I just spent about four hours listening to testimony about “crimes against Americans on cruise ships” before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

There are several dozen things I learned that I’d love to share with you here–including some downright terrifying testimony sitting next to me in an inch-thick pile of paperwork–but I’m going to post today about just one main issue that struck me during this morning’s hearing. That issue is size.

The cruise ship industry is gargantuan. Not just big, but massive. The ships themselves have gotten so big that crimes or safety issues concerning passengers can go unnoticed or be covered up for days, weeks, months or even years. The cruise lines that operate the 300 or so ships on the world’s waters are so big that they are now functioning like independent nations, picking and choosing which laws they want to follow or disregard. The money that these cruise companies take in is so big that it prevents all but the most deep-pocketed crime victims from seeking justice against them. The influence that these companies’ money buys–based on what I personally witnessed today–is so big that some lawmakers side with the cruise lines without even listening to the testimony of the citizens who elected them.

With any massive industry, there are going to be problems. And cover-ups of crimes. And carefully worded denials from fancy-suited executives. And desperate pleas for legislation by outraged victims. The cruise ship industry has gotten so big that this inevitable clash is now beginning to play out in the public eye. And rightly so.

What I can’t help but see beyond that, though, is the stark contrast between the cruise ship and charter yacht industries. Charter yachts are so much smaller, with so few people onboard who all know one another, that it would be virtually impossible for a guest to be raped or go missing for days on end without anyone noticing. The people who own charter yachts may be rich, but they’re still individuals who are subject to laws, and they’re nowhere near as rich or organized in the influence-buying department as the cruise ship companies are. Yacht owners are also individuals who want excellent service themselves, and who take a personal interest in checking out every crew member to whom they peronally pay a salary. The number of reported crimes against passengers onboard yachts is so small as to be virtually nonexistent, as opposed to growing into proportions that require the attention of the U.S. Congress.

With so many things in this world, we are asked to believe that bigger is better. In the case of a safe and secure cruising vacation, the opposite is clearly true. Smaller is definitely safer. And smaller means private yacht charter.

I expect this issue to be in the U.S. news quite a bit during at least the next six months, based on this morning’s hearing. You can rest assured that CharterWave will be paying very close attention–as always, with your personal safety and best possible cruising experience in mind.

I’m leaving in a few hours for Washington, D.C., where I’ve been invited to attend a Congressional hearing about the way crimes against passengers are handled–or perhaps mishandled–within the $32-billion cruise ship industry.

The hearing will take place tomorrow before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Those expected to testify include cruise ship industry spokespeople, crime victims, members of the U.S. Coast Guard and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as at least one maritime attorney and one author who specialize in battling the cruise ship industry.

As every regular CharterWave reader knows, we keep a close eye on cruise ship crime for the simple reason that we think charter yachts are a much safer vacation option–a story we have yet to see printed anywhere else. Our Special Report from last month is a good example of how we support our opinion with up-to-the-minute, properly researched facts.

My attendance at tomorrow’s hearing is yet another instance where we at CharterWave are going the extra mile to bring important safety information to you, all with an eye toward helping you plan the safest vacation at sea that you possibly can for yourself and your loved ones.

Stay tuned for more information tomorrow afternoon from Washington…

It’s a banner day here at CharterWave, where we’re celebrating our first all-out glowing review in a popular boating magazine.

The April issue of Power Cruising devotes an entire column to reviewing CharterWave, and it’s a review that couldn’t make us happier–for two important reasons.

First is what the reviewer says. Author Lynda Childress explains how CharterWave is an outgrowth of my book Have the Whole Boat: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations. “The site, like the book, is ideal not only for experienced charterers but also for first-timers, providing answers to most any question you’re likely to have.”

We love it! And we also love the way she calls the site “user-friendly,” the content “in-depth,” and our reviews of yachts “refreshingly honest.” Seems we are hitting the mark for which we continually aim.

The second thing we love about this review is that it is in Power Cruising, which not only is a reputable boating magazine, but also happens to be a direct competitor to the cruising magazine Voyaging, where I serve as editor. That the folks I compete with for business on another level think so highly of CharterWave, well, that’s just about the nicest compliment I could hope to receive.

If you’d like to see the review for yourself, check out page 88 of this month’s issue. Also take a look at the preceding story on page 87, about an upcoming boat show in the Pacific Northwest where you can get onboard charter boats for a look around.

More on that in next week’s blog…