Whilst i think you have understood my comment, i think you may have taken it too literally.
My point was could how much of a cruise ship could be 100% manufactured in the USA. At a reasonable cost.Obviously everything can be made in-house. but at what cost point? is it practical and economical? Probably not.
And as for easily, which shipyards do we currently have that have the facilities, infrastructure and workforce to build a dream sized ship for civilian use? Are there any non government or civilian ship yards that have that capability?
As to higher quality, well again, i'm sure Meyer Werft could produce a higher quality ship than the dream, but that costs more. It is a price point. i'm not sure what you mean by what amounts to slave like labor?
europe has labor laws too. i'm sure i'm misreading what you are saying?
i agree that project America was a debacle. There was no way they could produce that ship from what i've read. it was a disaster from start to finish. the lack of expertise and experience that they showed here but have in europe in spades only proves that? If the government were to back and subsidize a new cruise ship build, a proper size modern cruise ship, do you think it would come in on budget and on time? It is not like military vessels are launched without massive budget over-runs and delays.
The only legislation I can find regarding the British equivalent is the Navigation Acts which were abolished in 1849.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/024650d6-3f92-11e0-a1ba-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3ivNw0ekY
that and they are now required by european law to pay the minimum British wage to every employee on a ship sailing on a ship registered under their flag. Nothing about the ship being built in Britain though?
I get that as a past tanker mariner, you want to protect the rights of those workers and i agree with the principle of the Jones act, and it's relevance when it was passed. It is estimated that a US flagged vessel costs around 2.7 times the cost of a foreign flagged vessel.http://www.ogfj.com/articles/2012/10/jones-act.html
How does it apply or protect US workers in this day and age from a dcl cruise from for example out of PC, cruising to NY, then Boston, then Charleston and back? How does a cruise to no where harm our economy when there are no competitors offering that? Surely visiting only US ports, paying US port fees is better for us?
I've no doubt that US commercial yards are some of the finest in the world, with very skilled labor available for the industries and specific builds they work on, but unless they are competitive with the rest of the world, then they are only harming themselves by making them selves non runners in the market place, and the Jones act only adds another layer of a barrier to being competitive.Why can't the steel be sourced from overseas if it is cheaper, but cut, shaped and formed by US workers? If our steel is 50% more expensive than from another country, then buying abroad makes financial sense and we at least get to build cruise ships again? We cannot compete with building new engines that others have spent many years developing, so buy them and install them and maintain them, or do we design new ship engines from scratch and make them so over priced they are uncompetatove?
The fact we haven't been able to build and complete a cruise ship for over 50 years is a damning statement that whilst the Jones act had very good and true intentions when it was passed in 1920, it has to be updated to todays world IMO.
Ho Buddy,
We may disagree on some things here.
I didn't say it would be cheap as Europe, because the European countries heavily subsidize their yards, labor and banking. If they did the same in the US, the prices would be much the same as Germany, etc.
As to wherein the United state. Try Kvaerner in Phili, Newport news, Bath, Maine, New Orleans, San Diego, and others. All are private companies and build civilian ships in addition to military vessels, build for the US and foreign governments. Phili has a been building tankers the last few years. They would be a lot busier with civilian ships if the forgiven yards were not subsidizing their yards, labor, facilities and banking.
Then add the many smaller repair yards around the country.
Slave labor, I was referring to China. My error there I should have been more clear.
Canada and England have the similar laws, and I know other countries do as well.
I pointed out he reasons why we need the Jones act. (thought I agree I have no idea why the restriction on the cruise to no where) If we don't have a merchant marine in a national emergency or war, we need the ships,. Without them we are severely handicapped.
You point on the cost of steel total is not correct. Right now US steel and foreign steel are in a very competitive price war.....US mills complete quite well, except for China, India, and south Korea where the labor is almost slave labor and their government subsidize the industries. Again, let US mills compete on a even playing field and the world market will be quite different. Right now the European, Chinese and other markets are slowing down and these countries are dumping their coils material on the US market. Sure they can be cheaper when their government are competing unfairly.
Engines, machinery?....what makes you think we don't build engines?.....Just because a company may have a foreign name does not always mean they are not designed and built in the US.Try Siemans, they have one particularly large plant in Norther or SOUTH Carolina where they build a lot of heavy machernery and much of it is shipped to
The cruise industry is really a very small part of the Maritime industry. I am really talking about the entire Maritime industry.
AKK
I'm glad I've got severe years of Disney Magic ahead of me though. I intend to capitalize on her enjoyment of childhood. 
