by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 12:35 PM ET, Thu February 1, 2024
Accusations of sexual assault on cruise ships increased last year, reports USA Today.
In 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received reports of 131 sex crimes on cruises that embarked and disembarked from the United States, according to U.S. Department of Transportation cruise line incident reports. That represents a 50 percent increase from the 87 sex crimes reported on cruise ships in 2022.
For context, 101 sex crimes were reported in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the cruise industry) and 82 were reported in 2018.
Cruises that depart from or return to the U.S. are required to report crimes to the federal government, according to Anne Madison, a spokeswoman for the trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). And, no matter where the vessel is sailing or registered, CLIA requires its members to report accusations of serious crimes on ocean-going ships, she told USA Today.
She added that cruises are liable for any assaults against travelers by employees and that maritime law subjects them to “much more robust” civil liability.
“Cruise ships are one of the safest vacation options in the world, with rates of serious crimes that are exceedingly lower than those on land due to multiple layers of security and the nature of cruising,” she told USA Today. “Cruise lines have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to criminal behavior, and allegations of major crimes on cruise ships are extremely rare."
Though actual numbers are not yet available, CLIA estimated that 31.5 million people would sail aboard an ocean-going vessel in 2023, a 13 percent increase from the 29.7 million who sailed in 2019.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
