Passenger Vessel Services Act (Jones Act)

Certain countries, such as the U.S., Italy and Norway have cabotage laws affecting passenger movement. These laws restrict foreign flag passenger vessels (such as those operated by Royal Caribbean) from transporting passengers from one port to another port in the same country. In the U.S., the cabotage law applicable to the cruise industry is commonly referred to as The Jones Act, but is legally titled the Passenger Vessel Services Act

 

Summary of Jones Act

If a passenger (as listed on a vessel passenger manifest) embarks in a U.S. port and the vessel calls in a nearby foreign port (such as Ensenada, Grand Cayman and Nassau) and then returns to the U.S., the person must disembark in the same U.S. port.

A passenger who embarks and disembarks in two different U.S. ports (such as Los Angeles and San Diego) would result in the carrier (not the violator) being fined. The vessel must call in a distant foreign port before the U.S. embarkation and disembarkation ports can differ. The nearest distant foreign ports are in or off the coast of South America. If either the passenger's embarkation port or disembarkation port is in a foreign country, then the provisions of this cabotage law do not apply; nor do they apply in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Similar passenger movement restrictions exist for cruise vessels calling in Italy, Canada and Norway.