Dec 14, 2007
Cruises of Hawaii on any ship other than the two belonging to Norwegian America Line, may soon become more difficult to enjoy
In order to give a near-monopoly to the Norwegian America Line (a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line) in sailing among the Hawaiian Islands (Norwegian promised to hire American crew, and to abide by American labor laws), Congress provided that non-American cruiselines could visit Hawaii only if they stopped, at some point of the itinerary, in a non-American destination (which is difficult, indeed).
Some foreign ship lines complied with that requirement by scheduling an absurd overnight side trip to Fanning Island in the Pacific, after first sailing to Hawaii. More of them decided to stop in Ensenada, Mexico, just south of San Diego, in the course of the cruise. Typically, a cruiseline would set off from Los Angeles, stop briefly in Ensenada (even if for less than an hour, and sometimes in the middle of the night), then make the long crossing to Hawaii, then cruise the Hawaiian Islands.
On a separate cruise starting from Hawaii, they would sail back to North America, stop briefly in Ensenada, and then return to Los Angeles. Many of our readers may have been attracted by these nine-day cruises to Hawaii involving a brief (almost unnoticed) stop in Ensenada on one leg of the cruise.
But that's about to become more difficult. Norwegian America Line has complained bitterly about these one-hour stops in Ensenada, and the authorities have agreed to put an end to such artificial compliance. From now on, they have announced, the Ensenada stop must be the real thing, of at least a day's duration, disgorging passengers onto the shore to imbibe the pleasures of Ensenada.
So if you're scheduled for an Ensenada-stopping cruise to Hawaii, you might think again. Because of the need for a real stopover in Ensenada, you will need to spend most of your remaining time simply at sea, and relatively little of it in Hawaii. Which means that an all-Hawaii cruise by Norwegian America line (with U.S. crew members) may be your only realistic option.
Write and read comments about this post.
Some foreign ship lines complied with that requirement by scheduling an absurd overnight side trip to Fanning Island in the Pacific, after first sailing to Hawaii. More of them decided to stop in Ensenada, Mexico, just south of San Diego, in the course of the cruise. Typically, a cruiseline would set off from Los Angeles, stop briefly in Ensenada (even if for less than an hour, and sometimes in the middle of the night), then make the long crossing to Hawaii, then cruise the Hawaiian Islands.
On a separate cruise starting from Hawaii, they would sail back to North America, stop briefly in Ensenada, and then return to Los Angeles. Many of our readers may have been attracted by these nine-day cruises to Hawaii involving a brief (almost unnoticed) stop in Ensenada on one leg of the cruise.
But that's about to become more difficult. Norwegian America Line has complained bitterly about these one-hour stops in Ensenada, and the authorities have agreed to put an end to such artificial compliance. From now on, they have announced, the Ensenada stop must be the real thing, of at least a day's duration, disgorging passengers onto the shore to imbibe the pleasures of Ensenada.
So if you're scheduled for an Ensenada-stopping cruise to Hawaii, you might think again. Because of the need for a real stopover in Ensenada, you will need to spend most of your remaining time simply at sea, and relatively little of it in Hawaii. Which means that an all-Hawaii cruise by Norwegian America line (with U.S. crew members) may be your only realistic option.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: cruises, hawaii, red tape
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
