27 October 2009

Multi-billion cruise industry faces US Congressional action

An effort to boost federal oversight of the US$40.2 billion cruise industry moved closer to becoming law when the US House of Representatives approved a bill requiring cruise lines to improve their crime reporting and safety procedures.

It's the first time such a bill has made it to a House vote despite repeated attempts, said the AP.

The measure must still be approved by the US Senate and signed by the US President.

"I am absolutely thrilled," said Kendall Carver, president of International Cruise Victims, whose daughter disappeared during an Alaskan cruise in 2004.

The House bill would require cruise lines that serve US ports to publicly report shipboard crimes, employ US doctors and install peepholes in cabin doors, among other requirements.

"The cruise industry has faced criticism in recent years for a series of high-profile cases involving missing passengers, sexual attacks and so-called sick ships," said the AP. Cruise lines have largely been exempt from federal oversight because most ships are registered in foreign countries.

The industry has maintained that cruising is one of the safest forms of leisure travel. But after several congressional hearings into cruise crime, the industry began voluntarily reporting serious shipboard incidents to the FBI and the Coast Guard.

Cruise Lines International Association supports the legislation.

By David Wilkening

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Your Comments (1)

Mixed law doesn't help.

One problem affecting cruises is that Maritime Law as well as 'land' consumer laws conflict when the ships leave port. The Maritime laws weren't written for passenger traffic so much as freight traffic. Travel agents should have a couple of important bookmarks on their browsers: < http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm > and for Canadians: < http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/travel-voyage/general/ship-navire-eng.php > so they can help protect their customers.

By J Hewson, Thursday, October 29, 2009