Cruise Lines Release Shipboard Crime Data

Illustration of the new Norwegian Breakaway. Photo courtesy NCL

Some of the world’s biggest cruise lines have made good on their word and are now publishing shipboard crime statistics on their websites.

According to the website Cruise Critic, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises are all now publishing information about alleged crimes on their ships dating back to the fourth quarter of 2010. Cruise Critic notes that none the Carnival brands have posted the data so far, although some media has reported that they have (we can’t find it).

The changes were first announced last week by Adam Goldstein, president and chief executive officer of the Royal Caribbean, at a hearing on cruise safety by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in Washington, which is led by U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller.

During the hearing, Goldstein said that three of the world’s largest cruise ship companies -Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Ltd. and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.- would begin publishing crime data beginning August 1.

The voluntary reporting by the companies expands on the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2010, which is limited in its reporting requirements to only closed FBI investigations. The new policy will disclose all alleged crimes on ships worldwide.

The pressure to release such information comes following proposed legislation introduced by Senator Rockefeller that would require the disclosure of the crime data and make the Department of Transportation responsible for consumer protection on cruises.