Laws at Sea which ones apply?

Categories

New research has revealed that the majority of cruisers are unaware of which laws apply to them while on a cruise, with a quarter, 24% of those polled assuming that cruise ships were simply governed by the ‘law of the sea’.

It would appear that while many people abide by the law on land, just 3% know which laws apply while on a cruise ship.

Respondents were initially asked if they were aware of the laws that apply to them while at sea on a cruise. Just 3% of those polled said ‘yes’, while the majority, 61% said ‘no’. The remaining 26% said that they weren’t sure.

When asked which laws they thought would apply to them while on a cruise, 24% said they thought the ship was governed by the ‘law of the sea’, while 49% thought that it was the country that the ship was closest to. 18% thought that cruise ships had their own laws that pertained to them. Just 3% of those polled were aware that the laws of the country where the cruise company is registered applied while at sea, but if docked in a foreign port; the laws of that country apply.

When asked what they thought would happen if someone broke the law while on a cruise, 11% believe that the offender would be arrested when the cruise had finished, while 69% thought that the offender would be arrested by the police force in the nearest country.

Furthermore, 13% of the respondents thought that each cruise ship had their own law enforcers on board and 6% thought that the ship’s captain and his staff were in charge of law enforcement on the ship.

 It’s not all that surprising to find out that only a very small number of people know about what laws apply to them while on a cruise, as it’s not something that people tend to know much about. However, it is important to make sure you’re aware of the laws of any countries you are visiting, as different cultures often have different laws regarding things you might normally take for granted.

It’s never a good idea to do anything that you suspect might be against the law, particularly if you’re a long way from home!

 

Modified and edited from British Travel News™