Cruise Security

The attack on Seabourn Spirit may have highlighted security issues but concern for safety dates back to Titanic.

By any measure it was one of the more bizarre incidents in recent cruise history. On November 5, 2005, a group of "pirates" tried to attack Seabourn Spirit. The ship was making its way southward 160 kilometres off the coast of Somalia, when bandits in two speedboats approached the vessel brandishing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Quick thinking and skillful action by the captain allowed Seabourn Spirit to evade the pirates. Employing the ship's superior speed, he was then able to outrun the attackers. What was even more astonishing was that the crew employed a "sonic weapon" to disable the pirates by blasting them with high-pitched noise, according to press reports. After the event, the Washington-based International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) issued a statement commending the captain and the crew. "Due to the highly trained security staff on board," the council said, "the ship was able to immediately initiate measures to safeguard the passengers and vessel." The council went on to emphasise the unprecedented nature of the attack. "This is the only known piracy attack on a cruise ship."

While this remarkable incident may have been unique, concern for passenger safety goes all the way back to Titanic, when the seafaring nations of the world joined together to create the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), an agency of the United Nations, SOLAS has been called "the most important of all treaties dealing with maritime safety." It was first adopted in 1914 and has been updated and revised many times since.

Indeed, SOLAS has some very visible components that all cruise passengers can see for themselves. For example, it was this convention that, in October 1997, mandated all major cruise ships to install smoke detectors, sprinklers and low-level lighting - similar to the coloured lights along the floor in airplanes which lead passengers to safety in the event of a power failure.

SOLAS is also the reason why every cruise ship conducts a lifeboat drill. Under the terms of the convention, these drills must take place within 24 hours of the ship setting sail. The drills are mandatory for passengers and crew alike. Everyone must be present and attendance is taken. All other non-essential ship operations cease during this time - no food is served and the bars are closed. Once passengers are familiarised with the ship's security procedures - how to don a life vest and where their muster station is located - they are dismissed and shipboard life returns to normal.

Ever since the events of September 11, 2001, cruise lines have upped their security measures to prevent unwanted elements from boarding the ship in the guise of a passenger. For example, cruise lines now ask passengers to pre-register their passports and other personal information online before arriving at the pier. This is to allow for a manifest to be submitted to local government authorities before the ship embarks. It's the same policy was put into place regarding international flights after the World Trade Center attacks.

Cruise lines are generally tight-lipped about the specifics of their security policies. After the attack on Seabourn Spirit, the line would neither confirm nor deny the presence of a LRAD (Long-Range Acoustic Device) aboard its ship. "As a matter of policy, we will not discuss security equipment nor tactics," says Bruce Good, director of public relations for Seabourn Cruise Line. Carnival Cruise Lines is equally mum when asked about its anti-terrorist procedures. "We are not permitted to discuss specific elements of our security program so as not to undermine those efforts," explains Jennifer de la Cruz, director of public relations.

However, in a recent hearing before the United States Congress, Gregory Purdy, Royal Caribbean International's corporate director of safety, security and environment, gave a rare public glimpse inside cruise line security procedures. Because the major cruise lines are headquartered in North America, they are subject to a certain degree of oversight by the United States government. For example, the US Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta conducts the Vessel Sanitation Program, an arrangement where all cruise ships that call on US ports are subject to voluntary inspections for food handling and other hygienic procedures.

According to a transcript of his testimony before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, provided by Royal Caribbean, Purdy outlined a number of steps the cruise industry takes to secure its vessels.

"Every one of our ships has a security officer, who is a trained military veteran or career security specialist. Their sole responsibility is to ensure the safety of our guests and crew. These security officers oversee teams of trained security staff who are responsible for security procedures aboard our ships 24 hours a day. Surveillance cameras throughout our ships assist these efforts," he said.

"Our onboard security operations also include trained divers on each ship," Purdy continued. "These divers can search ship hulls and ports at which we call, and work in coordination with various law enforcement agencies."

While the cruise lines are prepared for the unlikely event of a terrorist assault, the most common and more likely crimes you're bound to face aboard ship are the same as at home - a petty theft or minor assault. "Crime can touch any one of us in virtually any setting," Purdy told the Congress. "It is impossible to be immune to crime." He further stressed that: "One crime is too many. Our company maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy on crime," Purdy went on to conclude that cruise ships are one of the safest ways to travel and crime aboard cruise ships is extremely rare.

Rest assured that if you have a problem aboard ship, the staff are there to help. Report any suspected theft or other crime to the front desk, advises Erik Elvejord, director of public relations for Holland America Line. If you're not satisfied with their response, speak to the ship's top security officer. "Then you're talking to the chief of police," Elvejord says. If your complaint involves a lost or stolen item, the security team will investigate. "We can do searches on a ship," he notes. "If a cabin steward is in possession of the stolen property, they will be fired on the spot."

While most of the crime on ships involves theft, there have been times when passengers have become unruly. In such cases the offending passenger will be escorted to his cabin. If necessary, security guards will be placed outside the cabin and the passenger will be confined under "house arrest", Elvejord explains.

Elvejord points out that passengers travelling with valuables should take steps to ensure their security. For starters, "Use the safe in your cabin," he says. "There's no reason to be walking around the ship with large amounts of cash. Also, if you travel with expensive jewellery, provide the ship with documentation. It can be very helpful should something missing turn up," Elvejord concludes.

Safe and Secure

After the events of September 11, 2001, the cruise industry put into place a variety of procedures intended to foil a terrorist attack. Most of these policies are still in effect today and include:

A 90-metre security perimeter around ships while in port Airport-style x-ray screening of all carry-on baggage
Pre- and post-cruise bomb searches aboard ships Background checks for all crew
X-ray screening of all provisions
Guest manifests checked against terrorist watchlists

Written by MT Schartzman, Issue 23 Autumn 2006