Having valid and reliable rates of crime is important for the purpose of comparison: comparison between cruise lines and comparison of crime at sea versus crime on land. There is a simple illustration that makes this point. Disney Cruise Line reports on its website 6 sexual assaults in 2012. This sounds like a small number. However, when converted to a standardized rate it is 32.6 per 100,000 – almost four times higher than claimed for the industry as a whole in its written testimony before the US Senate Commerce Committee. It is tempting to interpret this as indicating that Disney Cruise Line is worse than the rest, but the more likely interpretation is that Disney Cruise Line is being more transparent than the others. After all, the numbers reported by Royal Caribbean and Carnival for 2010 – 2013 are so different than what are independently confirmed as numbers for 2007-08, that it makes me suspect the more recent reports.
So what is the solution? If the cruise industry is so confident that its crime rate is so low, then it should open its records to an independent researcher who will compile the data and prepare a report. Of particular importance is that all crime allegations be included and be reported by cruise line and by cruise ship. This should include allegations that may not technically be criminal, but worthy of recording – such as inappropriate touch. To do less suggests they have something to hide. The approach they have taken so far suggests they have much they don’t want known by their customer base. It isn’t fair to say they are being transparent but then pull the curtains on things they don’t want us to know.
For the latest news in cruise travel, check out:
- For the Truth About Cruise Crime, Look Closely at the Numbers
- Why the Government is Cracking Down on the Cruise Industry
- Know Your Cruise Passenger Rights
- 4 Things Wrong with Cruising in 2013 & How You Can Benefit
By Ross A. Klein, PhD for Peter Greenberg.com. Ross A. Klein, PhD, is an international authority on the cruise ship industry. He has published four books, six monographs/reports for nongovernmental organizations, more than 30 articles and book chapters, and asked to testify four times before the U.S. Visit him online at CruiseJunkie.com.
