Cruise ships are designed as floating home bases for fun-filled vacations – but crime can happen at sea just like on land.
Cruise lines prepare for that possibility by hiring in-house security personnel and taking other precautions to ensure passenger safety.
“Crime is extremely rare on cruise ships, and the safety and security of guests and crew is always the top priority,” Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s leading trade organization, told USA TODAY in an emailed 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 happens if they are the victim of a crime. Here’s what to know before setting sail.
Do Cruise Ships Have Security?
Yes.
“Cruise lines maintain comprehensive security measures, protocols, hiring practices, training, surveillance systems, and reporting procedures,” CLIA said. Security teams operate 24 hours a day, the organization added.
Security guards often have law enforcement, military or other investigative backgrounds, according to Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. “In my experience, these are qualified individuals,” he said.
However, he noted that it’s different than calling the police on land.
They “are basically employees of the cruise line that are hired to live and work on those ships for months at a time,” Winkleman said. “So, the fact that there is no independent law enforcement is actually a really big deal, because you can’t go to the cops, you can’t go to the firefighters. You are at the mercy of employees of the cruise ship to keep you safe.”
Ships have their own leadership structures, too. The captain is the “single highest authority on the ship, and that applies anywhere and everywhere” on the vessel, according to Winkleman.
That’s still true even if outside law enforcement boards the vessel following a crime, though they have the authority to investigate.
Who Should I Contact if There Is a Crime Onboard?
If passengers suspect a crime or there is another emergency, they should contact onboard security officers or another member of the ship’s staff, according to CLIA. Cruise lines typically provide contact information for relevant crew and other safety support resources.
Much like hotels, stateroom phones also offer easy access to various points of contact.
Winkleman said in his experience, if guests have security concerns, contacting guest services “is likely your best avenue.” Passengers can reach them by calling or visiting their desk in person.
He noted, however, that he has found the industry to be understaffed with security guards. “So, I think there are situations where people need help and they either have trouble finding it or have to wait a long darn while to find it, and that’s a problem,” Winkleman said.
Cruise lines do not share operational security protocols or detailed employee numbers for safety reasons, CLIA said, but determine appropriate staffing levels based on a ship’s size, itinerary and other factors.
Security guards can detain passengers for misconduct such as fighting, Winkleman said. Cruise ships have brigs – or onboard jails – where they may be held, or they could be confined to their cabins, The Points Guy reported.
“And when they reach the port, they are turned over to shoreside authorities,” Winkleman added.
What Happens if There Is a Crime on a Cruise Ship?
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act includes a number of safety requirements for ships embarking or disembarking in the U.S., ranging from evidence preservation training to video surveillance. Cruise lines also must report crimes including homicide, sexual assault and kidnapping to law enforcement.
“I do think it’s important to get in touch on your own with the FBI to make sure that the FBI is involved as quickly and as early as possible,” Winkleman said of serious crimes. “Cruise lines are actually required to facilitate you making that call to the FBI.”
If guests are no longer on the ship, they can contact local police and the FBI by phone or via its website, the agency’s Houston field office said in a post on X in late June. However, the FBI’s authority to investigate crimes on cruises – and enforce U.S. law – depends on where the vessel was at the time of the incident, the country the vessel is flagged (or registered) in and other factors.
“Generally, the U.S. has jurisdiction over crimes committed on a ship if the crime occurs within the maritime jurisdiction of the United States and the vessel 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. national on board a foreign vessel if the (crime) occurs during a voyage having a scheduled departure from or arrival in the U.S.”
If it happens in or near the waters of another country, authorities there can be involved, Winkleman added. Flag state authorities may also play a role, but typically he has found the “flag state country doesn’t really do anything.”
Law enforcement personnel serve as the custodians of evidence and forensic experts, and cruise security officers are trained to follow their direction, according to CLIA. Winkleman added that cruise ships generally “have CCTV cameras all over the place, so they are really able to do a pretty incredible job of piecing together what’s happened.”
How Many Sexual Assaults Take Place on Cruises?
Allegations of sexual assault on cruise ships went up in 2025.
There were 131 sex crimes reported on ships embarking and disembarking in the U.S. last year, an increase from 120 in 2024, according to Department of Transportation data. Those figures included 51 sexual assaults and 80 rapes.
The numbers were comparable to 2023, when there were 131 reports of sex crimes, including 52 sexual assaults and 79 rapes.
There were 87 alleged sexual assaults in 2022, and 101 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut the industry down, incident reports showed. Department of Transportation data for those two years did not distinguish between sexual assault and rape.
The actual numbers may be higher. Only one out of every three victims reports sexual assault to law enforcement, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.
Erinn Robinson, then-director of media relations at RAINN, told USA TODAY in 2022 that the victim is never at fault. “Regardless of the circumstance of an instance of sexual violence, only the perpetrator is responsible,” she said.
The increase in 2025 came as more travelers began taking cruises. In 2025, 37.2 million passengers boarded ocean cruises around the world, according to CLIA’s 2026 State of the Cruise Industry Report, up from 34.6 million the year before. The organization expects that number to rise 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
