Cruise Industry Releases Crime Stats!

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I received this press release from The International Council of Cruise
Lines (ICCL) and thought it would be of interest. If you have missed
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CRUISE INDUSTRY RELEASES CRIME STATISTICS

Numbers Show People Much Safer on Cruise Ships than U.S. Average

ARLINGTON, Va. (March 4, 2006) – The International Council of Cruise
Lines (ICCL) today released information regarding crime on board
cruise ships prior to a hearing before the House Subcommittee on
National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations.

The industry data, based on 15 cruise lines’ submissions, totaled 206
complaints from passengers and crew during a three-year timeframe
(2003-2005) when more than 31 million people sailed on cruise ships.
There were 178 complaints of sexual assault, four robberies and 24
missing persons during the three-year period.

The cruise industry retained nationally-renowned criminologist
Professor James Fox, Ph.D., as an independent expert to review the
data provided to Congress. Professor Fox is the Lipman Family
Professor of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, visiting
fellow with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice
Statistics and author of 16 books.

“While virtually no place - on land or sea - is totally free of risk,
the number of reported incidents of serious crime from cruise lines is
extremely low, no matter what benchmark or standard is used,” said
Fox.

“Cruising is one of the safest vacations available with an outstanding
record that demonstrates the industry’s commitment to safety and
security,” said Michael Crye, president of the ICCL. “The cruise lines
cooperated with Congress in gathering these statistics to further
demonstrate that cruising is an exceptionally safe vacation.”

Crye further explained, “Certainly, these are not just numbers; they
represent people that have gone through personal tragedies. We do not
intend to minimize or brush aside their grievances nor shirk
responsibility. The cruise industry is constantly reviewing its
practices and procedures to make sure incidents, no matter how rare,
are handled responsibly and with compassion.”

Cruise lines operate within a legal framework under which
international, federal and state authorities investigate crimes on
board cruise ships. All allegations of crimes involving U.S. citizens
are reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and alleged
crimes against Americans can be investigated and prosecuted under U.S.
federal statutes even if they arise on cruise ships outside of U.S.
waters.

ICCL member cruise lines maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy for
crime that was adopted in 1999. In the event of an incident, the
cruise industry takes all allegations and incidents seriously, reports
them to the proper authorities and fully cooperates in any
investigation. In many instances, cruise lines do not publicly
disclose detailed information to comply with directions from law
enforcement and out of respect for the families involved.

Cruise lines work closely with local, state, federal and international
authorities, such as port authorities where ships call, the U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and Interpol. Every
cruise ship has a dedicated security officer and staff whose sole
function is the security of the passengers, crew and vessel. Security
staff personnel typically have a former law enforcement or military
background and are trained according to international security
regulations.

Crye offered the following advice for travelers: “While instances of
crime on board cruise ships are rare, it is important to be observant
of one’s possessions and one’s surroundings at all times while
traveling. Cruise passengers are reminded of this, as they are in any
hotel, by safety information, daily bulletins, port visit briefings
and the provision of room safes or safety deposit boxes.”

“While a crime can occur anywhere, a cruise ship is one of the safest
ways to travel,” Crye added.

The ICCL and several cruise lines testified in a maritime security
hearing before the House Subcommittees on National Security, Emerging
Threats and International Relations and Criminal Justice, Drug Policy
and Human Resources on Dec. 13, 2005. Following the December hearing,
the Subcommittees, led by Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT),
requested numbers from individual cruise lines on sexual assault,
missing persons and robberies ($5000 value and above) during a
three-year period (2003-2005). During this time, more than 31 million
people took cruise vacations.


About the ICCL: The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL)
represents the interests of 15 passenger cruise lines that call on
major ports in the United States and abroad. ICCL member lines
include: Carnival Cruise Lines; Celebrity Cruises; Costa Cruise Line
N.V.; Crystal Cruises; Cunard Line; Disney Cruise Line; Holland
America Line; NCL America; Norwegian Cruise Line; Princess Cruises;
Radisson Seven Seas Cruises; Royal Caribbean International; Seabourn
Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises; and Windstar Cruises. These vessels
account for approximately 90% of the North American passenger cruise
line industry.