Why can't cruise ships go from one U.S. city to another without including a non-US port?

Question

Why can't cruise ships go from one U.S. city to another without including a non-US port?

Answer 1

The Jones Act

Answer 2

The origin of this rule, named the "Jones Act", was to "protect" U.S. flagged (U.S. built) ships from foreign competition - it was meant to give our ships an advantage over others, and maintain shipbuilding jobs in the U.S.  Another little known but very important advantage is that the cost of meetings held aboard U.S. flagged cruise ships can be fully deductible for tax purposes while meetings held aboard foreign-flagged cruise ships do not qualify for either personal or corporate tax deduction.   Most cruise lines are not U.S. flagged, (you'll see a statement like "ship's registry - Bahamas") for almost all of today's major operators.  

The one exception to this rule is NCL, which, up until last week had three ships in Hawaii, (now two as there was not enough demand to justify three ships) cruising the islands and never requiring a foreign port call.  Their Pride of America was the first U.S. flagged ship in almost 50 years!

If you look at all other cruise lines doing Hawaiian sailings you note that they all start, end, or call at a foreign port - most of them Ensonata, Mexico or Vancouver, Canada

I hope this information was helpful.

Answer 3

There is also the fact that no one would want to go on it.  And yes friends have just taken a cruise that just went to USVI and back--no stops outside of US territory.

But mostly if I wanted to go from Florida to Texas--why would I want to take a cruise?  Cruise ships exist to make money.  And if no one books the cruise, its not worth offering it.  If you wanted to stay in the US, you could drive it or fly it.  

I remember they used to offer a NYC to Charleston to Key West cruise...my parents talked about going on that nearly a decade ago.  The cruise was only offered for about 1 yr.  The water out of NYC is just so choppy that they never offer many out of NYC compared to Miami/Ft Lauderdale.

Answer 4

To follow on from travel guys good answer there is more info below in the link regarding the Jones Act - an incredibly archaic and protectionist piece of legislation (free trade for all? not if the ameican govt can possibly help it!)

The crazy situation is some ships sailing out of San Diego to Hawaii sail back to ensenada, just over the border. they sail in, put one morring line ashore, take it off again then sail upto San Diego - crazy huh?