What Are Cruises to Nowhere, and Can You Experience One?

Would you consider a cruise that doesn’t actually set sail to any destination?

It may sound peculiar, but cruises to nowhere—trips without any scheduled ports—were once quite popular among North American travelers.

Cruises to nowhere departing from the U.S. were fairly routine until U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced a crackdown on a long-standing law known as the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which imposes certain restrictions that impact these types of cruises.

So, what exactly are cruises to nowhere, how does the PVSA influence them, and are they still available? Here’s everything you should know.

What Exactly Are Cruises to Nowhere?

Cruises to nowhere are trips that venture out to sea for a day or two without making any port stops, before returning to the original departure port.

You might be curious why someone would choose a cruise with no stops, but many people simply relish the experience of being at sea, where they can unwind, sleep in, indulge in a spa treatment, enjoy a show, relax by the pool, and have meals prepared for them over a few leisurely days.

Cruises to nowhere provide a great opportunity for first-time travelers to determine whether a cruise experience suits them. They are ideal for those who have limited time or budget for a vacation.

What Became of Cruises to Nowhere?

Up until 2016, cruise lines frequently offered cruises to nowhere. This trend shifted in 2015 when CBP announced stricter enforcement of the Passenger Vessel Services Act for the following year.

According to the act, cruises to nowhere are legal; however, the type of visa most crew members use does not comply with the PVSA requirements for these cruises, which led to cruise lines largely discontinuing them.

What Does PVSA Stand For?

Essentially, the PVSA — a derivative of the more widely recognized Jones Act, which pertains to cargo ships rather than passenger vessels — stipulates that foreign-flagged cruise ships departing from U.S. ports must make at least one stop at a foreign port before returning to the U.S. at the end of their journey.

A lesser-known aspect of the act pertains to crew visas, detailing the duration that visa holders can stay in the U.S. Many crew members operate on D-1 visas, which restrict their stay to short periods, necessitating their quick departure afterward.

On cruises to nowhere, since there are no foreign port calls between a ship's departure from and return to a U.S. port, crew members on such voyages effectively stay within the U.S. and do not leave. Consequently, crew members holding D-1 visas would be in violation of their terms — a risk that cruise lines prefer to avoid due to substantial penalties.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. In emergencies, such as hurricanes or other weather-related challenges that prevent a ship from reaching the required foreign port before heading back to the U.S., the U.S. government may grant exemptions. However, such circumstances are infrequent, and cruises intended to be to nowhere are typically not planned as such.

In summary

While cruises to nowhere provided affordable, short getaways for travelers, they have become obsolete when departing from the U.S. This decline is due to inconsistencies between the PVSA's regulations and the types of visas that crew members typically hold to work on cruise ships.

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