Can You Fish on a Cruise Ship?

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

See recent posts by Ed Perkins

It’s one of the strangest, yet most frequent, questions I hear about cruising: “Can I fish off a cruise ship?” And the answer is … well, maybe. But probably not the way you think.

Your cruise may take you over the deep sea, but it’s not a good base for deep-sea fishing. The problem isn’t with rules and regulations; it’s practical: You’re traveling somewhere between 10 to 20 knots, the lowest open deck is probably at least 30 feet above the water, and your cabin balcony, if you have one, is much higher. Those conditions make fishing off a cruise ship essentially impossible on most types of cruises.

What you can do is fish when you’re in port (as long as you obey local fishing regulations). On some Alaska cruises, for example, fishing is an essential component of the trip. You won’t be fishing off the side of the boat, per se, but at least you figuratively (if not literally) fish on a cruise ship.

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Consumer advocate Ed Perkins has been writing about travel for more than three decades. The founding editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, he continues to inform travelers and fight consumer abuses every day at SmarterTravel.

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