Cruise Ship Violence by Nisandi Silva

Cruise Ship Violence 

After a long year of third grade, it’s finally summer vacation! Your parents surprise you with a cruise vacation. In much enthusiasm, you jump up and down thanking your parents for this gift. The smile on your face cannot be erased. Cruise ship lines advertise endless fun with endless relaxation and don’t forget the all you can eat buffet! But what they don’t do reveal the horrors that happen behind closed doors. Cruise ships rely highly on the fun factor and purposely try to fool the average person by making cruise ships seem family friendly and heaven like. What they hope you don’t notice is the possible drug deal happening right next to your cabin, or a woman being sexually abused a floor beneath you, or the sex trafficking happening in plain sight. In all the promised fun, you lose track of your daughter. You find her, except a grown man is standing a little too close to your liking with his hands all over her. You don’t think twice about it because this cruise is family friendly. “According to the Department of Transportation, in 2017, federal authorities reported a total of 106 crimes, including 76 sexual assaults, 13 serious assaults, 8 thefts of more than $10,000 and two kidnappings” (Shenfeld). Cruise ship violence is a serious issue. It must be addressed before you become a part of a statistic.

History

It’s hard to pin point the first act of violence on a cruise ship. Cruise ship violence has been a quiet issue due to the fact of jurisdiction issues. However, “Commercial cruise lines reported 76 incidents of alleged sexual assault to the FBI last year, a 23% increase over the year before and further proof that sexual violence remains the most commonly reported serious crime at sea” (Zara). All sexual assault cases should be taken seriously right? “…what gets classified as an assault depends on the cruise line’s security officials. Experts point out that incidents are often miscategorized as lesser crimes…The biggest difference between a crime committed on land and aboard a cruise ship is that there is no immediate law- enforcement involvement” (Kozlowska). Many countries have jurisdiction to crimes that happen on the ocean. For example, if the ship is in a port in Spain, local authorities have jurisdiction. Each country also has the right to jurisdiction if the ship is within 12 miles of their shores. But if the ship is beyond 12 miles, the jurisdiction falls to the ships registered country. Also, in open waters, the captain is entitled to make the decision of continuing or stopping at the nearest port to bring authorities on board. One of the biggest obstacles that stand in the way of justice, is that the perpetrator, in a way, has the law and cruise line credibility on their side. In other words, “the law holds cruise liners responsible for their passengers' well-being for every moment they spend on board. This is especially true regarding their safety. If a crew member used their knowledge and status to commit sexual harassment or attempt assault of a passenger, the company is responsible for it because they are responsible for the crew and the passenger” (Cruise Ship Sexual Harassment Lawyers). No company wants their image teared into shreds because of a sexual assault scandal done by one of their so-call trusted employees. Often then many, cruise lines will try to protect their positive safe image and do the unjust thing. Making the perpetrator more powerful and the victim more victimized.

Social Effects

Victims in general force themselves to believe that what happened to them is okay. But at least they have a better chance at justice. Victims of cruise ship violence have no hope of justice. Due process of law sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor. Luckily, the International Cruise Victims Association (ICV):

represents victims of crime on cruise ships, their families and friends, and individuals concerned about the problems of victimization and disappearances on cruise ships.  With several hundred members, the organization advocates for legislative reform to protect passengers from crimes and increase the rights of victims of crimes that do occur on cruise ships and provides support to victims of crimes occurring on cruise ships. The goal of the organization is to contribute to growing a cruise industry where passengers and crew members are safe and secure from victimization while on board a cruise ship. (International Cruise Victims).

In addition, in 2010, congresses passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA). This act gives a person the right to have a security guard if need be and receive any kind of medical attention (Crime on Cruise Ships). It is comforting to know that there are people who sympathize with victims and insist on offering support, like the ICV, but with acts like the CVSSA, only so much can be done. Justice lies in the hands of authority.

Examples

Cruise ships are advertised to be fun and safe. But is it still fun and safe when your 16-year-old daughter tells you she thinks she got molested? Anne Smith was on vacation with her sister and mom on a Caribbean cruise. Anne was sexually assaulted by a trainer in the gym, “It was my final consultation to see how I had improved and so he took my measurements and he was like lifting my shirt and all that and pulling down my shorts. I realized he shouldn't have been doing that, when he extremely touched me in places where he shouldn't have been touching me” (Leitner). The family reported the incident and the FBI had been notified but because of the laws of the ocean, the charges were never filed. There are many more acts of crime other than sexual assault. In 2011, Barry Krumholz was arrested for selling ecstasy, methamphetamine, ketamine and many more on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Allure of the Stars. “Customs and Border Protection agents searched Krumholz’s cabin and reportedly found more than 142 ecstasy pills, nearly 3 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of ketamine and about $51,000 in cash” (Walker). It’s no longer a family friendly environment. It’s now a danger zone.

Camus and Absurdity

            Alfred Camus, a French philosopher, introduced the concept of absurd. Absurdism can be defined as a “metaphysical tension or opposition that results from the presence of human consciousness—with its ever-pressing demand for order and meaning in life—in an essentially meaningless and indifferent universe” (Albert Camus (1913-1960). Although, Camus might feel for the victims, he once said, “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life” (Albert Camus Quotes). What Camus means by this is the victims will never be truly happy if they continue to explore reasons on why they were assaulted. That they’ll forever have an anchor attached to themselves metaphorically that’s drowns them in pain instead of happiness. The only way for victims to move on is to stop seeing themselves as victims and try to forget. There is no amount of meaning in the world that will make everything okay. If the victim chooses to take legal action, Camus might disagree because, “Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being” (Albert Camus Quotes). Camus sees acting against the man and the system is a form a rebellion but is also a constant reminder of the assault. Now a days, people might not see it as rebellion, but most can agree that it is a constant reminder. Camus strongly believes that life is meaningless and at certain times, his philosophy is true. The heinous crimes that take place on cruise ships makes one really question what really is the meaning of life? This is especially true for the women and children who are exploited to fulfill the disgusting and unspeakable desires of certain men. If the meaning of life for these women and children is to be slaves to pleasure, then this world truly has no meaning and Camus would agree.

Solutions

            More and more women are feeling empowered towards speaking about their sexual assault story and we see this growing trend as a result from the #metoo movement. However, less and less men are feeling cowardly towards accepting responsibility for playing the lead in a woman’s sexual assault story and we see this growing trend as a result of men not being punished for their crimes. The numbers are horrific, “out of every 1000 rapes, 995 perpetrators will walk free” (The Criminal Justice System: Statistics). It clearly, is extremely difficult to receive justice on land but imagine how much more difficult it is on water. The crimes that occur on cruise ships are hardly ever carried out since the cruise line wants to maintain their reputation, laws of the ocean are not specific enough, and jurisdiction issues. In an attempt to prevent further violence on cruise ships, cruise lines need worry less about their image and more on passenger safety. It is understandable to promote endless paradise; all you can eat buffets and relaxations, but it is just as important to promote safety. There is no way to stop perpetrators from coming on board of a ship. The only way to stop such crimes is to have cruise ship lines that care more about safety than image. Owen Torres, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., who owns Celebrity and Royal Caribbean said, "Nothing is more important to us than the safety and security of our guests and crew, and we believe that even one accusation of sexual assault on board our ships is one too many” (O'Connor). In 2010, cruise lines weren’t required to publicly disclose crimes however, when it became a requirement, the number of cases disclosed decreased. In 2016, “220 sexual assaults aboard cruise ships have been reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation” but in 2018, “82 sexual assaults reported” (O'Connor). This could be from several reasons but the idea that more is being done to help victims make it easier to sleep at night.

Conclusion

The crimes that take occurrence on cruise ships are completely underrated and ignored. This issue of cruise ship violence is unknown to majority of the population due to the great advertisement done by cruise lines. They want to promote fun, relaxation, and an endless buffet. However, safety isn’t promoted because it is assumed that because the cruise is “family friendly” there will be no acts of sexual assault of drug deals. This issue must be addressed until you or a loved one becomes a part of a statistic.

Work Cited

“Albert Camus (1913-1960).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/camus/.

“Albert Camus Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/authors/albert_camus.

“Crime on Cruise Ships.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/articles/crime-cruise-ships.

“Cruise Ship Sexual Harassment Lawyers.” Arnold & Itkin LLP, www.arnolditkin.com/personal-injury/cruise-ship-sexual-harassment/.

“International Cruise Victims.” International Cruise Victims, www.internationalcruisevictims.org/.

“The Criminal Justice System: Statistics.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system.

Kozlowska, Hanna. “Why Cruise Ships Have a Sexual-Assault Problem.” Quartz, Quartz, 6 July 2017, qz.com/1022245/why-cruise-ships-have-a-sexual-assault-problem/.

Leitner, Tammy, et al. “Sex Assault Victims on Cruise Ships Are Often under 18.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 4 June 2017, www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/sex-assault-victims-cruise-ships-are-often-under-18-n777901.

O'Connor, Meg. “Sexual Assault Is the Most Publicly Reported Crime on Cruises, but Companies Say It's Rare.” Miami New Times, 4, 1 May 2019, www.miaminewtimes.com/news/sexual-assault-is-the-most-publicly-reported-crime-on-cruises-but-companies-say-its-rare-11142409.

Shenfeld, Hilary. “Cruise Ship Violence: Murders and Other Crimes at Sea.” A&E, 2 July 2018, www.aetv.com/real-crime/cruise-ship-violence-murders-violent-crimes-at-sea.

Simpson , David. “Albert Camus (1913-1960).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/camus/#SSH5ci.

Walker , Jim. “Passengers Arrested Reportedly Trying to Smuggle Drugs onto Allure of the Seas for Atlantis Cruise.” Cruise Law News, 7 Feb. 2019, www.cruiselawnews.com/2019/02/articles/drugs/passengers-arrested-reportedly-trying-smuggle-drugs-onto-allure-seas-atlantis-cruise/.

Zara, Christopher. “#MeToo Rocks The Boat: Cruise Lines See More Sexual-Assault Reports In 2017.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 21 Feb. 2018, www.fastcompany.com/40533120/metoo-rocks-the-boat-cruise-lines-see-more-sexual-assault-reports-in-2017.