Just Curious - What if we Never Leave the US?

[handbellplayer]

We are sailing on Adventure in May.  Our ports of call are San Juan, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Coco Cay.  If we can't dock at Coco Cay (it's happened to many of us), we'll never leave the US.  Doesn't that violate the "visit a foreign port" rule?

[cruzsnooze]

your ports are an unincorporated territory of the United States.

[handbellplayer]

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

your ports are an unincorporated territory of the United States.

I don't know what "unincorporated" means in this context.

[jeh10641]

Good question. I think that may be why cruise companies might choose to add Nassau if Coco Cay is missed.

Edited January 30 by jeh10641
typo

[Charles4515]

8 minutes ago, handbellplayer said:

I don't know what "unincorporated" means in this context.

They are colonies……but a foreign port is still required. I expect they would head to Nassau or Freeport for a quick stop. There are plenty of alternatives. 

Edited January 30 by Charles4515

[smokeybandit]

If they couldn't dock at Coco Cay due to weather, they'd just get a waiver of the PVSA

[sandebeach]

We did a 3-day last month on MSC Divina out of Miami. We were supposed to go to Nassau and then MSC’s private island Ocean Cay. It was so windy we couldn’t dock at either port. So we just had two sea days before coming back to Miami. We didn’t get fined or anything!

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

If they couldn't dock at Coco Cay due to weather, they'd just get a waiver of the PVSA

Exactly.  Its not a big deal and happens several times a year. Including a couple cruises to nowhere.  

[Plum Happy]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

They are colonies……but a foreign port is still required. I expect they would head to Nassau or Freeport for a quick stop. There are plenty of alternatives. 

Errr, The U.S. does not call them Colonies, they are recognized as Territories, they are full U.S. Citizens.

[deliver42]

It happens to all cruise lines at different ports or private islands. Not a problem for them.

[shof515]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

If they couldn't dock at Coco Cay due to weather, they'd just get a waiver of the PVSA

 

this is very common. Lots of ships gotten waivers in 2023 due to weather. Carnival, Norwegian could not dock in Bermuda, their only port call due to weather. 

 

I was on a Bahama cruise last year that was unable to do dock in the Bahamas due to weather, a 4 day bahama cruise turn into a 4 day cruise to no where

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Exactly.  It’s not a big deal and happens several times a year. Including a couple cruises to nowhere.  

 

48 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

this is very common. Lots of ships gotten waivers in 2023 due to weather. Carnival, Norwegian could not dock in Bermuda, their only port call due to weather. 

 

I was on a Bahama cruise last year that was unable to do dock in the Bahamas due to weather, a 4 day bahama cruise turn into a 4 day cruise to no where

The cruise line might be eating the fine. 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Plum Happy said:

Errr, The U.S. does not call them Colonies, they are recognized as Territories, they are full U.S. Citizens.

Citizens without all the rights of citizens born in the 50 states. 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

 

The cruise line might be eating the fine. 

No, there is no fine for weather related incidences of missed ports. 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Plum Happy said:

Errr, The U.S. does not call them Colonies, they are recognized as Territories, they are full U.S. Citizens.

I know the US does not call them colonies but that is what they are in fact. 

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

The cruise line might be eating the fine. 

There are no fines when it comes to weather related cancellations beyond the cruise lines control.

[Ferry_Watcher]

You still need proof of citizenship for the cruise - passport or if the cruise qualifies, your US government issued birth certificate along with government issued photo ID.

 

During the early start of the Alaska season post pandemic (2021 season started in July), the US Senate lead by Alaskan Senator Murkowski voted to allow the Alaska bound cruise ships sailing out of Seattle to skip the ‘distant foreign port’ stop in Victoria, BC because Canada was closed to cruise ships, and save the lucrative Alaskan cruise market.  Even though the ships would not be stopping in Canada, passengers still had to have the same proof of citizenship like passports.  We did have to deny passengers who showed up at the terminal in Seattle without the required documentation.  If they were US born citizens and could get a photo of their US issued birth certificate sent to the pier, then they were good to sail.  Without the required citizenship documents, they were denied boarding.

[BirdTravels]

53 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

You still need proof of citizenship for the cruise - passport or if the cruise qualifies, your US government issued birth certificate along with government issued photo ID.

You need it for what?

 

Unless it is a US flagged ship, it has to call at a foreign port, so yes, you need a passport/BC. Not a "distant port" on a closed loop cruise. But a foreign port. 

[Plum Happy]

15 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Citizens without all the rights of citizens born in the 50 states. 

Oh let's see, they can vote in Presidential Primaries but not select the President.  They do not have FEDERAL INCOME TAXES taken out of their paycheck (totally separate from paying any Federal Taxes) those that live in the 50 states have Federal Income taxes taken out.  They have representation in the House of Congress but do not in the Senate - neither does DC (not a Territory, but that is another story), but the people that live in DC PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAX - if you are ever in the city, you will see on their car tags - TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION on them.

 

So, is it fair for them or those within the 50 states?  

 

[Plum Happy]

15 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I know the US does not call them colonies but that is what they are in fact. 

Nah, not tat all.

[not-enough-cruising]

17 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

Oh let's see, they can vote in Presidential Primaries but not select the President.  They do not have FEDERAL INCOME TAXES taken out of their paycheck (totally separate from paying any Federal Taxes) those that live in the 50 states have Federal Income taxes taken out.  They have representation in the House of Congress but do not in the Senate - neither does DC (not a Territory, but that is another story), but the people that live in DC PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAX - if you are ever in the city, you will see on their car tags - TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION on them.

 

So, is it fair for them or those within the 50 states?  

 

i never mentioned fairness, I just said their right are different than those citizens of one of the 50 states.

[Charles4515]

10 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

Nah, not tat all.

They do not have self rule. They have no vote in the legislature that makes the laws or a vote in presidential elections. The legislature that makes the rules that they have no vote in can void any laws passed locally. They are colonies. I will continue to define them as what they actually are not some double speak definition. 

[jam19872016]

58 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

Oh let's see, they can vote in Presidential Primaries but not select the President.  They do not have FEDERAL INCOME TAXES taken out of their paycheck (totally separate from paying any Federal Taxes) those that live in the 50 states have Federal Income taxes taken out.  They have representation in the House of Congress but do not in the Senate - neither does DC (not a Territory, but that is another story), but the people that live in DC PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAX - if you are ever in the city, you will see on their car tags - TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION on them.

 

So, is it fair for them or those within the 50 states?  

 

I pay Medicare and social security taxes. I did not have representation when those taxes were voted into law and have never had the option to opt out or even have my representatives take a vote on if it should continue. 

 

How did we get so far off topic 🤣