
A Hong Kong cruise into 'international waters' can be a lonesome affair - samclemens
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1680505/cruise-international-waters-proves-be-eerily-quiet-affair
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fiatmoney
"Beyond those 24 nautical miles lie the high seas, where national laws have no
authority"

That's not really the case. A nation's EEZ (exclusive economic zone) extends
at least 200 miles, within which a nation has certain rights to regulate
economic activities. The flag country has jurisdiction over the ship at all
times. And, the flag country can make whatever arrangements they want with
other powers. For instance, it's routine for the US Coast Guard to stop ships
travelling in "international waters" because it has agreements with, eg, the
government of Panama that it may do so.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_th...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea)

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jzwinck
> most [cruise ships] are registered under flags of convenience for tax
> purposes

I wonder why countries allow this. For example, by withholding
(dis)embarkation services from vessels known to be flouting the local tax
system. It's one thing to travel around the world on a ship registered in
Panama. It's another to book a one-night hotel stay on a ship which never
leaves radio distance of your home, yet claims no tie to your country.

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erehweb
See the Jones act
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920)
which forbids this. Means that cruise ships can't go from one U.S. port to
another. [http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2011/09/articles/flags-of-
conve...](http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2011/09/articles/flags-of-
convenience-1/why-cant-you-cruise-from-one-us-port-to-another-us-port/)

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Dylan16807
_foreign_ cruise ships

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erehweb
Yes, non-U.S.-flagged, which is almost all cruise ships.

~~~
Dylan16807
It may be a majority but that's only for tax reasons. A lot more ships would
be locally-flagged if they weren't using it as a loophole.

