Crimes at Sea



Not everyone wants to focus on the dangers and some horrors of taking a cruise – but as we have often said before at Prow’s Edge, it is worth knowing the dangers, wise to be aware of the problems so that one can be cautious and actually enjoy a problem free cruise.



And this is not just about Prow’s Edge being morbid.



More and more Popular TV and radio stations, such as NBC Chanel 6 in Miami and WKMG-TV/Local 6 - CBS in Orlando are now bringing the news about crimes at sea - especially those where no action was taken to bring justice for the victim.  



And again, this is not about dwelling on some horror stories - it is about making sure cruise passengers remain safe and incident free.


Here in our FIRST blog about this topic are a few brief, common sense tips about general awareness and taking care with alcohol on a cruise.









Be aware of what is happening around you on  a cruise

Although you’re on holiday and should be enjoying it all without any worries, you still need to make sure that you are always aware of what is happening around you and to be a aware of your surroundings - just as y would be at home.  



And in fact, many travelers will maintain that you need to be even more vigilant and cautious about your surroundings than you are at home.





Taking care with drinking (alcohol) on a cruise

Excessive or heavy alcohol consumption can make you less aware of your surroundings and hence less aware of possible threats.



Alcohol in large amounts also means that you do not always make the sensible decisions at that time when your senses and judgements are a little  tampered.



The latest in warnings about drinking on a cruise concerns the problem of unattended drinks.  It is no longer just a part of horror stories and movies in which drinks can be doctored when you are not keeping a close check. Passengers who are drugged with out realizing it, raped and left with an inability to recall any part of the crime is sadly no longer a very unusual crime. Watch your drink being prepared, avoid leaving your drink unattended, and be careful in accepting drinks from strangers.





Our next blog in this series will offer some sensible advice about being isolated on your cruise, and in the blog after that there will be comments about keeping your stateroom and your belongings safe and secure.




For more information about the reality of crimes at sea visit International Cruise Victims at:
 www.internationalcruisevictims.org



Also see the Prow’s Edge extensive section about Safety at Sea at: www.prowsedge.com/cruise-ship-crime.html

Health Issues on Board Ship

Following our blog a few days ago covering how to be prepared for a disaster at sea - not to put a blanket on your anticipation of a great time but to make sure you are physically and mentally prepared for any thing so that you can forget about it all and have a good time, Prow’s Edge continues to talk about how to be truly safe and prepared for anything on your cruise.



This time, Prow’s Edge talks about keeping healthy on your cruise.



It is a well known fact that many cruise ships are riddled with all sorts of viruses and germs layering every elevator button, railing and door handle. This is NOT to say that cruise ships are necessarily dirty disease-ridden vessels – but this news should not be a surprise when you realize that cruise ships pack in a huge number of people into a comparatively small space.  It is obvious that a virus or set of germs sees this as a heaven.



Also,most people taking a cruise, whether they will admit it or not, are in a holiday frame of mind, and all the natural precautions they naturally take at home and in the office at work go flying out of the window.



The same rules you live by at home apply even more importantly on a cruise.



The basic and most important rule is avoid touching every person, hand, railing and door handle you see.



Avoid shaking hands with everyone.  While this may seem a little unfriendly you will find more and more people accepting that shaking hands with every stranger is not a good idea, and certainly not on a cruise.



Even many Captain’s Cocktail events now restrict the shaking of hands.  It’s not that the captain doesn’t want to be friendly - he just wants to keep us all healthy.



Wash your hands as often as possible, and make good use of all the hand sanitizers located in almost every corner on every deck.



And if the worst should happen, and you come down with a virus, or even just a simple cold, see the doctor or nurse on board – that is what they are there for – and stay away from the other passengers.  As awful as that may seem  – it is the decent thing to do, and your recovery will be much quicker.



And finally, if you have any particular health problems, make sure that you bring enough necessary medications, not only for the cruise itself, but for several days after the trip in case of any emergencies. 



This may all sound a little gloomy - but it’s not meant to be.  Precautions becoming a natural part of your life mean that you more than likely to enjoy a problem free cruise.

Cruise Ports of Call

One of the most popular sections of Prow’s Edge is the part that deals with the main ports of call that are usually the port of departure or port of arrival at the start and/or end of the cruise.



Although things have begun to improve as cruise lines are now starting to concentrate on ports that are featured at the start or end of a cruise, most cruise  lines still tend to concentrate on the ports featured during the cruise where there is usually at least eight hours to at least marginally truly showcase those individual destinations.



Those cruise lines that do offer tours of starting and ending points, they are usually limited to a short sightseeing glimpse of those locations as passengers are whisked off to the airport or collected from the airport and rushed to the cruise trip.



Cruises to Alaska that begin and end in Vancouver, Canada for example concentrate on all the Alaska ports of call and people arriving home eventually have very little experience or new knowledge of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.



To make sure this does not happen to you - it is always a good idea to add at least a night in departure and arrival ports and to take the opportunity to experience what is on offer there.

The very popular part of Prow’s Edge dealing with these ports offer an extensive overview of the port itself, the main attractions, all about the cruise terminals and a host of information from weather and climates, currencies, languages.



For a list of over 50 of these ports take a look at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-ports-terminals.html

Being Prepared for Disaster at Sea

While you don’t want to dwell on all the horrific things that could happen on any cruise, it is well worth while preparing yourself for what could happen and learn about a few sensible precautions.



It is not that you want to dwell on all the terrible things that could happen on any cruise, but you do need to be prepared – even more than you might have originally thought.



It is somewhat incredible that good sense seems to fly out of the window along with the larger portion of your hard earned savings whenever you book a cruise.



And while you don’t want to dwell on all the horrific things that could happen on any cruise, it is well worth while preparing yourself with a few sensible precautions.



In fact, the main precaution to keep in mind, on any cruise, is that you are prepared for any possible disaster. 



Again, this is not something you want to dwell on but something you want to be prepared for so that you can actually put it out of your mind and actually enjoy the trip. 



While lifeboat drills, for example, may seem to be boring and a waste of time, especially if you have cruised before, it is a known fact that when faced with a real disaster, your calmness about how to handle things like lifeboat boarding etc flies off the ship before you do.

For this simple, and proven reason alone, it is worth packing away your cynicism and paying attention to life boat drills.



It is also worth paying attention to all the other information about emergencies available on the cruise ship.  This is not to say that you need to be obsessed with this – just pay attention to announcements, and the notices on your cabin door that detail your escape routes.


Some savvy cruise travelers suggest that you follow the escape route outlined in your cabin.  As practice. Again, this not something to dwell on too much, but it is something to be aware of so that should such action become necessary, you will be able to handle the whole situation much more successfully.

Think of these things now, prepare yourself, and then you can forget about it all, and enjoy your cruise, knowing that you are as prepared for anything that might happen.



Don't be one of those big-headed, smart alecks who think they know all the answers. They don't!

Check our next blog entry for some more advice on how to deal with the less wonderful things that can happen on a cruise, how to be prepared for these issues and how then you can put it at the back of your mind and enjoy the cruise all the more.




Still About the Cruise Chat Rooms

The hot debate about the value of chat rooms dealing with all sorts of aspects of cruises that we brought attention to in Trusting the Cruise Forums and Chat Rooms continues with some very heated reactions to our comments about this topic.

In fact - this topic is one of Prow's Edge's most popular, blog topics!

We stand corrected in that cruise chat rooms are still, in fact, a popular source of information for those looking for an ideal cruise – but we still stand by our viewpoint that the opinions offered in these chat rooms are not the most ideal nor unbiased sources of information.

We still maintain that any information gleaned from such forums has to be treated with a little caution.

As we reported in our last blog on this topic, it is a sad fact that a lot of the regular participants in these forums are in fact only taking part in order to gain some benefits for themselves.  Some complain incessantly until the cruise lines take notice and offer some benefits. 

This does not happen as frequently as before – as we showcased in  Trusting the Cruise Forums and Chat Rooms  – but it should make readers a little cautious about what they read in these forums.

Others taking part in these forums, while not after some benefit as mentioned above, can can also  inwittingly pass on incorrect information - not necessarily on purpose, but simply because they do not know much better.  They like to see their opinions on the internet.

Another development in terms of cruise forums and chat rooms is the growth of such sites by the cruise lines themselves.

One has to wonder about the unbiased honestly of commentary on such web site forums as well.

Having said that - there are a number of chat rooms that deal specifically with certain topics and provide information that cannot be found elsewhere.

We can only suggest that you treat all such forums with some kind of caution.

If you would like to send us ALL here at Prow's Edge on a number of cruises to test the validity of commentary about many of these cruises on various forum websites - we would be happy to carry out the chores for you  - providing of course, that champagne is served every night in our cabins, before dinner, with dinner, after dinner, as a bedtime treat, and hey - even for breakfast as well!

We would, of course, be totally unbiased.

:-)

Cruises for Those with Special Needs

Cruise line brochures and websites are filled with images of hale and hearty, fit, younger passengers enjoying some very active pursuits, and even those cruise lines that are a little more honest about their passengers in general, their ages and their abilities, tend to to paint a rosy pictures of cruise travelers in the prime of their time.



The actual truth is nothing like the images the cruise lines paint.

In fact, more than 60 million cruise passengers each year are those with some kind of disability who need a variety of special needs -  from oxygen requirements to motorized scooters and even power chairs.



The positive update these days is that despite the glorious pictures of only hale and hearty passengers about to leap ashore and run around the block, the cruise lines have in fact become very much more aware of the special needs of a growing number of their passengers. 



While the solutions they offer are not always as ideal as they should be, every year, more and more cruise lines seem to be paying attention to these issues.



At least twelve of the popular cruise lines, for example, from Carnival to Cunard and all levels between now offer special disabled cabins.



Lots more information about accommodating cruise lines and what they can offer can be found at www.disabledcruiseclub.com – a web site specializing in special needs cruises from the Red Sea to the polar regions.



And where they are not able to accommodate the very special needs of their passengers, there are companies such as Special Needs at Sea, at www.specialneedsatsea.com who can help make any trip easier and more hassle-free.



But be warned - there are still a lot of problems still with this issue, no matter the promises and some cruise passengers with special needs to to their cruise research very thoroughly before booking and embarking on a trip of a lifetime.

More Safety Tips for Your Cruise

Originally posted almost two years ago here at Prow's Edge, we have now updated this topic. 

It is of vital importance.

Travelers very often leave their common sense at home when they go on vacation - and cruise passengers are no exception.

Unlike other cruise magazines, here at Prow’s Edge we have been highlighting this issue for many years - not to wallow in gory details or to sensationalize the problem, but to make our readers aware that there is real problem on cruise ships and that passengers need to be aware of it.

The good news is that many of the problems concerning safety at sea can be eased with being sensible and taking a few precautions. Here are a few tips, most of which are common sense.

For a full article about safety at sea and how to avoid becoming a victim, please take a look at www.prowsedge.com/cruises-safety-things-to-do.html at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine.

SAFETY TIPS

• Be vigilant
• Don’t be afraid to report something suspicious
• Avoid deserted areas of the ship
• Limit your alcohol consumption
• Be aware of excessive alcohol consumption by others
• Avoid unattended drinks
• Know where your friends and family are
• Check your stateroom when entering
• Keep your stateroom door locked
• Safeguard your cabin keycard
• Leave expensive jewelry at home
• Lock your jewelry away
• Don’t bring a bank vault of cash

Reaffirming the need for vigilance and awareness of the safety issues at sea, the International Cruise Victims Association(ICV) represents the victims of crime on cruise ships, their families and friends, and those concerned about the problems of victimization and disappearances on cruise ships.

The very fact that the International Cruise Victims Association(ICV) is steadily growing and that membership now reaches 20 countries around the world simply enforces the point that this is an issue we need to know more about.

Don’t sit back and say that this could never happen to you. Get your head out of the sand!

Visit the Safety at Sea section at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine at www.prowsedge.com/cruises-safety-at-sea.html for news and information on this topic.

The Reality of Cruise Safety Issues

Passengers missing after winning large amounts at the cruise ship casino, robberies at knife point, sexual assaults and rapes, general assaults and even passengers overboard?



Sounds like the thriller you’re reading beside the pool as your ship heads to the next port of fun?



Well, it’s not!  This is not an excerpt from the latest best-selling novel - this is the truth about the other side of cruising that very few people know about.

Those who do know about it, victims and family members alike, have had their lives changed forever.

One of those family members is Ken Carver who founded the International Cruise Victims Association to support the families like his own who are victims of crimes, disappearances, and accidents aboard cruise ships.

With several hundred members, the organization advocates for legislative reform to protect passengers from crimes and increase the rights of victims of crimes that do occur on cruise ships, and provides support to victims of crimes occurring on cruise ships.

In an interview at TravelTalkRADIO, Ken Carver, President of the International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) urged the public to become more informed about the issues, and to support the association in its efforts to make the cruise lines more accountable.

“We suggest that you contact your congressional people, take action,” he said, “because we are not proposing things that are really out of line. They would just make cruising safer and more fun for everybody.”

You can find the petition to improve safety on cruise ships at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CruiseSafety/index.html

Read more about this issue in Ken Carver’s own words as he shares his View From the Bridge at Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine