Is Iceland considered a "faraway port"?

[tallyho8]

I was considering a Celebrity  B2B cruise from New Jersey to Iceland and back to Boston but this would not be allowed unless Iceland is considered a faraway port.

Is it?

[Nachosdelux]

yes. it just has to be a foreign port, which it is.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Nachosdelux

[cruisestitch]

Iceland is a distant foreign port.

Edited March 18, 2021 by cruisestitch

[Ashland]

Why would you think it's not 

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Why would you think it's not 

It is technically part of North America [at least the side of the country with Reykjavik]

[Mary229]

Just now, Host Jazzbeau said:

It is technically part of North America [at least the side of the country with Reykjavik]

So are Canada and Mexico 😉

Edited March 18, 2021 by Mary229

[Host Jazzbeau]

Because this cruise apparently starts in one US port and ends in another, the legal requirement is for a 'distant foreign port' - a term that is defined by law, not by common sense.

[TeeRick]

We had a cruise planned on Reflection to Iceland from the UK in July 2020 to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  Cancelled of course.  But I would definitely consider flying there instead this summer as they are letting in vaccinated travelers.  We would take a land-only vacation and definitely see a lot more!

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

It is technically part of North America [at least the side of the country with Reykjavik]

When I saw Host Jazz’s post I hesitated a bit and looked it up. Yup, Iceland (western 1/2) is located on the North America geological tectonic plate with the Atlantic rift going right through it. But according to the UN, Britannia and a number of other sources, NA is Canada, US, Mexico and Cen America down to the Panama Canal plus a handful of Caribbean Islands...and Greenland!

 

But they dont list Iceland....if we used the NA plate definitions, anything west of the San Andreas Fault (Baja Calif, S Calif up to SanFran) would be removed! 

 

OK, enough. Heck, when we did cruised out of San Diego to Hawaii and back, we ended in Encenada MX, not exactly a ‘distant’ foreign port but it counted...so Iceland would count For Sure.

 

 

Den

[cruisestitch]

Ensenada is not a DISTANT foreign port, just a plain ordinary foreign port.  Sufficient for round-trip cruises but not for Cruises which start in one US city and end in a different US city.

[Denny01]

3 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

Ensenada is not a DISTANT foreign port, just a plain ordinary foreign port.  Sufficient for round-trip cruises but not for Cruises which start in one US city and end in a different US city.

Well, unless I was unconscious when we departed, we left from San Diego, went to Hawaii and returned to Ensenada. So I agree it isn’t a ‘distant’ port, but it was used for that cruise and I’d say other Hawaii roundtrip cruises I’ve seen and thought about booking. We can disagree on definitions, but not realities of how Cruise Lines set up itineraries. 

 

Den

[Denny01]

Here is a current Princess Hawaii itinerary:

I think they can call Ensenada a ‘distant’ foreign port because the US ports are in Hawaii and That is distant, not LA. 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by Denny01

[Charles4515]

58 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

We had a cruise planned on Reflection to Iceland from the UK in July 2020 to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  Cancelled of course.  But I would definitely consider flying there instead this summer as they are letting in vaccinated travelers.  We would take a land-only vacation and definitely see a lot more!

 

Iceland would be better as a land vacation than a cruise. I have done it as a land vacation and I highly recommend going there.

[markeb]

7 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Well, unless I was unconscious when we departed, we left from San Diego, went to Hawaii and returned to Ensenada. So I agree it isn’t a ‘distant’ port, but it was used for that cruise and I’d say other Hawaii roundtrip cruises I’ve seen and thought about booking. We can disagree on definitions, but not realities of how Cruise Lines set up itineraries. 

 

Den

 

Close looped cruise. Doesn't require (nor does the Princess itinerary) a distant foreign stop.

[Denny01]

I give up. I guess they added Ensenada since its such a great port of call. 

Den

[Charles4515]

1 minute ago, Denny01 said:

I give up. I guess they added Ensenada since its such a great port of call. 

Den

 

There are nearby foreign ports and distant foreign ports. If the cruise is not round trip it requires the distant foreign port. If it is round trip then any foreign port.

[markeb]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I give up. I guess they added Ensenada since its such a great port of call. 

Den

 

Sorry. Didn't finish the thought. The foreign port requirement lets the crew travel on a crew visa and not technically work in the US. I think most people are thinking one way Hawaii to California cruises or Hawaii to Vancouver. There was a very loooooooooong PVSA thread on this a few weeks ago...

 

Near port for immigration, visa, and taxes. Distant foreign port to transport from one US port to another. As Stan Lee said, 'nuff said!

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, tallyho8 said:

I was considering a Celebrity  B2B cruise from New Jersey to Iceland and back to Boston but this would not be allowed unless Iceland is considered a faraway port.

Is it?

I know Celebrity thinks it's OK as we already have that Aug 2022 B2B booked through them.

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I give up. I guess they added Ensenada since its such a great port of call. 

Den

Foreign flagged ships can't have closed loop cruises visiting only US ports; there must be a foreign port visited. Ensenada in the case of Princess Hawaiian cruise, or Victoria on Vancouver Island for a closed loop Alaskan cruise out of Seattle.

 

In the OP's case, the cruise starts in one US port and finishes in another. Although operating as two separate cruises, one to Iceland and the other back to the US, the PVSA considers a b2b cruise as a single entity. As a result, it becomes a cruise from one US city terminating in a second US city and must visit a distant foreign port. Iceland qualifies and the b2b cruise is fine.

[twangster]

To address the concept of "distant" vs. "nearby" as it relates to non-closed loop voyages the PVSA doesn't declare what "distant" is exactly, more so it declares what is "nearby".  If not nearby, it must be distant.

 

Per the verbiage in the PVSA:

 

Between U.S. Points via a “nearby foreign port”

 

A non-coastwise-qualified vessel may not transport passengers between U.S. coastwise ports by way of a “nearby foreign port.”7 A “nearby foreign port” is any foreign port in:

o North America or Central America

o The Bermuda Islands or The West Indies

o EXCEPTION: Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao

 

The PVSA doesn't declare South America is "nearby" so it is therefore considered "not nearby".  That's how a Panama Canal transit cruise becomes legal, by stopping in Cartagena, Columbia in South America. 

 

Iceland is not part of the list of nearby areas either such as North America so Iceland is therefore not nearby, and distant.

[cruisestitch]

Denny01....  You started in California and ended in Ensenada right? So that was not a round-trip cruise nor was it a cruise beginning from one US Port to ending in another US port.  
 

( Had it been a round-trip cruise, a visit to Ensenada would’ve been sufficient.  )
 

 

[springfire]

28 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Iceland would be better as a land vacation than a cruise. I have done it as a land vacation and I highly recommend going there.

We are scheduled to cruise on the Summit next year, Ireland to Boston.  We will do a land vacation in Ireland prior to our cruise.   We agree with you,  Ireland is best enjoyed as a land vacation. 

[cruisestitch]

The Princess cruise referenced in post#12 works because it is round trip, so all it requires is ANY foreign port.  
 

No one is calling it a DISTANT port because it isn’t one as defined in PVSA.

[jelayne]

43 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I give up. I guess they added Ensenada since its such a great port of call. 

Den

I would have agreed with you until we did a wine tour there, excellent wine & food.  We were pleasantly surprised.

[upwarduk]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

It is technically part of North America [at least the side of the country with Reykjavik]

“Iceland achieved home rule in 1874, and became a fully sovereign state in 1918, united with Denmark under a common King. In 1814, following the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark-Norway was broken up into two separate kingdoms via the Treaty of Kiel. Iceland, however, remained a Danish dependency.”

 

Geologically, Iceland is split by a Rift Valley, which can be straddled, one foot on the European side, the other on the American. We went on an excursion, where the tour guide did this.

Edited March 18, 2021 by upwarduk