Please leave a message below about any incidents that have happened to you involving the poor security and safety practices of cruise lines

Please leave a comment below about any incidents that have happened to you involving the poor security and safety practices of cruise lines. Please leave your name, city, state, and a daytime phone number if you would like your information forwarded to Congress. Congressman Christopher Shays, R-Conn., will be scheduling Congressional hearings on the cruise industry. Shays is chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations. We will provide Congressman Shays with copies of any comments that are posted. Also contact you own Senator and Congressman using the links to the right. Together we can make a difference and prevent future tragedies.

News about Congressional Hearings on Cruise Safety

Families seek investigation of crimes on cruise ships
STAMFORD (AP) 01/04/2006 — Relatives of cruise passengers who disappeared on the high seas are forming a new group to seek industry reforms, saying they want to draw attention to how they were treated and the extent of crimes aboard the ships. The group, which includes eight families so far, will seek a second hearing before Congress. The new group will be called www.internationalcruisevictims.org. Until their web site is up and running they are organizing through e-mail: info@internationalcruisevictims.org

Indviduals who have been victims of or witnesses to crimes or safety incidents while on cruises or shore excursions can also send emails to cruisevictims@hotmail.com or safecruise@hotmail.com and we wll also forward the information to the subcommittee.


Transcripts of testimony and statements given to the subcommittee at the hearing are now available at:

Shays' Subcommittee Testimoney

Shays'Subcommittee Statements

Jacksonville Business Journal
December 19, 2005:
Congress reviews cruises

London Free Press - Canada
December 17, 2005:
Congress to investigate cruise ships


All Headline News
December 14, 2005:
Government Looks into High Seas Disappearances

Influence Peddling by the Cruise Lines

Influence Peddling by the Cruise Lines. Several Lobbyist and some firms for the cruise lines are involved in the Abramoff Scandal. 42 people have gone overboard since 2000.
Who is to blame?

Michael Scanlon, lobbyist closest to Jack Abramoff and others from Preston Gates Ellis Rouvelas & Meeds LLP were lobbyists for Norwegian Cruise. Abramoff, Kevin Ring and David Safavian were involved in the Abramoff scandal and worked at Preston. ICCL hired lobbyists from Barnes & Thornburg where Edward Ayoob and Michales Scanlon worked.

Go to cruise line lobbyists related to Jack Abramoff.blogspot.com/ for more information.

For 2005-2006 donations by Carnival employees to the ICCL Political Action Committee (PAC) go to:

http://cruiselinelobbyistrelatedtoabramoff.blogspot.com/

or

Political Money Line

Campaign Donations by RCL CEO according to http://www.fundrace.org/

Name, Occupation, Employer Contribution Address
Richard Fain
Information RequestedInformation Requested
to Bob Graham $2,000
700 Arvida Pkwy (map)Coral Gables, FL 33156

MR. RICHARD FAIN
C.E.O ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINE
to George W. Bush $2,000
700 ARVIDA PKWY (map)CORAL GABLES, FL 33156


1 .
FAIN, COLLEEN
10/29/2004
$10,000.00
CORAL GABLES, FL 33156
ROYAL CARRIBEAN CRUISE LINES
[Contribution]
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
[View Image]
2 .
FAIN, RICHARD
9/17/2003
$2,000.00
CORAL GABLES, FL 33156
ROYAL CARRIBEAN CRUISE LINES
[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF JOHNNIE BYRD
[View Image]
3 .
FAIN, RICHARD
12/4/2003
$1,000.00
CORAL GABLES, FL 33156
ROYAL CARRIBEAN CRUISE LINES
[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF JOHNNIE BYRD
[View Image]
4 .
FAIN, RICHARD
12/4/2003
-$1,000.00
CORAL GABLES, FL 33156
ROYAL CARRIBEAN CRUISE LINES
[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF JOHNNIE BYRD
[View Image]
5 .
Fain, Richard
5/26/2004
$1,000.00
Coral Gables, FL 33156
Royal Carribean Cruise Lines/presid
[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF KATHERINE HARRIS
[View Image]
6 .
Fain, Richard
6/19/2003
$2,000.00
Coral Gables, FL 33156
Royal Carribean Cruise Lines/Chairm
[Contribution]
JOHN D. DINGELL FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE
[View Image]
7 .
Fain, Richard Mr.
7/28/2003
$500.00
Coral Gables, FL 33156
Royal Carribean/Chairman
[Contribution]
CUBIN FOR CONGRESS INC
[View Image]
8 .
Fain, Richard Mr.
11/12/2004
$9,500.00
Coral Gables, FL 33156
Royal Carribean Cruise Lines/Chairm
[Contribution]
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Joe Scarborough interviews Jennifer Hagel Smith

I thought that Joe Scarborough's interview with Jennifer Hagel Smith on Wednesday and Thursday was one of the most compelling and genuine conversations I've ever seen on cable or network news.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10479659/

You go Joe.
Brian Williams, eat your heart out.

Senator Levin's office got a response from the Coast Guard on the status of their investigation and they are mailing it to me. Congressman Stupac is still waiting for a response from the FBI. I have talked to the subcommittee staff and will be submitting a statement about my experience.

Questions for Congressman Shays and the Subcommittee

I went to the web site for the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations
and there is nothing on the schedule about the Cruise hearings. When will private citizens be provided with a way to comment or submit evidence. It seems that MSNBC or the sub-committee should make it easier for average joe's to have their voices heard. They are also welcome to use my website or email address. The comments could be submitted to the sub-committee for consideration.

Don't we have air marshals who fly on international flights? Couldn't we have sea marshals that ride on cruise ships and have authority negotiated with the cruise companies to investigate safety and security incidents? They could be funded by fees paid by the cruise companies.

Alabama's governor has called for a nationwide travel boycott of Aruba because of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. However, at least 16 people have gone overboard or missing from cruise ships since 2000, according to research by
The Business Journal. Maybe we should be boycotting the cruise lines, especially Carnival who has had the most incidents.

I talked to a producer for "A Current Affair," and was told that there has been well over one hundred incidents of sexual assault on cruise ships and there have been no prosecutions. This is a travesty. All safety and security incidents must be tracked and the cruise companies held accountable.

The closest thing to a database is the list of health, safety, and security incidents maintained by Ross Klein at cruisejunkie.com.

After making several phone calls trying to get information about the hearings scheduled by the subcommittee, I was finally referred to Nicholas Palarino at 202-225-2548. I asked how comments could be submitted. He said indivduals could fax a statement to the subcommittee at 202-225-2382 and he would make it a part of the record.

Congressman Shays Plans Cruise Disappearance Hearings

As reported on MSNBC, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10235571/

Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., along with Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., will convene a hearing on the cruise industry on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Shays is chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations while Souder is chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. The hearing will feature testimony from families as well as from law enforcement authorities and cruise line representatives. Congressional members want to learn more about tragedies that occur aboard cruise ships and whether international maritime issues such as jurisdiction stand in the way of investigating such incidents.

"Congress needs to take a broader look at cruise line safety," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Connecticut. "One of my constituents, George Smith, recently disappeared from a cruise during his honeymoon. As we worked with the Smith family on his case, it became more and more apparent that this issue went beyond one person."

As reported on December 8 on the MSNBC show, Scarborough Country, those that would like to help Mr. Smith's family can send an email to justiceforgeorge@aol.com or you can visit www.hagelsmith.com.