Does maritime law apply on cruise ships?

Once a cruise ship sets sail, they are then governed by maritime law, which is responsible for regulating all vessels in both domestic, and international waters. The exact jurisdiction of a specific crime depends on how far it should occur from land, and the territory it occurs within.



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The US Coast Guard is responsible for enforcing and regulating cruise ship safety.

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79% of all crimes reported onboard cruise ships are sexual assaults, as per the US Department of Transportation. This statistic is a stark reminder of the prevalence of sexual assaults on cruise ships, and serves as a powerful reminder of the need for increased safety measures to protect passengers.

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Bottom line, cruise ship passengers can sue if they are injured during the cruise due to another's negligence. However, the process is not easy, and it requires navigating maritime law and a complicated legal system.

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Cruise ships have a low risk of pirate hijack. Cargo ships are the primary target for pirates given their valuable load and minimal crew.

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However, cruise ships are not places where the law ceases to exist. Crimes occur at sea, and when they do, there are consequences. One question many people don't know the answer to is if you can get arrested on a cruise ship. The simple answer is yes.

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If you wonder whether cruise ships have jails, the answer is yes. Jails are called brigs on a cruise ship and tend only to be used in serious circumstances when no other options are available. Cabin arrest is typically used before the brig is needed.

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Over the past 100 years since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912, only 18 cruise ships and some ocean liners have been publicly known to have sunk. And, over the past 50 years, only four cruise ships have sunk while navigating on a cruise.

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The only way that a cruise ship would be able to be flipped over is if it took the wave hit perpendicular on the port or starboard side, along the beam. Most of the time, ships will aim to hit a wave bow-first.

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In such cases, cruise lines have two options: head to a different port up or down the coast to disembark passengers or remain at sea until the ship's home port reopens.

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If a storm is threatening the area a ship was scheduled to sail to, cruise lines will reroute the ships if the forecast is severe enough. While cruise ships can typically outrun most storms, passengers may still experience rough seas as their ship skirts the edges of a weather system.

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The 5 Most Dangerous Parts of a Ship for Passengers
  • Watertight Doors. Never try to outrun a closing watertight door. ...
  • Wet/Slippery Surfaces. ...
  • Ferries & Lifeboats. ...
  • Dining Facilities & Fast-Spreading Illnesses. ...
  • Balconies. ...
  • Talking to a Florida Cruise Ship Injury Attorney.


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