Table Of Content
- What scenarios do cruise passengers need to watch out for to avoid a PVSA fine?
- Icon of the Seas
- How to Save Money on a Cruise: 22+ Tips and Tricks
- Why Can't Existing Ships Just Be Reflagged in the United States?
- I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas. These were my 8 favorite amenities on the world's largest cruise ship.
So why would most major large-ship cruise lines continue to register their ships in other countries, such as the Bahamas, Panama, Bermuda and Malta? Building ships on U.S. soil is a much more expensive proposition than in the European shipyards that most lines favor. In addition, U.S.-flagged ships are subject to high American taxes and stricter labor laws, environmental codes and consumer protection laws than ships registered in other countries. There are also cruise ships that are part of smaller lines that are registered in the U.S., including ones operated by Alaska Dream Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions and UnCruise Adventures.
Boardman man faces $50k foreign medical bill following wife's fatal cruise accident - WFMJ
Boardman man faces $50k foreign medical bill following wife's fatal cruise accident.
Posted: Sat, 27 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
What scenarios do cruise passengers need to watch out for to avoid a PVSA fine?
Our policy states that any guest traveling without proper documentation will be denied boarding the ship and will be under full penalty, and therefore, will not be offered a refund or a replacement cruise. Guests must contact the appropriate embassy or consulate of the countries they will be visiting for specific travel documentation requirements. Carnival assumes no responsibility for advising guests of Immigration requirements. Spring and autumn are primetime for 16-day U.S. cruises between Fort Lauderdale and Toronto, Canada on 378-passenger expedition ship Viking Octantis. As on other Viking ocean liners, 24-hour room service, king beds, spacious baths with heated bathroom floors, complimentary wine and beer with meals, and specialty restaurant dining also rank high among included amenities. Ashore, you’ll find a mix of fascinating cities (like Quebec City and New York City) and spectacular scenery.
Icon of the Seas
Inside Passage itineraries are the most popular and cruise lines offer these sailings from May through September. A distant foreign port is defined as any port outside North America, Central America, Bermuda or the West Indies. South American ports and the Leeward Islands of the Netherland Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) are all considered distant foreign ports. That's why any Panama Canal cruise that sails from Florida to California will include a stop in Cartagena, Colombia, or Aruba. In 2011, a bill was introduced in the House proposing to amend Title 46 of the US Code to allow the operation of foreign-flagged cruise ships to operate in United States waters without having to abide by the PVSA’s restrictions.
How to Save Money on a Cruise: 22+ Tips and Tricks
If you're looking to support CruiseHabit.com, check out the CruiseHabit.com shop for cruise accessories and shirts. There are many complicated things at play, as well as confusing information around the current restrictions, but we recently explained the status and offered information about how you can help bring safe cruising back to US ports. The cruise season spans just five months, from mid-November to March, and you'll want to book far in advance so you have time to prepare. Tahiti and the other Society Islands — Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Huahine and Taha'a — offer a setting for celebratory romance that's scenic and sensual. In port, choose from hiking amid boreal forests to sea kayaking among seals and sea otters. You can fish for salmon (and have it shipped home), zipline above a landscape inhabited by black bears and gaze down at massive glaciers from a seaplane or helicopter (and even land atop one).
This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines.
Yet another new drinks venue is Periscope Pub, inspired by Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (and Disney's 1954 movie version of the book and theme park attraction). The bar is designed to look like the Nautilus submarine from the story, complete with a giant periscope, porthole windows and a ceiling designed to look like you're underwater. Like Viking's first 10 ocean ships (one of which has been transferred to a joint venture with a Chinese company), Vela will be a relatively small, elegant vessel designed to appeal to an older crowd looking to explore the world in style and comfort. A creation of the deep-pocketed MSC Group, which already owns MSC Cruises, Explora Journeys plans to launch at least six of the superluxurious vessels by 2028, with the first four being roughly the same size and the last two being even bigger. Designed for 922 passengers, the high-end vessel will be an almost identical sister to Explora 1, the line's first ship, which debuted in August. In design and features, Utopia of the Seas will be nearly identical to Royal Caribbean's last new Oasis Class ship, Wonder of the Seas, which debuted in 2022.
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Under federal law, a foreign-flagged pleasure vessel may be issued a cruising permit by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which enables a vessel to cruise freely in U.S. waters. This sparked a public debate about taxation -- how much money American-based corporations who flag vessels in foreign countries pay to the United States.

We're talking Hawaii, where a seven-night inter-island itinerary visiting four islands doesn't require that you have a passport. These itineraries are offered year-round aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. Expedition cruises generally start at around $12,000 per person, although some major cruise lines offer scenic cruising in Antarctica — with no landings — for under $3,000 per person.
Will These Cruises Be Safe?
In addition, Icon of the Seas will have a record-for-a-ship seven pools, four of which will be at a main pool area called Chill Island. The latter area will be home to the line's first swim-up bar on a ship, Swim and Tonic. Other notable new attractions will include the AquaDome — a massive, glass dome-covered area at the front of the ship.
Additionally, shouldbecruising.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes receive a commission from purchases made through our links. The PVSA and its impact on the cruise industry has been a controversial topic for decades. Pride of America has a predominantly US crew, and the ship was partially built in the United States (construction was started in Mississippi, but completed in Germany). The US government granted a special exemption to allow the mostly German-built ship to have United States registry. Let’s say you’re on a short cruise out of Los Angeles, stopping at California’s Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico before returning to LA.

The price will vary depending on factors like your age, your travel destination, and whether you require additional coverage. Keep a lookout for deals, but remember, the cheapest option isn't always the best. Balance cost with coverage, and ensure you're getting the protection you need at a price that doesn't rock your financial boat.
Equally captivating is Stockholm, where a stroll through Old Town (Gamla Stan) will take you back to medieval times. A visit to the one-of-a-kind Vasa Museum offers a fascinating glimpse at a doomed 17th-century wooden warship, and a few hours in the ABBA Museum will have you humming the band's hits for hours afterward. Be sure to pluck a plumeria blossom and place it behind your left ear — to signify that your heart is spoken for. Imagine the joy of ticking many bucket list boxes on Viking World Voyage II, Viking's 163-day world cruise on board the 930-passenger Viking Sky in 2025.
This distinction often confuses passengers trying to book back-to-back sailings who find their request denied even though each individual sailing meets the PVSA requirements. That's because a back-to-back sailing is still considered one transport vs. two distinct sailings, even though cruisers need to debark their ship between cruises and meet with Customs and Border Patrol for inspection before reboarding. Because you’ve been transported by a foreign-flagged ship to another US port without visiting a distant foreign port, it’s a violation of the PVSA. Often called the ABC islands, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are West Indies islands, but are considered distant foreign ports by US Customs and Border Protection. So, ports in Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Central American countries, and most West Indies islands are not distant foreign ports. Basically, the PVSA prohibits foreign ships over five tons from carrying passengers from one US port to another without stopping at a foreign port.
But they're far from being the only major new cruise vessels arriving during the next 12 months. One of the big questions potential guests have is about masks, and whether guests will be required to wear them. It’s easy to suggest that if all guests are vaccinated, that the need isn’t there.
There are several US cruise lines that operate small ships within the United States. Companies including American Cruise Lines, UnCruise Adventures, and Alaskan Dream Cruises all have US ships and crew. Their US-flagged ships are permitted to operate in US waters without having to visit a foreign port. The memories of the challenges European cruisers faced last year surely contribute to U.S. cruises’ popularity boost.
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