The simple answer to this question is because there is a 1830s law on the books that states that foreign-flagged ships are not supposed to transport passengers from one U.S. port to another without stopping in a foreign country.
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If a cruise ship does want to sail from U.S. port to U.S. port — without stopping in a foreign country — then they have to be flagged in the United States, which also means having an American crew. At this time there is one major cruise ship that does this: Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America.
Pride of America CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHTSAs the only U.S. flagged cruise ship, Pride of America sails year round from Honolulu, giving you the freedom and flexibility to vacation on your schedule.
If you are a US citizen, you can take a “closed-loop cruise” (one that begins and ends at the same port) to The Bahamas without a passport. Instead, you'll need to present another proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID.
Well, the major factor is that cruise lines do not have to abide by United States labor laws for their foreign flagged ships that also sail to international ports of call. This means that the cruise lines are free to hire people from just about any country in the world.
However, in most cases, you won't need one. This is because the majority of cruises that you'll find taking off from the U.S. and heading down to the Bahamas operate on a closed loop. Closed-loop cruises are those that take off from a U.S. port, visit at least one foreign port of call and then return to that same port.
About half of all cruise ships go to a scrapyard in Alang, India. About 30% are sent to scrap yards in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other scrap yards in India. The rest go to scrap yards in China and Turkey.
The salaries of Cruise Ship Captains in the US range from $18,053 to $476,518 , with a median salary of $86,503 . The middle 57% of Cruise Ship Captains makes between $86,503 and $216,093, with the top 86% making $476,518.
How much does a Cruise Ship Worker make? As of Nov 7, 2023, the average annual pay for a Cruise Ship Worker in the United States is $49,005 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $23.56 an hour. This is the equivalent of $942/week or $4,083/month.
Many cruise lines have a direct deposit option for their employees working on cruise ships. This is typically set up before the crewmember even leaves home. Crew members may also choose to wire transfer money to their land-based bank account for a fee.
All travelers are advised to carry a valid passport with them when taking a cruise to Mexico, regardless of their nationality and port of departure. US citizens on closed-loop cruises, meaning they begin and end at the same US port, can travel to Mexico with proof of citizenship other than a passport.
Citizens from countries other than the U.S. and Canada are required to present a valid passport To enter The Bahamas, which must be current up to your travel period, and some countries are also required to have a Bahamas visa.
More often than not, the answer is no. U.S. citizens don't need a passport if the cruise starts and ends in the same U.S. city. This is known as a closed-loop cruise. That said, some may require a passport if you want to disembark at ports in any Caribbean destination.
A particularly large number of employees come from developing countries in Asia and South America. People from the Philippines account for almost 30% of all employees in the global shipping industry.