Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Royal Caribbean leading way on sexual assault safety; is it enough?
Royal Caribbean earned the first-ever best practices certification from the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN). They are the only cruise line to go this far in ensuring safe and appropriate responses to sexual assaults at sea. The company deserves commendation for their progressive stance on the issue. However, is certification enough? Can Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines do more to prevent the crimes and keep their passengers safe?
According to Skift, the RAINN certification involves 11 key areas. Some focus on prevention and training, while others deal with post-assault victim support. Even prior to the certification, Royal Caribbean reported better sexual assault statistics than other cruise lines. But there are two areas where all cruise lines seem exposed. The first is alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a significant factor in many cruise-related injuries and crimes. Even with stricter policies and better awareness from servers and bartenders, there will be plenty of men and women impaired onboard. Some of these people will inevitably be involved in sexual assaults.
The other factor overlooked, but that has been a hot button on Cruise Law News, is screening and punishing crew. Many of the assaults are crew on passenger. Training is obviously important with this as is enhanced security and key access. But the background screening can be an issue. The criminal record systems in some of the countries from which the crews are hired are not always as thorough as in they are in the United States. Plenty of offenders have and will continue to slip through the cracks until better hiring practices are in place. If the cruise lines really want to address sexual assault, it will need to improve their hiring background checks.
According to Skift, the RAINN certification involves 11 key areas. Some focus on prevention and training, while others deal with post-assault victim support. Even prior to the certification, Royal Caribbean reported better sexual assault statistics than other cruise lines. But there are two areas where all cruise lines seem exposed. The first is alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a significant factor in many cruise-related injuries and crimes. Even with stricter policies and better awareness from servers and bartenders, there will be plenty of men and women impaired onboard. Some of these people will inevitably be involved in sexual assaults.
The other factor overlooked, but that has been a hot button on Cruise Law News, is screening and punishing crew. Many of the assaults are crew on passenger. Training is obviously important with this as is enhanced security and key access. But the background screening can be an issue. The criminal record systems in some of the countries from which the crews are hired are not always as thorough as in they are in the United States. Plenty of offenders have and will continue to slip through the cracks until better hiring practices are in place. If the cruise lines really want to address sexual assault, it will need to improve their hiring background checks.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Ship Mate's infographic on the Royal Caribbean fleet
Ship Mate is back with another helpful infographic. Above is their age list of all of Royal Caribbean's ships. They also added a useful column on when the ships were last renovated. (Renovations can often breathe new life into a tired ship.)
Read the Ship Mate blog for more details on the age of the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Cruise Capital's Royal Princess review and tour
While not a slick as some video reviews, this tour and review of the Royal Princess is very worthwhile. In addition to the usual stops in dining and activities, Cruise Capital also includes some action shots of the staff and celebration from the actual cruise. As you are researching a potential trip on the Royal Princess, certainly watch the video above.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Royal Caribbean deserves accolades for saving the 'miracle cruise baby'
August 31 was the typical early morning on the Independence of the Seas. In the middle of the night, passenger Emily Morgan went into labor. Only 23 weeks pregnant, Morgan knew she needed the help of the crew medical staff. Although they handle various emergencies at sea, crew medical staffs are not equipped to deal with emergency labor nor premature babies. Pregnancy policies are specifically designed to avoid emergency births onboard. But baby Haiden came at 1:56 a.m.
Weighing on 1.5 pounds and having breathing issues, Haiden's life was in danger. Lacking an incubator, the ship's staff did their best to keep him warm and the captain pushed the ship into San Juan two hours early. The Royal Caribbean team ultimately saved the newborn's life, as Haiden was able to get the necessary specialized medical care in San Juan.
While still struggling with various complications, Haiden is still alive and has been transferred to Miami. The Morgans are sharing their story and the challenges Haiden and they are facing. However, overlooked in the story is how much Royal Caribbean did in such an unusual circumstance. From the Captain to the crew they did what they could to help the Morgans and the mother and baby are alive because of the Royal Caribbean team.
Weighing on 1.5 pounds and having breathing issues, Haiden's life was in danger. Lacking an incubator, the ship's staff did their best to keep him warm and the captain pushed the ship into San Juan two hours early. The Royal Caribbean team ultimately saved the newborn's life, as Haiden was able to get the necessary specialized medical care in San Juan.
While still struggling with various complications, Haiden is still alive and has been transferred to Miami. The Morgans are sharing their story and the challenges Haiden and they are facing. However, overlooked in the story is how much Royal Caribbean did in such an unusual circumstance. From the Captain to the crew they did what they could to help the Morgans and the mother and baby are alive because of the Royal Caribbean team.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Cruise Needs' Tweets of the Week
#NorwegianEscape conveyance completed. Can't wait to welcome her to the fleet next month! http://t.co/4CIFEipxY3 pic.twitter.com/N1JtyG3OXm
— Andrew Stuart (@nclandy) September 19, 2015New Ships Prove: This Is Not Your Mothers Cruise Business http://t.co/qOjMB8aeGp pic.twitter.com/5QNGOdaynN
— Chris Owen (@OrlandoChris) September 24, 2015It's always a good time for dessert! If I was on a #DisneyCruise this would be my plate http://t.co/EgMkUgKAzg pic.twitter.com/aHKNCBYp5j
— KidsOnAPlane (@kidsonaplane) September 23, 2015@BrendaMelson1: Another beautiful day at sea #cruiselikeanorwegian pic.twitter.com/VdsatZQsLe
— Moon Light Travel A (@BrendaMelson1) September 18, 2015Beautiful morning in #Copenhagen from our little gem Saga Pearl II #cruisechat #cruiselife pic.twitter.com/2EJZ9JrObj
— Saga Holidays (@SagaHolidaysUK) September 20, 2015Thursday, September 24, 2015
Lifehacker's handy guide to cruise line alcohol policies
Bringing alcohol on board to a ship is a seemingly simple issue, yet no two cruise companies handle it the same way. Fortunately Lifehacker put together a useful chart on the basics of each cruise line's policy with regards to bringing booze on board and what you can do with the duty free alcohol you buy on your trip.
Lifehacker regards MSC as the most strict and Regents the most accommodating.
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