The Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2009, requiring more transparency when it comes to reporting cruise ship crime, has been passed by the House of Representatives.
The bill, which will also require peepholes and security latches on cabin doors, and sets a minimum height for ships' railings, now goes to the Senate for a vote.
There are all sorts of other requirements under the bill, including deploying new technology, when it is available, to detect passengers who fall overboard. Fall overboard? You'd have to have really plan well to "fall" overboard from a cruise ship these days.
As I've made my thoughts about this bill known already, I'll leave you instead with some comments in Travel Weekly US.
"With 10% unemployment, foreclosures going through the roof and billions being proposed for forced medical insurance and Congress spends time on this kind of nonsense."
"...there really is nothing much in the bill preventing another sexual assault which appears as [Congresswomen Doris Matsui's] motive for introducing it. So one looks thru the peep hole and sees room service or a cabin steward, unlocks the deadbolt, opens the door and is assaulted by one bad apple out of 100,000 crew members..."
"I daresay more young women have been assaulted at land-based resorts at a much greater rate than on a cruise ship. There's a price tag for all of these "nanny state" laws and the consumer will pay for essentially nothing better than what exists today..."
Jane Archer
