Any chance Disney will move from Vancouver to Seattle?

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Seems like they would be a lot more likely to be able to sail next summer if they aren't dealing with another country.

 

[disneygeek401]

They still need to visit a foreign port. So all the Alaska sailings that depart from Seattle have to stop in Victoria as Canada is the only foreign country cruise ships could visit when putting together an Alaskan itinerary.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Why do they have to visit a foreign port?

Don't other lines depart Seattle and never stop in Canada?

 

[disneyfaninaz]

The Jones Act requires that non - US registered ships cannot go from US port to US Port and disembark passengers at the end of a cruise, they must stop at a foreign port first. It is an archaic law that should be changed, or at least temporarily amended during these unprecedented times.

 

[starvenger]

It could be amended, sure. But let's be honest - there's a lot more to be concerned about versus changing the Jones Act.

 

[apathetic]

We did an Alaska cruise on DCL out of Seattle. I think they did it for 1 year. The issue comes when they relocate to/from Seattle from other US ports. They are supposed to visit a "distant foreign" port. Being they came from California, that is hard to do. I heard they were fined for not meeting this requirement. Ever since they've gone through Vancouver. Too bad, Seattle was perfect.

 

[bavaria]

There are so many factors that would need to be considered including staffing of ground crew, contracts to vendors, port availability and fees including any fees related to cancelling contracts, changes in advertising and media, impact on passenger feeder markets, etc. All of that would have to be calculated to determine the costs to the cruise line as compared to using a different port. It's not a simple switch to change ports on a permanent basis (vs a last minute itinerary change), and not something which would be done with a few months notice.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Why do they have to visit a foreign port?

Don't other lines depart Seattle and never stop in Canada?

The Jones Act requires that non - US registered ships cannot go from US port to US Port and disembark passengers at the end of a cruise, they must stop at a foreign port first. It is an archaic law that should be changed, or at least temporarily amended during these unprecedented times.

Actually, it's the PVSA (Passenger Vessel Services Act), not the Jones Act. The Jones Act pertains to cargo, the PVSA pertains to passenger vessels.

No, there are no other cruise lines that depart Seattle and never stop in Canada for Alaska cruises.

The PVSA states that foreign-flagged ships must call at a foreign port for all cruises. So, a stop in Canada is the most logical stop for an Alaska cruise.

Since the act has been around long enough to have survived the 1918 pandemic with no changes, I seriously doubt that it will be changed/waived in the current situation. I think congress is too busy with other stuff.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We did an Alaska cruise on DCL out of Seattle. I think they did it for 1 year. The issue comes when they relocate to/from Seattle from other US ports. They are supposed to visit a "distant foreign" port. Being they came from California, that is hard to do. I heard they were fined for not meeting this requirement. Ever since they've gone through Vancouver. Too bad, Seattle was perfect.

Did they go Seattle right up to Alaska or are you just meaning the repo cruises?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did they go Seattle right up to Alaska or are you just meaning the repo cruises?

The repo cruise was LA to Vancouver. Then another (short) repo from Vancouver to Seattle. Many people booked those two B2B, and DCL learned that's not allowed, causing lots of cancellations at the last minute disrupting many people's plans.

 

[JM23457]

Even if they could switch from Vancouver to Seattle, it's not like Seattle is eager to resume being a cruising hub anytime soon.

 

[JM23457]

Duplicate post

 

[Intr3pid]

I hope not. Vancouver is as much an attraction for the Alaskan cruises as Alaska itself.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

All of the cruises from Seattle stop in Victoria. Often it is a 5pm-9pm stop or so. A few do a full day, which is pleasant. Victoria is lovely.

So. Disney would not only have to make the arrangements to homeport Seattle and deal with repo cruising issues, but also negotiate porting at Victoria, which is already pretty busy.

 

[pkgman]

Why do they have to visit a foreign port?

Don't other lines depart Seattle and never stop in Canada?

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, specifically the sections known as the Jones Act regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports.
The law requires that goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in ships flagged by the U.S. that are owned and operated by U.S. citizens.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920, specifically the sections known as the Jones Act regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports.
The law requires that goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in ships flagged by the U.S. that are owned and operated by U.S. citizens.

But we're discussing passenger vessels here. That would be under the PVSA. Not the Jones Act.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In summary:

If DCL changed the registry of the Wonder to the USA, and hired and abided by US employment laws to staff her, they could do Seattle-Alaska all day long without a Canada stop, and repo from San Diego to AK without a foreign stop, and even go Seattle-HI or SD-HI.

But... there is just no way they'll do that.

 

[FigmentSpark]

In summary:

If DCL changed the registry of the Wonder to the USA, and hired and abided by US employment laws to staff her, they could do Seattle-Alaska all day long without a Canada stop, and repo from San Diego to AK without a foreign stop, and even go Seattle-HI or SD-HI.

But... there is just no way they'll do that.

I thought the ship had to be built in the U.S., also to qualify.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I thought the ship had to be built in the U.S., also to qualify.

I think it would be possible to get a waiver on that, as there is no builder of cruise vessels in the US over a certain tonnage. Pride of America was part of a program to start that, but the builder collapsed and the ship was completed in Germany.

 

[sethschroeder]

The Jones Act requires that non - US registered ships cannot go from US port to US Port and disembark passengers at the end of a cruise, they must stop at a foreign port first. It is an archaic law that should be changed, or at least temporarily amended during these unprecedented times.

What should change is these companies skirting around US labor laws and taxes by flagging the ship in a country that they basically never disembark from.