I've returned from a Carnival Cruise and now can compare.

[ChuckElias]

no ship flying a US flag can sail directly from a US port to a US port

You mean non-US flag, right? NCL's Pride of America is the only ship that can sail directly port-to-port in Hawaii because it's US-flagged.

 

[Phonedave]

You mean non-US flag, right? NCL's Pride of America is the only ship that can sail directly port-to-port in Hawaii because it's US-flagged.

Yep - forgot that one little word.

yes, only a UG flagged ship can go from a US port to a US port.

There are a few other US flagged passenger ships out there, but I don't think any of them go to Hawaii (the US flagged paddle wheelers on the Mississippi sure aren't making that trip)

-dave

 

[Ralphlaw]

I doubt you will find such a cruise. To understand why, you need to know a little about maritime law.

Ships are registered in different countries. That's why when you hear or see ads for cruises you see things like "ships registry - Bahamas". Many ships register in the Bahamas 9or certain other countries) because the fees and regulations are lower there. This is know as a "flag of convenience" . Very few ships fly a US flag, because US charges are so high.

Now we get to the Passenger Services Act of 1800 something. It states that no ship flying a US flag can sail directly from a US port to a US port - it must stop at a foreign port first. That's why many Alaska cruises go into Vancouver, and many Hawaii cruises stop in Mexico. There are very few US flagged cruise ships that can legally go directly from Hawaii to California.

-dave

Thanks for the explanation. Vancouver would probably be fine, or even an intermediate stop in Mexico. Yet I wonder then how cruise ships stop at several Hawaiian ports in a row, and go from Part Canaveral to Key West. It must be the embarkation and destination ports. Rules. Yikes.

 

[ChuckElias]

I wonder then how cruise ships stop at several Hawaiian ports in a row, and go from Part Canaveral to Key West.

It's because there's an exception for vessels returning their passengers to their original ports of departure. So "closed loop" sailings can go directly between US cities as long as they visit a foreign port before returning to their departure port.

The Passenger Vessel Services Act, however,

• does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from and returning to the same U.S. port, provided the ship visits any foreign port;
• does not prohibit foreign-flagged ships departing from a U.S. port, visiting a distant foreign port, and then continuing to a second U.S. port. However, in order to embark in a U.S. port and disembark in a second U.S. port, the vessel must visit a distant foreign port outside of North America (Central America, Bermuda. the Bahamas, and all of the Caribbeanexcept Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, count as part of North America);
• does not prevent a ship from taking on passengers at a U.S. port and then returning them to another U.S. city by ground or air, or vice versa, as long as the cruise ship returns to its departing point without stopping (a "cruise to nowhere"), or stops in at least one distant foreign port.

 

[ChuckElias]

only a UG flagged ship can go from a US port to a US port.

I was going to make a joke about University of Georgia, but I think they usually refer to themselves as UGA.

 

[Phonedave]

It's because there's an exception for vessels returning their passengers to their original ports of departure. So "closed loop" sailings can go directly between US cities as long as they visit a foreign port before returning to their departure port.

Which means the OP is not going to find a one way cruise from Hawaii to any other American port, unless the ship stops in a non-North American port first. The best he may find is one way between Hawaii and Canada or Mexico, but that is highly unlikely as well. There are not many one way cruises out there, and the ones that are, are repositioning cruises.

-dave

 

[Ralphlaw]

I think there should be an exception for Hawaii. Apparently a round trip cruise to and from Hawaii entails about 10 days at sea. Nice, but I think most people would get at least slightly bored being on that same ship for 10 full days at sea.

One way cruises would also seem to be a great compliment to Aulani--stay at Aulani before or after a cruise, and fly there or back for the other part of it. Maybe some powerful Hawaiian politician could get an exception written into the laws. Hawaii and Aulani are on our bucket list, but the biggest downside is two long flights. Breaking it up with days at sea, and port stops on the other Hawaiian islands, would be a far greater trip than 2 long flights just to stay at a Disney hotel just on Oahu.

Yeah, it seems that Vancouver might be doable via some other cruise line. We'll keep that in mind. Thanks, everyone, for your help.

 

[ChuckElias]

I think most people would get at least slightly bored being on that same ship for 10 full days at sea.

Apparently, you've never met my wife. LOL

 

[Phonedave]

I think there should be an exception for Hawaii. Apparently a round trip cruise to and from Hawaii entails about 10 days at sea. Nice, but I think most people would get at least slightly bored being on that same ship for 10 full days at sea.

One way cruises would also seem to be a great compliment to Aulani--stay at Aulani before or after a cruise, and fly there or back for the other part of it. Maybe some powerful Hawaiian politician could get an exception written into the laws. Hawaii and Aulani are on our bucket list, but the biggest downside is two long flights. Breaking it up with days at sea, and port stops on the other Hawaiian islands, would be a far greater trip than 2 long flights just to stay at a Disney hotel just on Oahu.

Yeah, it seems that Vancouver might be doable via some other cruise line. We'll keep that in mind. Thanks, everyone, for your help.

"They" have been trying to do that for years. Not just an exception for Hawaii cruises, but for all cruises. The original law was created to protect American shipping. It was created long before anyone thought about getting on a ship and sailing around for the fun of it. They Wanted people shipping goods from say New York Harbor to Baltimore Harbor to use American flagged ships. The effort to get that law re-written continues.

-dave

 

[Ralphlaw]

Another idea, pay for a full round trip cruise, and then get off the boat on Oahu. If you're made of money, which I am certainly not, it might be an option.

 

[Bolna]

Another idea, pay for a full round trip cruise, and then get off the boat on Oahu. If you're made of money, which I am certainly not, it might be an option.

The cruise line will still be fined for you being a passenger transported from one US port to the other and might have the possibilty to pass on that fine to you if you get off the ship for something that is not an emergency or so.

 

[Ralphlaw]

I already posted this elsewhere, but it bears repeating that the NCL Hawaiian cruises seem to have cabin arrangements that wouldn't work for us. I have a teenage son and 9 year old daughter, and having them sleep in the same bed would be a headache. Are there any Hawaii trips that would have the standard DCL arrangement of one big bed and two beds (bunks or whatever) for the kids? Thanks.