Will the US suspend the Passenger Vessels Services Act?

[Capt_BJ]

there are islands in the Aleutians that belong to Russia that could be a stop to satisfy the foreign port requirement .... Can those islands/port actually accommodate large cruise ships? How much additional time would that add to the cruise (getting there and back)?

ATTU is basically the western most US island of the Aleutians and in round numbers is over 1800 nautical miles from Juneau .. at speed of 20 knots that's 4 days ONE WAY ..... and there's NOTHING THERE! ... To get to a Russian island it is further ....

I've been there ... Coast Guard Bering Sea patrols .... the distances are measured in sailing DAYS not hours! When we'd sit on the dividing line between US and Russian waters ... it was a solid 3 days each way to go get fuel and food in Kodiak . . . 2+ for Dutch Harbor . . . hot liberty ports are these BTW . . .

 

[Capt_BJ]

changes to the PVSA are proposed all the time ... there are STRONG lobby groups that fight tooth and nail for no changes. problem is the law applies to a lot more than just 'cruise ships' ..... ferries of all sorts apply. When splitting hairs is brought up, arguments rise FAST. Folks interested in the industry know where to read and stay abreast of this stuff . . . its been around since 1886!

 

[Capt_BJ]

I would love to start in port canaveral and then stop along a few place on the eastern seaboard ending NYC or Maine. I would rather give my tourist money to my own country, frankly.

Don't cover quite that much ground but there IS a cruise line for this . . .
https://www.americancruiselines.com/cruises/new-england-cruises

 

[tvguy]

Can those islands/port actually accommodate large cruise ships? How much additional time would that add to the cruise (getting there and back)?

Probably not. That's why ships have tenders. I've been on three cruises that stopped in Victoria, the first two the stops were like 4 hours. Last one last year started in Vancouver, so we actually had about 8 hours so we could actually do something other than walk around the area near the cruise ship dock.

 

[tvguy]

I would love to start in port canaveral and then stop along a few place on the eastern seaboard ending NYC or Maine. I would rather give my tourist money to my own country, frankly.

If you are going that far north a stop in Newfoundland would be easy to meet the international requirement.

 

[tvguy]

there are islands in the Aleutians that belong to Russia that could be a stop to satisfy the foreign port requirement .... Can those islands/port actually accommodate large cruise ships? How much additional time would that add to the cruise (getting there and back)?

ATTU is basically the western most US island of the Aleutians and in round numbers is over 1800 nautical miles from Juneau .. at speed of 20 knots that's 4 days ONE WAY ..... and there's NOTHING THERE! ... To get to a Russian island it is further ....

I've been there ... Coast Guard Bering Sea patrols .... the distances are measured in sailing DAYS not hours! When we'd sit on the dividing line between US and Russian waters ... it was a solid 3 days each way to go get fuel and food in Kodiak . . . 2+ for Dutch Harbor . . . hot liberty ports are these BTW . . .

I don't know, but Fanning Island was a 1,000 mile trip from Hawaii and cruise lines for years felt the distance was worth the time it took to get here.

 

[Capt_BJ]

two days each way versus 4 days each way means a 7 day cruise or 'more than 7 day'

first time I took a cruise for more than 7 days I asked a bar tender on the first night "what is the biggest difference between a 7 day cruise and a 10 day cruise" ... his reply: "20 years and an empty bar by 8 pm ..... we don't bring as many entertainers cuz the older crowd goes to bed early" ..... it was just before late (main) seating dinner and we were the ONLY two in the casino / bar . . .

 

[tvguy]

two days each way versus 4 days each way means a 7 day cruise or 'more than 7 day'

first time I took a cruise for more than 7 days I asked a bar tender on the first night "what is the biggest difference between a 7 day cruise and a 10 day cruise" ... his reply: "20 years and an empty bar by 8 pm ..... we don't bring as many entertainers cuz the older crowd goes to bed early" ..... it was just before late (main) seating dinner and we were the ONLY two in the casino / bar . . .

Reminds me of my Disney cruise. And that was a New Year's cruise. People did stay up New Years eve, but by 12:05 the atrium was empty. But I have been on two HAL and one Celebrity cruise since, like Disney, all 7 day, but the trend is towards going to bed a lot earlier.
My first cruise was a two week Caribbean cruise in 1980. The night club didn't even open until 1:30 am on that cruise! And it was packed.

 

[mrtravel]

Yes, please! We are booked on a NYC=>San Juan cruise during the Fall'21 and would love to do B2B from SanJuan back to Florida . . . but PVSA prevents us from doing this . .. how/who does this ridiculous law help?

How would PVSA stop you from doing a round trip cruise? If the cruise is foreign registered than a foreign port is required. I assume there is a foreign port involved for both NYC-San Juan, and San Juan to Florida, otherwise the ship would not be able to make either of those trips, since all 3 ports are US ports

 

[hrhdhd]

How would PVSA stop you from doing a round trip cruise? If the cruise is foreign registered than a foreign port is required. I assume there is a foreign port involved for both NYC-San Juan, and San Juan to Florida, otherwise the ship would not be able to make either of those trips, since all 3 ports are US ports

San Juan has an exception, so NYC to San Juan is legal. NYC to PC is not unless the ship visits a distant foreign port (e.g., Aruba).

 

[mrtravel]

While that's true, I seriously doubt that changes to, or a revocation of, the PVSA will occur due to the pandemic.

The Jones Act has nothing to do with cruise ships, it relates to the transport of cargo.

I believe there is a possibility of waivers for Alaska cruises if Canada doesn't open ports to cruise ships this year

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I believe there is a possibility of waivers for Alaska cruises if Canada doesn't open ports to cruise ships this year

Quoted from the PVSA:

WAIVER AUTHORITY—46 U.S.C. § 501 National Defense

The PVSA can only be waived in the interest of national defense, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. § 501. Under 46 U.S.C. § 501(a), the Secretary of Defense may request the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive the PVSA to the extent the Secretary of Defense considers such a waiver necessary in the interest of national defense.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How would PVSA stop you from doing a round trip cruise? If the cruise is foreign registered than a foreign port is required. I assume there is a foreign port involved for both NYC-San Juan, and San Juan to Florida, otherwise the ship would not be able to make either of those trips, since all 3 ports are US ports

A foreign flagged ship may not transport passengers from one US port (In this case NY) to a different US port (in Florida) without a stop in a DISTANT foreign port. A distant foreign port is any port NOT in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). There are no DISTANT foreign ports on a NY/San Juan; San Juan/Florida cruise.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I believe there is a possibility of waivers for Alaska cruises if Canada doesn't open ports to cruise ships this year

Wouldn't help DCL. It is not so easy to just suddenly port elsewhere for home port.

 

[otten]

Wouldn't help DCL. It is not so easy to just suddenly port elsewhere for home port.

Let’s say they did and decided to sail out of Seattle for Alaska. That’s a long trip to the first US port if you can’t stop in Victoria or Vancouver. Seattle to Alaska isn’t realistic in 7 days so they’d still be dealing with the CDC rules on that.

Waiving pvsa wouldn’t solve anything

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Let’s say they did and decided to sail out of Seattle for Alaska. That’s a long trip to the first US port if you can’t stop in Victoria or Vancouver. Seattle to Alaska isn’t realistic in 7 days so they’d still be dealing with the CDC rules on that.

Waiving pvsa wouldn’t solve anything

RCCL and Princess do 7 day RT from Alaska. So it is possible. Bigger challenge is the rearranging of the port stops.

 

[otten]

RCCL and Princess do 7 day RT from Alaska. So it is possible. Bigger challenge is the rearranging of the port stops.

Can they even get to Alaska without entering Canadian waters? Because entering Canadian waters triggers the 14 day quarantine requirement. Violators are subject to fines up to 750k

 

[hrhdhd]

Can they even get to Alaska without entering Canadian waters? Because entering Canadian waters triggers the 14 day quarantine requirement. Violators are subject to fines up to 750k

International waters start at 12 nautical miles out. So yes, they can.

 

[Intr3pid]

Can they even get to Alaska without entering Canadian waters? Because entering Canadian waters triggers the 14 day quarantine requirement. Violators are subject to fines up to 750k

Not if you are in transit to Alaska.

International waters start at 12 nautical miles out. So yes, they can.

While that's true, Canada asserts territorial claims on the entire Hecate Strait. It means that if a ship wants to avoid Canada's Inside Passage, it will have to navigate from outside of Haida Gwaii, adding possibly a day of travel in each direction.

 

[bcwife76]

RCCL and Princess do 7 day RT from Alaska. So it is possible. Bigger challenge is the rearranging of the port stops.

Those cruises all stop in Victoria, though usually just for a few hours. I suppose if they refuel in Alaska and not Victoria then it's definitely do able.