Can I board and and debark in two different U.S. ports?
No. The Jones Act (also known as the Passenger Services Act) prohibits ships of non-U.S. registry from embarking and debarking guests at two different U.S. ports. Such travel would constitute point-to-point transportation between two U.S. ports which is prohibited on foreign flagged ships. Note: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas; St. Croix; St. John) are not in the category of U.S. ports under this act. The exception to this rule is if the itinerary includes a “distant foreign port”. South America and the ABC Islands (Aruba-Bonaire-Curacao) do qualify as distant foreign ports. Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda and most Caribbean Islands DO NOT qualify as distant foreign ports. Any guest who insists on debarking in this situation (which violates the Jones Act) will accept responsibility for any resulting penalties.
