Passengers on Quark Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer ship heading back from Antarctica experienced a harrowing journey through the turbulent Drake Passage, where the expedition cruise ship hit waves as high as 30 to 40 feet. Passengers described the 48 hour experience as being trapped on a “never-ending roller coaster at sea.”
One passenger, travel blogger Lesley
Today, the Miami New Times, via Alexa DeLuca, reported that a second Disney crew member on the Disney Dream cruise ship was arrested at Port Everglades for possession and transportation of child pornography. Acting on tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security
The marine insurers for cruise ships which may have the faulty fire-resistant Paroc panels are demanding transparency that cruise lines / ship owners disclose which vessels contain the faulty panels, according to Lloyd’s List. The London-based news website for the shipping industry recently published two articles, focusing on the potentially dangerous Paroc fire-resistant panels. The
The United States State Department issued another travel warning for the Bahamas today.
The U.S. State Department reissued a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution Due to Crime” for the Bahamas, stating:
“Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assault, is common, even during the day and in tourist areas. Although the
Three cruise visitors to Antigua, two from an unidentified MSC cruise ship and one from the P&O Brittania, were recently attacked and robbed in St. John’s in separate crimes according to the Antigua Observer.
The two crimes were violent.
The local police arrested two men, 20-year-old Joel Richards and 19-year-old Anderson Garcia, who are
The Minister of Tourism (MOT) for the Bahamas yesterday denied claims recently made in a travel agent’s YouTube video that Nassau is a dangerous port for cruise passengers, according to a newspaper article in the Bahamas titled MOT refutes claims made in YouTube video about Nassau port.
The YouTube video in question, styled “
The U.S. and Canada both started issuing travel warnings for cruise vacationers. The U.S. started issuing travel warning at the end of December 2018 and Canada began issuing travel advisories two weeks ago.
The U.S. State Department also recently began posting warnings on Twitter regarding certain dangers about cruise ships and ports of call. Its
Two German passengers from a the AidaPerla were reportedly attacked in a botched robbery in Castries, St Lucia yesterday morning, according to a local newspaper in St Lucia.
The St Lucia Times stated that “two young thugs pounced” on a mother and daughter from the German cruise ship when they exited from a park near
The News Rep newspaper contained this ominous headline yesterday – ISIS terrorists have just hijacked a cruise ship . . .
The newspaper, which focuses on security, military and warfare issues, stated “Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists have stormed a cruise ship full of unaware tourists somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. The U.S. Special Operations Command
Recently, there have been a number of articles published about preparing cruise ships for attacks by pirates as the ships pass through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb into and out of the Gulf of Aden.
Cruise blogger Danielle Fear published, via Cruise Critic, an article yesterday titled Blackout on Black Watch: Pirates, Razor Wire and Water
The United States Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security issued another warning to U.S. tourists about the danger of sexual assault in Nassau , Bahamas yesterday. The warning states:
Avoid Jet ski operators: Jet ski operators continue to commit sexual assaults and other crimes against tourists. U.S. Embassy personnel are instructed not to
The United Stated State Department issued a new crime warning for the Bahamas. You can read the new warning issued on January 10, 2018 here.
The crime warning states, in part:
Exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime.
Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assault is common, even during
A follower of my blog sent me a video of a loose deck railing taken by a passenger yesterday on the Carnival Fantasy which is currently sailing from Mobile, Alabama to Cozumel, Mexico.
The video (bottom) was posted to Facebook and shows the passenger pointng out a railing with heavily rusted brackets (video image left).
Bloomberg published an article today titled Why the Cruise Industry Is Booming in the Middle East.
The lighthearted article casually mentions that passengers on the "fancy, all-inclusive Seabourn Encore were enjoying martinis and opera around the pool" off the coast of Somalia "where pirates occasionally hijack cargo ships" when an alarm sounded indicating that a
A jet ski operator in Nassau, Bahamas sexually assaulted a Canadian woman near Paradise Island yesterday afternoon, according to the Nassau Tribune.
The crime reportedly occurred after 1.30 P.M. on a cay near Cabbage Beach. The newspaper indicates that a jet ski operator took the young woman (in her twenties) on a ride from Cabbage
The Tribune newspaper in Nassau reports that during a meeting between the CEO of Royal Caribbean International brand, Michael Bayley, and Prime Minister Perry Christie, the cruise executive stated that he is “concerned” about high levels of crime in the Bahamas.
Mr. Bayley says that he has previously communicated his concerns regarding the issue of crime affecting
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Yesterday, the U.S. Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) issued a security message for U.S. Citizens traveling to Nassau, Bahamas), titled Staying Safe during Spring Break in the Bahamas.
It starts with: "avoid being alone with strangers, jet ski, taxi, or scooter operators. Be particularly cautious on secluded beaches; criminals target such isolated areas. When
The U.S. State Department yesterday updated its travel advisory to Honduras, stating that the level of kidnapping, crime, and violence in Honduras remains “critically high.” (this warning supersedes the last warning in October 2015).
The warning states that “criminal activity is a serious problem throughout the country and the Government of Honduras
