Crime

Thirteen years ago I represented a young woman from St. Augustine, Florida.  She was employed as a cook on a private yacht owned by a multi-millionaire tycoon.  She went ashore to Cabo San Lucas with a group of fellow crew members.  They ended up leaving her in a nightclub and returned to the yacht.  When she tried to walk back to the marina

Numerous news sources are reporting that the body of crew member from Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas was recovered from the ocean near Cozumel. 

Allure of the Sea - Cruise Ship - Crew DeathPolish national Ms. Monika Markiewicz, age 32, was employed by Royal Caribbean as a musician.  She disembarked from the Allure on Friday and did not return to the cruise ship.  The cruise ship then left

The Bermuda Sun reports today that a Princess Cruises crew member has been arrested for what is described as a "sex attack" on a woman on a cruise ship.   The newspaper identifies Filipino Johnwill Reyes Abdon, age 40, as the crew member who allegedly committed the crime. 

The incident occurred on the Caribbean Princess, a

Cruise Radio is the most popular cruise related radio show in the world. 

Yesterday we were one of the guests on the radio show and discussed tips on how to stay safe on cruise ships.  

I discuss some tips to keep in mind if you cruise.  About keeping your kids safe.  About child predators on cruises.  About

The international press is reporting that Gahadhar Pradhan, a crew member (waiter) from P&O’s Aurora cruise ship, was pistol-whipped over the head and shot during a mugging while ashore in Philipsburg, on the Caribbean island of St Maarten. 

We first learned of the incident via Crew Member Shot - Caribbean Violence - Cruise Shipthe cruise blogs by Captain Greybeard in the U.K. 

The crew member was shot in

Today, two stories broke about cruise ship crimes issues.

The first story involved three Royal Caribbean crew members arrested for trying to smuggle drugs into Baltimore from the Dominican Republic via Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship.   We have written a lot about passengers and crew members using cruise ships to smuggle drugs.  Earlier this year, passengers

Another strange week in the world of cruising, with multiple stories about the cruise industry appearing in the main stream newspapers and on the major television networks.

Cruise Fire Fallout:  The Splendor cruise ship will be out of service until January 2011, meaning Carnival will lose revenue from over 20,000 passengers.  A Time Magazine blog blasted a

Nicholas Cowdery - Dianne BrimbleIts been eight years since Dianne Brimble died on the floor of a P & O cruise ship, in the cabin of one of the infamous "gang of eight" who likened Ms. Brimble to a dog with bad breath who they contemplated throwing overboard. 

Her tragic death was one of the stories which I wrote often about when I started this blog: 

Our firm is investigating the tragic death of a young girl who was shot and killed while ashore in St. Thomas during a cruise.  This child was one of hundred of thousands of passengers who sail into this beautiful island each year without realizing that St. Thomas has one of the highest homicide rates in the world.  It’s murder rate this year

I have written many articles about the high crime rates in many of the Caribbean islands frequented by cruise lines – Crime in Caribbean Ports of Call Against Cruise Passengers.  Consider the following articles in the last year alone: 

Antigua – Cruise Passengers Attacked & Robbed in Antigua While Cruise and Tourism Officials Meet and Passenger From Star

The police in Hong Kong arrested a 47 year old passenger after he reportedly pushed his 43 year old wife overboard from the MV Macau Success cruise ship yesterday.

The cruise ship made an emergency call to police at 7:40 a.m. reporting that a woman had been pushed into the sea at 7:20 a.m.   The police sent

In July, President Obama signed the Cruise Vessel Security & Safety Act.  On the President’s right side in the Oval Office was Sacramento resident and my friend, Laurie Dishman.  On his left side, Laurie’s Congresswoman, Doris Matsui.

Laurie Dishman - Congresswoman Matsui - Cruise Safety Law The new cruise law involves a remarkable story about the bravery of Laurie Dishman.  Laurie went on a Royal Caribbean cruise in February 2006 to celebrate her 35th birthday and

A young couple’s cruise over this holiday weekend did not end as planned.  When Paola Andrea Londono, her husband Daniel Holanda, and their 9-month-old baby returned to Florida onboard a Carnival cruise ship, law officials came to their cabin and arrested Ms. Londono.

After his wife was led from the cruise ship in handcuffs in

The Washington Post has published an article about the new Cruise Security and Safety Act, written by veteran travel writer Christopher Eliott.  Mr. Elliott is a a travel consultant for MSNBC and a writer for National Geographic Traveler magazine and for the Consumer Travel Alliance.

The article was originally entitled " A Long Way To Go To Ensure

Ever since the Senate and House passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, the cruise industry and its trade organization, the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) which spent millions of dollars vigorously opposing the new legislation, have minimized the ground-breaking new law. 

UK P & I Club - Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act - Cruise Crime  So it was to my great interest and amusement today when a Cruise Law News