# Could one provide legal prostitution on a cruise ship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372 "2000-06-23T23:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/1 "2000-06-23T23:54:39Z")
Here in South Florida we have a lot of cruise ships that have legal gambling once they are out to sea far enough. Could someone use this same strategy to provide legal prostitution? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/2 "2000-06-24T00:11:26Z")
the law of the ship would be the law of the land where it is registered. what is the flag of convenien… er, of registry? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/3 "2000-06-24T00:19:32Z")
I thought the law of the ship was the law of Mon Capitan. I mean, he has the real power: You’ll not turn him in if the sharks get you first. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/4 "2000-06-24T01:16:42Z")
So, if the law of the country of registry prevails on an offshore vessel (just accepting what’s been posted above), in the case of a United States flagged vessel, is it federal law, or are ships somehow tied to particular states? Any Nevada pleasure boats out there? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/5 "2000-06-24T01:40:33Z")
Places like Liberia and the Bahamas specialize in providing really lax legal codes for ships. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/6 "2000-06-24T01:58:17Z")
beatle, while large ships are registered with the Coast Guard (feds) they also have a port of registry located in some state. I would assume when in the high seas the state and federal laws would apply but this is a WAG. You also understand this is a fairly complex issue and admiralty lawyers make a very good living arguing these things. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/7 "2000-06-24T02:09:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Originaly posted by beatle: > \*\* > Any Nevada pleasure boats out there? > \*\* It is my understanding that there are **no** cruiseships that fly the Star Spangled Banner. Of course, I have been wrong before. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/8 "2000-06-24T02:34:27Z")
If you read the fine print on the cruise ship commercials, you might spot a line like “Ships of Bahaman and Liberian regestry.” IIRC, ships in international waters follow the rules of the country they are regestered in. I probably couldn’t find Liberia on a map, and I suspect that many cruise ship captains coudn’t either, but it must have arranged its laws to make it a very attractive place to register ships. Same for the Bahamas, exept I _can_ find that on a map :). ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/9 "2000-06-24T02:44:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I probably couldn’t find Liberia on a map, and I suspect that many cruise ship captains coudn’t either… I’m not too concerned about you, Dice, but I’m not going offshore with a captain who can’t find Liberia (especially if it _is_ his port of registry). ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/10 "2000-06-24T14:18:22Z")
IIRC, someone did try to run a gambling plus prostitution enterprise on a ship outside the 12 mile limit off the southern California coast years ago but the local and/or federal authorities made it very difficult for the customers to get to and from the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/11 "2000-06-24T15:39:50Z")
Cruise ships? What about the [space shuttle?](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/stories/2015.html) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/12 "2000-06-24T15:47:11Z")
C’mon, aren’t there lawyers here that could answer this? I’d like to get a definitive answer before I buy my purple felt hat and launch the “S.S. Charlie Sheen”. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/13 "2000-06-24T17:21:17Z")
Well, here’s the Links page for [cruiselaw.com.](http://www.cruiselaw.com/links.html) Rummage around and see if it’s in there. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/14 "2000-06-24T20:42:39Z")
And if it _was_ available, would it be included in the price of the cruise? Would we only have to tip the ladies (or gents, if you like them better) after the cruise, like the other staff? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/15 "2000-06-24T21:30:16Z")
Fleetwood, I’ve been trying to think of the pricing structure, and I have a few possibilities: 1. High up front free to get on board, and lesser fees for the girls/gents, on a per-act basis 2. VERY high up front fee, but once you are on, everything is “buffet” style, no money changes hands. Somehow, though, the more popular girls (or gents) should get a higher salary, so somehow each “transaction” should be tracked. 3. Low up front fee, and each girl or gent charges based on demand (with Huggy Revtim getting his cut). ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/16 "2000-06-24T21:41:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Low up front fee, and each girl or gent charges based on demand (with Huggy Revtim getting his cut). That did it. I predict one day, maybe two, before Manhattan closes this thread for discussing the comission of illegal acts. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2000, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/17 "2000-06-24T22:49:28Z")
There is no doubt you can have legal prostitution offshore if you do it right. The question is would it be a viable business and I doubt it. First it means it would pretty much be restricted to male passengers with money to spend on this. Then, this guy gets his first “go” a soon as he’s in international waters… now waht/ he probabbly doesn’t feel like doing it again for quite a while and he’s locked up onboard with this women he really doesn’t want to see (I mean, if he wanted to talk or cuddle after sex, he’d be home with his wife). I just cannot see this as a viable cruise. Keep in mind there _are_ theme cruises, including jazz, homosexual etc. I have seen a video of some cruise of topless women with huge breasts (obviously implants). I am not sure what it was about but I can imagine it was sort of a theme thing, the women get to go free and a bunch of guys, all over 50 and mostly over 60, get to spend their days in this atmosphere and I am sure there was some prostitution involved. But I cannot see having a cruise where prostitution is the main or only theme. Also I doubt the USA would welcome such a ship so you may have to fly the passengers out to somewhere which pretty much defeats the purpose as you might as well do it on land once you are there. For sex tourism there are better alternatives in poor countries where you have other things to do like sightseeing etc. Anyway, don’t count me as an investor… but if you are giving discount coupons I would like to have one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/18 "2000-06-25T00:54:27Z")
> [@](#): > > It is my understanding that there are no cruiseships that fly the Star Spangled Banner. There is one. The S.S. Independence sailing for American Hawaii Cruises is the only oceanliner sailing under the U.S. flag. Got the brochure right here. [http://www.cruisehawaii.com](http://www.cruisehawaii.com) Interesting concept but I think if it was legal it would have been done by now. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/19 "2000-06-25T01:11:54Z")
It probably wouldn’t work as a single theme - floating cathouse - but as an embellishment to, say, a casino cruise? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372/20 "2000-06-25T02:46:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > That did it. I predict one day, maybe two, before Manhattan closes this thread for discussing the comission of illegal acts. > \*\* Since the question actually posed in this thread is the legality of the act, I feel the closing of the thread on those grounds would be wrong. I thought it was clear that I was only proposing this on the grounds that it can be done legally. I _know_ it can be done illegally, there’s no question there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-one-provide-legal-prostitution-on-a-cruise-ship/23372.md?page=2)