Serious cruise ship safety incidents are not limited to sexual assault. The incidents, thefts and even the “over board” murders have long been a reality of these trips. A tragic example concerns George Smith IV, 26, from Greenwich, Connecticut, who disappeared from a cruise in 2005. 2015, the FBI closed the case of Smith, And his family may never have any answers on what happened. The Smith family courageously transformed its sorrow into action, working in close collaboration with the Congress to ensure the adoption of the 2010 law on the safety and safety of cruise ships – the last major reform of the cruise industry. The legislation has made significant progress in improving passenger safety on the cruise ships, but additional measures are desperately necessary.
I directed the effort to further reform cruising companies in the Senate since 2013 with the Cruise Passenger Protection Act, and I am proud to work on this effort with the representative Doris Matsui de California. This bill would implement additional passenger safety standards and reporting requirements for the cruise line, ensuring that consumers have adequate information on their rights before a trip and a means of recourse if something is wrong.
My measure would require cruising lines to keep video sequences of any alleged crime for a year so that investigators and victims have more time to access images that may be necessary to continue justice. Cruises should also specify whether crimes, including sexual assault, were committed against minors. To strengthen the application, the bill would increase the penalties that cruising lines are faced with violations of the law.
My law on the protection of cruise passengers would also considerably strengthen the support of victims. The cruise lines should clearly inform the passengers of the limitation period for the deposit of legal action and establish a director of the support for victims in the US Department of Transport to read with the victims of cruising ships and to develop procedures for the processing of incidents.
Since I directed this measure, several of its safety and health provisions have been adopted by the Congress. These provisions impose requirements to cruising companies, such as installing video cameras in common areas and conservation of surveillance recordings for 20 days, installation of “Overboard” imaging “imaging technology and the guarantee that ships easily accessible automated external defibrillators. Although these now registered policies are an important step forward, the law on the protection of cruise passengers must be adopted to solve the problems on board cruise ships and to protect all passengers on board.
The cruise industry fiercely fought this legislation, saying that its requirements are “useless”. As the Buzzfeed News investigation clearly shows this, they are disputed by experts, lawyers and victims and their families. The courage of those who express themselves will help us to adopt my law on the protection of cruise passengers. I hope that the cruise industry will support these important reforms, which will only improve its trips for consumers. Solid safety standards and real application will help protect passengers and keep the responsible cruise industry.
Richard Blumenthal is the main senator of Connecticut.
