Security on board?

[emdia43]

I have been reading a thread on the Celebrity Summit board- it sounds like there was nearly a mutiny onboard during a recent Alaskan tour that went wrong.Delayed start, missed ports-sailing thru the most beautiful scenery at night.... At one point someone says that the CD told them that if they (disgruntled passengers)caused much more trouble he would call on the MOSSAD (Israeli secret service?) of which he had 10 on board.

My question is: do cruiselines have such personnel onboard or is that just bravado? I know that there are Sky Marshalls on all flights since 9/11 that we are unaware of- so what provision do the cruiselines make to deal with this type of situation?

Any security experts out there?

[Pam in CA]

Yes, I believe there are security officers onboard. (Not MOSAD.)

 

Last year or the year before, there was a woman onboard a Hawaiian cruise who was a bit nuts. As I remember, the security people confined her to her cabin and escorted her onshore in Ensenada.

[98Charlie]

I certainly don't know all of the in's and out's of shipboard security. However, it seems that most of the security forces on the ships we have been on have been from Nepal. According to some reports, (Click Here or Here), they are from the ranks of Gurkhas.

 

I have seen them patrolling the ship, usually in pairs. They always appear very professional and focused on their surroundings. I have little doubt that if needed they would enforce security on the ship at the command of the Master of the Vessel.

 

Keep a low profile;)

 

Charlie

[emdia43]

98Charlie- thanks for an interesting article.

I'll be on the lookout for Gurkhas.......

Although,come to think of it- they would hardly be able to keep a low profile would they?:)

[SharkieRools]

Last year or the year before, there was a woman onboard a Hawaiian cruise who was a bit nuts. As I remember, the security people confined her to her cabin and escorted her onshore in Ensenada.

 

Ahhh yes, that would have been the cruise I was on - I've attached a picture at the bottom of the post. She was actually offloaded in San Diego, as we made an emergency stop there for a medical emergency.

 

Regarding the security onboard, here is an excerpt from an old Princess press release:

An important part of our on board security program is the employment of experienced, well-trained security officers and security watchmen aboard each ship. Princess has a thorough screening and training program for all security officers. Security Officer candidates are normally selected from the ranks of retirees from the Royal Navy, Army, government security or law enforcement services, and have a background in security operations. New security officers are provided with initial training and orientation aboard Grand Princess, after which they are rotated throughout the fleet performing two month relief tours. After a two to three year period, and depending upon their performance and availability of slots, they may be selected for assignment to a particular ship as a Senior Security Officer.

 

Each Princess ship carries a security staff of between 3 to 12 personnel depending upon the size of the ship and the area in which the ship is cruising.

 

A unique aspect of Princess' onboard security team are the security watchmen, those security personnel mostly seen at the gangways of each Princess ship while in port. These watchmen are from Nepal and are all ex-British Army Gurkha soldiers, a legendary fighting force that has been a part of the British Army for nearly 200 years. Upon completion of their British Army service in the legendary Brigade of Gurkhas, they are recruited by Princess and are assigned on board as part of the ship's regular security staff. In recognition of their service, and in keeping with their history and tradition, their shoulder flashes depict the famous crossed khukris, the legendary fighting knife of the Gurkha.

[CruiseNut7]

Yep, there is security on the ships including a brig. My TA worked for Carnival for ten years and was a Chief Purser. He has shared many stories of passengers who got out of hand onboard and were escorted off the ship by security at the next port.

 

Interesting picture, Sharkie. What a sad and pathetic way to end a cruise! :(

[emdia43]

Sharkie- thanks for those details re the Gurkhas- they are revered in British Military circles for their bravery and toughness. I feel safer knowing they are around that's for sure . You learn a lot on this board!

[S&M in Pgh]

We were cruising on Princess right after 9/11 and I was more than a little concerned about security. I made it a point to talk with several of the security people including the chief of secuity for the ship. Fleet wide (at the time) they were all either British Gurhka or British SAS (Airborn). They take ship security very seriously he said and they screened employees and vendors and supplies long before it became the industry norm. He told me that he wished he had more leeway with unruley guests. If someone is drunk and beligerent they can escort them back to the cabin and give them a warning, but they cannot detain someone unless they assult a fellow pax or a crew memeber or make a threat to.

 

Mike