Passenger Vessel Services Act (Jones Act)

[digdirt]

We are looking to do a B2B cruise

The first leg being Honolulu ( Hawaii ) to Vancouver then staying onboard to do an Alaska cruise that returns back to Vancouver.

My question is by doing these two cruises does this violate the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) or are we fine to do this itnerary.

We have been getting mixed responses from people . 

TIA

[cruisestitch]

As long as your final cruise is ending in Vancouver, there is no trouble with the PVSA because you are getting on the ship in a US port, but you are disembarking in a non-US port.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 11:49 PM by cruisestitch

[kaysha2004]

The cruise line would not offer any cruise that breaks the law.  You're good to go. 

[markeb]

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

As long as your second cruise is round-trip Vancouver, there is no trouble with the PVSA because you are getting on the ship in a US port, but you are disembarking in a non-US port

Perfect answer. Waiting for the next hundred non value added replies…

[markeb]

1 minute ago, kaysha2004 said:

The cruise line would not offer any cruise that breaks the law.  You're good to go. 

Yes they will. They’ll ultimately catch it but maybe not until you’ve made plans. But this isn’t one of them. 

[southerngoose]

Each of your cruises stop in Canada solely to comply with the Jones Act so that they can have foreign crew.   It's not your responsibility to worry about it.   It's up to the cruise line to either have the foreign port involved or to have an all American crew.   That's why NCL's ship in Hawaii has all American crew (to avoid the trip to Fanning Island, which many cruises used to do).   You can start/end in the USA, as long as you stop in a foreign port, you don't have to have an all American crew.

[cruisestitch]

35 minutes ago, southerngoose said:

Each of your cruises stop in Canada solely to comply with the Jones Act so that they can have foreign crew.   It's not your responsibility to worry about it.   It's up to the cruise line to either have the foreign port involved or to have an all American crew.   That's why NCL's ship in Hawaii has all American crew (to avoid the trip to Fanning Island, which many cruises used to do).   You can start/end in the USA, as long as you stop in a foreign port, you don't have to have an all American crew.

Alas, I’m afraid you are mixed up in several regards.

 

Jones Act deals with cargo.  PVSA deals with passengers.

 

Yes, you can start and end in the US, but certain conditions must be met.  If you are starting and ending in the same US port (closed loop), you must visit any foreign port. But if you are starting and ending in different US ports on a one-way, open jaw trip you must visit a DISTANT foreign port as defined in the act. No location in Canada qualifies as a distant foreign port.

[Alakegirl]

1 hour ago, kaysha2004 said:

The cruise line would not offer any cruise that breaks the law.  You're good to go. 

You are correct that’ a cruise line would not offer any single cruise that breaks the law.  The problem could come up when two or more cruises are scheduled back to back. However, in this case, there is no problem.

[Cruise Junky]

You start in the US and end in Canada. No PVSA violation.  

[the penguins]

16 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

The cruise line would not offer any cruise that breaks the law.  You're good to go. 

you have more faith in X than I do.

Not quiet the same but we booked a Transatlantic from Miami to the UK with stops in New York and Canada before crossing the pond. X booked a Guest Entertainer boarding in Miami, doing his show then disembarking in New York and flying straight out the same day to do 2 shows on different ships.

The US Authorities refused to let him disembark in NY saying he would have to stay on the ship until Canada. X had to accommodate him for the extra days, pay him for the 2 shows he couldn't get to and pay for 2 extra Guest Entertainers to do the ships he missed.

It just goes to show how little knowledge X has (had?) of how the regulations work.

 

 

[mom says]

The answers you received  in your first thread were correct.

[LeeW]

No problem unless the 3rd leg back to Vancouver gets cancelled.  People had problems on Royal when ship wasn't able to sail.  Pretty rare, though.

[cruisestitch]

What third leg? The OP has stated that there are two cruises back to back.

[d9704011]

10 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

What third leg? The OP has stated that there are two cruises back to back.

My guess is it's a reference to the return 'leg' of the Vancouver to Alaska round trip.