Name That Flag

Although you’re aware (we hope) of your ship’s departure port and stops along the way, cruise ships are often registered in countries that might surprise you — like Panama or Liberia — even though they might not go anywhere near those locations. This is a bit shady, but since other countries might have environmental (pollution) or human rights (employee wage) regulations that are less strict than the ship or line’s actual home country, companies can cut through red tape a lot easier using this method.