Because Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Americans, you would think that there would be plenty of cruises from the west coast of the U.S. to the Hawaiian Islands. You'd be wrong. A maritime law passed in 1920 to protect U.S. shipping interests makes it very difficult. The law - commonly known as the Jones Act - prevents foreign cruise ships from boarding passengers in one U.S. port and letting them disembark in another unless they visit a foreign country at some time during their voyage. Since the only two foreign countries anywhere near the U.S. and Hawaii are Canada and Mexico, that really limits the options.
With so many U.S. cruise lines, you may be wondering how this applies to them. The answer is that to save money, all U.S. cruise lines - except one - register their ships in other countries, such as the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) believed that the market for Hawaii cruises was big enough to offset the added expense of registering their Pride of America in the U.S. And today, it's the only U.S.-flagged cruise ship. They also had to hire U.S. staff and crew, which were more expensive than foreign crew.
All the other cruise ships that let passengers travel one way to Hawaii start their Hawaii cruises in Vancouver, British Columbia, in order to comply with the Jones Act. Carnival, Princess, and Royal Caribbean all have repositioning cruises from Vancouver to Hawaii at the end of the Alaska cruising season.
Disney Cruise Line Another choice coming in 2012 for cruises leaving from Galveston is the Disney cruise line. This is a perfect addition to help families enjoy a cruse together as Disney cruise lines cater to children and adults alike. They will begin voyaging from Galveston in September of 2012. There will be a total of five voyages in September aboard the "Disney Magic" ship to the western Caribbean. The Disney cruises will range from six to eight nights and passengers will spend three to four days aboard the ship. They will sail to the Grand Cayman, Key West, Florida, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Disney will also offer the Atlantis submarine expedition, dolphin encounters, scuba diving, kayak tours, golfing expeditions, and Mayan ruin tours as their shore excursion packages.
When selecting which around the world cruise to have, compare the duration of the cruise to the number of stopovers. If the cruise is one hundred days and you merely visit 50 stopovers, then you'll waste 50 days on the cruise ship with nothing to observe but water.
A shorter cruise might be a far better deal since the ship is a lot faster and so will spend less time on the open sea. Take into consideration getting an international cell phone plan if staying in touch with friends as well as loved ones back home is essential.
You can bring your laptop on the cruise and make phone calls online after you get back to the ship. Remember that there are a lot of things you'll have to pay for aside from your passage. You will need to pay for your own beverages, sightseeing tours as well as tips to ship's staff, among other things.
With so many U.S. cruise lines, you may be wondering how this applies to them. The answer is that to save money, all U.S. cruise lines - except one - register their ships in other countries, such as the Bahamas. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) believed that the market for Hawaii cruises was big enough to offset the added expense of registering their Pride of America in the U.S. And today, it's the only U.S.-flagged cruise ship. They also had to hire U.S. staff and crew, which were more expensive than foreign crew.
All the other cruise ships that let passengers travel one way to Hawaii start their Hawaii cruises in Vancouver, British Columbia, in order to comply with the Jones Act. Carnival, Princess, and Royal Caribbean all have repositioning cruises from Vancouver to Hawaii at the end of the Alaska cruising season.
Disney Cruise Line Another choice coming in 2012 for cruises leaving from Galveston is the Disney cruise line. This is a perfect addition to help families enjoy a cruse together as Disney cruise lines cater to children and adults alike. They will begin voyaging from Galveston in September of 2012. There will be a total of five voyages in September aboard the "Disney Magic" ship to the western Caribbean. The Disney cruises will range from six to eight nights and passengers will spend three to four days aboard the ship. They will sail to the Grand Cayman, Key West, Florida, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Disney will also offer the Atlantis submarine expedition, dolphin encounters, scuba diving, kayak tours, golfing expeditions, and Mayan ruin tours as their shore excursion packages.
When selecting which around the world cruise to have, compare the duration of the cruise to the number of stopovers. If the cruise is one hundred days and you merely visit 50 stopovers, then you'll waste 50 days on the cruise ship with nothing to observe but water.
A shorter cruise might be a far better deal since the ship is a lot faster and so will spend less time on the open sea. Take into consideration getting an international cell phone plan if staying in touch with friends as well as loved ones back home is essential.
You can bring your laptop on the cruise and make phone calls online after you get back to the ship. Remember that there are a lot of things you'll have to pay for aside from your passage. You will need to pay for your own beverages, sightseeing tours as well as tips to ship's staff, among other things.
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