C.S.I. Cruise Lines

First off there is no need to worry, Cruise ships haven’t just got a lot more dangerous, but as many regular cruisers will know laws onboard tend to be confusing at best and if anything does ever need investigating no one is ever quite sure who is meant to do what.

In an effort to help resolve this situation the US Senate on Thursday unanimously approved legislation aimed at improving cruise ship safety and formalizing crime reporting requirements.
HR 3660, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, requires 42-inch guard rails, peep holes in every passenger and crew member’s door, on-deck video surveillance and an emergency sound system.
It also formalizes a crime reporting structure among the cruise industry, the FBI and the US Coast Guard including requirements that each ship maintain a log book to record deaths, missing individuals, alleged crimes and passenger/crew complaints regarding theft, sexual harassment and assault.
Further, the measure addresses crime scene response by requiring rape kits, anti-retroviral medications and a trained forensic sexual assault specialist aboard each ship.
In addition, a program designed by the Secretary of Transportation in consultation with the FBI would be established to train appropriate crew members in crime prevention, detection, evidence preservation and reporting of criminal activities in the international maritime environment. I did check, this won’t be run by anyone from the TV shows for any fans out there.
‘Murky lines of jurisdiction are no longer an excuse for risking the safety of millions of Americans who will board cruise ships this year,’ said Sen. John Kerry, who championed the bill.

The House of Representatives last November passed the legislation authored by Rep. Doris Matsui. To become law, the act needs President Obama’s signature.
The cruise industry already voluntarily complies with many of the bill’s requirements, including the reporting of serious crimes or suspected crimes involving US citizens.
Cruise Lines International Association, which threw its support behind the legislation last July, reiterated its backing for HR 3660.
The measure brings ‘greater consistency and clarification to many industry practices and existing regulations, including a longstanding federal requirement to report to the FBI allegations of serious crimes occurring in US waters or involving a US national anywhere in the world,’ CLIA said in a statement.
The association noted the cruise industry has reported allegations of serious crimes to federal law enforcement agencies for many years and said it looks forward to continuing its work with USCG, the FBI and law enforcement in the US and elsewhere around the world.
For obvious reasons this will only really affect American registered cruise ships but it’s nice to see the industry is taking some steps in the right direction by standardising all their procedures onboard for the benefit of their passengers.

Happy cruising