Feeling unsafe onboard a cruise ship?

[Stanza]

Hi

 

I know most would not have seen it but Sixty Minutes Australia this week aired a rather damning story about things happening to people on board cruise ships and about how the investigation of any possible crimes committed on board may not be investigated by the police of the country from which the ship departed or where the event happened but by the police from the country of registration even when it is 000's of kms away.

 

Without getting into the detail of the sixty minutes story or its veracity, it has got me wondering... has anyone (particularly if a solo traveller) felt unsafe whilst onboard a cruiseship, or had something happen to them that required investigation?

[pappagene]

I know that things can happen anywhere, even on a cruise ship. I have never felt unsafe any time I have cruised. I have never had anything stolen or had a bad encounter while onboard a cruise ship. I believe that this kind of reporting gives the one thing I love to do a bad reputation. Like I said before, yes, things happen but I believe that it is rare onboard ship.

[bus man]

Here is a headline you will never see:

 

MILLIONS ENJOY SAFE, FUN, STRESS-FREE CRUISES

 

What you WILL see is the incredibly rare instance when something serious happens. The media, 60 Minutes and all the rest, thrive on sensationalistic, bad-news reporting. "If it bleeds, it leads." So yes, they'll take an isolated incident and trump it up to make it sound like cruise ships are hotbeds of rampant crime.

 

If you are concerned about your safety (and who isn't?), there are a few simple things you can do to dramatically lessen the (already slim) chances that something bad will happen. Don't get drunk. Don't go into the cabins of people you don't know or have just met, and don't let such people into yours. Don't accept drinks from such people unless you are handed the drink directly from a staff person. Did I mention not getting drunk? Follow these simple guidelines, and you will almost certainly steer clear of trouble.

[tak81288]

I have never felt unsafe and fortunately nothing bad has happened to me either. However, I do take precautions we I would in everyday life or on any vacation. For instance, I do not take tons of valuables with me and the ones that I do I take measures to protect, I stay aware of my surroundings and who is close to me while standing in lines and things, I do not hang out in completely isolated areas of the ship alone aside from my cabin...etc...So yes, bad things happen, but I am sure the amount of crime vs. the amount of cruisers is pretty low.

[Aquahound]

Hi

 

I know most would not have seen it but Sixty Minutes Australia this week aired a rather damning story about things happening to people on board cruise ships and about how the investigation of any possible crimes committed on board may not be investigated by the police of the country from which the ship departed or where the event happened but by the police from the country of registration even when it is 000's of kms away.

 

Without getting into the detail of the sixty minutes story or its veracity, it has got me wondering... has anyone (particularly if a solo traveller) felt unsafe whilst onboard a cruiseship, or had something happen to them that required investigation?

 

I don't know to what degree Australia's jurisdication covers cruise ships, but here in the U.S., the U.S. has jurisdiction on all cruise ships embarking and disembarking from the U.S. Crimes committed on cruise ships here are investigated by the U.S. FBI, Coast Guard, or in some cases, even the local police. For example, an assault that occurs on a cruise starting and ending in Florida can be charged by the state of Florida. For crimes not covered by state jurisdiction, the feds are normally able to handle. In fact, U.S. jurisdiction can even extend to your neck of the woods for crimes committed by or against U.S. citizens on the high seas.

 

Also, the next port of call usually has jurisdiction on crimes committed while at sea. If on a cruise out of Australia and the next port of call is, say, Tasmania, then the Tasmanian authorities should be able to take care of it.

[skrufy]

Seven cruises and have never felt unsafe. I would go the other way and say I was very comfortable on all seven.

[griffy116]

We will be taking our 12th cruise (11th on RCI) in June. We've never felt unsafe on a cruise ship. That being said, I'm always amazed at parents who allow tweens to run around the ship at midnight alone, leave their cabin doors open while they run down the hall for a few minutes, etc. If you are in a 5-Star Resort, would you do this? Even if an environment is safe, anywhere you are that has over 3,000 people, there is a big chance that someone on that ship could be less than honest. We exercise common sense safety. It's a small city.

[calliopecruiser]

I have never felt unsafe on a cruise ship, but then there have been very few places in the world where I have felt unsafe while traveling over the last 30 years or so (even as a solo woman). Actually, I can't think of any place I felt unsafe except for a few parking garages at night, but I'm allowing for the possibility I've forgotten about one or two ;)

 

I don't spend a lot of time worrying about my safety, though I take kind of standard precautions: I walk tall and confidently, keep my eye on where I am, and - most importantly - listen to my gut if it tells me to avoid something or somewhere.

[shheriii]

I watched something like that where there was a murder (half of a newly married couple) that involved strangers on the boat. If I were going alone, I would feel leary, but since I go with my husband usually, no.

[cb at sea]

While you are no safer or unsafer on a ship than elsewhere, it's true that the laws and investigations may be quite different!

 

Best thing is to keep your wits about you, and don't get into trouble!!!

[LadyShiva]

I watched something like that where there was a murder (half of a newly married couple) that involved strangers on the boat. If I were going alone, I would feel leary, but since I go with my husband usually, no.

 

If we're talking about the same crime, both people in the married couple were drunk... I can't stress enough to keep your wits about you in strange places.

 

Granted, some people think going on a cruise is a safe place to get crazy drunk. *shrug* They have interesting trip reports... *laughing*

[mr green]

I feel a lot safer on a cruise ship when walking to my cabin anytime, than I do walking home late at night.

Normal precautions should always be observed however. Put the extra lock on your cabin door at night, valuables out of sight, and in the safe, but most importantly, act, and dress normally. Persons who attract too much attention, may invite trouble, whether in ones home town, or, on a cruise ship.

 

john

[chipmaster]

Newscasts always sensationalized, ever hear the Don Henley song "dirty laundry"

 

Traveling solo always requires some thought, cruise ship, sightseening etc.

 

Cruiseship has tons of people around in close quarters, a smart traveler should have no issues.

[cruisemom42]

I have never felt unsafe on a cruise ship, but then there have been very few places in the world where I have felt unsafe while traveling over the last 30 years or so (even as a solo woman). Actually, I can't think of any place I felt unsafe except for a few parking garages at night, but I'm allowing for the possibility I've forgotten about one or two ;)

 

I don't spend a lot of time worrying about my safety, though I take kind of standard precautions: I walk tall and confidently, keep my eye on where I am, and - most importantly - listen to my gut if it tells me to avoid something or somewhere.

 

As another female solo traveler, I completely agree with the above. I've taken several cruises and many land trips on my own. About the only time I ever had reason to fear for my life was trying to cross a busy street in Cairo.

 

While you are no safer or unsafer on a ship than elsewhere, it's true that the laws and investigations may be quite different!

 

Best thing is to keep your wits about you, and don't get into trouble!!!

 

I would disagree that you are "no safer or unsafer" aboard ship. Many small towns would envy the crime records of most cruise ships. Considering that one has to pay a pretty good chunk of change to get onboard, a good deal of petty crime is much reduced, if not eliminated. Of the more serious crimes reported, as others have said, most have involved alcohol in some way or another -- particularly when people end up going overboard.

[geospyder]

...I take kind of standard precautions: I walk tall and confidently, keep my eye on where I am, and - most importantly - listen to my gut if it tells me to avoid something or somewhere.

 

 

Great advice! Always be in the yellow zone in which...

• You are cautious.
  
• Awareness is switched on.
  
• State of threat awareness and relaxed alertness.
  
• You have a 360-degree peripheral awareness of such environmental danger spots as secluded doorways, entries, and alleys, as well as such psychological triggers as adrenal dump and attacker ruses. Be aware of people, vehicles, behind large objects, dark areas, etc.
  

[2Cruise4Ever]

I have never felt un-safe on a cruise. But, like others have stated, I'm pretty aware of my surroundings anywhere I go outside of my own home.

[johneeo]

While you are no safer or unsafer on a ship than elsewhere,

 

Trust me, you are much safer on a cruise ship than in Philly.:eek:

[navybankerteacher]

Virtually every unfortunate thing that happens on a cruise ship gets reported -- not so for many of the far more serious things that go wrong every day in virtually every city. How many people got shot in New York City over the past seven days? How many on cruise ships? There are far more serious crimes per million people in any major city than in the cruising population at any given time.

 

Basic rule for cruise safety: Don't be stupid!

[dmwnc1959]

Here is a headline you will never see:

 

MILLIONS ENJOY SAFE, FUN, STRESS-FREE CRUISES

 

So true, except the exact numbers would be close to 13.5 MILLION just in 2011 alone! But happy stories rarely make the 6pm news. ;)

[momofmeg]

If we're talking about the same crime, both people in the married couple were drunk... I can't stress enough to keep your wits about you in strange places.

 

Granted, some people think going on a cruise is a safe place to get crazy drunk. *shrug* They have interesting trip reports... *laughing*

 

Or that poor 21 year old guy who leaned way over the railing on Mariner of the Seas to barf back in 2006 because he was crazy drunk. He had disappeared, his friends did not know what happened to him. The ship's security cameras had picked up that that he had slipped overboard. I guess he was too drunk to lean so far over a railing-but then if he had been sober he would not have needed to barf.

[wwcruisers]

We've cruised for 10 years now, and I've never felt unsafe on a cruise vacation. That being said, we always lock our cabin doors -- just like a hotel room. We also do our homework about the ports we are visiting, to learn whether or not they are places that you can go "walkabout" without an organized shore excursion. We work very hard at not getting drunk or stupid, either on-board or on-shore. One of the most-often questions asked on these boards is: "What is the one thing not to leave home without?" My answer has always been: your common sense! :cool:

[2Cruise4Ever]

One of the most-often questions asked on these boards is: "What is the one thing not to leave home without?" My answer has always been: your common sense! :cool:

 

Well said!

[Aquahound]

"What is the one thing not to leave home without?" My answer has always been: your common sense! :cool:

 

For those who leave that at home, I affectionately refer to them as "tourons." ;)

[ElvisAndretti]

Trust me, you are much safer on a cruise ship than in Philly.:eek:

 

You'd be safer in Kandahar than in parts of Philadelphia.

[uppitycats]

I've never felt unsafe on a cruise ship. But I do know that some people think that they're "safe", and let their kids roam at all hours of the day and night, or they get drunk and expect that "someone" will take care of them, they leave their stuff lying around and head off to the bathroom or to get a drink or whatever...and then are amazed when things go wrong!

 

I exercise due caution, try to keep aware of where I am, and go about my business. So far, it hasn't been a problem.