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A Closer Look at the Cruise to Nowhere Decision
By Lisa Plotnick
Renewed enforcement of a United States Customs Border Protection (CBP) policy may
spell the end of so-
Cruises to nowhere are, typically, one-
The reasons for the policy and its potential implications may be summed up in a few points.
· Under the Passenger Vessels Service Act – often misidentified as the Jones Act
– a cruise to nowhere from a U.S. port is considered a domestic trip even if the
ship is foreign-
· CBP policy dictates that officers, staff, and crew working these cruises are authorized to work in the U.S.
· Nearly all cruise ship personnel on foreign-
Cruise lines are currently revamping their previously published cruise schedules
for 2016 to account for the necessary cancelations of cruises to nowhere. One potential
solution is to extend the longer voyages that precede or follow the cruise to nowhere.
Yet, as this will not be viable for passengers who have very limited days to cruise,
we might also see workarounds in 2016 and beyond that include a single foreign port
of call. Ports reachable on a two-
If you are currently booked on a cruise to nowhere for 2016, please contact your travel agent to learn your options. Cruises to nowhere for 2015 are not affected.
This article was originally published by the author on Examiner.com on June 13, 2015.