Cruises that do not go to ports.

[treasurer]

We miss cruising so much.  We would be happy to take a week long cruise from a local port to the Caribbean and just sail around.  No one gets off or on.  Just to enjoy the ship and being out at sea.  Everyone could be tested first so all on board are safe. This would be a nice way to start back.  Would anyone else be interested in a cruise that doesn't really go into port? 

[time4u2go]

Can't be done (from the US).  It has to do with worker visas.

Edited September 16, 2020 by time4u2go

[taglovestocruise]

2 minutes ago, treasurer said:

We miss cruising so much.  We would be happy to take a week long cruise from a local port to the Caribbean and just sail around.  No one gets off or on.  Just to enjoy the ship and being out at sea.  Everyone could be tested first so all on board are safe. This would be a nice way to start back.  Would anyone else be interested in a cruise that doesn't really go into port? 

We just did the L&S to the Harmony TA next Oct. 14 nights and 1 port stop, about as close to none as possible. 

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Can't be done (from the US).  It would violate the PVSA.

Nothing to do with PVSA.  Issue is related to working visas for cruise ship crew members.

[time4u2go]

Just now, d9704011 said:

Nothing to do with PVSA.  Issue is related to working visas for cruise ship crew members.

Agreed.  I messed up and fixed my post.

[drsel]

Surprisingly Cruises to nowhere are more expensive, despite zero port fees

[Dennis#1]

18 minutes ago, treasurer said:

We miss cruising so much.  We would be happy to take a week long cruise from a local port to the Caribbean and just sail around.  No one gets off or on.  Just to enjoy the ship and being out at sea.  Everyone could be tested first so all on board are safe. This would be a nice way to start back.  Would anyone else be interested in a cruise that doesn't really go into port? 

We like sea days, but also enjoy getting off the ship at most ports.  Probably will wait until cruising gets back to somewhat normal.

[twangster]

I wonder if they could find a Caribbean nation that would allow a ship to anchor within its territorial waters for a small fee and process everyone as if they went on shore but don't allow anyone on shore.  From an immigration perspective they have a documented visit to another country.  Or let them step onto a pier but go no further.  What constitutes a visit to a foreign country?  

[registrar]

Sign me up!!! Feeling the sea breeze and watching the wake is all I would need !!!!! The ship can be my destination 💗

[Jarmo]

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

I wonder if they could find a Caribbean nation that would allow a ship to anchor within its territorial waters for a small fee and process everyone as if they went on shore but don't allow anyone on shore.  From an immigration perspective they have a documented visit to another country.  Or let them step onto a pier but go no further.  What constitutes a visit to a foreign country?  

Well, they don't force you to get off the ship at at least one port or anything like that, so in theory it seems it should be possible.  Someone who knows better probably knows why this won't work.

[time4u2go]

11 minutes ago, twangster said:

I wonder if they could find a Caribbean nation that would allow a ship to anchor within its territorial waters for a small fee and process everyone as if they went on shore but don't allow anyone on shore.  From an immigration perspective they have a documented visit to another country.  Or let them step onto a pier but go no further.  What constitutes a visit to a foreign country?  

I would think that if they could do this, they would have done it long ago, so that they could continue to offer cruises to (almost) nowhere.

[laumicmah]

When hurricane Sandy hit, the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore was docked for several days and then they offered a 2 day cruise to nowhere for a great deal. It was last minute. We lived in MD and jumped on it with some friends. They just went out in the Bay....maybe to the ocean, I don't recall. And went back to Baltimore. It was fun and I'd do another. But just 2-3 days and not a whole week. I'd go nuts on 1 week at sea with no stops. And DH would probably jump ship as he has an even harder time with seadays.

[shipgeeks]

We would love it, too, but understand that it can't be done.  One stop at a private island would be excellent, but I guess there are some problems with that.

On our last 14-night cruise, I think we only got off the ship at the private island.

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

We just did the L&S to the Harmony TA next Oct. 14 nights and 1 port stop, about as close to none as possible. 

Agree, "Supposed" to do Jewel TA in Spring. A 16 niter inc 10nites before first of only 2 stops. We'll see...

[Cru1s1ng2009]

at this point i would be ok getting on board and staying in port. I need a vacation! 

[Midwestgal]

I could do a private island only cruise

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, treasurer said:

We miss cruising so much.  We would be happy to take a week long cruise from a local port to the Caribbean and just sail around.  No one gets off or on.  Just to enjoy the ship and being out at sea.  Everyone could be tested first so all on board are safe. This would be a nice way to start back.  Would anyone else be interested in a cruise that doesn't really go into port? 

We love sea days and have taken many many cruises in the Caribbean and have been to places like St.Thomas over 30 times so taking a cruise without any ports is something we would have no problem with but not until its safe. 

[twangster]

30 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

I would think that if they could do this, they would have done it long ago, so that they could continue to offer cruises to (almost) nowhere.

 

Probably not easy to market except to cruise diehards.  You have to pay port fees but can't visit the port.  

[MISTER 67]

32 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Probably not easy to market except to cruise diehards.  You have to pay port fees but can't visit the port.  

Why would there be port charges if you're not visiting any ports?

[ownedbypets]

We rarely get off the ship if we are in the Caribbean so I would love to cruise around without stopping. At this point I don't even care if we leave the home port.

[sfaaa]

They can stop at Nassau since no one wants to get off the ship anyway.

[PelicanBill]

This article explains the cruise to nowhere issue, and also the PVSA but gets that wrong (PVSA requires all roundtrip cruises to visit a foreign port, and requires visit to a distant foreign port, such as Aruba, when returning to a different port)

 

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Customs-says-cruises-to-nowhere-were-never-legal#:~:text=Individual cruise lines last week,of ship clearance “changes.”&text=CBP said it “has long,a foreign port or territory.

 

 

[twangster]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

Why would there be port charges if you're not visiting any ports?

 

Because that is what pays the foreign country to process you as a visitor.  Without processing the ship, the ship never visited that country.  Without visiting another country it is a cruise to nowhere which isn't allowed.

[Hoopster95]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

From an immigration perspective they have a documented visit to another country. 

 

Agreed. Quantum and Ovation have 3-4 hour port stops late in the evening in Victoria on Alaska sailings next year.

No doubt 99% of the passengers on those sailings likely will not be getting off the ship in Victoria at 6:30pm just to get back on for all-aboard at 8:30pm for example.

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, laumicmah said:

When hurricane Sandy hit, the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore was docked for several days and then they offered a 2 day cruise to nowhere for a great deal. It was last minute. We lived in MD and jumped on it with some friends. They just went out in the Bay....maybe to the ocean, I don't recall. And went back to Baltimore. It was fun and I'd do another. But just 2-3 days and not a whole week. I'd go nuts on 1 week at sea with no stops. And DH would probably jump ship as he has an even harder time with seadays.

 

The Visa issue just started being enforced 3-4 years ago