From National Geographic Traveler
, July/August 2006Without a Trace
What's really behind the disappearances of people from cruise ships? By Melinda Mahaffey
Cruise lines have had their share of troubles in the past year, what with fires breaking out, a pirate attack, a bus crash during a port excursion, illness outbreaks, and port-damaging hurricanes. But what has some passengers even more wary are lingering questions of crime and safety in the wake of the recent disappearances of cruise-ship passengers, including the high-profile incident last year involving honeymooner George Allen Smith IV.
The story is gripping. In the wee hours of July 5, Smith vanished midway through his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean; his wife was either unconscious or asleep in a hallway and was unaware her husband was missing until after other passengers reported blood stains on the balcony below.The family suspected foul play. Media outlets immediately dug up tales of other mysterious incidents, including the 2004 disappearance of a woman on an Alaskan cruise that the cruise line never reported to authorities or her family. As a result, questions have surfaced over the reporting of crime statistics and crew training by cruise lines, which are expected to host more than 11 million people this year. But is there really a crime wave on the Love Boat?
The cruise industry maintains that a cruise remains one of the safest vacations you can take, and is as secure as any small town in America.“There were 178 allegations of sexual assault over a three-year period (2003-2005), during which the industry carried 30 million people,” says Michael Crye, president of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), a cruise industry trade group.“That’s just slightly more than the chances of being struck by lightning.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation numbers seem to bear this out.The FBI testified in Congress that it opened 305 cases of crime on the high seas between 2001 and 2005, including the disappearances of 38 people, both passengers and crewmembers, with five people recovered.There could be any number of explanations for these disappearances, ranging from foul play to suicide to falling off the balcony to never returning to the ship from the port. During the same period, more than 40 million people cruised, putting the disappearance rate at less than one in a million. Compare that to the rate of violent crime in Lake Placid, N.Y. (population 2,738, roughly equivalent to a large cruise ship), which in 2004 alone (the latest year for which statistics are available), was 1 in 548. In New York City that year, it was 1 in 226.
Nevertheless, accurate numbers are hard to come by, as there is no direct and overarching regulatory body governing the industry. Cruise ships come under the auspices of several agencies, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the U,S, Coast Guard, and the U.S. Public Health Service. Compounding the problem is the convoluted question of jurisdiction. For financial reasons, the vast majority of cruise ships are flagged outside the U.S., in countries such as the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Panama. In international waters, when a cruise line is headquartered in one country, the ship flagged in another, and the victim of a third nationality, there are potentially three nations with investigative authority. And although ships at sea are governed by an extensive set of international maritime laws, crime is a subject addressed only cursorily in the books. Americans, however, are protected by U.S. laws in international waters, giving it jurisdiction when cases are reported.
Another factor that could mask the true crime rate is that the cruise industry is not legally required to report crime statistics. Critics claim the industry’s self-reported figures are questionable at best.“There’s a large disincentive for the cruise industry to be candid, because there are huge dollars to be made in this business,” says Congressman Christopher Shays (R-Conn.). A 19-year House veteran, Shays became involved in the issue after the disappearance of Smith, and has thus far called for two congressional hearings on the topic, in 2005 and 2006. One bill he hopes to introduce would require cruise lines to report statistics accurately and would impose a penalty on those that do not.
Another area that has come under scrutiny is security training and staffing. Currently, ships are manned with a security officer and staff, often from overseas, and generally unarmed. Onboard, security staff man the gangways, scan luggage for prohibited items such as weapons and alcohol, respond to noise complaints, and check IDs at the disco. Generally, cruise ships have a brig or a cell in which to contain unruly elements—be it passengers or crew. Cruise lines also reserve the right to put ashore passengers in any port for any reason.
That’s not enough for the International Cruise Victims (ICV) group, which was formed by bereaved families to advocate for reform. At the March 2006 hearing, ICV offered suggestions for increased security, which included the certifying of security staff, the establishment of an independent and international police force, the manning of vessels with U.S. marshals, and the requirement that all passengers wear an ID/locator bracelet.
At the moment, the issue is on hold. Shays has said that the public can expect a third congressional hearing, but as of presstime, no further news was available. The cruise lines, under ICCL’s direction, are still evaluating the situation; one idea under consideration, offers Crye, is having some onboard staff trained in counseling.
What’s a cruiser to do? Keep things in perspective. A cruise, relatively speaking, remains one of the safest vacations you can take. Just bring your common sense with you. “You are traveling with people who come from all walks of life,” notes Crye. “Therefore, be as vigilant as you would be in any hotel, nightclub, restaurant, or street. And when you go ashore in a foreign country, remember: You’re in a foreign country."