How safe and secure is cruising?
Ever since 9/11 cruise lines have beefed up on board security immensely. On most cruises, every passenger is required to have a valid passport. Every piece of baggage is scanned by an X-Ray for dangerous items. As passengers and crew members board, all carry-on items are also scanned, just like at an airport. Whenever passengers or crew disembark the ship (at any port), they are required to show proper identification when re-boarding and, on most ships, packages are scanned. Cruise ships have their own on board security staff on every sailing as well. The instances of crime aboard cruise ships is miniscule compared to that of hotels and resorts. In fact, it is likely that being on a cruise ship is safer than staying home! On most cruise ships today, every stateroom is equipped with a safe for your valuables.
