Temperatures are in the teens and snow blankets the ground.
Lawns and running water are distant memories. You anticipated the blizzard and stockpiled food like a prudent squirrel, but the last of the rations were lunch. Instead of trekking to the corner store for another round of supplies, you dream of stepping onto a luxury cruise ship. Restrictions included in an obscure 1886 law, the Passenger Services Act, have resulted in virtually no cruise activity between U.S. ports. Companies are forbidden from ferrying passengers from the frigid north to a warm get-away in the south, or between other ports, unless they abide by a litany of rules.