why over 1/2 my cruise days were on the P’dam.

[Shmoo here]

50 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Maybe that "regulation" and the one that requires cruises sailing from a U.S. port must visit a foreign port before returning to the United States needs to be changed at this time.

Not a "regulation" - a law.

 

And it's not going to change anytime soon.

[richwmn]

16 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Not a "regulation" - a law.

 

And it's not going to change anytime soon.

Actually, the prohibition against a "Cruise to Nowhere" was a single court decision that has not been challenged. It is unknown what would happen if the cruise lines decided to appeal the ruling.

[Shmoo here]

24 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Actually, the prohibition against a "Cruise to Nowhere" was a single court decision that has not been challenged. It is unknown what would happen if the cruise lines decided to appeal the ruling.

I wonder if any cruise lines have the money to pursue that in court currently?

[KirkNC]

Cruise to nowhere would not be our thing.  Same with short cruising.

[HokiePoq]

Not me.   We have been to six continents on cruises....tried to make it seven but only got as far as Miami before Argentina closed its borders.   We like the onboard experience but cruise to see the world.   And meeting wonderful people is a bonus in doing it, not to mention taking one's bed and bath along with you.   Land tours may take you to places a ship can't....but not in as much comfort.   I always knew the day would come when we couldn't cruise....thought a health problem would occur for one of us, never envisioned the current situation.   Rejoice over every cruise we've ever taken and will cruise again as soon as it is safe to do so.

[doctork]

We've taken quite a few theme cruises where the ports didn't matter.  We were happy just watching movies (Turner Classic Movies cruise) or being entertained by musicians on music-themed cruises.

 

I love sea days but without an entertaining "theme," I'd rather have  at least one or two ports in a week.  However, on cruises to Alaska or Norwegian Fjords maybe just scenery would be fine.

[Sue from Canada]

7 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Cruises to Nowhere are not legal from US ports.  There were dropped about 2-3 years ago.''

 

For us, we like stopping in ports and learning something about the different countries.  But we also like the cruising part.

Then maybe we'd have to leave from a Canadian port.  I'd love a cruise to nowhere.  I could go out into the Atlantic or Pacific and sail around in circles for days upon end.

[chengkp75]

10 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

We have had "service calls" at Ensenada Mexico on our round trips to Hawaii from San Diego.  No one got off the ship.  Seemed like that made it legal. But I think there was at least a pilot who got on and off the ship, so it's not entirely without potential exposure.  m--  

The "technical" port stops in Ensenada were disallowed about a dozen years ago.  CBP now requires that the port call be advertised as such in sales material, and that passengers have at least the opportunity to disembark.

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, richwmn said:

Actually, the prohibition against a "Cruise to Nowhere" was a single court decision that has not been challenged. It is unknown what would happen if the cruise lines decided to appeal the ruling.

Actually, it is a CBP "interpretation" or "ruling" on the existing work visa regulations, which are law.  Since the interpretation is based on the fact that the crew never enter a foreign port, and therefore are working full time in the US, I doubt there would be a successful challenge to a rule requiring work visas.  And, that said, while cruises to nowhere were given an exemption to the PVSA a couple decades ago, if the work visa ruling was successfully challenged, then the exemption to the PVSA could be revoked and that would shut them down again.

[ski ww]

We cruise mainly for the itinerary but would love to do a Caribbean cruise on a Windstar sail ship. 

[cbr663]

Wouldn't interest me at all either.  We cruise to explore new places.  We quickly tire of cruise ships.  We would never cruise just for the ship experience, especially now when we have no way of knowing how that experience is going to change.

[puppycanducruise]

No, that would not interest me.

I cruise for the itinerary not the shipboard experience.