Why are Cruises to Nowhere Illegal in the USA? | CruiseRadio

A cruise to nowhere by definition is a short itinerary that sails roundtrip from a port of call without making any stops.
Essentially, the ship leaves port and sails in a big circle only to return a day or two later.
This type of cruise was generally most common when a short itinerary was needed to help fill out the schedule of a ship.
For example, if a ship returned to its homeport on a Friday fresh off a special 12-day itinerary and was slated to begin doing regular, 7-day sailings on Saturday morning, the cruise line might opt to throw a one-time-only one-night “cruise to nowhere” into the mix.