Cruises to nowhere that depart the U.S. will come to an end, much to the disappointment of many travellers.
Norwegian and Carnival are among the cruise lines to have already cancelled ‘cruises to nowhere’ that where scheduled for departure in 2016. This comes after a change in the way U.S. government agencies enforce rules around embarkation laws.
A 100-year old law preventing foreign-flagged ships operating round trips from the USA without at least one foreign port of call is now being enforced. It means short, round trip cruises to nowhere may no longer be cleared into or out of U.S. ports.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for clearing ships and it points out that the change in enforcement only applies to foreign-flagged vessels. However, this is of little consolation to travellers as most cruise lines fly flags of convenience (Bermuda, The Bahamas, Panama or Malta). Doing so means they are not subject to the higher taxation and operating expenses of American based companies.
Other countries continue to permit cruises to nowhere, including South Africa and Australia.
About the Author: Jason Kerr
