It’s actually pretty common for people to equate being on international waters with complete freedom from any type of legal matters. But laws are still very real, and they can be enforced. How? With the help of “maritime law,” which around the United States, is enforced by the Coast Guard.
Maritime law is exactly how Melina Roberge and Isabelle Lagace were caught when they attempted to smuggle about 200 pounds of illegal substances back with them on a Princess Cruise ship, in 2016. The two women were caught and are now facing up to twenty years in prison. The narcotics were worth an estimated $16 million and were found in the women’s suitcases.
Fun Days
You would think that stopping off at a beach or a port would be an exciting prospect for just the passengers. But no. The staff can also get in on the action. Whenever the ship makes a port call, the crew knows that they are in for some fun.
When passengers leave to roam around, the staff can too. They wait for these days like no other. The crew is finally allowed to rest, after working tirelessly for days on end. It's also a chance for them to get some time away from annoying passengers, rude managers, and all the drama on board.
The Crew Doesn't Care
Though you may think that you have created a bond with the staff, you are just another person who has come in and out of their life. Of course, they are paid to care, but behind that huge smile, they are just waiting for you to leave before they have to move on to the next guest. It's just a business, at the end of the day.
More precisely, they're waiting to go below the decks for the next drama. If you tip them, you may stand out...but other than that, you're just another face in a crowd of passengers.
The Ships Have a War Room
A “War Room” on a cruise ship might sound a little funny, but if you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense. After all, cruise ships can be targeted by pirates and other possible enemies. Although these types of emergencies on cruise ships are fairly rare, they do happen. So, what is a war room?
A war room is a place where people, typically government officials or the like, get together to discuss plans regarding the safety of a certain group of people. So, the war room on a cruise ship may be used by officers in the case of a pirate attack. Officers could gather in the war room to plan out an escape and defense strategy.
Crew Member goes Missing from Disney Cruise
Most everyone who goes on a cruise does so to have a good time and relax. However, there are also bad people in the world, and these people can use cruises to harm others. This may have been the case in 2011 when a young British woman named Rebecca Coriam was working on the Disney Wonder cruise ship. The ship was somewhere off the coast of Mexico when she seemed to just vanish into thin air.
Video footage pulled from the ship reveals Rebecca talking on the phone just before her disappearance. According to reports, she appeared to be in distress. Rebecca was never seen or heard from again.