SO MUCH FOR CANADA AND ALASKA TILL 2022

Welcome! Please continue to add your opinion (be sure to read the guidelines) and ask questions. There is a wide range of experience from fellow posters.

You're doing fine...and welcome...we beat this subject up a long time ago, but its clearly understandable to revisit it.

The comment that the Jones Act is a relic from another time and its time to revisit it is spot on...But it won't happen in our lifetime...for reasons that are completely unknown to me. Somehow I don't think Mexico had anything to do with it back in the day.......look elsewhere.....

And that predominantly American crew?? they're working for a Philippino pay scale? We have a thing here called Unions....I'd bet that cruise would sell out in a heartbeat. lets see...10 days...an inside cabin, ummm $3000+ p/p......oh...you always book a balcony or a suite? how much?? you have to ask you can't afford it....hehehe..(no matter, charge it and worry later)...

BTW, not that many years ago there WERE "cruises to nowhere" out if the USA...very popular as I remember.....until, incredibly, "somebody" in our gov't realized they were illegal...

This is my first post here so I'm not sure if this complies with the TOS or not. Apologies if not.

Here is what I don't get. I completely understand Canada saying "NO" having a ship with 6,000 passengers or whatever docking at one of their ports. What I don't get is disallowing a ship to pass through it's waters. The nature of the threat is a virus. What possible harm could come from a vessel with a potentially infected community passing through the waters off shore? Unless there is something I am not understanding about cruising...it seems like the risk of exposure would be limited to Canadians.

Yes...there is a personal angle I have to all of this. I am scheduled (still as of this writing) to be on the Norwegian Bliss in October going from Seattle to Alaska. When I first heard the news, I was unconcerned because I don't really have a big desire to see Victoria BC. I'm sure it's a fine city but....okay. But then I understood that the "ban" applied to Canadian waters as well.

So it looks like my October vacation will be completely stateside. I've only been on two cruises and have loved both of them more than I can put into words. And I was looking forward to my third. However, the thought of driving from Seattle to Chicago suddenly appeals to me...or maybe I'll just fly into Alaska--if I can get a refund of course.

Glad I found the board.

The PVCA (the law that requires foreign flagged ships carrying passengers to stop in a foreign port) is a relic from the 19th century to protect the American passenger ship industry, and as such has little to no relevance today. It's long past time it was repealed. At the very least, there should be an exception for Alaska cruises this year.

Think you only need to do the foreign port stop. Everyone doesn't need to get off - just normal on/off of passengers and crew like you would in CAN. I think the LA to AK through MEX is a cool idea, but couldn't do it in 7 days, unless it was a 1 way.

Before NCL reflagged Pride of America to US for dedicated uninterrupted Hawaiian islands cruising, they would stop at the Fanning Atol south of Hawaii to make a foreign port stop to fulfill the legal requirements for its status. NCL then reflagged the ship to US and manned with predominately US crew hence can sail the Hawaiian islands without a non-US stop during the trip. So no more Fanning Island stop. Other US cruise lines could reflag and re-crew ships to follow US rules and skip Canada - but won't happen because its cost prohibitive for those markets.

As I posted on another thread,

To properly do an Alaskan cruise these days that ships would need to start in LA, do a quick south of the border stop in a Mexican port and then on to Alaska. Then either debark everyone and load new passengers for the return trip stopping in Mexico before heading to LA or make a longer 14 or 21 day round trip. One of the cruise lines should pick up on this option.

I forgot to add: unless the ship is made in the USA, flagged in the USA and manned by a USA crew.

There must be one non-USA port when embarkation and debarkation ports are USA.

So here is a question: I understand that Canada has closed its borders to US residents, but Alaska is part of the US. So if they're cruising to another US state and not stopping in Canada, what's the issue? I'm genuinely curious.

CONGRATS!!!!! None of you characters around here.....we'd notice....hehehehhe