Serious cruise ship security incidents are not limited to sexual assaults. Man overboard incidents, robberies and even murder have long been a reality on these voyages. A tragic example is that of George Smith IV, 26, of Greenwich, Connecticut, who disappeared from a cruise ship in 2005. In 2015, the FBI closed the Smith case, and your family may never have answers about what happened. The Smith family courageously turned their grief into action, working closely with Congress to secure passage of the Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act of 2010, the latest major reform to the cruise industry. The legislation made significant progress in improving the safety of passengers aboard cruise ships, but further action is desperately needed.
I have led the effort to further reform cruise lines in the Senate since 2013 with the Cruise Passenger Protection Act, and I am proud to work on this effort with Rep. Doris Matsui of California. This bill would implement additional passenger safety standards and cruise line reporting requirements, ensuring that consumers have adequate information about their rights before a trip and a means of recourse should something go wrong.
My bill would require cruise lines to retain video footage of any alleged crime for one year to give investigators and victims more time to access footage that may be needed to seek justice. It would also require cruise lines to specify whether crimes, including sexual assault, were committed against minors. To strengthen enforcement, the bill would increase the penalties cruise lines face for violations of the law.
My Cruise Passenger Protection Act would also significantly strengthen support for victims. It would require cruise lines to clearly inform passengers of the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit and establish a director of victim support services within the US Department of Transportation to communicate with cruise ship victims and Develop procedures for handling incidents.
Since I led this measure, several of its safety and health provisions have been passed by Congress. These provisions place requirements on cruise lines, such as installing video cameras in common areas and retaining surveillance records for 20 days, installing “man overboard” imaging technology, and ensuring ships have easily accessible AEDs. . While these now enacted policies are an important step forward, the Cruise Passenger Protection Act must be passed in its entirety to address current issues aboard cruise ships and to protect all passengers on board.
The cruise line industry has fiercely fought this legislation, calling its requirements “unnecessary.” As the BuzzFeed News investigation makes clear, they are questioned by experts, lawyers, and victims and their families. The courage of those who speak out will help us pass my Cruise Passenger Protection Act. I hope the cruise industry will support these important reforms, which will only make their trips better for consumers. Strict safety standards and actual enforcement will help protect passengers and hold the cruise industry accountable.
Richard Blumenthal is Connecticut’s Senior Senator.
