Carnival Cruises and the Soldier Who Almost Missed the Ship
December 20, 2005
It was going to be a sweet homecoming for Lt. Col James Paul Thomas, a 54-year old Army officer who recently got a respite from the Middle East so that he could spend time with his family over Christmas. And although the thought of hugging his wife, Edna, and their sons, James and Clint, was likely the first thing on his mind, he was no doubt excited about the Caribbean cruise vacation with Carnival Cruises he and his family were going to take.
The sacrifices he had made in the Middle East, not to mention the 48-hour transit time it took to get home, were going to make the reunion and the vacation that followed a special start to the holidays. The trip hit a minor snafu when his flight out of Kuwait was delayed - a delay which would cause him to miss the Carnival Cruises Glory's departure from the city of Port Canaveral, Florida. Still, he and his family assumed that he would simply be able to board in Key West, Florida, a day later. That, however, was not the case - at least not initially.
For Thomas to do that would technically be a violation of the Jones Act. The Jones Act of 1917 is a federal law enacted by Woodrow Wilson and Congress that prohibits passengers to board a foreign flagged ship in one U.S. port of call and get off in a different U.S. port of call. The Carnival Glory, registered in Panama, is just one of many cruise ships owned by American cruise lines that carry a foreign flag.
It was only after his family's arrival at Port Canaveral that they learned that Thomas's flight from the Middle East was delayed. So, Thomas planned on catching a flight into Key West from Miami and boarding the cruise ship a day after his family. After that, they'd be Caribbean bound. Yet when his wife contacted Carnival Cruises to let them know about the change in plans, Carnival Cruises said it wouldn't be possible because of the Jones Act.
"It's a big no-no if you purposely violate [the Jones Act]," Jennifer de la Cruz, a Carnival Cruises spokesperson, first noted. And Michael Crye, maritime expert and president of the International Council of Cruise Lines, stated that, "the dilemma here is, there's a knowing violation. It's got to be a legitimate emergency. So you can't ask for it ahead of time."
James Thomas was initially upset, saying, according to his wife, "I'll see what they'll say to my face." But Edna Thomas called Carnival again, then immigration officials, and finally The Herald. A few hours later, she got the news she had been hoping for. Thomas arrived in Key West, hugged his wife and sons, and boarded the Carnival Cruises Glory.
"Due to the very unique circumstance with [James Thomas] we have reached out to local authorities. Based on the discussions we've had, we are going to allow him to board in Key West," stated de la Cruz. "And [Carnival Cruises] is going to take responsibility for any potential fine that might be levied." Still, neither Crye nor de la Cruz is saying who ultimately allowed Thomas to board Carnival Cruises Glory.
Still, no matter who or what entity ultimately gave the go-ahead for James Thomas to board, it was no doubt the absolute right thing to do for a returning veteran. For Thomas and his family, all of whom went above and beyond for America, it is good to see that Carnival Cruises did what they could to make his homecoming the Caribbean welcome that he and his family hoped for.
