Most everyone who goes on a cruise does so to have a good time and relax. However, there are also bad people in the world, and these people can use cruises to harm others. This may have been the case in 2011 when a young British woman named Rebecca Coriam was working on the Disney Wonder cruise ship. The ship was somewhere off the coast of Mexico when she seemed to just vanish into thin air.
Video footage pulled from the ship reveals Rebecca talking on the phone just before her disappearance. According to reports, she appeared to be in distress. Rebecca was never seen or heard from again.
The Law is Still Very Real
It’s actually pretty common for people to equate being on international waters with complete freedom from any type of legal matters. But laws are still very real, and they can be enforced. How? With the help of “maritime law,” which around the United States, is enforced by the Coast Guard.
Maritime law is exactly how Melina Roberge and Isabelle Lagace were caught when they attempted to smuggle about 200 pounds of illegal substances back with them on a Princess Cruise ship, in 2016. The two women were caught and are now facing up to twenty years in prison. The narcotics were worth an estimated $16 million and were found in the women’s suitcases.
The Ships Have a War Room
A “War Room” on a cruise ship might sound a little funny, but if you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense. After all, cruise ships can be targeted by pirates and other possible enemies. Although these types of emergencies on cruise ships are fairly rare, they do happen. So, what is a war room?
A war room is a place where people, typically government officials or the like, get together to discuss plans regarding the safety of a certain group of people. So, the war room on a cruise ship may be used by officers in the case of a pirate attack. Officers could gather in the war room to plan out an escape and defense strategy.
Flooding is Fairly Frequent
You would think that the whole point of being on a boat (or a cruise ship) is to float ABOVE the water. Well, apparently that is not always the case. While many ships are prepared and have preventative measures to stop from sinking, there have been many occasions when flooding has still happened.
Take the following story, for example. Unlucky passengers on a 2018 Carnival Dream cruise ship experienced a flood that affected 50 staterooms caused by a water line break. So it goes to show that water can find its way on board any ship. We are sure the Cruise company was ...flooded...with complaints!
Isolation Station
Since it is no easy (or cheap) feat to get continuous internet access while on board, most cruise crew members lose touch with the outside world for the duration of their work trip. This can lead many crew members to feel extremely isolated, and a sense of hopelessness knowing that they don't have direct access to the outside world.
Not only do they lose touch with family and friends, but the world news events often go unnoticed until they return to shore. Talk about going off the grid! Thankfully, many cruise ships are improving their Wi-Fi capabilities, addressing this problem for the long term.