Cruise Ship Peace Officers
The Los Angeles Times posted an interesting article a few days ago about newly proposed state legislation in California that would require cruise ships to have “peace officers” onboard.
The idea is that the peace officer would function as an air marshal does on airplanes, serving as an independent authority who is not on the cruise ship company’s payroll. The officers would ensure that cruise ships follow environmental regulations, and they would oversee investigations in cases of crimes committed against passengers.
“Onboard security works for the cruise line–not for the passengers and not for the public,” the Times quotes Senator Joe Simitian, the bill’s sponsor, as saying. “There’s an inherent conflict of interest between the public relations goals of the employer and the public safety requirements of the passenger.”
I bring this to your attention here on CharterWave because it is just the latest in a long line of examples of the cruise ship industry facing ever-tougher scrutiny about its safety record regarding crimes against passengers. You’ve read my earlier posts about the U.S. Congress trying to develop some oversight, and now even state lawmakers are getting into the mix to try to ensure that cruise ship passengers are safe.
That so much energy is being spent by lawmakers trying to solve the cruise ship crime problem–and that so much energy is being spent by the cruise ship industry to block regulatory efforts–should be a huge red flag if you’re considering a cruise ship vacation. There are serious concerns about passenger safety onboard these ships, as well as serious concerns about environmental damage.
The yacht charter industry, by contrast, faces no such demand for change. Charter is, quite simply, a safer and more environmentally friendly way to enjoy a cruise vacation.