Cruise Crime and the Indifference of Travel Writers
This was a historic week in the world of cruising.
Congress passed the Cruise Vessel and Safety Act, which will help make cruising safer for U.S. families. Cruise lines will be required to install peepholes in cabin doors, maintain anti-retroviral medications and rape kits for victims, improve crime evidence handling procedures and - for the first time in the history of the cruise industry - report crimes to the U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI.
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Congress also passed the "SPILL Act" (H.R. 5503) which removes the limitation of liability for shipping companies, and amends the Death On The High Seas Act (DOHSA) to permit families to recover compensation when they lose a loved one on the high seas - whether it is on a drilling rig or a cruise ship. In so doing, Congress finally repealed an archaic and wicked law that has inflicted additional pain on cruise victims for the past ninety years.
These pieces of legislation are the results of the dedication and hard work of families of U.S. citizens killed in international waters, including members of the International Cruise Victims (ICV). The ICV is a grass roots, non-profit organization comprised entirely of volunteers who have been a victim of a crime on a cruise ship or lost a loved one during a cruise.
These two new laws are truly historic. But you would never know it by reading the hundreds of cruise websites and travel-writer blogs.
There are literally thousands of travel agents and travel writers who I follow daily on Twitter. But not one blogger mentioned either one of these new bills.
The problem is that many of the travel writers and most of the cruise bloggers are shills for the cruise industry. They sell cruises or advertise cruise banners on their web sites. Many cruise lines invite them on all-expense-paid cruises in exchange for favorable cruise reviews.
The exception is Arthur Frommer, of the famous Frommer's Travel Guides, and his daughter Pauline Frommer who covers travel stories in her blog "Daily Briefings." Ms. Frommer covered the cruise safety law in an article entitled In the Wee Hours This Morning, Cruising Just Got a Heckuva Lot Safer. Mr. Frommer re-printed his daughter's article, and added a few personal comments, in A Cruise Line Safety Act Has Quietly Passed the House of Representatives.
The Frommers explain the key provisions of the new law and recognize the remarkable efforts of the ICV over the past five years.
Mr. Frommer acknowledges that "even the travel trade press has failed to take more than the barest notice of proposed legislation in Congress that would require the cruise lines to tighten up safety . . . "
The new maritime laws were passed only after years of resistance and millions of dollars of lobbying by the cruise industry's trade organization - the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) - which is comprised of 16,000 travel agents. CLIA has a cozy relationship with many travel writers who choose not to offend the CLIA cruise lines by writing anything negative about the foreign flagged cruise industry. We have touched upon this subject in Travel Writers and the Ethics of Reporting Cruise News.
CLIA unsuccessfully worked behind the scenes lobbying against the SPILL Act in an effort to deny the widows and children of the oil workers killed in the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from receiving compensation - a disgusting spectacle we reported on in Cruise Industry Joins Forces With BP to Deny Death Compensation to Grieving Families
So it should come as no surprise that most travel writers and the CLIA cruise bloggers chose not to touch these stories.
But it is refreshing to see travel writers with integrity and ethics like Mr. Frommer and Ms. Frommer write about the cruise safety law which will protect the cruising public.
July 7, 200 Update:
TNOOZ (Talking Trave Tech) has an interesting blog about my blog: "Are Travel Writers Shills For The Cruise Lines?" A number of travel writers are commenting.
The Paradise Valley United Methodist Church in Arizona dedicated a bronze statue in remembrance of Merrian Carver, the daughter of Carol Carver and 
I want to take this opportunity to not only congratulate you on the completion of this monument, but also to recognize the tremendous efforts of those who have been personally impacted by crimes committed on cruise vessels. Despite facing insurmountable losses, brave men and women have tirelessly worked toward ensuring that other do not have to endure the pain caused by these senseless acts.
The statue was created by talented artist Bob Scheelings, who is pictured here with Mr. and Mrs. Carver..jpg)
I failed to mention the family whose efforts initiated the legislation, George III and Maureen Smith and their daughter Bree Smith of Greenwich Connecticut. After George IV disappeared from Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas in July 2005, the Smiths contacted their Congressman, Chris Shays (R-CT), who convened a series of hearings in December 2005 and March 2006. He also attended a cruise safety hearing in March 2007 convened by Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD). .jpg)
Two newspapers in Connecticut have reported on the new cruise law. Joan Lownds of the Greenwich Post wrote an article entitled ".jpg)
Ken Carver whose daughter Merrian disappeared on a cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises. The legislation was introduced by California Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) whose constituent, Ms. Laurie Dishman was sexually assaulted on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Ms. Dishman is a client and good friend of the firm. She has worked tirelessly with the other ICV members to make sure that legislation like this is enacted to protect the traveling public.
The International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) applauds House passage today of critical language authored by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) ensuring the safety of cruise ship passengers on the high seas. Matsui’s Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2009, included in H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010, requires cruise lines to report all crimes aboard cruise ships to both the United States Coast Guard and the FBI. The first measure of its kind, this legislation represents a historic step toward securing the safety all passengers need and deserve.
My legislation will not only help protect and empower future victims, but it contains important reforms that will help change the culture of the cruise industry and prevent future attacks from happening.”
As this crucial legislation moves forward, it serves as a sign to many among the ICV’s community of followers that progress is being made toward ensuring the safety of Americans abroad. The measure approved today is a major victory in the fight for cruise passengers’ rights. ICV President Kendall Carver expressed his hopeful outlook as the legislation has been approved by committee in the Senate. “Adoption of this bill would be proof to the world that our small group of volunteers with limited funds has been able to make a difference in the safety of Americans. When the Cruise Safety legislation is signed into law, it will serve to protect Americans across the nation during what ought to be relaxing vacations.”
American law enforcement. Title IX requires cruise ships to comply with design and construction standards, such as specific rail heights, peep holes, warning devices and cabin security measures. The bill also requires that vessels are equipped with a video surveillance system to assist in documenting and prosecuting crimes, and it requires vessels to maintain a log book to record reports on specified complaints. Finally, once enacted, vessels will be required to contact the nearest FBI office as soon as possible to report incidents involving homicide, suspicious deaths, missing U.S. nationals, kidnapping, assault, and other serious occurrences.
Jim Walker practices admiralty and maritime personal injury law. He has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983. Based in
