Cruise ships are designed as floating home bases for fun-filled holidays – but crime can happen at sea, just like on land.
Cruise lines prepare for that possibility by employing in-house security personnel and taking other precautions to ensure passenger safety.
“Crime on cruise ships is extremely rare, and the safety of guests and crew is always the top priority,” the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s leading trade organization, told USA TODAY in an email statement. “Cruise lines take allegations of crime seriously, support guests and crew, and work closely with law enforcement to report, investigate, and support prosecution where appropriate.”
Guests may wonder who to contact in case of an emergency on board and what should happen if they are the victim of a crime. Here’s what to know before embarking on your journey.
Are there security on cruise ships?
Yes.
“Cruise lines maintain comprehensive safety measures, protocols, hiring practices, training, monitoring systems, and reporting procedures,” CLIA said. The organization said security teams work around the clock.
According to maritime attorney Michael Winkelman of Lipcon, Margulies & Winkelman, P.A., security guards often have law enforcement, military or other investigative backgrounds. “In my experience, these are qualified individuals,” he said.
However, he said this is different from calling police on the ground.
“They’re basically cruise line employees who are hired to live and work on those ships for months at a time,” Winkelman said. “So, the fact that there is no independent law enforcement is really a big deal, because you can’t go to the police, you can’t go to the firefighters. You’re at the mercy of the cruise ship staff to keep you safe.”
Ships also have their own leadership structure. According to Winkelman, the captain is “the supreme authority” on the ship, and this applies anywhere and everywhere on the ship.
This is true even if outside law enforcement boards the ship after a crime, although they have the authority to investigate.
Who should I contact if a crime occurs onboard?
According to CLIA, if passengers suspect a crime or have any other emergency, they should contact onboard security officers or another member of the ship’s staff. Cruise lines usually provide contact information for relevant crew and other safety assistance resources.
Like hotels, stateroom phones also provide easy access to various points of contact.
Winkelman said in his experience, if guests have safety concerns, contacting guest services is “probably your best course of action.” Passengers can reach them by calling or visiting their desk in person.
However, he said he has found that there is a shortage of security guards in the industry. “So, I think there are situations where people need help and they either have trouble finding it or have to wait a long time to find it, and that’s a problem,” Winkelman said.
Cruise lines do not share operational safety protocols or detailed employee numbers for safety reasons, CLIA said, but determine appropriate staffing levels based on ship size, itinerary and other factors.
Security guards can detain passengers for misconduct such as fighting, Winkelman said. As The Points Guy reports, cruise ships have brigs — or prisons onboard — where they can be held, or confined to their cabin.
“And when they get to port, they’re turned over to shore authorities,” Winkelman said.
What happens if a crime happens on a cruise ship?
The Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act includes a number of security requirements for ships boarding or disembarking in the US, ranging from evidence preservation training to video surveillance. Cruise lines are also required to report crimes including murder, sexual assault and kidnapping to law enforcement.
Winkelman said of serious crimes, “I think it’s important to liaise with the FBI myself to make sure the FBI gets involved as quickly and as quickly as possible.” “Cruise lines are really required to facilitate your call to the FBI.”
If guests are no longer on board, they can contact local police and the FBI by phone or through its website, the agency’s Houston field office said in a post on Twitter in late June. However, the FBI’s authority to investigate crimes on cruise lines and enforce US law depends on where the ship was at the time of the incident, which country the ship is flagged (or registered in) and other factors.
“Generally, the United States has jurisdiction over crimes committed on board a ship if the crime occurs within the maritime jurisdiction of the United States and the ship is owned, in whole or in part, by a U.S. person or company,” the agency said on its website. “Additionally, there is jurisdiction over crimes committed by or against a U.S. citizen on board a foreign vessel if (the crime) occurs during a voyage with a scheduled departure or arrival from the U.S.”
If it happens in or near another country’s territorial waters, authorities there could get involved, Winkelman said. Flag state authorities may also play a role, but generally they have found that “the flag state country doesn’t really do anything.”
According to CLIA, law enforcement personnel serve as custodians of evidence and forensic experts, and cruise security officers are trained to follow their instructions. Winkelman said cruise ships typically have “CCTV cameras everywhere, so they’re really able to do an incredible job of piecing together what happened.”
How many sexual assaults occur on cruises?
Sexual assault allegations on cruise ships increased in 2025.
There were 131 sex crimes reported on board and off ships in the US last year, up from 120 in 2024, according to Transportation Department data. Those figures included 51 sexual assaults and 80 rapes.
This number was comparable to 2023, when there were 131 reports of sexual crimes, including 52 sexual assaults and 79 rapes.
Incident reports show there were 87 alleged sexual assaults in 2022, and 101 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down the industry. Transport Department data from those two years did not differentiate between sexual assault and rape.
The actual number may be higher. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, only one out of every three victims reports sexual assault to law enforcement.
Erin Robinson, then-director of media relations at RAINN, told USA TODAY in 2022 that the victim is never at fault. “No matter the circumstances of sexual violence, only the perpetrator is responsible,” she said.
The increase in 2025 comes as more passengers start taking cruises. In 2025, 37.2 million passengers boarded cruises worldwide, up from 34.6 million a year earlier, according to CLIA’s 2026 State of the Cruise Industry report. The organization expects this number to increase to 38.3 million in 2026.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at (email protected).
Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect