3 ms·
Continuing the theme, are you also aware that on many cruises, sexually assaulting another passenger will be met by asking you to leave at the next port? That'
by EliRivers 8y ago
Continuing the theme, are you also aware that on many cruises, sexually assaulting another passenger will be met by asking you to leave at the next port?
That's a specific example related to me by a chap I know; an ex-copper who now heads security on a cruise ship operating out of Southampton in the UK. I forget which nation the ship's flag is, but basically any and all crimes committed on board are met with a shrug and a suggestion to offload the offending passenger at the next stop. Actions that would lead to lengthy custodial sentences if committed in the passenger's own home are basically without consequence; he's had to deal with theft, assault, sexual assault, people getting drunk and smacking around their spouse and children. Flag state doesn't want to know. On merchant vessels that just have a small crew and no passengers (i.e. almost all of them), it's even more lawless.
In a U.S. national park, there is law. There is someone tasked with enforcing that law. At sea, at the level of individual interactions, not so much.
- raverbashing 8y agoIt's usually the law of the ship's flag country that applies when in intl. waters. Given that most ships are registered in smaller countries with lax tax laws, it's not surprising there is more trouble prosecuting those than just declaring the passenger "Persona Non Grata" (and the unplanned stop is usually costly to the passenger) Not to say that if the crime is larger there is a greater chance of prosecution and/or other litigation.
- hyperpape 8y agoIt seems to me that the US could fix a large chunk of the problem of ignoring crime, and do it overnight. Refuse to allow cruise ships to dock in the US if they do not account for their criminal procedures and meet certain standards, and they will change.
- barry-cotter 8y agoUS ignores other countries’ sovereignty. News at 11.
- hyperpape 8y agoIt seems to me that since these ships are landing in our ports and boarding passengers from our nation, it doesn't impact anyone else's sovereignty. Our sovereignty allows us to prohibit our citizens from traveling to our doing business with entire nations (whatever you think of that, it appears to be settled law). Cruise ships would be free to cover up sexual assault for cruises going from outside the US to outside the US. Any potential violation of sovereignty seems less real than the GDPR, for instance. It would be preferable to have meaningful international agreements for vessels, but several decades of experience show that won't happen in any meaningful way.
- learc83 8y agoIt would probably be better if the US stopped allowing US companies to cruise from US ports carrying primarily US passengers using boats flying foreign flags--all so the company can avoid US regulations.
- toast0 8y agoThe trick is, of course, if the boat at least makes a 'technical stop' in another country on the cruise, then it's totally fine to be a non US flagged boat.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]