The Jones act is for cargo. The equivalent for passenger ships (including cruise liners) is the Passenger Vessel Services Act[1], and it has a number of exempti

The Jones act is for cargo. The equivalent for passenger ships (including cruise liners) is the Passenger Vessel Services Act[1], and it has a number of exemptions carved out for popular cruise routes. For example, http://cruise.expedia.com/Itinerary5.aspx?item=849031 http://cruise.expedia.com/Itinerary5.aspx?item=849031 is a foreign-built foreign-flagged ship that departs from San Francisco, docks in Los Angeles, and has a final destination of Miami. This is permitted because the itinerary includes a port outside of North America. Plus, the PSVA is implemented as a monetary fine. There are cruise lines that will let passengers violate PSVA for an additional fee. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_...