This month marks the two year anniversary of the first publication of Cruise Law News ("CLN").
My first blog was back on September 7, 2009. Since then I have written around 700 blogs about all types of disturbing and weird things that happen on cruise ships.
As I predicted two years ago, cruise lines and travel agents cringe daily at the articles. But hopefully, you have learned about issues that the cruise industry PR machine and the happy-go-lucky cruise fanatics don’t want you to know. And hopefully you are safer in the process.
In the past two years, the public has read over 1,300,000 pages of CLN. My little blog is currently ranked as the 13th most popular law blog per the AVVO / Alexa ranking system, for what that’s worth. 1,630 people have taken the time to leave a comment, some negative and some pro.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Here are some of my favorite articles over the last two years:
Most read article: Passenger Busted for Selling Drugs on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas The public can’t resist a story about a drug dealer busted on a gay cruise aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, National Inquirer anyone?
Most popular article: The Splendor Cruise Ship Fire – Three Reasons Why You Will Lose If You Sue Carnival The blog was picked up by the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, the ABA Journal, South Business Law Journal, Gadling, Slate, the U.K.’s Guardian and others. Everyone loves it when a personal injury lawyer tells the public not to sue following a cruise disaster . . .
Most ironic articles: Former Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Captain Dies of Legionnaire’s Disease After Sailing on Liberty of the Seas and Cruise Passengers Attacked & Robbed in Antigua While Cruise and Tourism Officials Meet
Best article with the word "sex" in the title: Marketing "Sex at Sea" on Cruise Ships (includes my favorite photo of a cruise line executive, in bed with booze surrounded by women with the Royal Caribbean logo across their bikini tops??)
Most comments to an article: Crew Member Overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas
Second most comments to an article: Another Overboard From A Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship? – Oasis of the Seas
Most positive reaction to an article: Royal Caribbean "Returns" to its Trademarked, Private Fantasy Island of Labadee® – While Haiti Suffers
Most negative reaction to an article: Royal Caribbean "Returns" to its Trademarked, Private Fantasy Island of Labadee® – While Haiti Suffers
Happiest article: Three Happy Cruise Stories – Salvation, Generosity & Rebirth
Most inspiring article: The Compelling Story of Jamie Barnett – Living Through the Loss
Saddest article: More Caribbean Crime – Carnival Passenger Killed In St. Thomas
Most disturbing article: Neither Dead Nor Alive – The Faliva Family Remains In Limbo
Most bitter article: What Does BP, Al Qaeda and a Cruise Line Have In Common? Unfortunately you have to lose a loved one before you can figure the answer out.
Scariest articles: Passenger Indicted for Sexual Abuse of 13 Year Old Girl on Disney Wonder Cruise Ship, Carnival Cruise Ship Bartender Arrested On Charges Of Raping 14 Year Old Passenger and Most Wanted Rape Suspect Arrested On Carnival Cruise Ship – Worked As Manager Of Onboard Hair Salon
Best social media articles: The Cruise Industry’s Reputation – A Sinking Image and Travel Writers and the Ethics of Reporting Cruise News
Best series of articles: Top 10 Reasons Not To Cruise
Best article the cruise lines don’t want you to read: "Cruise Ship Sickness" – Is Norovirus In The Food and Water?
Most terrifying cruise video (over 326,000 views and counting!): The Clelia II Skirts Disaster Again in Antarctica
Best sports article: Oysters, Dixie Beer & My New Orleans Saints
Best personal article: Switching Sides And Finding Your Soul
Best article not read by the cruise industry: Ten Years of Cruise Ship Fires – Has the Cruise Industry Learned Anything?
Thanks to my readers, friends, supporters, detractors and enemies for making Cruise Law News a success.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and my Cruise Law News facebook page.
Bottom photo credit: Clelia II Fiona Stewart/Garett McIntosh (via jonbowermaster.com)