Cruise Ship Safety

[QTBabyNurse]

Anyone else see this today? How many of us women have been in the public restroom after midnight?!! :eek:

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/07/9277172-how-safe-is-that-cruise-ship-anyway

[Gonzo70]

I think the press likes to sensationalize crime and tragedies that occur on cruise ships. Today's cruise ships generally hold 2,000 to 6,000 passengers as well as large amounts of staff and crew. These are like floating cities. Of course there will be some crime, at times bad crime. I do not believe there is any evidence or reason to believe that crime on cruise ships is disproportionately high. You are likely at least as likely to fall victim to violent crime if you take a land vacation in a large U.S. city versus if you take a cruise. While cruise ships are not as dangerous as the press likes to make them seen, that does not mean that one should totally let their guard down while cruising. One still needs to be aware of their surroundings and practice good common sense.

[Desertbelle]

Just off from cruising on the Freedom for two weeks and often played poker until casino closed and never felt unsafe or alone...always people around. Can't let fear run my life.

[negc]

I think the press likes to sensationalize crime and tragedies that occur on cruise ships. Today's cruise ships generally hold 2,000 to 6,000 passengers as well as large amounts of staff and crew. These are like floating cities. Of course there will be some crime, at times bad crime. I do not believe there is any evidence or reason to believe that crime on cruise ships is disproportionately high. You are likely at least as likely to fall victim to violent crime if you take a land vacation in a large U.S. city versus if you take a cruise. While cruise ships are not as dangerous as the press likes to make them seen, that does not mean that one should totally let their guard down while cruising. One still needs to be aware of their surroundings and practice good common sense.

Exactly and when you consider the number of security cameras throughout the ship, it seems far more likely that anyone committing a crime on board a cruise ship will be observed and apprehended than if they commit a similar crime on land. Always be aware of your surroundings and exercise reasonable caution are good rules to go by.

[Maryscooking]

I think cruising is pretty safe, as long as you are smart (the last line in that article says it all). I also think things can happen that are not in any way the fault of the victim - but those are the minority of incidents.

 

My brother was assaulted on a cruise, and due to time limitations for catching our flight once getting back into the states, and the small odds of catching the perpetrator, he was *not* encouraged to report the incident to local authorities. Obviously the statistics can't reflect incidents that go unreported.

 

And as for the public restroom thing? My husband (who tends to see the scummier side of life due to his occupation) would not let me walk to a public restroom, or anywhere alone on the ship, late at night. Same as he wouldn't let me walk around our small city alone after midnight. I'm also positive our daughter will not be running around on the ship unattended until she is 18. But like I said, he is more aware than most of what can happen (probably like the person who gave that advice in the article).

[luvscruising2007]

I think you have to use the same precautions on a cruise ship you would at home. It is common sense.

I also feel like with the number of people cruising every week compared to the crimes occuring, it is probably still much safer on a cruise ship.

As Gonzo70 said, the press likes to sensationalize everything.

[Janet524]

I think you have to use the same precautions on a cruise ship you would at home. It is common sense.

I also feel like with the number of people cruising every week compared to the crimes occuring, it is probably still much safer on a cruise ship.

As Gonzo70 said, the press likes to sensationalize everything.

 

Amen to that!

[xxoocruiser]

Unfortunatley being on a cruise ship often gives people a false sense of safety . Saddly the crimes that take place on a cruise ship are no different than those that occur when doing land/Hotel Travel or just in everyday life. All the points listed in the article posted by the OP can and do occur just about anywhere these days.

 

Common sense should always prevail. That's not to say that you should be on edge throughout the whole cruise but certainly if things don't feel right than always follow your instincts.

[Cruise_Kitten]

This is what i don't understand......when people are on holiday they seem to get what I call a "holiday head" they seem to forget all laws of common sense and just do as they please.

One thing that I totally do not agree with is the toilet thing. If I am on one of the lower decks after midnight and i need to go there is no way I will go from deck 4 to my higher deck cabin just to visit the toilet! Stupid statement!

 

CK x

[kitty9]

Anyone else see this today? How many of us women have been in the public restroom after midnight?!! :eek:

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/07/9277172-how-safe-is-that-cruise-ship-anyway

 

That article is nothing short of sensationalism. You can get drunk in a bar in a small town and get into trouble. You can go to a public restroom in any location, be it a bar, restaurant, sports arena or whatever, and find a problem. If a minor is left alone in any public area, even at a mall, something bad can happen.

 

Cruise ships are microcosms of society as a whole. There are unsavory types in every town/city/public venue/cruise ship. Common sense is all it takes to remain safe. Don't get blown out drunk, don't let your kids run around unsupervised at any time, don't go off with crew members on a ship, don't wander off the beaten path in ports. If you follow common sense rules, you should manage just fine. I sure have after 65 cruises, all over the world, with more than half of them as a solo woman.

[Aquahound]

This is what i don't understand......when people are on holiday they seem to get what I call a "holiday head" they seem to forget all laws of common sense and just do as they please.

 

The official term is "touron." ;)

[beachbum53]

Yes, when we're on a cruise ship, we're on vacation, and we're so focused on relaxing and having fun that typically we don't think about anything bad happening. In most cases, common sense should prevail, such as making sure you lock up your valuables, don't go to certain areas (on a ship or in port) by yourself (be aware of your surroundings), and don't argue with a hothead. However, if everyone took a sort of "neighborhood watch" attitude, it would significantly cut down on the potential for crime, or anything else that would ruin someone's vacation. You know, "I'll watch your back, you watch mine". Unfortunately, there are some people that have a tendancy to do dumb things without thinking about the consequences. Comedian Ron White said it best, "You can't fix 'stupid' ". I wonder if anyone has done a similar report on bad things that happen to people at an all-inclusive resort. Even Disney World/Disney Land has had it's share of crimes and other problems.

[mapsmith]

Keep in mind the scale of today's ships.

 

An excerpt from the article,

 

"As evidence, he points to historical data that shows at least 100 alleged crimes per quarter on board cruise ships as recently as 2007–2008. By comparison, the most recent reports, which are compiled by the FBI and posted online by the Coast Guard, show six incidents in the second quarter of 2011 and none in the third quarter."

 

One quarter is 12 weeks, times the number of passengers on board a ship (average is about 3000), times the number of ships on the seas (well over 100)

 

It comes out to 100 incidents of "alleged crimes" for over 3.6 MILLION passengers. that would be like 100 crimes in three months in New Orleans! What city wouldn't love to have that low of crime rate.

 

And they are "alleged crimes" not proven.

 

 

Cruising is still one of the safest vacations.

[Talisker92]

Unfortunately, common sense is not that common. I remember a remark once made by a cruise staffer. She said,"I swear these people left their brains on the other side of the gangway".

[cherylandtk]

Yes, we should all use common sense when on vacation, including cruising. But that 'article' was based on two sources that both have a vested financial interest in sensationalizing anything bad that happens on a cruise ship. Klein is the publisher of Cruisejunkie, and Carver is Chairman of International Cruise Victims Assn.

[Doug S]

The most interesting part of that article to me was in the 'Links to related stories'. Did anyone else happen to notice the trailing story on Baylor developing a Norovirus vaccine? Sounds promising.

 

Other than the virus, never felt at risk on the ships, but then, I'm 10 foot tall and bullet-proof. Now in some ports, its a different story.

 

Doug

[fischymom]

:rolleyes:The norovirus article caught my attention too

 

The most interesting part of that article to me was in the 'Links to related stories'. Did anyone else happen to notice the trailing story on Baylor developing a Norovirus vaccine? Sounds promising.

 

Other than the virus, never felt at risk on the ships, but then, I'm 10 foot tall and bullet-proof. Now in some ports, its a different story.

 

Doug

[cruzeluver]

What a stupid article. I agree with the posters that said you need to use common sense, and articles like this one sensationalize things. Norovirus is not a crime, its a medical condition brought on board by passengers. And why should they be required to report on accidents that occur at ports of call?

[bbwex]

Yes there are some crimes aboard ships. There are people there, and if it weren't for the people.......

 

Obviously you should take some precautions. You shouldn't be waving money around, but then you have your ship's ID, and you use that for money, so if you are dumb enough to flash money when you don't need money, well the quotation from Ron White says it all: "you can't fix stupid."

 

Certainly when you are in another country, and there are pickpockets and thieves who will prey on vacationers, you need to take precautions.

 

One thing that does restrict crime on ships, besides the constant monitoring, is the lack of someplace to go. Criminals don't head to sea to find out how much they can steal, as their getaway is sort of limited. My personal guess is that much of the crime that does exist is likely crime of opportunity when someone sees something valuable and just grabs it.

 

Passengers do try things when they are away such as parasailing, and the recent deaths were unfortunate, but please realize that this was not on the ship, was not the ship's operation, and some of these activities do pose some inherent risks. It is sad to say, but when lots of people do something that isn't 100% safe, every once in awhile the law of averages is going to catch up with someone. I don't think it is fair to blame the cruise line for those things, as they do try to work with people who operate safely. Accidents happen.

 

There are norovirus outbreaks sometimes. There are lots of people in a confined space. They contain these outbreaks, and have to report them, but just as there are times when people get sick in school dorms, etc., these things happen. They just make the news when it is a cruise ship.

 

As others have said, it is just normal humans, and we should not overreact.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Yes, we should all use common sense when on vacation, including cruising. But that 'article' was based on two sources that both have a vested financial interest in sensationalizing anything bad that happens on a cruise ship. Klein is the publisher of Cruisejunkie, and Carver is Chairman of International Cruise Victims Assn.

 

I spotted that off right away too. And if you want a laugh, read some of the comments below the story.

 

You just have to be careful, just like in anywhere else. Even at the neighborhood park (there was a terrible occurrence involving a small boy in a Southern Californian park restroom a few years ago, and people didn't stop taking their kids to parks -- hopefully, they just learned to watch out for their kids).

[lovevacadays]

Just another post to spread fear! Of course, you should use common sense on a cruise. After all, there are people on a cruise and things can happen. You should use the same common sense while on a land vacation and for that matter while in your home city.