How safe is cruising?

[Rocknrone]

My wife and I are considering a cruise to the western caribbean. We have never been on a cruise before and have zero knowledge of how things work.

She is having second thoughts after researching crime and assault statistics on cruise ships. It seems whenever a crime occurs, the cruise line easily covers it up and the perps get away with it.

Anyone have first hand accounts, or experiences with any of this?


She also has a fear of the ship leaving without her. (I know book your excursion through the ship )

 

[00wabbit]

I went on a Carnival cruise. I never felt unsafe on it.

Read a lot about the experience. I didn't really care for it. I like to see more of the places we go but if you cruise and do an excursion you are pretty limited on time in the town. You also don't get to sit on the beach at night and watch the sunset etc because you have to be back on the boat by 4:30 or so.

I would rather spend a few days in a couple of places. Also no night dives and the dives booked through the ship are very take because most cruisers aren't avid divers.

Some people love it but I thought it was just alright and wouldn't do it again unless someone else paid for it.

 

[cannon fodder]

Hi Rocknrone,

We have been on about 50 cruises and have never seen any crime, or been bothered in any way on a cruise. I think cruise crimes are like shark attacks, whenever one happens the media makes a big deal about, but in reality, you have a better chance of winning the lottery. The cruise lines bend over backwards to make sure you have a good time. If your wife is nervous about missing the ship, take excursions/trips/tours that are sold on board. The ship will wait for all tours to arrive before departing. I have been on a couple of cruises where the depature from port was delayed because they were waiting for passengers to get back to the ship. In one case, in Bermuda, the passengers were on their own and called the ship's agent. The entire ship's company watched them drive up to the gang way on scooters as the long shoremen where waiting to cast off the lines. They boarded in shame from all the cat calls, but made it.

Otherwise, we have never experienced any crime onboard. Remember, any employee that is suspected of a crime will be fired immediately. The worst behaviour is likely to come from fellow passengers that "enjoy" a little to much and end up locked in their cabins to sober up.

Think of a cruise ship like a big resort hotel that has been built on top of a supper tanker. You get on in Miami, go to your room, normally with all the ammenities of a nice hotel room, only smaller, and wake up the next day on an island. Rinse, repeat, and you are on a different island two days later. No packing, no unpacking, no nothing beyond dinner, the show, the bar, etc. All shows are normally free, you pay for drinks.

As for how things work. You check in, like you check in for your flight, but it doubles as checking into your hotel room. They issue you a plastic card that doubles as your room key and onboard account credit card. You pay for drinks, souveniers, dinners at the specialty restaurants, etc. with the card. They give you an invoice on the last night, it is very easy. They also take your picture when you get on, when security swipes you on and off, your picture comes up. The ship's computer knows exactly who is on board and not on board at any given momment.

Post back if you have any questions. Let me know which cruise line you are on and I can go into more details.

Regards,

Derek

 

[flots am]

She is having second thoughts after researching crime and assault statistics on cruise ships. It seems whenever a crime occurs, the cruise line easily covers it up and the perps get away with it.

Anyone have first hand accounts, or experiences with any of this?

The only on-ship assaults I'm aware of involved young women being invited to go to a crew member's quarters or other restricted area, or a couple of cases where it appears that the feeling of "love" wasn't mutual for a newlywed couple and the bride or groom mysteriously vanished over a railing at night when nobody was looking.

My wife and I have gone every year for the past 14 years or so, sometimes more than once a year, and have never felt even remotely threatened by anybody or anything, with the exception of Jamaica, which we will not return to.

The large cruise lines are astonishingly concerned with passenger well-being and I would not want to be a crew member accused of anything. Small, old ships might be a different story. If you're on Carnival, Princess, Norweigian, Celebrity or any of the other big lines, the biggest danger you face will be a hangover from too many umbrella-drinks.

She also has a fear of the ship leaving without her. (I know book your excursion through the ship

The only way the ship will leave without you is if you don't believe the sign on the gangway that says "be back by <whatever>" time, however it's really unlikely unless you're tremendously late. If the sign says "4PM", just be back by 4PM. It's not hard.

And even if you do get left behind, the ships don't stop anywhere that you couldn't get a nice hotel room, and then find a shuttle or flight to the next island, the next day. My wife and I joke about this all the time and wouldn't consider "being left behind" any more than an interesting adventure and a chance to check out some cool new restaurants. Just make sure you have your drivers licence and credit card when you leave the ship. I also keep a photocopy of my passport.

The world is a much different place depending on whether you're broke that day or not and have ID.

flots.

 

[CT Sean]

I've been on quite a several cruises (have another coming up in April) and the closest thing I've experience to a crime is someone taking my souvenir drink glass from under my deck chair while in the pool. Granted I have no evidence to support this, but I'd think you're statistically more likely to experience a crime in your own home than on a cruise ship, and quite a bit more likely staying in a land-based vacation destination vs. a cruise ship.

 

[sheeper]

we have a LOT of cruises behind us. It is our favorite form of vacation. My wife is not a diver and a cruise offers a variety of activities and excusions. I've never felt unsafe on a cruise (fyi....i'm a homeland security consultant). In fact, on the major lines we tend to use (Princess and Holland America), safety and security is top notch.
Like any vacation, you need to travel smart. Don't go places you should not go. Stick to cruise excursions or destinations recomended by the cruise excusion staff. If you go on a cruise line excursion, the ship will NOT leave without you. And, as stated previously, if they tell you to be back at 4pm......just be back before that!

We're leaving on our next cruise in a couple of weeks to the Caribbean. We're looking forward to it. And i may just have a couple of dive trips booked while my wife goes shopping....

 

[Oldbear]

I have taken cruises and dived in both the Eastern & Western Carribean, Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia. The incidents I have seen has been pick-pockets (normally the Roma Clans) in Spain and Italy. In the Carribean no issues. Travel smart and keep your situational awareness and you should be fine.

Diving...I have also done both, booked thru the ship's services and booked on my own. As you mentioned in your OP, booking thru the ship is the safest, but the dives tend to be very basic. I plan on another Western Carribean Cruise soon with friends, and we will book thru the ship since they are newbies...it is all about having fun and I have never been disappointed.

If you take a dive knife with you be prepared to store it with ship's securiety. When you bored and disembark they will have it at the exit waiting for you. It was a non-issue for me.

I suggest you give the cruise thing a try...they are awesome.

~Michael~

 

[Altamira]

We cruise quite a bit, and dive from said cruises, using both the ship's excursions and outside dive ops. We have had very good dives with both types of ops. I agree that you may get a better/longer dive with and outside dive op, but you have to decide on your tolerance for risk of missing the ship departure verses slightly shorter, more basic dives. That is a question only you can answer. There is a lot to be said for not having to watch the clock during the entire dive and hope nothing bad happens on the taxi ride back to the ship. Just finished a cruise where we dove GC with the ship's op (Red Sail), and it was outstanding. Really good crew, dive boat that was actually set up for divers, and a very professional dive op. Security on the cruise ships is outstanding. We take our grandkids on cruises, and would not do that if we had any qualms about safety on the cruise. Go and have a blast.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

the only times you get robbed on the cruise is if you book the excusions thru them, use their internet, happen to pass by the casino or get lured into buying lottery or raffle tickets. No matter how hard you try to resist, they offer better and better deals on them until you couldn't resist and buy into it, but you still end up losing.

 

[bdklein]

You also don't get to sit on the beach at night and watch the sunset etc

But you do get to see it from the sea, which is pretty cool. A totally different perpective. And at night traveling on the open seas pretty cool too.