Legal Definitions - voyage

Definition: A voyage refers to the journey of a vessel by sea from one place, port, or country to another. This term includes the entire enterprise, not just the route.

There are different types of voyages:

• Foreign voyage: A voyage to a port or place within the territory of a foreign nation. If the voyage is from one port in a foreign country to another port in the same country, it is still considered a foreign voyage.
• Freighting voyage: A voyage that involves a vessel's transporting cargo between terminal points.
• Trading voyage: A voyage that contemplates a vessel's touching and stopping at various ports to traffic in, buy and sell, or exchange commodities on the owners' and shippers' account.

For example, a cargo ship traveling from China to the United States is considered a foreign voyage. A tanker transporting oil from the Middle East to Europe is also a foreign voyage. A freighter carrying goods from one port to another within the same country is not a foreign voyage.

A trading voyage could be a cruise ship that stops at different ports to allow passengers to explore and shop. Or it could be a cargo ship that buys and sells goods at various ports along its route.