While our law school community stays hard at work during the summer months, thoughts still occasionally turn toward vacation. Cruises are among the most popular vacation choices for Houston-area residents as the area boasts cruise ports both in Galveston and Pasadena, eliminating the need for costly air travel. Cruising is a big industry for Texas as well. Six percent of all cruise passengers leave from the Texas ports (605,000) and cruise industry expenditures in Texas exceeded $1.26 billion in 2013 ( See , The Contribution of the North American Cruise Industry to the U.S. Economy in 2013 , at 57). As travelers both depart and return from the United States it is easy for many to that these ships are generally not subject to U.S. laws. Here are some things to be aware of if you are planning on taking a cruise vacation. Open Registries: Despite the vast number of cruise ships sailing closed-loop itineraries from United States ports, these ships are nearly exclusively re...
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