• Guest Register
    If you are reading this it means you have not yet registered. Please take a second to REGISTER (it's FREE). You will then be able to enjoy all the features of Cruising Earth.

Terms and rules

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Cruising Earth website, registering an account, or clicking “I Agree” where applicable, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Rules (“Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service. Continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these Terms, including any updates as described in the “Amendments to Terms” section.

Definitions

  • Content: Any text, images, videos, or other materials submitted, uploaded, or posted by users on the Service.
  • Service: The Cruising Earth website, community forums, ship tracking tools, and all associated features and functionalities.
  • Offensive Content: Material that is defamatory, obscene, harassing, discriminatory, promotes violence or hate speech, or violates applicable laws.
  • User: Any individual or entity accessing or using the Service.

Age Restriction

Users under 13 years of age are prohibited from using the Service in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you are under 18, you must obtain parental or guardian consent to use the Service.

General Rules

You must agree to and follow these rules to use the Service:

  • Illegal Activities: Do not engage in any illegal activities. Violations may result in account suspension, permanent banning, or reporting to relevant authorities.
  • Harmful Conduct: Do not engage in activities that exploit, harm, or threaten to harm children or any individual. Such actions may lead to immediate account termination and reporting to law enforcement.
  • Spam: Do not send spam, duplicative, or unsolicited messages to other users. Accounts engaging in such behavior may be disabled without notice.
  • Offensive Content: Do not post or link to offensive content, including material that is defamatory, obscene, harassing, discriminatory, promotes violence or hate speech, or violates applicable laws. Such content may be removed, and accounts may be suspended or banned.
  • Unauthorized Content: Do not post content for which you lack the right to post, including copyrighted material without permission. Violators may face account suspension and liability for monetary damages or criminal prosecution.
  • Account Sharing: Do not share your Cruising Earth account with others. Accounts found to be shared may be banned, along with any associated accounts.
  • Multiple Accounts: Do not create multiple accounts for the same person. Multiple accounts may be deleted without notice, and the user may be banned.
  • Trolling or Flaming: Do not engage in trolling, flaming, harassment, bullying, or posting content intended to provoke or disrupt. Such behavior may result in content removal and account suspension or banning.
  • Security Breaches: Do not attempt to bypass site security, moderation systems, or access restrictions. Violations may lead to immediate account termination and IP address restrictions.
  • Unauthorized Automation: Do not use bots, scripts, or automated systems without prior written approval from Cruising Earth. Unauthorized use may result in account deletion and IP banning.
  • Business Usernames: Do not use your business name, employer’s name, website, or similar as your username. Such accounts may be deleted without notice to prevent advertising abuse.
  • Legible Formatting: Do not post in all capitals, excessively large fonts, or disruptive colors. Use legible fonts and sizes to maintain thread flow, or posts may be removed by moderators.
  • Signature Use: Do not use signatures for advertising or spam. Keep signatures non-disruptive in size and content, as they may be hidden by members if deemed offensive.
  • English Language: Do not post public content, including posts, titles, signatures, or attachments, in any language other than English. Non-compliant content may be removed without notice.
  • Commission Links: Do not post commission, referral, or affiliate links. Links suspected of being such will be removed, and accounts may be suspended.
  • Cross-Posting: Do not post duplicate threads or posts, or link to existing threads/posts, to gain additional exposure. Such content may be removed, and accounts may face moderation action.
  • Paid Posts: Do not offer or receive compensation for posts, reviews, or recommendations. Violators may have posts removed and accounts suspended.
  • Proxy Posting: Do not post on behalf of banned members in any public or private manner. Accounts engaging in proxy posting may be banned.
  • Sensitive Content: Do not share classified, restricted, or non-public information, such as details about military ships, naval operations, or vessel locations. Such content will be removed, and accounts may be terminated.
  • Censor Evasion: Do not attempt to bypass censors by altering words or URLs (e.g., using spaces, dots, or substituted characters). Contact us if you believe a word or URL is unjustly censored.
  • Bumping: Do not post useless information or one-liners to keep threads active or bring them to the top of forums. Such content may be removed at moderators’ discretion.
  • Firsthand Experience: Do not recommend, praise, or belittle businesses, products, or services without firsthand experience. Non-compliant posts may be removed without notice.
  • Cruising Earth Copyright: Do not copy or repost Cruising Earth content without prior written permission. If permission is granted, you must cite Cruising Earth as the source and, for online reposting, include a hyperlink to the original source page.
  • Unauthorized Advertising: Do not post advertisements unless processed through our advertising system. Contact us for advertising inquiries.
  • Link Approval: Cruising Earth reserves the right to approve or deny any outside links, including those to cruising-related sites, questionable content, or promotional links outside our advertising system.
  • Rule Debates: Do not post public discussions debating site rules or moderator actions. Address concerns privately by contacting us.
  • Staff Abuse: Do not abuse Cruising Earth staff or management in any form. Violations may result in account suspension or banning.
  • Post Editing: Review posts before submission, as you have only 5 minutes to edit them afterward. After this period, editing is no longer permitted.
  • Content Moderation: Report objectionable content using the “Report” button beneath the specific post, resource, or media. Moderators may remove, edit, move, or close any content item at any time for any reason, noting that it is impossible to review all submissions.

User Responsibilities and Liabilities

You agree to comply with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations when using the Service. You are solely responsible for your conduct and any Content you submit. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Cruising Earth, its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees from any claims, damages, losses, or liabilities, including monetary damages and potential criminal prosecution, arising from your use of the Service, your Content, or your violation of these Terms, including copyright infringement.

Content Ownership and Licensing

By submitting Content to Cruising Earth, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such Content throughout the world in any media now known or hereinafter devised, in connection with the Service. You warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to the Content you submit, that the Content is accurate, and that it does not infringe on any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights, or cause injury to any person or entity. You agree to indemnify Cruising Earth and its employees, agents, officers, directors, contractors, suppliers, and representatives against any claims, liabilities, damages, actions, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your Content, including claims of intellectual property infringement.

Third-Party Verification

Content you submit may be sent to third-party verification services (including, but not limited to, spam prevention services). Cruising Earth is not responsible for any user-generated content or the actions of third-party services.

Privacy and Data Protection

Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy, available at https://www.cruisingearth.com/community/help/privacy-policy/. We comply with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for European Union users and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents, where applicable. You acknowledge that personal data you submit may be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Do not submit Content you consider private or confidential. For privacy-related inquiries, contact us.

Accessibility

We strive to make the Service accessible to all users in compliance with applicable accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you encounter accessibility issues, please contact us.

Termination and Account Suspension

We may suspend or terminate your account or access to the Service at our sole discretion, with or without cause, including for violations of these Terms. This may include warnings, account suspension, permanent banning, or IP address restrictions. Upon termination, your account data and Content may be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You may request account deletion by contacting us. Termination does not relieve you of any obligations under these Terms.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Cruising Earth shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Service, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Cruising Earth is not responsible for user-generated content, service interruptions, or errors in the Service. All Content expresses the views of its author only, and Cruising Earth does not endorse or take responsibility for such views.

Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Cruising Earth. Cruising Earth has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. We do not warrant the offerings of any of these entities or their websites. You acknowledge and agree that Cruising Earth shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such third-party websites or services. We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

DMCA Notice and Procedure

You may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by providing our Copyright Agent with the following information in writing (see 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3) for further detail):

  • An electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright’s interest.
  • A description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed, including the URL (i.e., web page address) of the location where the copyrighted work exists or a copy of the copyrighted work.
  • Identification of the URL or other specific location on the Service where the material that you claim is infringing is located.
  • Your address, telephone number, and email address.
  • A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
  • A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf. You can contact our Copyright Agent via our contact form.

Disclaimer of Warranties

Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or course of performance. Cruising Earth, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and licensors do not warrant that: (a) the Service will function uninterrupted, secure, or available at any particular time or location; (b) any errors or defects will be corrected; (c) the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components; or (d) the results of using the Service will meet your requirements.

Exclusions

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages. Accordingly, some of the limitations in the “Disclaimer of Warranties” and “Limitation of Liability” sections may not apply to you.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Plano, Texas. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Plano, Texas, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except where prohibited by law. Arbitration shall be conducted on an individual basis, and you waive any right to participate in a class-action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Amendments to Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, as determined at our sole discretion, we will provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. Notice will be provided via email to registered users or through a prominent notification on the Service. Non-material changes may take effect immediately upon posting. By continuing to access or use our Service after any revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you are no longer authorized to use the Service. For questions about changes to these Terms, please contact us.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.

Adopted: November 6, 2011
Last Updated: July 23, 2025

Back
Top