An Industry Threatened !

Perhaps an ocean cruise is now the fastest growing leisure activity and the port of Sydney has become " Pacific Central ".  We actually have a problem finding sufficient wharf space to handle the growing number of new luxury liners servicing the trade.

What is promised is very appealing.  At a very reasonable  cost these shipping lines offer the opportunity to visit ports in other countries.  The emphasis is on luxury, from the individual staterooms that have replaced mere " cabins " to the gourmet food served at meals.  There is high quality onboard entertainment and passengers are treated like celebrities as they enjoy carefree days on the high seas.

Unfortunately, that dream can turn into a nightmare.  All it takes is a virus to spread amongst this concentration of people to have passengers suffering vomiting and diarrhoea and wishing to be returned to shore.   The cruise people are very fastidious in hygiene techniques to combat this threat and they seem to have it under control.

What is a growing threat to this industry is the number of passengers who book a cruise with the intention of causing trouble.  Often that involves the over use of alcohol and we have just had an episode where a family group of twenty people came aboard looking for fights and began brawling continuously with the other passengers.  This caused the ship to make an unscheduled call at an Australian south coast port and the offenders were arrested and forcibly taken ashore by police.  The cruise was shortened because of this incident.

That raises an interesting legality.  When a ship is at sea and past the twelve mile territorial limit it is in International waters, and Australian law does not apply.  Most likely those unruly passengers will not be charged but will be released in Eden and have to make their own way home - at their expense.

From the days when sailing ships spent many months at sea the Maritine law conferred extraordinary powers to ships captains.  They may conduct marriage ceremonies - and burials at sea, and in the event of attempted piracy they may order the death penalty.  A ships captain certainly has the power to order rioting passengers to be locked in the ships brig - on bread and water - for the duration of the voyage.

Of course, modern cruise ships are unlikely to have a brig.  Piracy is still very much a reality in various parts of the world, but it has been a long time since a commercial vessel has sailed into port with vanquished pirates hanging from the yard arm.

Unfortunately, this lack of a specific law at sea works in favour of the growing number of people who have anti social tendencies and get their kicks out of causing disruption and starting fights.  The fact that they are free of the law that applies onshore becomes an incentive to book a cruise.

This cruise industry delivers billions of dollars to Australia and it needs protection.  We would be wise to ask that the " Law of the Sea " be altered, to ensure that whatever law that is applicable to the port from which the cruise commenced would apply for the duration of the cruise.   Otherwise, this lack of a specific law can quickly kill a growing and very valuable industry.