Jones Act<\/a>, which deals with ships that carry cargo instead of passengers \u2014 states that foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports must call on at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. at the conclusion of a voyage.<\/p>\nHowever, a lesser-known portion of the act addresses crew visas and what they permit in terms of how long visa holders can remain in the U.S. Many crew members work on ships using D-1 visas, which allow them only to stay in the U.S. for brief periods of time with the intention that they leave again almost immediately.<\/p>\n
On cruises to nowhere, because there are no foreign port stops between a ship’s departure from a U.S. port and its return to a U.S. port, crew members on those types of voyages essentially remain in the U.S. and don’t leave. In those instances, crew members with D-1 visas would be out of compliance \u2014 something that cruise lines no longer want to risk due to steep penalties.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Are there exceptions?<\/h2>\n
Yes. In the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane or other weather-related issue that prevents a ship from calling on the necessary foreign port before returning to the U.S., the U.S. government can issue exemptions. However, that type of situation is rare, and those types of cruises to nowhere are not originally planned to be cruises to nowhere.<\/p>\n
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