# Cruise to Nowhere Prostitution.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487 "2010-04-17T22:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/1 "2010-04-17T22:23:18Z")
A favorite among coastal states is the “Cruise to Nowhere” gambling where a ship will take people offshore, outside of the three mile state waters and then open up the slot machines, table games, sports books, and other types of gambling that is prohibited by state law. Since Nevada has legal prostitution, and it is generally a state and not federal prohibition, what is to stop a company from offering a cruise in a coastal state that sails three miles off shore and then offers full-scale prostitution services once anchored? Please refrain from any puns resulting from “seamen” 😉 ETA: and “gives new meaning to ‘all hands on deck’” is also verboten 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/2 "2010-04-17T22:25:27Z")
Gives a whole new meaning to “thar she blows”. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/3 "2010-04-17T22:27:07Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Gives a whole new meaning to “thar she blows”. Damn.. I knew I missed an obvious one.. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/4 "2010-04-17T22:36:46Z")
Where is the boat registered… docking… loading… unloading… etc? I believe the jurisdicktion is affected somewhat by these issues. How about plugging holes? Verboten? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/5 "2010-04-17T22:37:53Z")
Sailing a boat around the coastal waters of Nevada is not going to be limited to Legal problems. Some pragmatic problems might arise as well. Tris ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/6 "2010-04-17T22:50:21Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > what is to stop a company from offering a cruise in a coastal state that sails three miles off shore and then offers full-scale prostitution services once anchored? It is my understanding there are a number of federal laws in place to curb ‘sex tourism’ that could be used to prosecute people involved. Might even be possible to operate within these laws, but nobody seems to be willing to take up that fight. Those willing to fight against the current prostitution laws would much rather make the fight for legalized prostitution within our boarders. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/7 "2010-04-17T23:17:07Z")
In any case it probably doesn’t make much commercial sense; high class escorts are available everywhere and the fees that er, less desirable, workers would command wouldn’t justify it. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/8 "2010-04-17T23:30:15Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > In any case it probably doesn’t make much commercial sense; high class escorts are available everywhere and the fees that er, less desirable, workers would command wouldn’t justify it. Last I heard, most cruise ship crews were not famous for using american crews. Plenty of desparate folks in 3rd world countries who do much worse than cabin hopping for a living. Probably be a hundred times safer WRT abuse, that passenger/guest has nowhere to run or hide. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/9 "2010-04-17T23:42:58Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > It is my understanding there are a number of federal laws in place to curb ‘sex tourism’ that could be used to prosecute people involved. Might even be possible to operate within these laws, but nobody seems to be willing to take up that fight. Those willing to fight against the current prostitution laws would much rather make the fight for legalized prostitution within our boarders. I thought those laws were geared towards child prostitution. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about 21 year old (or 18 whatever) consenting adults agreeing to a price paid for sex. I understand that escorts and whatnot are defacto prostitution services, but this cruise would not be a female vice undercover waiting to bust a would-be john.. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/10 "2010-04-17T23:45:06Z")
Sort of along the same lines as what **Angry Lurker** says, just look at how few legal brothels there are in Nevada (and how little business most of them seem to do). Legal prostitution in general just isn’t that popular, or at least people don’t seem to be willing to go through the inconvenience of traveling for it (even in Vegas, where it’s only a 45-minute drive). I think your hooker cruise to nowhere has to have more than just legal prostitution going for it. Maybe whale watching? Dinner theater? ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/11 "2010-04-18T00:24:45Z")
I suspect that a company running such a cruise would be found in violation of the Mann Act. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann\_Act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Act) ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/12 "2010-04-18T00:37:29Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I suspect that a company running such a cruise would be found in violation of the Mann Act. > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann\_Act](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Act) No interstate travel here…in one state…out of territorial waters..back into a state… ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/13 "2010-04-18T01:34:50Z")
A brothel in a large US city, on the grounds of a foreign embassy, of [a nation that has legalized prostitution,](http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/10_04/redlight2510_468x325.jpg) on a raft in a swimming pool, that has one of those “swim at home” [smartpools](http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2008/11/1/business/b_pg06smartpool.jpg), basically a whorehouseboat on a treadmill. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/14 "2010-04-18T01:38:36Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > It is my understanding there are a number of federal laws in place to curb ‘sex tourism’ that could be used to prosecute people involved. Might even be possible to operate within these laws, but nobody seems to be willing to take up that fight. Those willing to fight against the current prostitution laws would much rather make the fight for legalized prostitution within our boarders. Having read up on this (in reliable popular references) a while ago, the key point to the sex tourism laws is that they make it illegal to leave the country _for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct that would be a crime if committed within the U.S._ That’s the trick – it’s not that you’re going somewhere where it’s legal, it’s that you’re leaving the U.S. to commit one particular form of “illegal behavior,” that being shorthand for “behavior that would be illegal if done in the U.S.” The crime consists in leaving the country with that particular intent. Should you go to, say, Helsinki\* to buy Finnish crafts for your chain of variety stores, and incidentally pick up a prostitute while there, you haven’t left the country for the purpose of sex. But if you leave with the intent of sex, you’ve broken that law. So a cruise to nowhere would fall afoul of that. (Note that it doesn’t apply to gambling, etc., just to sex.) \*I’d originally intended to use Thailand for my example, but I decided Bangkok was probably covered by the no-unnecessary-punning prohibition of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/15 "2010-04-18T01:45:32Z")
Now if they made the cruise into a _Hostel_ type situation- then it’d be a hit! ---
**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:** [April 18, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/16 "2010-04-18T02:04:19Z")
Thread from ten years ago asking the same question: > **[Could one provide legal prostitution on a cruise ship?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=28548)** > > 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:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/17 "2010-04-18T02:05:14Z")
Leaving aside the legalities, I think the market isn’t there. People are willing to take a cruise so they can spend all day in a casino. But who wants to spend all day in a brothel? You’re not going to find a group of men who are going to want to sit around while the ship sails out, wait their turn while it sails around in circles, then sail back to harbor - all while everyone is trying to avoid looking at each other. And while gambling is socially acceptable for the most part, prostitution isn’t. Few people are going to want to buy a ticket on the Love Boat and reveal themselves as johns. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/18 "2010-04-18T02:10:53Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > No interstate travel here…in one state…out of territorial waters..back into a state… You don’t actually have to enter another state to violate the Mann Act. You only have to **leave** one state. > [@](#): > > Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the term “interstate commerce,” as used in this Act, shall include transportation from any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, and the term “foreign commerce,” as used in this Act, shall include transportation from any State or Territory or the District of Columbia to any foreign country and from any foreign country to any State or Territory or the District of Columbia. [http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/knockout/mannact\_text.html](http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/knockout/mannact_text.html) [http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/interstate-commerce/](http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/interstate-commerce/) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/19 "2010-04-18T04:21:30Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > …basically a whorehouseboat on a treadmill. Would a whorehouse on a treadmill fly? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487/20 "2010-04-18T07:42:16Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > You don’t actually have to enter another state to violate the Mann Act. You only have to **leave** one state. > > [http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/knockout/mannact\_text.html](http://www.pbs.org/unforgivableblackness/knockout/mannact_text.html) > > [http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/interstate-commerce/](http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/interstate-commerce/) I’m curious about one thing. Does this mean that though prostitution is legal in Nevada, actually GOING to Nevada for the purposes of visiting a brothel is in violation of the Mann act? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-to-nowhere-prostitution/536487.md?page=2)