Royal Caribbean topped all cruise lines in crime during the second quarter of 2025, per the most recent crime report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT reported 43 crimes for all cruise lines from April 1st to June 30th, 2025, bringing the total reported crimes to 91 so far this year.
This is marks first time since the summer of 2022 that Carnival Cruise Line did not top the list, ending their remarkable 33 consecutive months as the leader in reported cruise ship crimes.
The breakdown of crimes last quarter by cruise line is as follows:
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: 15
- Carnival Cruise Line: 9
- Disney Cruise Line: 6
- Norwegian Cruise Line: 5
- Margaritaville at Sea: 3
- Celebrity Cruises: 2
- Princess Cruises: 2
- MSC: 1
The crimes include assault with bodily injury, sexual assault, rape, and theft over $10,000. Sexual assault and rape made up the majority of crimes (33 total) with Royal Caribbean leading all cruise lines with 11.
The recent data continues the troubling trend of increasing crime on cruise ships. Crime has nearly doubled from 92 reported incidents in 2016 to a projected 182 crimes by the end of this year. Crime plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic only to rebound to an all-time high in 2023 with no signs of decreasing. A chart summarizing the data from 2016-2025 is below.
As troubling as this data is, the real number of crimes is certainly higher. The data released by the DOT includes only crimes that were reported to the FBI. After representing hundreds of cruise victims, I can say with confidence many crimes committed on cruise ships are not reported to the FBI.
For example we previously reported on a cruise passenger who was beaten unconscious by another passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas in April of this year. Broward County police officers boarded the ship and arrested two men including Michael White who was charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm. However, the recent crime data shows a big fat zero for assaults on Royal Caribbean last quarter.
Furthermore, crimes such as the possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material and drug smuggling are not included in the data. As a result, the NCL Norwegian Bliss crew member arrested for child sexual abuse material and Royal Caribbean passenger arrested for smuggling heroin and fentanyl are not included in the DOT’s crime data.
Lastly, crimes committed against non-U.S passengers and/or on ships calling on non-U.S ports are not included in the DOT cruise crime data. This means the man who was killed during a fight on the MSC Virtuosa would also not be included because the ship sailed from Southampton, England and did not call on a U.S Port.
The missing crime data is an intentional result of the cruise industry’s aggressive lobbying leading up to the enactment of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. Cruise lines pushed to limit the types of crimes included in their reporting under the guise of transparency. As a result drug smuggling, child pornographers, and crimes against non-U.S citizens are no where to be found in the DOT cruise crime data.
Even with the missing data, the DOT cruise crime data can be used to find trends. And the trend couldn’t be clearer – cruise ships are as dangerous as ever.
Have a comment or questions? Please leave one below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.
Images: Icon of the Seas – Royal Caribbean via People; Michael White – browardcountymugshots via WPLG Local 10 News.
September 26, 2025 Update:
Royal Caribbean Overtakes Carnival In A Statistic No Cruise Line Wants To Lead