Is there law on a cruise ship?

Law on a cruise ship (or any other ship) starts with the flag the ship is flying under. A ship flies the flag of the country where it's registered, and, in general, the laws onboard a ship are the laws of that country.



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Here's a roundup of some U.S. and international regulations your cruise line must navigate:
  • Death on the High Seas Act. ...
  • International Convention for the Safety of Life at Seas. ...
  • The Jones Act. ...
  • The Passenger Vessel Services Act. ...
  • The Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act.


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Cruise ships do not have police. Instead, an onboard Security Director will oversee the ship's own dedicated security department, staffed by former federal, state and military law enforcement personnel from various countries.

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Minor rules that get broken may not result in you going to the ship's brig. Often, minor offenses will result in a person simply being remanded to their cabin with security outside to ensure they don't leave. But when serious crimes occur, the captain may feel it necessary to put the person in the brig.

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Ensuring Security at Sea Highly Trained Security Personnel: Exceptionally trained ship security personnel are on call 24/7. Major cruise lines have sophisticated security departments run by former federal, state and military law enforcement officials and are staffed by competent, qualified security personnel.

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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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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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No sneaking drugs or alcohol on board Contraband booze will be confiscated if discovered, and you might not get it back. Bring illegal drugs on board and you risk fines, disembarkation and jail time. You're not allowed to bring marijuana on a cruise, even if it's legal in your departure port or port of call.

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Cruise ships do not have police. Instead, an onboard Security Director will oversee the ship's own dedicated security department, staffed by former federal, state and military law enforcement personnel from various countries.

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Consistent with our commitment to safety, disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew will be disembarked at their own expense and banned from sailing on Carnival in the future.

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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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Passengers may be escorted off the ship at the next port and have to make their own way home. And they may be put on the cruise line's no sail list and not be allowed to cruise with that line any longer. What is done depends very much on the circumstances.

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When a crime occurs on water, the jurisdiction depends on how far it is from land. In international waters, more than 24 miles off the coast, the crime would fall under the laws of the country where the ship is registered. If a ship is at port when a crime occurs, it falls within that country's jurisdiction.

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If the crime was committed on international waters, typically the jurisdiction is that of the country that the cruise ship is registered to. However, if it occurs in port or within 12 nautical miles of a country's shoreline, that country has jurisdiction to intervene.

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The Cruise Vessel Safety & Security Act (CVSSA) of 2010 requires cruise ships calling on U.S. port to report certain shipboard crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The CVSSA was the result of the efforts of the International Cruise Victim (ICV) which is a grass-roots organization created in 2006.

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“Guests 17 years of age and under who are not accompanied by an adult in their traveling party, 21 years of age or older, must be clear of all public areas by 1:00 a.m. each evening unless involved in a Club 02 or Circle C teen activity,” the new policy reads.

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No, cruise ship security personnel do not typically carry guns. Cruise ships have a variety of safety measures in place to protect passengers and crew members, such as metal detectors and CCTV cameras.

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As for your person, you will go through a metal detector. We have yet to go through a port that has the body scanners that have caused so much controversy at airports.

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No “Body Scanner” They aren't at cruise terminals. You just walk through a metal detector. That also means you don't have to take everything out of your pockets. You just take out whatever might set off the detector.

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Essentially, the regulation is the result of an immigration concern. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) states that cruises to nowhere never technically depart the United States. Even though these cruises enter international waters, they do not dock in a foreign port or territory.

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You may smoke on a cruise ship, but only in designated smoking areas. On most ships operated by U.S. cruise lines, all indoor public spaces are off-limits with the exceptions being the casino (or part of the casino), a cigar lounge (if the ship has one) and one or two other lounges.

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Human trafficking may also occur in cruising, and cruise ship crime is common. Ship workers, who are notoriously paid low wages, are even paid off by people who can withhold their pay or pay workers less than they expect to receive in order to force them to commit crimes.

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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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In all instances, when a U.S. citizen commits a crime on a cruise ship or is the victim of serious crime onboard, the FBI makes every attempt to investigate, although it might be secondary to investigations done by other law enforcement involved.

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