When someone leaves the ship in handcuffs

Watching the Galveston cruise cam can be interesting, especially when Carnival ships dock at Terminal one and as a common occurrence some one or group are escorted by Galveston's finest off the ship. My question is it a federal offense getting one's self arrested on board? If one act a fool on an airplane,it's a federal offense, so it would stand to reason acting a fool on another mode of transportation must be federal too.

What's the penalty normally?

What a way to end a vacation.

Watching the Galveston cruise cam can be interesting, especially when Carnival ships dock at Terminal one and as a common occurrence some one or group are escorted by Galveston's finest off the ship. My question is it a federal offense getting one's self arrested on board? If one act a fool on an airplane,it's a federal offense, so it would stand to reason acting a fool on another mode of transportation must be federal too.

 

What's the penalty normally?

 

What a way to end a vacation.

In this case, it's usually a warrant for your arrest.

While you're away enjoying yourself, Homeland Security is going thru the ships manifest.

If they find someone with a warrant, they will ask the officials who put out the warrant if they want this person arrested and expedited when you return. If so, you get to wear some pretty bracelets as you get off the ship.

I watch a lot of bond court from Florida, I have seen two workers from a ship won't name the line. But they were up for embezzlement. They were on the same ship, one of them was an accountant. Some have been for domestic violence. It is very interesting to watch.

In this case, it's usually a warrant for your arrest.

While you're away enjoying yourself, Homeland Security is going thru the ships manifest.

If they find someone with a warrant, they will ask the officials who put out the warrant if they want this person arrested and expedited when you return. If so, you get to wear some pretty bracelets as you get off the ship.

This is probably the most likely reason. DHS runs all passengers through a multitude of databases and if something is found it may or may not be acted upon. I don't know which would be worse- doing something that warrants getting arrested or being put off the ship in a foreign port for doing something. Not in a big hurry to answer that question.:)

My first RCCL cruise, we went to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. As we left the port, I could smell the odor of what I believed was marijuana coming from other balconies. I remarked on it to my husband - it smells like freshly laid tar to me - really a nasty and unappetizing odor. At any rate, when the ship reaches the final port in the USA, the luggage is walked by drug detecting dogs and if they find marijuana in the luggage, the person in question is detained on the ship and arrested. My expectation of our final port on that cruise, Port of Miami, is that of all the ports in the USA, that one would be the MOST equipped to detect illegal substances so only a complete idiot would attempt to bring anything illegal into the USA through that port. Sure enough, that was true. Before anyone was allowed to leave the ship, the ship's security had to round all these people up and it delayed everyone getting off the ship until 10am. I later found out, from an RCCL employee, that 28 people were arrested, handcuffed and taken off the ship and that the charge for this is not just simple possession, but international drug trafficking which can carry a life sentence. What a stupid (and possibly life-changing) way for those passengers to end their cruise.

There was a recent example posted on here. An elderly man "jokingly" threatened to jump ship. He and his spouse were detained in their room with security outside their door until the next port where they were promptly disembarked. Any threats regarding your, your fellow passengers/crew or the ship's safety aren't taken lightly. This was on RCCL, but I'm pretty sure its the same industry-wide.

when the ship reaches the final port in the USA, the luggage is walked by drug detecting dogs

The dogs also sniff all luggage and supply taken onto the ship in the USA. We watched a golden retriever work on the pier from our balcony. The dog loved this job and looked disappointed when everything had been sniffed and excited when a new pallet showed up.

We have been on a few cruises when the police "escorted" someone off the ship.

We had a woman stowaway one time - Ft Lauderdale.

Another time we had a young man who was trying to smuggle drugs into the country -- Ft Lauderdale.

And we had 3 young men who got rowdy in the Ocean Bar during Happy Hour. At our first port of call -- the police took them off the ship -- San Juan.

In Ft Lauderdale disembarkation was held up because of the arrests -- ship could not be cleared until the police had done their duty.

Have no idea what their penalities were.

And those warrants could be as simple as a bench warrant for failure to appear in court on something as non-threatening as passing bad checks. Saw it happen in Miami years ago. The extradition process could take weeks from Miami-Dade and that's a tough place to be for a white collar criminal.

Happened to a friend of ours due to stolen identity. The morning of debarkation they knocked on his door and took him in cuffs. This was at port canaveral. Hey told him there was a warrant in Dade County for armed burglary. It was a Sunday but thankfully we have a judge as a family friend. It took all day but they were able to realize that the arrest picture for the criminal wasn't the person they had taken off the ship. Someone had been using his name and identity.

At first the jail told him he would have to wait until Monday to leave but luckily it got cleared up. He had to sit in jail all day . It was awful then but we laugh

The dogs also sniff all luggage and supply taken onto the ship in the USA. We watched a golden retriever work on the pier from our balcony. The dog loved this job and looked disappointed when everything had been sniffed and excited when a new pallet showed up.

We saw this on our first cruise out of New Orleans. They stopped our car at the gate, led a dog around it and then looked under the car with a mirror. After boarding we watched them take the dog around all of the supplies coming aboard. Hasn't happened since.

Returning from a tour at Calica we noticed several pieces of luggage near the gate. We went topside to watch the pier runners and saw them stop 2 young men. They were kept outside the gate until the gangplank was pulled. Then they were allowed to retrieve their luggage and leave in a taxi. Have no idea what this was about, but I hope that they had their passports.

There was a recent example posted on here. An elderly man "jokingly" threatened to jump ship. He and his spouse were detained in their room with security outside their door until the next port where they were promptly disembarked. Any threats regarding your, your fellow passengers/crew or the ship's safety aren't taken lightly. This was on RCCL, but I'm pretty sure its the same industry-wide.

The thing is, he WASN'T threatening anyone's safety. "Jump ship" means to leave the ship, not jump overboard. Is leaving the ship threatening? A crime? Nope. The cruise ship personnel overreacted. I'm with the elderly man. He's owed a big apology.

The thing is, he WASN'T threatening anyone's safety. "Jump ship" means to leave the ship, not jump overboard. Is leaving the ship threatening? A crime? Nope. The cruise ship personnel overreacted. I'm with the elderly man. He's owed a big apology.

I agree they may have overreacted, just using that situation as an example of why one might have security posted outside their cabin door. They refunded their money for the cruise, paid for his damaged clothes and the cost of the flight home, that's probably the closest thing they're going to get in the form of an apology though. News stories/articles RARELY tell the WHOLE story...there may be more to what he actually said...or not.

I agree they may have overreacted, just using that situation as an example of why one might have security posted outside their cabin door. They refunded their money for the cruise, paid for his damaged clothes and the cost of the flight home, that's probably the closest thing they're going to get in the form of an apology though. News stories/articles RARELY tell the WHOLE story...there may be more to what he actually said...or not.

As the original thread brought up, there's always three sides to every story. Actually the term "to jump ship" is an old Navy term, which means to desert at a foreign port.

We were on board a ship when a group of law enforcement came on board very early, right after docking. We saw them taking off four young men, all in handcuffs and in various states of dress, and loaded them into vans. Our cabin steward worked one of their cabins, and he told us the arrest was for drugs.

A couple of participants on CC wrote blogs of their world cruises, which they later turned into e-books. One tells of people being arrested on his ship for drug trafficking. According to what he heard, this is a new thing: these folks aren't just carrying drugs while on vacation; they are using cruises to smuggle drugs, apparently on the premise that it's easier to do it via a cruise ship than an airplane. I guess that's why people are seeing more drug-sniffing dogs at cruise ports.

The most common reasons people are taken off in cuffs is for drugs and violence. Most cruise lines have a zero tolerance policy for those two things. That applies to crew as well as guests.

When someone leaves the ship in handcuffs - it must be a Carnival ship. :D

Seriously, Carnival is well know for frequent fights between passengers. Google "cruise ship fight" and look at the videos. The first 10 or so videos were all taken on Carnival ships.

When someone leaves the ship in handcuffs - it must be a Carnival ship. :D

 

Seriously, Carnival is well know for frequent fights between passengers. Google "cruise ship fight" and look at the videos. The first 10 or so videos were all taken on Carnival ships.

Yet the drug trafficking results are mainly Costa,MSC and NCL...lots of handcuffs involved there I am sure.

If you google 'cruise ship (insert most things here)' the top results are often Carnival because its dominance in the industry and people love their cameras on Carnival.

Not saying fights don't break out on Carnival but just putting it into perspective.

Seems if the person it being arrested by the authorities, he goes in handcuffs.

Others the ship is putting off at the next port for fighting, drunkenness, and other somewhat minor things, are confined in their cabins and simply escorted off the ship.

Yet the drug trafficking results are mainly Costa,MSC and NCL...lots of handcuffs involved there I am sure.

The port authorities don't put up with this, nor does NCL. Read the article from the 3/11 NCL event. NCL and the Port authorities were suspicious of the crew activity and took care of the problem. This is a good reminder to the rest of the crew who decide to go into "business".

Yet the drug trafficking results are mainly Costa,MSC and NCL...lots of handcuffs involved there I am sure.

 

The port authorities don't put up with this, nor does NCL. Read the article from the 3/11 NCL event. NCL and the Port authorities were suspicious of the crew activity and took care of the problem. This is a good reminder to the rest of the crew who decide to go into "business".

Im sure all the cruise lines and authorities do not put up with it.

As well as drug trafficking there has apparently been reports that a few who wish to join ISIS have used cruise ships in the Med to get to Turkey as they considered airports/flights too risky...but who knows.

There was a recent example posted on here. An elderly man "jokingly" threatened to jump ship. He and his spouse were detained in their room with security outside their door until the next port where they were promptly disembarked. Any threats regarding your, your fellow passengers/crew or the ship's safety aren't taken lightly. This was on RCCL, but I'm pretty sure its the same industry-wide.

A frequent poster on CC that was in the know of what really happened said there was definitely more going on than the news article. The old man forgot to mention that he was interviewed by the Captain and Head of Security. Do you really think the Captain waits outside passenger doors for him to return just to chat?

My late DH once witnessed an unpleasant event in Crows Nest where a male guest was being bothersome to a disinterested woman. He was extremely intoxicated, obnoxious and though the bartenders tried to 'talk him down' and get him to go to his cabin, he refused. Security was called, they removed him from Crows Nest, my DH said good night and left the bar. As he went toward the elevators, he saw the man on the ground and security trying to reason with this belligerent person. I won't go into the rest of the details but to say he was first off the ship the next morning...... never to return. :)