RoyalLaker

CBP 

The Jones Act is the reason. If you really want to go into this you cannot use a foreign flagged ship for charter with a crew. You can provide a bare boat charter (No Crew) But that is not what happens on a cruise. If it was just the PVSA they would pay the fine and offer these cruises.

 

The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 says:  No foreign vessels shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port, under a penalty of $200 (now $300) for each passenger so transported and landed. 

 

Which was before the Jones Act, but after the Jones Act it is not only the penalty under the PVSA but the violations of the Jones Act it leads too. Yes they can transport between the same port but if the do the fine comes in and then if done as part of regular business the later provisions of the Jones Act could come into play. I do not see to many American Crew members on these ships. 

 

 

The Jones Act is the everyday name for Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (46 U.S.C. 883; 19 CFR 4.80 and 4.80b). Its intent is  to promote a healthy U.S-Flag fleet and protect that fleet from unfair foreign competition, the Jones Act requires that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in a vessel that was built in the United States and is owned (at least 75 percent) by American citizens or corporations. Since the Jones Act vessels are registered in the United States, our general labor and immigration laws require that crewmembers be American citizens or legal aliens

 

Does the Jones Act apply to passengers?  The Act, no; the principle, yes. What is known as the Passenger Vessel Act (PSA) of 1886 (46 U.S.C. 289) states that “no foreign vessel shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, under penalty of $200 for each passenger so transported or landed.â€

My understanding of the defination "cruise to nowhere" we are talking about paying passengers embarking and disembarking a cruise ship with out visiting a foreign port or a distant foreign port?

CBP will use the PVSA act not the Jones act for paying passengers on a cruise ship. 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/709/related/1/~/does-cbp-fine-cruise-ships-that-allow-passengers-to-disembark-before-the-end-of

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/24/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDU3Mjg0ODAzL3NpZC9FdFNORE9LbQ%3D%3D/~/does-cbp-fine-cruise-ships-that-allow-passengers-to-disembark-before-the-end-of

It not that they prohibited cruises to nowhere, it is because of the Jones Act. Put into simple terms the Jones Act was put into place to protect American interest and business. It says that it you want to use a ship for business within the Untied States it must be built and registered within the United States. In the early 1900's Maine ship builders making Lobster boats had a issue with issue with Lobstermen  purchasing boats from Canada. This was one of the driving forces behind the Jones Act.

 

So since the ships of Royal and most other cruise lines are built and flagged outside the United States they cannot operate within the United States without leaving first. So a ship can leave Florida and make a port stop in the Bahamas and return and the Jones Act is followed. But the same ship leaves Florida sails out and does not go into another country then they have not followed the law. This is a very simple explanation the acts has many part so if interest just look it up.  

 

So changes and special exceptions have been done within the act. Like a foreign built ship can get flagged in the US and meet the Jones Act. But it needs to be done through a act of Congress granting that ship the ability to be Flagged in the United States. It is done more often than you would think. Many people with yachts have this done so they can charter and rent them.

 

The MV Maersk Alabama was re flagged to be a US Ship, the ship privates took several years ago and the US Navy Seals rescued the captain and killed the privates.  The negative side of re flagging to United States is the Ship must meet all US Safety Standards, must pass very hard Coast Guard Inspections, and must follow all US laws. So the ships crew must all be paid and will worked under the US laws. It greatly increases the cost to operate and only a few small coastal lines and the Cruise ships that stay in Hawaii  get US Flagged.

 

If interest in the Jones Act here is a good link:

 

http://www.maritimelawcenter.com/html/the_jones_act.html

FYI Its not the jones act its the PSVA. Jones act is more for cargo ships PSVA is for passenger Vessels. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

Anthem of the Seas- 2/21/16-3/2/16- 

 

It was great of RCCL to give the 50% discount. If you left a deposit for your next cruise you would have received on board credit of up to $500. However you had to book a specific cruise and make that decision while on board. To take advantage of this offer many people had to wait on long lines for hours to meet a representative. This was unfair to people on vacation to wait on these lines. Finally, RCCL after a few days handed out forms. This allowed people to select a cruise and simply hand in these forms, avoiding standing in lines for hours. Other cruise lines like Princess and Norwegian allow you to leave a deposit, get the same onboard credit and allow you four years to book your cruise.

 

I refused to wait on line and felt it was unfair to force me to make an immediate decision. Thus I elected to lose the on board credit.

 

Poor policy by RCCL

 

Last week on Allure of the seas I went down to the next cruise room and it was busy I just signed my name in the appointment book for the next day with a specific time. Very simple picked my sailing and rooms was in n out in less 20 minutes. I believe they still have open bookings but offer greater OBC for picking specific sail dates. I"ll pick a sailing for more free money!

Of all the holidays, which one do you think is the best one to celebrate on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

 

Christmas? New Years? July 4th? Arbor Day?

Simple Any and All!

I read in an October blog that Royal IQ was supposed to be launched on the Oasis in 2015.  Does anyone know if it has been?  We are traveling March 17th, and hoping to use it to keep in touch with our teens...

Not yet. 

Sold Out, 16 days to go  :)

Just curious if anyone knows when to expect a muster drill on an itinerary when the ships spends the first night in port.  We board the ship on Sunday, July 24th in Stockholm, but the ship doesn't sail until 4 p.m. on Monday, July 25th.  Is it safe to assume that the muster drill will be just before sailing on the 25th or should we expect it to be on boarding day?

 

I've never been on a ship that spent the first night in port, so I'm not sure how this is handled.

RCI used to do this in Hawaii and the drill was held on day 2 before departure but that was preConcordia.

Are there any additional perks for being a RCCL stockholder?  

The only real perk is the dividend. 

Beer prices are towards the bottom of the page  http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-drink-prices

According to this flyer from RCI 's cruise planner http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf

Three packages have bottled water.

My guess is that all 4 will be ported in Florida with 1 probably seasonally going to Europe for the summer and coming back in the winter. I just don't see them going any where else right know because number one their size, two no tendering at ports they have to dock, and three dry dock every 5 years.

Bring one to LA. I'm sure people would sail her just to experience the ship regardless of where she went.

You and I both wish!

23 days away! 

What are the chances that all four are ported in Florida? 1 in Port Canaveral 2 in Port Everglades 1 In Miami.

Nice, we're sat feb 20th.

So im I for the blog cruise. I get in late traveling from California. 

Embassy suites on 17th Street I belive

I'm staying there also.

I can't speak from experience either, we're going for first time next month and staying at the Embassy. Its a nice hotel by our standards, we figured if we are getting gouged we might as well pay a bit extra and get a nice place.

Lauderdale hotels are expensive! They all tend to offer shuttles from the airport and to the ship, which is good, but still pricey IMO.

Since your driving I'd look into the option of staying a bit out of town to save on money. You might save enough to warrant paying for parking at port.

Which Embassy? 

I just heard that due to the snow on the east coast few ships will be delayed by a day. If it is true aren't they lucky.

You know there was some anxious moments onboard once they found out they where cruising a extra day at no cost. All that subsized once the Captain made the Announcement "There is enough food onboard" :P

This may get moved to news & rumors, but as I wait with anticipation for the 2018/19 release of itineraries, I enjoy looking at the current itineraries as a possible guide. I was wondering if anyone had any real clue if Navigator would continue to do southern Caribbean out of Miami and if explorer would continue to do south pacific routes? 9 nights on Navigator sounds heavenly.... Daydreaming

i don't think you'll see 2019, Looks like Explorer will be back in Alaska in 2018. No clue about the Navigator. 

2/2004 I was on the Mariner we skipped Labadee because of the political protest and ended up in Nassau instead. 

Will be interesting to see if that happens and how much. Haven't gotten anything back when I have missed stops on previous cruises, but then again  Coco Cay is their own island. But don't they own Labadee?

 

Either way, the OP should not expect some kind of compensation from RCI as a result.

Labadee is leased so is Coco Cay. I received a port tax refund on my seapass account for missing Grand Cayman it was only a couple of dollars. I don't know if RCI pays the Bahamas a head tax on passengers visiting Coco Cay.

You are correct on no compensation. They reserve the right to change the itinerary at any time.

Has anyone tried Enterprise car rental you can pick up a car at Houston Hobby and drop it off in Galveston?

I don't think you will need to worry about anything in Feb or March...this will be over long before then.

 

That being said, the only thing RCI would do is refund excursions you have booked. Other than that it would just turn into another day at sea.

 

Now I am guessing if this drags on longer than expected they may try to schedule a stop elsewhere instead.

 

But bottom line is you don't get anything for missing  a port day here.

RCI pays Haiti a tax on each person who visits Labadee, So I'm assuming a small refund of the port tax will show up on his/her seapass account for missing the port. 

Happy New Year! 

 Do the cruise lines take security seriously? not jus t passengers, but luggage, personnel? Yes they do! Everyone and there luggage is screened on embarkation and port days when entering/returning to the ship.

 will you be more careful? You should always be vigilant.