Five years ago, the Bush administration proposed legislation prohibiting the use of maritime fuels with high sulfur content within 200 miles of the U.S. The Obama administration had the bill passed into law. In turn, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that it planned to create a buffer zone around the U.S. and Canada where
Reuters Falls For Cruise Industry’s PR Release
This year has been a public relations mess for the cruise industry.
2012 started off with the January Costa Concordia disaster, followed by a series of articles and TV specials about cruise ship engine failures, fires, sexual assaults and controversy over the cruise industry’s manipulation of the new cruise safety law.
Just the other week…
“Dumped in the Caribbean” – Washington Post Takes a Look at What Happens When You Have a Heart Attack on a Cruise Ship
The Travel section of the Washington Post has an article today about what happens if you are unfortunate enough to have a heart attack while sailing on a cruise in the Caribbean. Things often get worse when the cruise ship wants to limit its liability and dumps you off in a Caribbean port.
No offense…
Canadian Air Force Rescue of Stricken Sailboat Assisted By Star Princess Cruise Ship – This Time Princess Cruises Doesn’t Abandon Mariners in Distress
The Vancouver Province contains a dramatic story involving the Canadian Air Force’s rescue of two British Columbia sailors whose storm battered sailboat was pitching wildly in 80 km/h winds and high waves near the Queen Charlotte Islands.
The Canadian Air Force deployed a helicopter to try and winch the two men off the deck of…
Small Fire on Crown Princess Cruise Ship in Ionian Sea
The Maritime Bulletin reports that a fire occurred on the Crown Princess cruise ship on July 14 2012 in one of the cabins.
The Princess cruise ship was some 3 miles east of Antipaxos island in the Ionian Sea and was sailing from Corfu to Piraeus with 3325 passengers on board when the alarm went…
Royal Caribbean Passenger Dies While Kayaking in Alaska
The Juneau Empire newspaper reports today that a cruise ship passenger from Texas died after after his kayak overturned in Mendenhall Lake in Juneau, Alaska on Sunday.
A spokeswoman for the Tongass National Forest stated that the deceased cruise passengers was 62 year old Michael Ray Fullerton. Mr. Fullerton was with other family members, from a cruise…
British Cruise Passenger: Crew Member Raped Me on the Celebrity Equinox
The U.K.’s Mail Online reports today that a 27 year old British passenger alleges that a Celebrity Cruises ship employee raped her in her cabin aboard the Celebrity Equinox.
The article reports that the crew member, believed to be working on the cruise ship in the entertainment department, met the passenger in a bar…
Newsweek Magazine Weighs in on Cruise Safety Debate: “The Hidden Horrors of Cruising”
Today, Newsweek magazine and its online edition – The Daily Beast – weighs in on the 6 month anniversary of the Costa Concordia disaster with a far reaching article looking at all aspects of today’s cruise industry.
Cheap cruise fares? Certainly. But at what cost? Long working hours, low pay, and exploitative working conditions. An…
Costa to Re-Float the Concordia, But Can the Cruise Industry Salvage Its Reputation?
Friday the 13th was the 6 month anniversary of the January the 13th Costa Concordia disaster.
This weekend, I read through several dozen articles which looked back over the last 6 months since the Costa cruise ship killed 32 people and terrorized thousands. I watched the recent specials on NBC and CNN about dangers inherent…
Six Months After Costa Concordia Disaster, Ship Remains Offshore
Video: CBS "Captain Schettino remains the most reviled man in Italy."
Fire Breaks Out On Rhine River Cruise Ship
Newspapers in Germany are reporting that a fire broke put on a river cruise ship with 134 people on board this morning. The ship is the Dutch-owned Regina Rheni. The ship was mostly filled with British tourists.
The fire quickly spread and forced the passengers to the top deck. The newspaper accounts indicate that the…
Costa Concordia Survivors Describe ‘Goliath’ Fight Against Cruise Industry
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Captain Schettino: “I F—ed Up!” – Black Box Reveals the Truth
Yesterday, we discussed Captain Schettino’s paid interview with an Italian news station where he blamed a junior officer for the Concordia disaster, claiming that he entered the bridge only after the cruise ship hit the rocks. He says that he ordered the navigation to be manual in an effort to save the ship.
But today…
Paid Over $60,000 for Interview, Captain Schettino Still Can’t Offer Genuine Apology to Concordia Cruise Victims
The big news coming our of Italy as we approach the 6 month anniversary of the Costa Concordia disaster is an interview the infamous Francesco Schettino gave to an Italian television channel.
Now that an Italian court has released Captain Schettino from house release and lifted the gag order imposed on him in January, we…
Cruise Facts: Cheap Foreign Labor, No U.S. Taxes & Minimal Compensation to Dead & Injured Passengers
Over the past week, CNN has aired a number of special programs about the cruise industry, revealing a number of things that the industry would prefer you not know.
The segment below focuses on the cruise lines’ efforts to avoid U.S taxes,
By registering their cruise ships in foreign countries, cruise lines avoid most U.S.
NBC to Broadcast Special Report on Costa Concordia
On Thursday night at 10:00 PM, NBC will broadcast a special report on the Costa Concordia during an episode of Rock Center With Brian Williams. The special will features a story about the survivors of Italy’s Costa Concordia shipwreck, and the rights that they unknowingly signed away when they boarded the ship. Here’s the…
Watch CNN Special “Predators at Sea” – Are Your Kids Safe on Cruise Ships?
Last night, CNN Anderson Cooper’s program AC 360 took a look at the safety of women and children on cruise ships.
The program began with an interview with a girl who alleges that at age 15 she was sexually assaulted by who she describes as a uniformed Royal Caribbean crew member aboard the Rhapsody of…
CNN’s “Safe at Sea” Series Investigates Sexual Assault of 15 Year Old Girl on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
Tonight, the CNN Anderson Cooper AC360 program aired a short documentary into the issue of the safety of children on the high seas, entitled "Safe at Sea."
The program focuses on a fifteen year old girl sailing with her family on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2010. While her parents and siblings were at…