Security While In Port

[Shogun]

Security

Hi all

We would all like to think that we are safe while onboard a Princess ship,

especially while in port, however I was chatting to a man today who while in

Greenock took his canoe out to see the Crown Princess , paddled up to her and touched the hull.

OK not a major incident,

but I would have thought that Princess should have spotted him on camera

at least , and made a broadcast to keep away

passengers did spot him as he says quite a few took photos,

So a question is it up to Princess to protect their ships while in a port, or do ports provide Security.

Yours Shogun

[paul929207]

I have seen a banner on the side of Princess ships telling other vessles to stay away. I think it was 50 feet or so, but not sure of the distance the asked for.

[gertz]

Shogun I tend to agree with you but I have no answer.

I have even questioned their overall security but I have no answer for that either. Sure hope Princess has.

[77Network]

Security

 

Hi all

 

We would all like to think that we are safe while onboard a Princess ship,

especially while in port, however I was chatting to a man today who while in

Greenock took his canoe out to see the Crown Princess , paddled up to her and touched the hull.

 

OK not a major incident,

but I would have thought that Princess should have spotted him on camera

at least , and made a broadcast to keep away

passengers did spot him as he says quite a few took photos,

 

So a question is it up to Princess to protect their ships while in a port, or do ports provide Security.

 

Yours Shogun

 

 

They probably did not know he was or they did and did not feel it required any action. Princess can restrict him from touching the boat, but they don't own the air around the boat too. I am not familiar with Scottish law, but it is possible that the canoe had just as much legal right to be using that water as the larger ship does.

[Toto2Kansas]

I have seen a banner on the side of Princess ships telling other vessles to stay away. I think it was 50 feet or so, but not sure of the distance the asked for.

Paul, for many years after 9/11 I saw the same banner. But I have also not seen this for many of the last several years.

 

I have seen smaller orange (smaller version of the tenders) sailing around the ship though, and when I asked about them, I was told they were the ships security.

[ldubs]

This seems to vary by port. In some ports, I've seen local security circling the ship almost constantly. In others, like Greenock, nothing visible at all. Purely a guess on my part, but I suspect there is some kind of alert or advisory system in place similar to what is done for airports.

[Pam in CA]

I've been on cruises where military boats continuously cruised near the ship and anyone coming near is warned off.

 

Not sure about this incident but I would guess that those on the bridge were aware of the canoe and most likely decided to keep a watch on it with powerful binoculars. A man in an open canoe probably didn't pose the same hazard or alert status as perhaps a motor boat or Boston whaler approaching in the same manner.

[mr green]

A few years ago on Star Princess in St. John's, Newfoundland there was a major incident.

A person was spotted entering the ship by way of the garbage disposal. He was carrying three packages.

To cut a long story short, we were held in our muster stations for 2-3 hours, two divers were sent down to examine the hull, and dinner was at least an hour late.

I never heard the full story, but the packages were found, and were harmless. I am sure that our cabin was searched, while we were ashore. Soon after we got aboard passengers had to remain on the dock, chairs and blankets were provided.

 

john

[RickEk]

I've seen the banner too... but cannot recall if I've seen it recently. It's always on the side of the ship that faces the ocean (for obvious reasons) and sometimes that side cannot be seen from the port.

 

As to whose responsibility it is to prevent boats from approaching the ship, I would actually think that it would be mostly the port's responsibility. I have seen harbor patrol boats challenge small boats from approaching docked ships and incoming/departing ships in the ports of Los Angeles, San Diego, Port Everglades, New York and San Francisco. Maybe American ports take that responsibility a little more seriously?? And, of course, all those ports were large commercial ports with a much greater security presence, so that may factor into the increased vigilance too.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Two things that concerned me about this event, are that it is only a few years ago that Glasgow airport was attacked by terrorists some thing that came as quite a shock to us here as we never expected anything like this to happen here, the result is that all airports in the UK changed there traffic routes so that no private vehicle can ever get close to a terminal building, what happened was a 4 by 4 was driven into the building a blaze and full of fuel and gas cylinders.

 

So a canoe may be small and harmless but he was able to get up to the ship a touch the hull, many of us in the UK reall storries of how Britsih Cammandos sunk many ships just using a canoe during the war.

 

Then there is the size and shape of the ship can the bridge even spot a canoe close to the hull, unless some one is watching the TV cameras.

 

yours Shogun

[paul929207]

Paul, for many years after 9/11 I saw the same banner. But I have also not seen this for many of the last several years.

 

I have seen smaller orange (smaller version of the tenders) sailing around the ship though, and when I asked about them, I was told they were the ships security.

I am sure I saw it in April/May on the Ocean Princess. If course we were sailing thru the middle east, so there would be more concern.

[RickEk]

Hi All

 

Two things that concerned me about this event, are that it is only a few years ago that Glasgow airport was attacked by terrorists some thing that came as quite a shock to us here as we never expected anything like this to happen here, the result is that all airports in the UK changed there traffic routes so that no private vehicle can ever get close to a terminal building, what happened was a 4 by 4 was driven into the building a blaze and full of fuel and gas cylinders.

 

So a canoe may be small and harmless but he was able to get up to the ship a touch the hull, many of us in the UK reall storries of how Britsih Cammandos sunk many ships just using a canoe during the war.

 

Then there is the size and shape of the ship can the bridge even spot a canoe close to the hull, unless some one is watching the TV cameras.

 

yours Shogun

 

But in reality, a canoe could be filled with plastic explosives. At worst, it'd blow a good size hole in the side of the ship, but the ship wouldn't be in any danger of sinking. Witness the much larger attack on the USS Cole. She wasn't in any danger of sinking, but there was loss of life... and it was a zodiac-size boat that approached her...

[Loonbeam]

Port security is controlled by port operations, but the ship's crew can request an immediate response.

 

That said, if the port was familiar with the individual involved they may have already decided no action was required...

[aquilegia]

Shogun, did you see this man canoeing up to the ship yourself or the photos he took, or do you just have his word for it? He might be one of thos people who just likes to exaggerate.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

I know the man in question he is a local and often goes out in his canoe,

 

no reason to think he is not telling the truth after all he has said passengers took photos.

 

again the fact he is a local could well mean the port or even the ship know off him and as such were happy to have hive that close to the ship

 

yours shogun

[jonikal]

Security

 

Hi all

 

We would all like to think that we are safe while onboard a Princess ship,

especially while in port, however I was chatting to a man today who while in

Greenock took his canoe out to see the Crown Princess , paddled up to her and touched the hull.

 

OK not a major incident,

but I would have thought that Princess should have spotted him on camera

at least , and made a broadcast to keep away

passengers did spot him as he says quite a few took photos,

 

So a question is it up to Princess to protect their ships while in a port, or do ports provide Security.

 

Yours Shogun

 

We found Greenock to be a lovely port of call on a recent cruise but it's hard to believe the ship's security would allow a boat, any boat, to get that close to a cruise ship. Being a regular fan of the port camera in FLL, all the cruise ships have their own dive teams that descent and check out their hulls every time they are in port. They take security pretty seriously here in the States so it's hard to believe they would be so lax elsewhere.

[srpilo]

A few years ago on Star Princess in St. John's, Newfoundland there was a major incident.

A person was spotted entering the ship by way of the garbage disposal. He was carrying three packages.

To cut a long story short, we were held in our muster stations for 2-3 hours, two divers were sent down to examine the hull, and dinner was at least an hour late.

I never heard the full story, but the packages were found, and were harmless. I am sure that our cabin was searched, while we were ashore. Soon after we got aboard passengers had to remain on the dock, chairs and blankets were provided.

 

john

 

Wow... That's a pretty cool story, would of been nice if they had told you all the details.

 

 

Wonder did they ever find the culprit ??

Srpilo