Highlight Summary

“Cruise Ship Crime: Key Facts From U.S. Congressional Hearing (2006)

Crime Reporting Reality (1990s–early 2000s)
Cruise lines were not required to report crimes to the FBI or Coast Guard. Reporting was voluntary, inconsistent, and often withheld unless Congress demanded it. Jurisdiction depended on ship flag, location, and passenger nationality, which left many cases outside U.S. reach.

Data Congress Forced the Industry to Provide
The cruise industry only submitted crime statistics after direct pressure from two congressional subcommittees. Lawmakers stated that the numbers were incomplete and unreliable. Industry-provided figures included:
• 24 passengers reported missing over the previous three years
• 178 crime reports (sexual assaults, thefts, and other major incidents) over the same period

FBI Crime Data (Used for Comparison)
• 305 criminal cases opened by the FBI over five years involving cruise ships
• Approximately 40 million passengers cruised during that time
• Roughly 1 FBI case per 131,000 passengers

Missing-Person Rates Cited in the Hearing
• About one passenger per million went missing over a two-year period (industry-supplied statistic; Congress questioned accuracy)
• In the United States, about 2,000 people are reported missing per day on land

Industry Scale and Passenger Volume
• About 10 million cruise passengers per year by the early 2000s
• More than half of all passengers embarked from North American ports
• Roughly 55 percent of passengers in 2005 were repeat customers
• Carnival operated 79 ships (plus 12 in development)
• Royal Caribbean operated 19 ships

Patterns Identified by Congress and Victims
• Evidence was destroyed, discarded, or never preserved in several cases
• Passengers’ disappearances were sometimes not reported to authorities or families
• Scene control and security notifications were often delayed by hours
• Victims and families frequently encountered resistance when seeking records or video
• Few crimes ever resulted in criminal convictions during the 1990s due to jurisdiction barriers and under-reporting
• Several families spent large sums of money just to obtain basic cooperation (one case required over $75,000 and four and a half months to depose a single crew member)

Legal Factors Affecting the 1990s
• Ships primarily sailed under foreign flags of convenience, reducing U.S. authority
• The Death on the High Seas Act (a 1920 law) restricted damages for deaths or disappearances at sea
• No centralized crime database existed for cruise statistics until Congress intervened

Investigation Failures Highlighted in Testimony
• Missing passengers unreported for days despite staff awareness
• Personal belongings thrown out or stored instead of secured as evidence
• Hours-long delays before the FBI or Coast Guard were called
• Crime scenes left unprotected for extended periods
• Passengers allowed to disembark before interviews were conducted

Overall Findings
Crime at sea was significantly under-reported throughout the 1990s due to voluntary disclosure, legal loopholes, and corporate control over information. Congress concluded that available statistics were not reflective of true incident levels and called for regulatory reform.

Source
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform — Cruise Ship Crime Hearing, March 7, 2006.

Disclaimer: The information presented on this page is a factual summary of material taken directly from the official U.S. House of Representatives hearing transcript “International Maritime Security II: Law Enforcement, Passenger Security, and Incident Investigation on Cruise Ships” (Serial No. 109-154, 2006). This content is provided solely for educational, informational, and reference purposes. It does not introduce new allegations, make claims against any individual or company, or draw legal conclusions. All statistics, descriptions, and statements originate from the congressional record itself. Readers are encouraged to consult the original hearing transcript for full context and complete testimony.