Are the Privacy and Security of Millions of American Cruise Vacation Customers at Risk?

What kind of security procedures and privacy rights exist for customers concerning the vast amount of personal data gathered and catalogued by the cruise line and other travel companies. They not only have our Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, phone and address info but they have our spending, eating, gambling, and shopping habits as well as medical information they ask for or obtain during incidents. They also have names and phone numbers of our relatives and friends used for emergency contacts. Most worrisome of all is all of the photos and videos they have of us from the ship and sail cards and surveillance videos. Can those images be converted to face scans? Evidently they can according to this New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/17/us/17face.html?ei=5065&en=36580b4653017e9c&ex=1172293200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print February 17, 2007 By ADAM LIPTAK
Driver’s License Emerges as Crime-Fighting Tool, but Privacy Advocates Worry

This story ties in with the increase crime and lack of safety for all tourist to the Caribbean and elsewhere and the fact that entities as renowned as Citibank, UPS, and Master card cannot assure the security and integrity of our personal data as stored, organized, sold and used by all travel companies.
40 million credit cards exposed Payment processor blamed in mishap By Bob Sullivan Technology correspondent
MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8260050/

Are there any law firms out there that might represent American Cruise Vacation Customers in an attempt to obtain a copy of any and all records kept by the cruise, travel and theme park companies and associates and contractors? We would like a complete accounting of what personal and other data has been collected and maintained by these entities. Including but not limited to what types of systems of records were used, what security, integrity and verification procedures were and are in place. Also, what and who had access to our data and how it was used. Do they have adequate systems and personnel procedures in place? Do they perform background checks on all of the employees and contractors? What is the intangible and tangible value of our data in the context of theirs and others data files. What other data was retrieved about us from other sources such as legal, financial, and credit bureau sources. What security breaches have occurred. How much money was made from our data. What international and federal authorities have jurisdiction on the use, maintenance, and distribution of our personal data. We would wish to seek compensation for our selves and others for the use and value of the aggregate data and ask to have all of our personal information expunged, deleted, and destroyed. We would propose the establishment of a clearinghouse or ombudsman to provide all travelers and customers with a central location for everyone to access, challenge, delete, and be compensated for the high sensitive and personal data collected, maintained, used, shared, and sold by the various corporations and individuals. This could be similar to the free credit reports available for data collected about everyone’s financial dealings.

Should we be putting our sensitive personal and financial data in the hands of foregn corporations with employees from mostly third world countries including those with gangs and terrorists? Can we trust an industry or be a customer of a corporation who provided money for a regime who supported terrorist groups like al Qaeda and Hezbollah whose history of horror may be second only to Hitler's.
http://safecruise.blogspot.com/2006/12/blood-diamonds-blood-cruises-americans.html


Currently, cruise lines rely on private security guards whose first loyalty is to the cruise company. Even, though their profits are in the billions of dolloars they refuse to have independent security staff on their ships.
http://projectsafecruise.blogspot.com/
They flag their ships and incorporate in poor third world countries like the Bahams, Panama, and Liberia in order to avoid taxes, regulation, and oversight of their health and safety and security practices relating to passengers and crew. We know they don't care about their passengers with over 70 people going overboard since the year 2000 and:

14 Month Old Baby Drowns When Star Cruises Crew Refuses To Give Baby A Proper Life Jacket http://www.cruisebruise.com/Neuna_Shah.html

Cruise lines have little or no legal obligation to settle because they are not regulated. RCCL is incorporated in Liberia and for many years they flagged their ships in Liberia. A country with a dysfunctional legal court system and no regulations or laws to protect cruise line employees, customers, or stockholders. The Cruise lines have poured millions of dollars into lobbying efforts, at times using lobbyist closely connected to Jack Abramoff and we know what kind of tactics he used. cruiselinelobbyistrelatedtoabramoff blog That along with many thousands of dollars of campaign contributions has kept congress from passing any meaningful regulations. Cruise ships are giant gambling operations. Kind of like a floating crap game. And I have never known anyone who ran a crap game to be concerned with those gambling. Its used to be the only thing you could lose is your money, but with over 70 individuals missing or gone overboard, fires, and viruses since the year 2000, you could lose your life or your health or your personal or financial identity.