Another amusing faux pas

[Bob DeMattia]

We may have strayed off topic, but I'll add one more comment (Responding to
Garrett's comments).


> Some cruise ships are U.S.-flag vessels, even those owned by the same
> company as the big "flag of convenience" cruise brands.


True


> Under U.S. law, a foreign-flag vessel may not make consecutive calls at
> U.S. ports, so a cruise operator who wanted to call at both Juneau and
> Anchorage, for example, would have to use a U.S.-registered ship,
> whereas the Boston-Nassau cruises that run in the summer can be
> Bahamian, Panamanian, Liberian, Norwegian, or indeed any other
> country's vessels


You are referring to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, but this only
applies
to embarkation-disembarkation, not to just stopping along the way.  Since
most
cruise itineraries pick up and drop off at the same location, it doesn't
apply
to them.  I've been on several cruises (including the one I was just on)
where
we've stopped consecutive US ports.  Check out the itinerary of almost any
Alaska cruise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886





> The choice of flag matters for more than just
> safety inspection: for the owner of the vessel, the flag country may
> offer benefits in terms of legal protection, insurance regulations,
> and so on.


Correct.  That flag matters little for safety regulations as USCG will
apply to ships operated in US waters.  However, it makes a big
difference on a number of contractual and liability issues.

-Bob