Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Used to Smuggle Drugs from Aruba and St. Maarten

We were on the Carnival Destiny near Aruba when an elderly couple disappeared without a trace in early 2005. Investigations by authorities were delayed and incomplete. While on our Caribbean cruise, we were shocked by comments by the locals that crime was on the increase on all of the islands due to organized crime activity and the use of the Caribbean as a half way point for drug traffickers from South America and elsewhere. Local law enforcement was poorly trained, understaffed, and ill-equipped to handle the growing security threats. This added to the fact that there are no independent, trained, and experienced law enforcement on cruise ships creates a dangerous situation. Reports by Netherlands Antilles Daily Herald on August 8 and 9 validate our initial concerns.

Nine stand trial for smuggling drugs on US-based cruise ship

Three Jamaican found guilty of drug-smuggling

PHILIPSBURG--The criminal session in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday was devoted entirely to the so-called Mariner of the Seas case. All nine suspects on trial allegedly were involved in the import and export of drugs through the US-based cruise ship carrying this name.
Authorities uncovered and intercepted a major drug smuggling operation on May 17, in which Mariner of the Seas was allegedly used to import marijuana into St. Maarten from Aruba and to transport large quantities of cocaine to Miami, Florida.