Seascape relocation cruise to Galveston Nov 2025

[DorothyB]

I'm used to NCL and thinking about switching to MSC.  Seascape will be based in Galveston starting Nov 9, 2025.  Before that, I see a three day cruise round trip Miami starting Nov 2nd.  So, I'm thinking there must be a cruise from Nov 4th thru Nov 9th starting in Miami and ending in Galveston . . . but I can't find it??  

[DaKahuna]

3 hours ago, DorothyB said:

  So, I'm thinking there must be a cruise from Nov 4th thru Nov 9th starting in Miami and ending in Galveston . . . but I can't find it??  

 

 Unless they stop at a foreign distant port, that will not be a passenger carrying repositioning.  That may be why it is not listed.  This happense with repositionings every once in a while. 

 

 The 3-day, round trip Miami goes to Ocean Cay and back.  

 

 

[DorothyB]

I guess I thought it would go via one foreign port - and thought if 3 days goes to Ocean Cay then the 4 or 5 day could go to Ocean Cay or Cozumel or . . . 

 

That is probably what they are doing.

[Av8tor]

2 hours ago, DorothyB said:

I guess I thought it would go via one foreign port - and thought if 3 days goes to Ocean Cay then the 4 or 5 day could go to Ocean Cay or Cozumel or . . . 

 

That is probably what they are doing.

It needs to be a DISTANT foreign port on a non-closed loop cruise so OC or Coz wouldn't do it.  Probably have to go all the way down to one of the ABC islands to work

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, Av8tor said:

It needs to be a DISTANT foreign port on a non-closed loop cruise so OC or Coz wouldn't do it.  Probably have to go all the way down to one of the ABC islands to work

 

@DorothyB  Exactly -- the three day works because Miami is on both ends.. Miami to Galveston could not just go to OC or other East//West Caribbean port as they are not considered Distant foreign ports. 

 

[Stem to Stern]

Hmmm.  If the ABCs would have worked, then this may have been a missed deployment opportunity.

After Seascape’s same old alternating itineraries, I would have given this some serious consideration.

 

Th    Oct 30    Miami

Fr     Oct 31    Ocean Cay

Sa    Nov 1     At sea

Su    Nov 2     At sea

Mo    Nov 3     Aruba

Tu     Nov 4     Curaçao 

We    Nov 5     Bonaire

Th     Nov 6     At sea

Fr      Nov 7     At sea

Sa     Nov 8     At sea

Su     Nov 9     Galveston 

[sandinmyshoes]

Just a question for education, not trying to be a know-it-all or snarky in the least.  How do Alaska cruises get around the regulation?  If they leave out of Seattle their one foreign port is always Victoria, BC or sometimes Vancouver, BC.  Neither are very far from Seattle.  

[billc23]

22 minutes ago, sandinmyshoes said:

Just a question for education, not trying to be a know-it-all or snarky in the least.  How do Alaska cruises get around the regulation?  If they leave out of Seattle their one foreign port is always Victoria, BC or sometimes Vancouver, BC.  Neither are very far from Seattle.  

I think if they do a round trip (Seattle to Seattle) they do not need to go to a distant foreign port. I believe a US flagged ship is fine also but I do not know all the details.

[Av8tor]

1 hour ago, billc23 said:

I think if they do a round trip (Seattle to Seattle) they do not need to go to a distant foreign port. I believe a US flagged ship is fine also but I do not know all the details.

That is correct.  A round trip (or closed loop) US to US cruise only needs to visit a foreign port.  For a one way trip (open loop) US to US cruise, the foreign port must be a distant one...

 

And yes, that is for foreign flagged passenger vessels.  If the ship is US flagged, I believe just about any itinerary is allowable.  However, there aren't many US plagged cruise ships.  Other than NCL doing the Hawaii closed loop cruises without a foreign port, I can't think of any...

 

Niot sure about the US river cruises and inland waterway cruises...

Edited August 5 by Av8tor

[DaKahuna]

2 hours ago, sandinmyshoes said:

Just a question for education, not trying to be a know-it-all or snarky in the least.  How do Alaska cruises get around the regulation?  If they leave out of Seattle their one foreign port is always Victoria, BC or sometimes Vancouver, BC.  Neither are very far from Seattle.  

 

 I believe there may be some type of exception being made for the North to South and South to North Alaska cruises. Never looked into it.   All of my Alaska cruises have been closed loop.  

 

 You will also note there are no longer any Honolulu to Los Angeles cruises for the same reason since Celebrity stopped cruising to Mexico on the Pacific side. 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

3 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I believe there may be some type of exception being made for the North to South and South to North Alaska cruises. Never looked into it.   All of my Alaska cruises have been closed loop.  

 

 You will also note there are no longer any Honolulu to Los Angeles cruises for the same reason since Celebrity stopped cruising to Mexico on the Pacific side. 

 

 

The one way cruises to Alaska always start or end in Vancouver, BC.

[Scottdalfonso]

On 8/2/2024 at 4:45 PM, DorothyB said:

I guess I thought it would go via one foreign port - and thought if 3 days goes to Ocean Cay then the 4 or 5 day could go to Ocean Cay or Cozumel or . . . 

 

That is probably what they are doing.

I would assume It will be a "Deadhead" cruise, no passengers- gives the crew a little time to relax and do a few things around the ship that need to be done before cruising from Galveston. Royal does these quite often when a ship bounces from FL to NJ ports 

[JamieLogical]

12 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

The one way cruises to Alaska always start or end in Vancouver, BC.

 

Correct. If you look at one-way Alaska cruises, you will see they all begin/end in Canada, which is allowed. The PVSA only stipulates that a cruise cannot begin in one *US* port and end in another *US* port without visiting a distant foreign port if it is carrying American passengers.

 

I agree, with the OP though, I would love to have seen a passenger-carrying repositioning cruise that stopped in the ABCs for this one.

 

Edited August 6 by JamieLogical

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

12 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

The PVSA only stipulates that a cruise cannot begin in one *US* port and end in another *US* port without visiting a distant foreign port if it is carrying American passengers.

Has nothing to do with the nationality of the passengers. Has to do with the ship being foreign-flagged.

[KittyCruz]

On 8/5/2024 at 1:38 PM, sandinmyshoes said:

Just a question for education, not trying to be a know-it-all or snarky in the least.  How do Alaska cruises get around the regulation?  If they leave out of Seattle their one foreign port is always Victoria, BC or sometimes Vancouver, BC.  Neither are very far from Seattle.  

They hit Victoria, British Columbia for a quick evening port of call.