Expert reveals how cruise ship team deal with crime while on international waters with no police around

Tackling crime on a cruise ship is pretty different than on land as there's often no police force on board in international waters.

But you'd think with everyone enjoying themselves it should never have get to that point. More often than not though, there's a few wrong'uns about who attempt to ruin the fun for everyone else.

This means that it is possible for people to be detained on cruise ships, even if there's no cops about.

As you can imagine, having police from a specific country would create legal complications, especially in international waters.

Cruise ships are often registered in countries like Panama, the Bahamas, or Liberia - known as 'flags of convenience', to avoid taxes, safety regulations, and labour laws.

This means the ship operates under the laws of the country where it’s registered and not necessarily where it sails. Also having a constant police presence on board would be a costly overhead.

How often is there crime on board a cruise ship?

There's no police presence on board but individuals can be detained (Getty Stock Image)

Although there's unlikely to be a police force on board, the cruise liners will have security teams to deal with any troublemakers.

"Crime is extremely rare on cruise ships - and significantly lower than on land - as a result of comprehensive security measures, hiring protocols and training," a spokesperson for industry body Cruise Lines International Association, told The Independent.

The association said cruising is 'one of the safest holiday options in the world' despite 168 crime incidents being reported to the FBI by cruise brands last year.

What happens when there is crime on board a cruise ship?

If an incident takes place, the security will act in a similar way to police by preserving evidence and detaining individuals.

However, they do not have the authority to officially arrest anyone, only to detain them.

Cruises are considered as one of the more safer holiday options out there (Getty Stock Image)

Passengers who are detained might have their room card blocked and will be unable to make any further purchases on board.

"The ship’s captain has the ultimate authority to determine how to deal with an alleged crime," Joanne Brine, partner in the travel litigation team at JMW Solicitors, said.

Is there a jail on board a cruise ship?

Brine explained that smaller ships 'may have a policy that any suspected offenders are confined to their cabins, supervised by trained crew members'.

Whereas 'larger ships may have a "brig" to hold passengers, which is a secure room'.

A brig is usually an empty room with a bed and bathroom, but doesn't have iron bars like a typical jail.

The security crew then have the option to return to shore and pass on the offender to police.

Although cruise ships are 'generally safe environments', Brine adds that it's useful to take 'common-sense precautions' such as locking your cabin room at night, never leaving drinks unattended, and to be wary of any unusual antics on board.