Ship Safety, Security, and Sanitation

Many people wonder if cruising is safe. The answer is YES – cruise ships are safer than hotels. Cruise lines, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs & Border Protection, have set up many security measures to keep cruise passengers safe. Here are just a few:

• Screening of all passenger baggage, carry-on luggage, ship stores and cargo; intensified screening of passenger lists and passenger identification; close coordination with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and other federal agencies to ensure that any passengers or crew suspected of being on the INS "Prevent Departure" list are promptly reported to the federal authorities.
• Restricting access to any sensitive vessel areas, such as the bridge and the engine room.
• Implementing onboard security measures to deter unauthorized entry and illegal activity.
• Requiring all commercial vessels to give 96 hours notice before entering U.S. ports. Previously, ships had to give 24 hours notice.
• Maintaining a 100-yard security zone around cruise ships.

A cruise ship is a "controlled-access environment" which means when a ship is in port, there are only one or two ways passengers and crew can enter the vessel. These entry points are manned by highly trained security personnel and IDs are checked. Each passenger must have a room key and photo id to board the vessel. Crew must have their cruise line id that includes a photo. Packages and belongings must pass through an X-ray machine while passengers and crew pass through metal detectors.  

To read more about the cruise industry’s commitment to security and passenger safety, click on the link:
http://www.cruising.org/industry/personal_safety_security.cfm

What if I get sick while on a cruise?  Cruise ships sail today with trained medical personnel who are on call 24/7.  They are either emergency room physicians or nurse practitioners who can dispense medication and diagnose systems.  They also have clinic hours available daily. There is not cost to see the doctor but there is a cost for treatment. Ships do not accept insurance for payment. Charges are posted to the passenger’s shipboard account. Proper documentation is provided to the passenger to facilitate placing a claim once the passenger is home.

For more details about medical facilities onboard ships, click here:
http://www.cruising.org/industry/medical_facilities.cfm

Sanitation:
The Centers for Disease Control regularly make unannounced inspections of all cruise ships visiting the United States.  Results of these inspections can be found on the CDC website.

Click on the link below to find out the latest ship sanitation ratings:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/Forms/InspectionGreenSheetRpt.aspx