Is there a Cruise that remains only in US territory

[disneyfan1992]

Stupid question. A post on a different board has me questioning my thinking.

Does Disney offer a cruise that only stays within US waters/territory?

Specifically any sailings from Florida that are part of a land/cruise package thst remain entirely within the US?

If not, then every adult passenger must have a passport, correct? Passport for children is strongly recommended but not required?

Thank you.

 

[adamki]

Only one I can think of is the two night San Diego cruises to nowhere.

 

[adamki]

To answer your other questions, on closed-loop cruises it may be acceptable to travel with only a birth certificate and there is no difference in documentation requirements for adults and children, AFAIK. Here is a page from U.S. Customs & Border Protection that explains it.

Basically, on a closed loop cruise, the birth certificate is acceptable to allow re-entry into the US; you may or may not need a passport for any of the cruise's destinations, but most Caribbean islands don't care. Here's the important quote from the linked article:

HOWEVER, it is possible that one or more of the Caribbean Islands on your itinerary, does require you to have a passport to enter their country.

 

[clten]

If a foreign flagged vessel makes any port calls, they are required to make a foreign port call before returning to the US. Disney's ships are foreign flagged (Bahamas) so any itinerary they have that makes a port call, will make a foreign port call. Therefore you need some type of proof of citizenship as well as photo id. If you have a passport, great -- covers both the proof of citizenship and photo id requirements (adults and children). There is a provision - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative - that has a clause for cruises that start and end in the same US port (called a closed loop cruise). If you travel on a closed loop cruise you may use a government issued birth certificate as proof of citizenship (adults and children) and adults (18 and over) must have a government issued photo id (driver's license is most common).

But you should know all the rules before deciding you are going to cruise without a passport. If for any reason you need to leave the cruise and you have to fly back into the US, you do need a passport to fly into the US from any of the islands in the Bahamas or Caribbean or foreign countries (including Mexico and Canada)

 

[truck1]

There was a recent change in certain rules that affect passenger vessels in US waters. Basically the cruises to nowhere have been banned for lack of a better term. Basically any ship, with the exception of the Pride of Aloha (I think that's her name, the NCL ship in Hawaii) has to make at least 1 stop in a foreign port.

As far as passports go, unless the ship is shifting homeports, then you can use a government issue ID such as a dl and birth certificate combo. However, as mentioned above, if for whatever reason that you have to leave the ship, and fly some where else, or home, then you will need a passport to reenter the US. You can have one made at a consulate or embassy, but it will cost you. So choose wisely.

The only other time that you may need a passport, is if you visit a specific territory, or island, that requires one. The British Virgin Islands I believe are one for example. Aruba which was one of the stops on the canal crossing would be another.

 

[com_op_2000]

You can take a river cruise (IE: Mississippi River, Columbia River, etc) and stay within US territory.
DCL does make a few two night cruises to no-where (IE: NY City, San Diego. etc)

 

[Quellman]

There was a recent change in certain rules that affect passenger vessels in US waters. Basically the cruises to nowhere have been banned for lack of a better term. Basically any ship, with the exception of the Pride of Aloha (I think that's her name, the NCL ship in Hawaii) has to make at least 1 stop in a foreign port.

Close, but not quite. The Pride of America is the only remaining US Registered cruise ship and ports from Honolulu. The Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii were both also US registered ships until NCL pulled them out, made them bigger, and then rebranded them. One of the continuing challenges as a US registered vessel is the staffing of the crew which is largely American. Labor standards for the US are much different than other countries so that in itself is a unique issue. I'm not an insider but I suspect that the pay scales are different and it skews in favor for the US registered ships vs. others. Which is why there aren't many US registered cruise ships.

Fun fact, did you know that there was a building initiative called Project America, where the goal was to develop US shipyards for commercial building purposes, not just military applications. Even with government subsidies, the company in charge of it ended up going bankrupt. So the unfinished Pride of America was sold to NCL and sent to Germany for completion. Go figure.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Only one I can think of is the two night San Diego cruises to nowhere.

Sorry to say, but the feds have stopped all cruises to nowhere.

 

[JW9DVC]

Sorry to say, but the feds have stopped all cruises to nowhere.

I'm sorry. You are wrong on this as it doesn't happen until 2016. Disney has such a cruise out of San Diego, in October.

Thanks

JW

 

[C6PT7]

Thats really interesting about Project America @Quellman! Just had a little read up on it.
I didn't know the PVSA not only requires a mostly American crew, but that the ships have to be built in the States as well, and an exemption was made for POA.
http://www.marinelog.com/DOCS/NEWSMMIII/MMIIIJan18a.html

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I'm sorry. You are wrong on this as it doesn't happen until 2016. Disney has such a cruise out of San Diego, in October.

Thanks

Ok...I was not aware it was not being imploymented until 2016......but the point is that they are being stopped.

AKK

Close, but not quite. The Pride of America is the only remaining US Registered cruise ship and ports from Honolulu. The Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii were both also US registered ships until NCL pulled them out, made them bigger, and then rebranded them. One of the continuing challenges as a US registered vessel is the staffing of the crew which is largely American. Labor standards for the US are much different than other countries so that in itself is a unique issue. I'm not an insider but I suspect that the pay scales are different and it skews in favor for the US registered ships vs. others. Which is why there aren't many US registered cruise ships.

Fun fact, did you know that there was a building initiative called Project America, where the goal was to develop US shipyards for commercial building purposes, not just military applications. Even with government subsidies, the company in charge of it ended up going bankrupt. So the unfinished Pride of America was sold to NCL and sent to Germany for completion. Go figure.

Actually there areany shipyards in the US biulding commercial vessels (tankers. Containers. Ferry etc), large and small, ocean and inland.
This has never stopped. Thesee years are the finist in thw world. The PA part with cruise ship did not work becuase NCL took their goverment money, started biulding the POA and then pulled out.

AKK

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Florida, no. At some point you're in international waters anyway. Pride of America is the only major US flagged ship so it can hop around Hawaii without going to a foreign port.

Maybe they can sell a cruise where the ship never leaves the dock.

 

[truck1]

Close, but not quite. The Pride of America is the only remaining US Registered cruise ship and ports from Honolulu. The Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii were both also US registered ships until NCL pulled them out, made them bigger, and then rebranded them. One of the continuing challenges as a US registered vessel is the staffing of the crew which is largely American. Labor standards for the US are much different than other countries so that in itself is a unique issue. I'm not an insider but I suspect that the pay scales are different and it skews in favor for the US registered ships vs. others. Which is why there aren't many US registered cruise ships.

Fun fact, did you know that there was a building initiative called Project America, where the goal was to develop US shipyards for commercial building purposes, not just military applications. Even with government subsidies, the company in charge of it ended up going bankrupt. So the unfinished Pride of America was sold to NCL and sent to Germany for completion. Go figure.

I knew it was one of the 3 but couldn't remember her name. Heres another one for you. There was some stipulation and loop hole finding for those 3 ships because they were not built entirely or the major percentage in the US. They were started somewhere else or finished somewhere else.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Just for the record, there are many major US shipyards that are building Comercial vessels, tankers, freigthers , container vessels, special purpose. Etc. Large and small and the finist in the world.

One of the big reasons the other countries biuld for less, is thier goverments work with thier banks to subidize the shipyards.

China, South Korea, Turkey do that big time. GERMANY and ITALY as well. So the next time your on a DCL vessel thank German and Italian banks and goverments.

 

[MunFam]

Its wise to have a passport if you are going anywhere near another foreign country. This includes a Seattle to Alaska and back cruise because you pass Canada. In the event that you have a medical emergency that requires evacuation, they will take you to the closest port. Not necessarily an American one...without a passport, you are spending extra time, stress and money trying to get your ill loved one back to the States and frankly, the US doesn't care that you are stranded. They will do their best to expedite (at your cost) and get you home, but they do not make exceptions.

On our Panama Canal Cruise a family was taken ill from the ship on to a tug boat off the coast of Guatemala and then taken to shore. We had no scheduled stops there, but it was where the ship was closest to, so that is where we turned to get them the treatment they needed.

 

[bumbershoot]

If not, then every adult passenger must have a passport, correct? Passport for children is strongly recommended but not required?

Thank you.

The only difference in reqs for minors that I know of is a land crossing between US and Canada. But I'm not sure that then translates to minors being allowed to cruise with just the BC.

Closed loop cruises for US citizens allow the use of BCs even for adults.

Florida, no. At some point you're in international waters anyway. Pride of America is the only major US flagged ship so it can hop around Hawaii without going to a foreign port.

Maybe they can sell a cruise where the ship never leaves the dock.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

 

[Otimon]

My suggestion would be to get a passport anyway, have it for a possible future use and not have to think about it then. They are good for 10 years.