Editor’s notes

Back in May, the Government Accountability Office issued a report on the threats facing the nation’s cruise lines. While officials maintain there haven’t been any credible evidence threatening cruise ships, the GAO found that cruise ships remain high-prestige symbolic targets for terrorists. I had an opportunity to interview Charlie Mandigo, director of fleet security for Holland America, for an SDN article. Mandigo discussed some of the threats cruise ships face including waterside and onboard attacks, as well as some of the security measures put in place to prevent such attacks:

The cruise line also has security personnel patrolling the boat. For a cruise with 2,000 passengers and a crew of about 700, Holland America has at least 10 full-time dedicated security officers who conduct screening, patrol the ship and monitor the ship’s CCTV and access control systems.

In addition to physical screening, cruise lines submit extensive passenger and crew member manifests to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to compare against terrorist watchlists and the National Crime Information Center database, to determine their potential risk to the United States or the cruise ship.

Well, now there are new laws for cruise ship security. On July 27, President Obama signed Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, which requires cruise lines to contact the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard as soon as a suspicious death or assault of a passenger on a ship is reported, according to this article in USA Today.

“The President’s signature on this legislation is a significant milestone for American consumers and the traveling public,” Rep. Doris Matsui, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. It “will improve the safety and security of all cruise ship passengers traveling in and out of U.S. waters, and provide common-sense security measures to prevent crimes from occurring – and protections and support for victims and their families if and when they do.”

Cruise Lines International Association, who represents major lines operating in U.S. waters, said that many of its membership fleets already have many of the provisions required by the legislation, such as peep holes, 42-inch railings, and video surveillance systems. The most beneficial aspect of this legislation will be that these security measures will be consistent throughout the industry.