Are Cruise Ships Safe?

The George and Jennifer Hagel–Smith case, among some significant others, have drawn enough attention to rise to the level of Congessional interest. Hearings are in process and it seems like some families have a compelling case.

An Arizona father whose daughter's disappearance from a cruise ship went unreported, a Connecticut couple who had nearly $7,000 worth of jewelry stolen on a cruise and the son of Vietnamese immigrants who vanished from a Caribbean cruise are among a dozen people scheduled to testify at a congressional hearing Tuesday.

This is the second of two hearings U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, is co-sponsoring in Washington to address cruise ship safety. FBI and cruise industry officials testified at the first one in December. Passengers and their families will have an opportunity to speak at this hearing.

Both hearings were prompted by the disappearance of Greenwich's George Smith IV from a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean last summer. Though Royal Caribbean International has said it responded appropriately to Smith's disappearance, his family has said the company did not do enough to protect Smith and investigate what happened.

Media attention in Smith's case has spawned public scrutiny of the cruise industry and inspired the advocacy group International Cruise Victims. Shays said he wants to publicize the plight of families who have fallen victim to cruise ship tragedies and to advocate for changes in the industry, particularly when it comes to reporting crimes aboard ships.

The track record for cruise lines when it comes to missing persons is particularly troubling.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Only five of the 28 people who disappeared from cruise ships in the past three years have ever been found.

That's according to data disclosed to Congress by the world's largest cruise lines.

Cruise Lines have opened up their files to expose what is sure to give some cause for concern.

The world's major cruise ship operators have disclosed that 204 criminal or potentially criminal incidents happened aboard their ships in the past three years, providing more information about an aspect of cruising that normally is kept out of the public spotlight.

Seven major cruise operators, including Miami-based Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruise,s made the disclosure to Congress in advance of a hearing on cruise ship safety next week in Washington.

Of the 204 incidents, 177 involved allegations of sexual misconduct ranging from inappropriate touching to rape, according to a memo sent this week to members of Congress by a senior policy analyst. The remaining incidents involved 23 cases of missing people and four robberies. The cruise lines also disclosed that 22 of the 177 alleged sexual misconduct incidents resulted in criminal arrests.

Analyst Nicholas Palarino notes in the memo that some 30 million people took cruises during the same three-year period, suggesting that crime on cruise ships is somewhat rare. Even so, Palarino recommends that cruise lines be more forthcoming with passengers about the risks involved with cruising.

Comments

[katy]

There are 88 people missing in Alabama out of a population of approximately 4 1/2 million. Maryland has 69 missing and a population of about 5.3 million. Alaska has 72 missing with a population of less than one million. Cruising sounds mighty good to me.

[Captain Joe]

Here's another reason why they are not safe.
http://www.local6.com/news/7737353/detail.html

[truthbetold]

Here's another reason why they are not safe.
http://www.local6.com/news/7737353/detail.html

Posted by: Captain Joe | Monday, March 06, 2006 at 10:40 AM
after sspending my whole vacation barfing I doubt I would want a credit to go back again...how about a refund? sounds odd that one passanger could make 200 people ill.....also....I still think Jennifer Hagel Smith's story is suspect.....just too weird that you party seperately from your new husband and don't know where he is and they find you passed out some other place on the ship and you know nothing? hmmmm....I think all the truth has not come out

[Tim Albright]

PROJECT SAFE CRUISE - Are Cruise Ships Safe? Not Yet, But We're Working on it!

Originally Posted 12/28/2005

For more information and recent developments about this project visit:

projectsafecruise.blogspot.com/

Project Safe Cruise will consist of a one week cruise in 2006 that will showcase the type of security and safety system that could be put in place by cruise lines to insure the safety and security of all passengers and crew and at the same time preserve evidence of crimes and/or accidents. On this Maiden Voyage we hope to offer short entertaining seminars and panel discussions by various security experts and perhaps some celebrities, on missing persons, identity theft, date rape, kidnapping, teenage and young child safety, security, safety, and health issues while in other countries or at sea, investment scams for seniors, how to buy art work, etc. We must focus on a postive solution that will benefit all parties involved and prevent future tragedies. This will be a win/win proposition giving all American passengers peace of mind and at the same time reducing crime and saving lives. If you are interested in learning more and perhaps joining the cruise or if you represent the press or would like to sponsor or help plan the cruise please leave contact information in the comments section or send an email to safecruise@hotmail.com. Become a charter member and be a part of history.

Project Safe Cruise could be a win-win solution for parties on both sides of the cruise ship safety issue. Look at it as an outside the box idea that is sort of like pre-event arbitration, a partnership if you will. Even though focusing on prevention is less glamorous and less dramatic than solving crimes, it is more efficient and gratifying, especially if we save one life or reduce the suffering of one family. We must work with the cruise lines to set up a cadre of independent contract employees that would act as security ombudsman who would –

Know how to deal with a terrorist situation.
Have the authority to lock down crime scenes and secure the chain of evidence .
Deal immediately and directly with the FBI, Coast Guard, and other agencies and organizations in all ports of call.
Provide ongoing security and safety training to crew and travel agents and organizers including shore excursion groups.
Record and maintain a database of incidents and present some analysis of current procedures and conduct of parties involved and recommend improvements for all.

The cadre could be staffed by ex-military and ex-law-enforcement personnel who would get salary and/or some free cruise or vacation packages for their work, kind of like how many campgrounds have frequent campers act as hosts. What works good on land should work good on the water including a Neighborhood Watch or Guardian Angel type system that could include frequent customers, crew members, contract employees, travel agents, etc. Design an Amber Alert system for use on ships. The use of this and an independent cadre perhaps named Sea Marshals would provide the most important factor or element for preventing and solving crimes: TIME. We will contact Congressman Shays or his subcommittee for possible grants to solve the problem by thinking outside of the box?

[annie]

Definitely not safe if you are as drunk as a skunk and keep falling down. Definitely not safe if you are alone and go onto a balcony overlooking the ocean in that state. It is on a par with leaving a child alone in a high rise block of flats with a large open window. Although the guys who took George back to his cabin had no legal duty to take care of him, they knew he was sloshed, and they should have stayed with him!

[zhafran]

Many families enjoy summer vacations aboard a cruise ship, but even more don’t consider it as a possibility. If you are looking for a different way to spend quality time with your family, you are urged to at least considering taking a family cruise. Cruise ships are a great location to have your next vacation. If given the opportunity, many parents would choose to take a cruise alone. This isn’t because of a lack of love, but because of a common misconception among parents and cruise ships. Many individuals, including parents, believe that cruise ships are not designed for children, but that is simply not true.

If you believe this popular misconception, you could be missing out on one of the greatest opportunities of your life. There are a large number of cruise lines, each offering different cruises. With all of the cruise ships available, you are sure to find at least one that can offer your family fun on the water.
http://1minuteparenting.com/
http://travellingtoday.com