Using a Quad Copter to get footage onboard

[CORKY_Q]

I've only found mention of commercial use of camera drones being banned, but can't find anything about personal use. Can you provide a link?

 

Also, do the Bahamas have such a ban, as that is where RCI ships are registered? And if they do, do you know for a fact that that would apply in international waters?

 

You know, this is a discussion board, and we really don't know. We have thoughts. (I don't think I would want it allowed.) Why don't you contact RCI?

[Aquahound]

I've only found mention of commercial use of camera drones being banned, but can't find anything about personal use. Can you provide a link?

 

As of right now in the U.S., there is no law preventing use of personal drones for non business related activities.

 

I know this is true because this is an issue I just dealt with here in Key West.

[MattInFLL]

Forget about the FAA or any other regulatory agency. The biggest issue you are going to have is RCI and their (rightful) concern about liability. I can't imagine they will allow this from the ship, moving or not. And I would not risk doing it without permission (and I don't think that the OP is suggesting that).

[tanzer22pilot]

Forget about the FAA or any other regulatory agency. The biggest issue you are going to have is RCI and their (rightful) concern about liability. I can't imagine they will allow this from the ship, moving or not. And I would not risk doing it without permission (and I don't think that the OP is suggesting that).

 

Plus, you got folks like Donray, who said they would throw things at it.

[time4u2go]

You know, this is a discussion board, and we really don't know. We have thoughts. (I don't think I would want it allowed.) Why don't you contact RCI?

I'm not the one that asked the original question, so I have no reason to contact RCI.

 

I was simply asking somebody that claimed that they had seen something recently stating that it was not allowed. I was wanting to know where they had seen this, so that we could know for sure if it's allowed or not. They haven't responded, so perhaps we can draw conclusions from that.

Edited August 8, 2014 by time4u2go

[time4u2go]

As of right now in the U.S., there is no law preventing use of personal drones for non business related activities.

 

I know this is true because this is an issue I just dealt with here in Key West.

 

That's what I thought as well. Thank you for confirming.

[BillOh]

The only thing I recommend is keeping open communication with RCI. Drones are a bit of a hot topic right now.

 

They may let you bring it but I doubt you'd get away with flying it on the ship while it was moving. Too many people and too much in the way, not to mention the winds.

 

I doubt they'd have a problem w/you bringing it off on a private island like haiti or the bahamas and getting footage though. You might get away with some onboard footage while the ship was in a port as well with less people and wind.

 

 

I'd call and see what they say, I'm kind of curious as well.

 

 

 

Two good posts, but I wouldn't trust any communication with RC, some Customer Rep, might say "sure" and then the people on the ship might say something different. Heck, two people in authority on the ship might give you different answers. I could see having fun with this on Coco Cay or Labadee, if your careful, but too many things out of your control on a ship, so common sense says to not even try, with thousands of people on board, you will undoubtedly run into some one with the dimwitted idea stated above of throwing something at it. Notice I said the idea was dimwitted, not the poster, because even if I did think they were dimitted, that would be name calling and against the rules, so I'll say the idea was dimwitted. ;)

 

As AH says, the whole topic is a hot topic at this point. I used to have 2mw lasers at home back in the late 70s and early 80s long before the LED laser hit the market. We use to entertain kids at trick or treat with it and sure enough some woman said she was going to call the police and did.

[blueblock]

Correct me but did I not hear today that FAA considers these drones currenty as illegal? By the way so do many other countries

 

Commercial use of drones in the U.S. is currently banned by the FAA. Hobbyist use of drones is not, as long as the drones are operated safely.

[davenew]

This may seem like a crazy question, but here it goes. My friend recently purchased a small quad copter that he can attach his GoPro to. He's gotten some pretty amazing aerial footage from it. He was wondering if it would be a problem to bring in onboard a ship and get some footage while its leaving port, during a sea day, or of the ship while he's on land during an excursion. If allowed, he would probably only use it once or twice for a maximum of 20 minutes each time as not to be annoying. Is there an official policy regarding this? I was just wondering if anyone had any experience or input.

 

For reference, the one he bought looks like this. Pretty small and quiet.

 

 

I would suspect it violates privacy laws.

[time4u2go]

I would suspect it violates privacy laws.

But what privacy laws apply to a ship in international waters? Or at a foreign port?

Edited August 8, 2014 by time4u2go

[Moeve]

I thought about this over night...... I really cannot see RCCL or any other cruise line for that matter allowing them. Imagines the mayhem if lets say 10 passengers tried to fly theirs at the sametime! Oh boy just Imaging what the cruiselines insurers are going to say! My bet will be that no cruise line will allow them because the risks are just too big never mind other guests being bothered.

 

You guys are right it is commercial use that is banned BUT the National Parks Service has confirmed they are not allowed in any National Park especially after some tourist crashed one into a geyser at Yellowstone.

[BillOh]

Google FAA and Camera drones - I just did and a recent US ruling says the drones are not illegal BUT taking photos with them is! Now as to being on the high seas well then do not forget the laws in the registery of the ship

 

I don't think your right on this point. The FAA currently doesn't allow them for commercial use, but privately owned ones can have cameras or whatever it can legally carry.

[Aquahound]

I would suspect it violates privacy laws.

 

But what privacy laws apply to a ship in international waters? Or at a foreign port?

 

This would all be covered under a clause called "right to be right to see." A personal drone flying over a cruise ship is not violating any privacy laws. However, if the drone were to be used in a manner, such as getting a close up view inside stateroom windows, then we're talking voyeurism, which is illegal. But even then, it has to be obvious and intentional. Just flying down the side of the ship, or capturing video/images from a distance is not voyeurism.

 

As far as venue, if the ship embarks and disembarks in the U.S., voyeurism can be prosecuted in the U.S., as long as it didn't occur in the waters of another country.

[mjldvlks]

I cannot deny there is an opportunity to get some pretty dramatic pictures, but personally I think this is an inherently bad idea. Just seems to me that operating this kind of aircraft in a relatively confined and crowded environment is asking for trouble. But maybe I am too risk averse.

 

If I were going to do it, I would want to make absolutely certain of the flying and privacy rules/restrictions/regulations/laws applicable to every place I planed to use it.

 

And after reading Aquahound's last post -- I would not assume the law of the US is going to be similar to the law of the other jurisdictions I might visit.

Edited August 8, 2014 by mjldvlks

[Moeve]

I don't think your right on this point. The FAA currently doesn't allow them for commercial use, but privately owned ones can have cameras or whatever it can legally carry.

 

I guess you hadn't gotten further down the page.....

[DerekB]

I took these photos of a UAV while at sea on Allure last fall. I do not know who was controlling it but we were at full speed on the open ocean when I took them.

 

Edit: I can't seem to figure out how to link a photo here...

 

picture a quadrocopter flying around in front of the sunset...

Edited August 9, 2014 by DerekB

[DerekB]

Well I am trying to show the photos again...this time with dropbox - if it doesn't work...well sorry :(

 

[The_Big_M]

Forget about the FAA or any other regulatory agency. The biggest issue you are going to have is RCI and their (rightful) concern about liability. I can't imagine they will allow this from the ship, moving or not. And I would not risk doing it without permission (and I don't think that the OP is suggesting that).

 

Agree with this. It's not that regulators will be policing it, but just for the same reasons you can get kicked offboard any RCL ship, for doing things that violate their policies and the enjoyment of their other customers.

[davenew]

But what privacy laws apply to a ship in international waters? Or at a foreign port?

 

The same ones that stop you taking pictures of other peoples children without prior consent.

[Aquahound]

The same ones that stop you taking pictures of other peoples children without prior consent.

 

Sorry, but your posts aren't making a lot of sense. What are these privacy laws you speak of? There's nothing illegal about taking pictures on cruise ships that include kids. The only thing that's privileged by law is conversation. Otherwise, when you're in public, especially in a vacation setting, you're subject to video and picture taking. There is nothing illegal about that.

Edited August 9, 2014 by Aquahound

[FLACRUISER99]

Sorry, but your posts aren't making a lot of sense. What are these privacy laws you speak of? There's nothing illegal about taking pictures on cruise ships that include kids. The only thing that's privileged by law is conversation. Otherwise, when you're in public, especially in a vacation setting, you're subject to video and picture taking. There is nothing illegal about that.

I agree but I think you will never convince davenew!

[time4u2go]

The same ones that stop you taking pictures of other peoples children without prior consent.

 

As Aquahound indicated, there are no such laws.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

The same ones that stop you taking pictures of other peoples children without prior consent.

I agree with the others. There are no laws against that. In fact, there are no laws against taking pictures of ANYONE without their consent (assuming they're in public, etc, etc, etc)

[whitecap]

Ok, I am gonna use some "common sense" here; I know, now days common sense usually doesn't come into play, but here goes:

RCCL allows a passenger to bring a drone onboard to use as the owner sees fit; owner flies the drone into a piece of equipment that causes problems for the ship and or other passengers, who's responsible? It would take just one passenger to claim that the drone was taking pictures through her balcony doors to have the owner criminally charged, RCCL sued etc; ship docks at a port of call, a country that has laws against the use of these drones and owner is arrested. Common sense would indicate that bringing something like this onboard is asking for trouble whether complaints from other passengers, damaging the ship or violating laws of other countries. Why would you want to spend your vacation trying to explain that the drone flying alongside the ship "wasn't" taking pictures of the lady who was getting dressed.

Here is a suggestion: Contact RCCL, in writing, and asked if it would be possible to bring the drone onboard, give it to the Security office for safe keeping, to be used while off the ship at ports of call, providing those counties allow their use.Then contact those countries and ascertain, in writing, whether or not their use is legal. You may find that the restrictions are so great it just wouldn't be worth the effort.

[Justmekaren918]

Did you see this...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXHrZo4FhN4

Now my 1st thought was they were breaking rules since they were flying the drone in faa air space since I would doubt they asked, cause if they did they would of been told no. Here is the basic laws on drones and more are coming very soon.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/06/24/332771.htm

 

The person might be able to do it at one of the private islands. Since most other ports would be the countries laws and again you are dealing with faa regs.