Well there may be have been exceptions put into the law that I'm not aware of. In general, cruise ship can't stop at two American ports unless it is an American flag ship which usually involves and American maritime union crew. Perhaps the Alaskan cruise ships are American flag?
>> I'm not too surprised. <<
The airlines used to have similar protection set up around the same time. Domestically the C.A.B., Civil Aeronautics Board,
used to set rates and airlines competed on schedule, movies, meals, and free drinks, not price. I drove from California to Pennsysvania and back by car more than once because it was cheaper to drive than to fly. There was a famous price deregulation of the airline industry and airlines became free to compete on price and drive each other into bankruptcy. Free drinks and movies disappeared, airline food became lousy and more recently non-existant but at least now I can afford to fly!
Trans Atlantic flight rates remained fixed under international treaty for a long time and the Europeans had to be dragged kicking and screaming into price deregulation because soo many of them had national flag carriers that couldn't handle price competition. I think some international routes are still price regulated.
Price deregulation has hurt the airlines and the unions that serve them, but the greater public has benefited from the reduced fares even it you don't get a free drink or a steak dinner anymore. The airfares were very visible to the public.
Commercial ocean shipping rates are not. |
