What is Royal Caribbean's Security Guide?
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires cruise lines which operate in United States waters to make a Security Guide available to guests. This Security Guide is provided pursuant to that United States law.
The safety and security of our guests and crew is our highest priority. Allegations of crime, missing person reports and medical emergencies are taken seriously and we are committed to responding in an effective and caring manner for those involved. Each of our ships is staffed with dedicated security and medical teams to respond to alleged crimes and medical situations, respectively. They are onboard, on duty and available at all times.
Should you become aware of someone being injured or of unsafe or possibly illegal behavior during your cruise vacation, it is very important that you immediately report this to the ship's management. This may be done by calling the ship's emergency telephone number listed in the directory of services in your stateroom; or by calling or going to the Guest Services / Guest Relations Desk. If you do not immediately report an injury or unsafe/illegal behavior this delay may cause ship's personnel to be unable to effectively respond to the situation and unable to properly preserve information or evidence that could assist law enforcement's investigation and prosecution of those responsible.
As a company, we report crime allegations to law enforcement so they can investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of where in the world the ship is located at the time of the incident. Crime allegations are reported to law enforcement officials in the next port of call, as well as to the nation where our ships are flagged. We also report allegations of crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Coast Guard (USCG), in compliance with United States laws.
According to United States federal law, on international voyages that embark or debark in the United States, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (and other cruise lines) is required to report onboard felonies and missing United States nationals to federal agencies. For a missing United States national and all serious felonies (homicide, suspicious death, kidnapping, assault with serious bodily injury, sexual assaults as defined by federal laws, firing or tampering with the vessel, or theft of money or property in excess of $10,000) the incident must be reported to the FBI by telephone as soon as possible, to the United States Department of Homeland Security electronically and to the USCG in writing. These requirements apply to onboard incidents that occur while the ship is in United States territorial waters, or on the high seas or in foreign waters if the victim or perpetrator is a United States national. The FBI can assert criminal jurisdiction in all of these circumstances. Each of the nations visited, as well as the vessel's nation of registry, may also assert jurisdiction and impose additional reporting requirements.
United States law also requires us to provide you the following information. For cruises embarking or debarking in the United States, you may independently contact the FBI or USCG for incidents arising any time during the voyage. For incidents within state or foreign waters or ports you may, in addition, contact local law enforcement authorities. Contact information for these entities along with contact information for a third party victim advocacy group and the locations of United States Embassies and Consulates for the ports we plan to visit during United States oriented voyages is being made available to you. If you need assistance in locating this information or if you find this information has changed since publication or is incorrect, please contact Guest Services / Guest Relations immediately.
