10/18/2014 Still no improvement to note
6/8/2015 No improvements noted
ANOTHER CRUISE SHIP MAJOR MALFUNCTION
People If You Value Your Health And Safety Boycott Open Registry Cruise Lines.
 |
| Public domain image of cruise ship in port by Dusan Bicanski |
EDITORS NOTE: This past Sunday 7/29/2013 the network evening news provided an extended report on the sorry safety and security record of the cruise ship industry over the past year. Back in May we reported on the same conditions, and provided some hints for insuring that you choose the safer operators if you decide to take a cruise. On Sunday the national Television media reported that while FBI statistics indicate over 900 crimes on board cruise ships departing U.S. ports in the past year' the Coast Guard has published only 31 crimes on the website it is supposed to maintain for the public's reference. While we have been critical of the Coast Guard in the past for failing to perceive that it receives only a tiny fraction of the reports due for reportable accidents in the work boat sector and consequently has a totally skewed view of the relative safety of the industry; the apparent under reporting of cruise ship crime by the Coast Guard to the public is not due to malfeasance or incompetence of the Coast Gaurd. No, the under reporting by the Coast Guard of cruise ship crime is the direct result of the influence of special interests including foreign interest on our congress, and FBI policies. The law passed in response to the previous rash of incidents was watered down at the behest of the cruise ship lobby and left a loop hole for the FBI to jump through. The FBI understandably doesn't want the liability for negatively impacting business with things they might have difficulty proving in a civil court. By not tightening up Congress left the FBI open to the maneuver of Cruise ship lawyers. This lobby as we pointed out earlier represents ships under flags other than the United States, basically foreign interests.
Presently all crime aboard cruise ships departing from U.S. ports is supposed to be reported to the FBI, but by law the Coast Guard is required to report only those crimes solved by the FBI to the public. So the FBI is solving only about 3% of the crime aboard the foreign registered ships ; small wonder given their limited jurisdiction, and the ease by which these mostly foreign criminals can escape FBI jurisdiction the moment they feel any heat. The Coast Guard , by law then reports only about 3% of the crime to the public. As the media noted this past Sunday the public is starting to display a noticeable lack of trust in the industry, resulting in the only thing these companies do pay attention to, a drop in ticket sales. The Congress has apparently lost confidence in the promises of the lobbyists and is threatening to tighten the reporting requirements.
Meanwhile we thought that this would be a good time to reprint updated versions our three major posts on cruising. In the first reprinted below we explain the "Flag of Convenience" racket in ocean cruising and how to get with the safer carriers. In the second we look at the admittedly slim pickings in American flag alternatives. Though American flag passenger operations are few, they can be quite interesting and do go to some excellent vacation destinations under the American flag, we're talking both the ship and the ports of call. Finally we revisit our original coverage of the legislative attempts to clean up this non native industry. Scroll down and read more before you book that late summer or fall cruise, or consider writing off cruising altogether.
From Huff Post TRAVEL:
Presently all crime aboard cruise ships departing from U.S. ports is supposed to be reported to the FBI, but by law the Coast Guard is required to report only those crimes solved by the FBI to the public. So the FBI is solving only about 3% of the crime aboard the foreign registered ships ; small wonder given their limited jurisdiction, and the ease by which these mostly foreign criminals can escape FBI jurisdiction the moment they feel any heat. The Coast Guard , by law then reports only about 3% of the crime to the public. As the media noted this past Sunday the public is starting to display a noticeable lack of trust in the industry, resulting in the only thing these companies do pay attention to, a drop in ticket sales. The Congress has apparently lost confidence in the promises of the lobbyists and is threatening to tighten the reporting requirements.
Meanwhile we thought that this would be a good time to reprint updated versions our three major posts on cruising. In the first reprinted below we explain the "Flag of Convenience" racket in ocean cruising and how to get with the safer carriers. In the second we look at the admittedly slim pickings in American flag alternatives. Though American flag passenger operations are few, they can be quite interesting and do go to some excellent vacation destinations under the American flag, we're talking both the ship and the ports of call. Finally we revisit our original coverage of the legislative attempts to clean up this non native industry. Scroll down and read more before you book that late summer or fall cruise, or consider writing off cruising altogether.
From Huff Post TRAVEL:
Fire Breaks Out Aboard Royal Caribbean's Cruise Ship Grandeur Of The Seas
First reported in these pages 5/27/2013
BALTIMORE — A fire that broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean ship Monday did enough damage that the rest of the cruise was canceled and the company said the more than 2,200 passengers will be flown from the Bahamas back to Baltimore where the trip began.
The fire that began at 2:50 a.m. Monday was extinguished about two hours later with no injuries reported. A cause wasn't immediately known. The Grandeur of the Seas, which left Baltimore on Friday, never lost power and was able to sail into port in Freeport, Bahamas, Monday afternoon. It had been planned to be a seven-night cruise.
Royal Caribbean said on its website and through social media that executives met with passengers in port and that the cruise line is arranging flights for all 2,224 guests on Tuesday. It said passengers will receive a full refund of their fare and a certificate for a future cruise.
LINK TO FULL STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/27/fire-breaks-out-aboard-ro_0_n_3342175.html
EDITORIAL NOTE: If you recall our previous coverage of "open registry "cruise lines starting over a year ago with the grounding in Italy, and running through more recent fires, mechanical failures, and disease out breaks you shouldn't be surprised to be reading about another bunch of American passengers going home happy to be alive but minus their vacation time without any real vacation. The problem people, is something that Namazu is going to address in the near future and its called "operational excellence". Its what you need to run complex marine operations like cruise liners with a reasonable expectation of being able to deliver as advertised. The accidents we have been reading about all year and into last year are happening on cruise ships, some American owned ,but registered in foreign nations offering "open registries". . Far too many of the big cruise operators have opted to flag out and go with these open registries like Liberia and Panama. They do this to control costs on both labor and safety and security. Their ships may be large and opulent and full of passenger amenities, but that also means that they are complex mechanisms operating in the dynamic sea environment. When a cruise ship operator begins his safety program by aiming at the low hanging fruit that we know of as minimal regulatory compliance, and then selects from the flags that have the lowest level of regulatory compliance standards it is impossible for such an operator to ever achieve anything near "operational excellence". Operational excellence is that proactive preventative maintenance and operational planning, and discipline in daily operations that stops bad things from happening before they start. Operational excellence can't evolve from minimal regulatory compliance with a minimal standard flag state set of rules.
We'd be the first to tell you that cruising has a lot to recommend it as a vacation alternative. We wish we could tell you that there are all sorts of American flag alternatives but in fact they are limited. There are large river cruise vessels under the American flag and some small, yacht like coastal cruisers and these are all delightful trips with companies with cracker jack performance records. But there are no American Flag full sized ocean cruise vessels. This is the fault of Congress and its decades long failure to establish a coherent American commercial maritime policy. But there are other true national flag operators out there. Great Britain and Norway each have cruise ships under their own flag and officered by their own nationals, and regulated by their own Boards of Trade with excellent performance and safety records. We haven't reviewed their records and couldn't tell you if such national lines have actually achieved "operational excellence", but they don't have the accident records of the open registries and they must maintain a state of "robust compliance" with the more extensive national shipping codes of real seafaring states. Here are a couple of contacts:
The P&O Line of Great Britain http://www.pocruises.com/cruise-experience/why-po-cruises/ Generally British and Common wealth Flags, British owned, British regulated.
About 7 ships of various sizes offering cruises throughout the World, including occasionally Seattle to Alaska via the Canadian Inside Passage. This is a 175 year old line and recognized as perhaps the best in the world. They charge a little more than the open registries competition but the service is better and you are far less likely to have your vacation interrupted by a safety issue.
A more reliable open registry or "semi open registry"the Bahamas: Quite a few cruise lines have ships registered in the Bahamas which is a British Commonwealth flag with stricter safety regulations than most of the other open registries. Officers are usually British or Common wealth nationals with uniform British inspired training and standards.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU STEP ABOARD A CRUISE SHIP ONCE IT LEAVES AMERICAN WATERS IT HAS LEFT AMERICAN LAW BEHIND. At least with a British or common wealth flag you will be under a legal regime that shares its roots with the American system, conducts tribunals in English, and is rarely corrupt. The flag state of your cruise ship counts. Know before you go.
The P&O Line of Great Britain http://www.pocruises.com/cruise-experience/why-po-cruises/ Generally British and Common wealth Flags, British owned, British regulated.
About 7 ships of various sizes offering cruises throughout the World, including occasionally Seattle to Alaska via the Canadian Inside Passage. This is a 175 year old line and recognized as perhaps the best in the world. They charge a little more than the open registries competition but the service is better and you are far less likely to have your vacation interrupted by a safety issue.
A more reliable open registry or "semi open registry"the Bahamas: Quite a few cruise lines have ships registered in the Bahamas which is a British Commonwealth flag with stricter safety regulations than most of the other open registries. Officers are usually British or Common wealth nationals with uniform British inspired training and standards.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU STEP ABOARD A CRUISE SHIP ONCE IT LEAVES AMERICAN WATERS IT HAS LEFT AMERICAN LAW BEHIND. At least with a British or common wealth flag you will be under a legal regime that shares its roots with the American system, conducts tribunals in English, and is rarely corrupt. The flag state of your cruise ship counts. Know before you go.
6/20/2013 Merchant Marine Interest
MERCHANT MARINE INTEREST:
In the interest of full disclosure we feel we should tell you that the author of this posting served as Master ,mate and pilot on similar vessels for nearly 12 years, and as a maritime union official. He simply never saw an American registered vessel that he didn't like.
Editor's Note: In recent days we have carried some cautionary tales about cruise ship safety and security especially under foreign flag operations out of American Ports. Admittedly America no longer has the type of cruise ships that most Americans like to ride on. But today we would like to introduce and link you to some unique alternatives that are under the American flag.
A NEW SERVICE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
A NEW SERVICE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
THE QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI STERN WHEEL RIVER BOAT ENTERED SERVICE OUT OF NEW ORLEANS LAST YEAR
The fastest stern wheeler ever launched the 78 stateroom overnight cruise boat QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI began service Saturday August 4, 2012 out of New Orleans. Her faster speed allows more distant port calls from New Orleans than had previously been economic in the tourist trade. There were major shake ups in the river cruise industry after the events of September 11, 2001 but in the last couple of years the big overnight boats have returned to New Orleans and Memphis.
These boats are good news on the river and not just for the jobs they represent.
Remember Hurricane Katrina in 2005?
New Orleans was destroyed and in desperate need of housing for police, firefighters, and first responders. The Great River boats were not yet back in service after 9/11 economic downturn. The United States had to charter foreign flag cruise ships to house the emergency personnel attempting to restore New Orleans.
If a city above Baton Rouge up river had been hit by a different type of disaster these seagoing cruise ships could not reach the affected cities. The purpose built river boats can. So the next time you see a "wedding cake paddle wheeler" out on the river remember they are more than an elegant vacation palace afloat.
These are also vessels of the United States Merchant Marine, able to provide barracks or hospital space services should the need arise all over the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. North of Baton Rouge folks don't worry much about hurricanes. But if you think the Midwest is a quiet place, research the "New Madrid Fault". The greatest earth quake in American history was epi-centered near New Madrid, Missouri fortunately before there were many people living in the region. When that fault line next releases its stored kinetic energy who knows which cities will be in need of the kind of service New Orleans needed in 2005. The YouTube link below will let you watch the launch of the Queen.
The fastest stern wheeler ever launched the 78 stateroom overnight cruise boat QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI began service Saturday August 4, 2012 out of New Orleans. Her faster speed allows more distant port calls from New Orleans than had previously been economic in the tourist trade. There were major shake ups in the river cruise industry after the events of September 11, 2001 but in the last couple of years the big overnight boats have returned to New Orleans and Memphis.
These boats are good news on the river and not just for the jobs they represent.
Remember Hurricane Katrina in 2005?
New Orleans was destroyed and in desperate need of housing for police, firefighters, and first responders. The Great River boats were not yet back in service after 9/11 economic downturn. The United States had to charter foreign flag cruise ships to house the emergency personnel attempting to restore New Orleans.
If a city above Baton Rouge up river had been hit by a different type of disaster these seagoing cruise ships could not reach the affected cities. The purpose built river boats can. So the next time you see a "wedding cake paddle wheeler" out on the river remember they are more than an elegant vacation palace afloat.
These are also vessels of the United States Merchant Marine, able to provide barracks or hospital space services should the need arise all over the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. North of Baton Rouge folks don't worry much about hurricanes. But if you think the Midwest is a quiet place, research the "New Madrid Fault". The greatest earth quake in American history was epi-centered near New Madrid, Missouri fortunately before there were many people living in the region. When that fault line next releases its stored kinetic energy who knows which cities will be in need of the kind of service New Orleans needed in 2005. The YouTube link below will let you watch the launch of the Queen.
Here is a YouTube presentation on the entire American cruise Lines Fleet:
Remember every one of these small ships is American registered and manned by Coast Guard credentialed American Merchant Mariners and each is capable of the civil defense missions we described for the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN. So buy a ticket and give yourself a treat and support American jobs and civil defense at the same time.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
6/18/201.
We first visited this issue in March of 2012, revisited it again in October 2012, and at least once before this spring. Every American thinking of taking a cruise this summer vacation needs to know this . But the Congress should have acted long ago. All we can do is to keep reporting their inaction and keep repeating the cautions.
MERCHANT MARINE INTERESTS/ NAVAL INTERESTS:
THE JONES ACT AND CRUISE SHIP SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act
First addressed March 20, 2012 Still No Action From Congress, Coast Guard or FBI
Laurie Dishman didn't die in the sexual assault against her while on board a foreign flagged cruise ship operating out of an American port. Though she lived to identify her attacker, he is a free man in his native country beyond the reach of the U.S. Coast Guard and FBI. He was a member of the ship's crew. MS Dishman's testimony about her ordeal before Congress helped assure the passage of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010, a new statute that attempts to improve safety and security on foreign flag cruise lines that board passengers in the United States.
The new legislation imposes on such ships new safety and security requirements to be implemented in sequential phases. These new requirements include such physical measures as minimum rail guard heights on weather decks, and passenger cabin lock and peep hole requirements, and such non physical elements as sexual assault treatment training, and equipment for the medical crew and crime scene security training for the security crew, as well as "enhanced crime reporting" requirements.
Unfortunately in the second year after passage of the Act Security Management and South Florida's Sun Sentinel report that the the FBI has watered down the reporting requirements, through policy decisions, that limit reporting of cruise ship crime to the Coast Guard's public web site to only cases reported to the FBI , investigated by the FBI, and closed by the FBI. The net result has been a 96% decreases in crime reports over the past few years. security professionals aren't buying that figure as real and neither is the International Cruise Victims (ICA) Association. There were 363 reported crimes in one year aboard foreign flag cruise ships operating out of American ports before the CVSSA was passed. That's why there are enough interested "victims" to form an association. Since the FBI reporting system was implemented the figures have dropped from 13 to 0 per quarter or about 39 per year. Since these are foreign ships the FBI would not involve itself in a "reported crime" that did not involve an American victim or perpetrator, was not considered a felony , or for any one of dozens of other reasons within their discretion. There is also the possibility that the cruise line security personnel are actively finding ways to avoid the reporting requirement. The physical safety and security requirements are also due for Coast Guard regulatory proposals before being enforced. The interested media and victims association believes that the cruise industry is actively influencing the regulatory process to avoid full implementation of the Congressional intentions of the Act.
The bottom line is simple. The average American believes that when he or she embarks on a cruise ship out of an American port that the full protections of the American flag follows them. That is only true if that cruise ship is part of the American Merchant Marine, registered in America and commanded by licensed officers of the United States Merchant Marine who are under the supervision and administration of the United States Coast Guard. Unfortunately the remaining cruise ships under the American flag are either operating in the "Jones Act" protected trade such as on the Mississippi, or spend a great part of the year in the coastal cruise trade between American states such as new England Fall Foliage tours, and are as small as very large yachts, not competitive with the big mass market cruise lines.
The American Cruise ship industry fell to the foreign competition due to their lower wages and lesser safety requirements. Under American law and international agreements it is generally perceived that such international cruise ship operations may not be brought under the protection of our cabotage (protected coast wise trade) laws. Even as we write this, there are fools in Congress (no sense in mincing words) who are trying to open our surviving Jones Act cabotage passenger trade to the deadly foreign competition (See our January 2012 Blog "Another Attack on the Jones Act , Calling a Stink Weed a Rose) that we are now struggling to make safe for American passengers who are supporting a huge foreign flag industry. For little more than the cost of passing and enforcing CVSSA the Maritime Administration could easily provide an operational differential subsidy to an American owner to compete in this business after providing a waiver for the registration of their already foreign built vessels from the "built in America" provision of the "Jones Act". Accurate crime reporting would help drive the customers to the American flag carrier. For this minimal cost the United States would not only offer proper protection to the cruise consuming American which the CVSSA doesn't but we would capture additional revenues for the United States, increase employment of Americans and most importantly gain access and control of ships of high value and utility as naval auxiliaries. (Please see our "Another Attack on the Jones Act-Calling a Stink Weed a Rose" about House Resolution 2460 in our January 2012 blogs, see also our posting on Capt. Klaus Lutha's defense of the Jones Act posted Oct. 12, 2012 or directly to his defense of the Act from the attacks of senator john McCain at http://www.klausluhta.com/jonesact/ ). We again call for the retirement of Senator McCain due to his constant attacks on this vital national security legislation
and the danger it poses to public safety.
We first visited this issue in March of 2012, revisited it again in October 2012, and at least once before this spring. Every American thinking of taking a cruise this summer vacation needs to know this . But the Congress should have acted long ago. All we can do is to keep reporting their inaction and keep repeating the cautions.
MERCHANT MARINE INTERESTS/ NAVAL INTERESTS:
THE JONES ACT AND CRUISE SHIP SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act
First addressed March 20, 2012 Still No Action From Congress, Coast Guard or FBILaurie Dishman didn't die in the sexual assault against her while on board a foreign flagged cruise ship operating out of an American port. Though she lived to identify her attacker, he is a free man in his native country beyond the reach of the U.S. Coast Guard and FBI. He was a member of the ship's crew. MS Dishman's testimony about her ordeal before Congress helped assure the passage of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010, a new statute that attempts to improve safety and security on foreign flag cruise lines that board passengers in the United States.
The new legislation imposes on such ships new safety and security requirements to be implemented in sequential phases. These new requirements include such physical measures as minimum rail guard heights on weather decks, and passenger cabin lock and peep hole requirements, and such non physical elements as sexual assault treatment training, and equipment for the medical crew and crime scene security training for the security crew, as well as "enhanced crime reporting" requirements.
Unfortunately in the second year after passage of the Act Security Management and South Florida's Sun Sentinel report that the the FBI has watered down the reporting requirements, through policy decisions, that limit reporting of cruise ship crime to the Coast Guard's public web site to only cases reported to the FBI , investigated by the FBI, and closed by the FBI. The net result has been a 96% decreases in crime reports over the past few years. security professionals aren't buying that figure as real and neither is the International Cruise Victims (ICA) Association. There were 363 reported crimes in one year aboard foreign flag cruise ships operating out of American ports before the CVSSA was passed. That's why there are enough interested "victims" to form an association. Since the FBI reporting system was implemented the figures have dropped from 13 to 0 per quarter or about 39 per year. Since these are foreign ships the FBI would not involve itself in a "reported crime" that did not involve an American victim or perpetrator, was not considered a felony , or for any one of dozens of other reasons within their discretion. There is also the possibility that the cruise line security personnel are actively finding ways to avoid the reporting requirement. The physical safety and security requirements are also due for Coast Guard regulatory proposals before being enforced. The interested media and victims association believes that the cruise industry is actively influencing the regulatory process to avoid full implementation of the Congressional intentions of the Act.
The bottom line is simple. The average American believes that when he or she embarks on a cruise ship out of an American port that the full protections of the American flag follows them. That is only true if that cruise ship is part of the American Merchant Marine, registered in America and commanded by licensed officers of the United States Merchant Marine who are under the supervision and administration of the United States Coast Guard. Unfortunately the remaining cruise ships under the American flag are either operating in the "Jones Act" protected trade such as on the Mississippi, or spend a great part of the year in the coastal cruise trade between American states such as new England Fall Foliage tours, and are as small as very large yachts, not competitive with the big mass market cruise lines.
The American Cruise ship industry fell to the foreign competition due to their lower wages and lesser safety requirements. Under American law and international agreements it is generally perceived that such international cruise ship operations may not be brought under the protection of our cabotage (protected coast wise trade) laws. Even as we write this, there are fools in Congress (no sense in mincing words) who are trying to open our surviving Jones Act cabotage passenger trade to the deadly foreign competition (See our January 2012 Blog "Another Attack on the Jones Act , Calling a Stink Weed a Rose) that we are now struggling to make safe for American passengers who are supporting a huge foreign flag industry. For little more than the cost of passing and enforcing CVSSA the Maritime Administration could easily provide an operational differential subsidy to an American owner to compete in this business after providing a waiver for the registration of their already foreign built vessels from the "built in America" provision of the "Jones Act". Accurate crime reporting would help drive the customers to the American flag carrier. For this minimal cost the United States would not only offer proper protection to the cruise consuming American which the CVSSA doesn't but we would capture additional revenues for the United States, increase employment of Americans and most importantly gain access and control of ships of high value and utility as naval auxiliaries. (Please see our "Another Attack on the Jones Act-Calling a Stink Weed a Rose" about House Resolution 2460 in our January 2012 blogs, see also our posting on Capt. Klaus Lutha's defense of the Jones Act posted Oct. 12, 2012 or directly to his defense of the Act from the attacks of senator john McCain at http://www.klausluhta.com/jonesact/ ). We again call for the retirement of Senator McCain due to his constant attacks on this vital national security legislation
and the danger it poses to public safety.
 |
| Larger American registered and American crewed cruise vessels tend to be river steamers. Other American registered vessels plying blue water destinations tend to the size of large yachts. Congress has been content to allow the large seagoing cruise business out of American ports, supported almost exclusively by American passengers, to be run by foreigners on foreign flag ships where American's enjoy scant legal or physical protection. |
No comments: