Posted on 08/07/2016 12:45:40 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Are cruise ships prepared for the threat of terrorism? As I have contended for a long time, in my opinion no. Cruise lines are still calling on dangerous ports. They are still sending passengers on unescorted shore excursions in buses without armed security personnel. Cruise ships can't prevent terrorists from overpowering their unarmed security guards on most cruise ships and running up the gangways. (Some European cruise lines, like Costa, have weapons). Few lines are conducting anti-terrorist drills. The rare anti-terrorism training drill conducted by local and federal agencies are not even conducted on cruise ships. Few lines have installed automatic man overboard alarms which have the capability to also detect when unauthorized people come over the rails onto the ship. And what can a cruise line do once terrorists gets onto the ship? Security guards are barely able to even break up bar fights. I received an interesting comment the other day from a reader who said that cruise ships should use muster drills to educate passengers what do to if there is a terrorist attack during a cruise. What is the protocol for a passenger if terrorists enter the ship? Go to your cabins, hunker down and hope for the best? Try and overwhelm the attackers? Try and escape via lifeboats? Who knows?
(Excerpt) Read more at cruiselawnews.com ...
Cruising in Europe is still pretty great. I would much prefer to CRUISE than go by myself to ANY country.
No. Frankly, I’m suprised they haven’t attempted an attack on a cruise ship already, either at sea or in port. It’s a highly vulnerable soft target capable of producing mass casualties.
I’m surprised they haven’t struck at the waterline of a cruise ship using a suicide “ship bomb”. Like the USS Cole attack only scaled up 100 times.
I certainly don’t dispute that US travel is as good as it gets. But considering that “travel” genreally has a purpose, to limit or convince yourself of a single destination kind of defeats that purpose, does it not? There are no roman ruins in Alabama,castles in Texas, nor greek temples in Oklahoma. If you want to see those things as a matter or curiosity or education, you will just have to leave the US. Now if its a matter of skiing, camping, museum going or whatever, we rival the rest of the world. Depends on what you want to do or see.
When most people think of cruising, they think of the huge, multi-deck ocean ships. Yes, they would be vulnerable—a team with weapons would thousands of people trapped like rats at their mercy.
But, there’s another kind of cruise that is popular in Europe—river cruising in boats that house perhaps 150 people, and are essentially luxury barges. These have windows everywhere, and often dock in simple, unsecured areas. I was on one shortly after the attack on the Belgian airport... and I felt awful vulnerable. I won’t be doing that type of vacay again until (if ever) things are well settled.
Me too, and it wouldn’t be hard to pull off. Imagine that scenario while the ship is taking on fuel by a fuel barge, typically done just prior to departure from port with most passengers and crew on board. Just swerve into the ship and hit the switch....
Exactly. I KNEW I wasn’t the only one. :)
gee can we come with a few more ideas for targets?
Two weeks before the Paris Bataclan attack, my husband had done the Viking Seine Paris and Normandy river cruise. Best vacation ever. NEVER AGAIN. :(
You know what I mean.
Leave a “package” at several docks, set them off remotely... flying glass... You don’t have to be a tactical genius.
It’s like having a target painted on you.
“Why should I travel? I’m already here!”
;^)
I was told last month that cruise ships calling at either Mahahual, MX or Belize City, BZ (I’m getting senile - can’t remember which one) are escorted into port by their Navy.
Don't think for a second that terrorists haven't thought of this.
IIRC, wasn't Barbara Boxer who was wailing that they needed untold billions of dollars to check every shipping container coming into the US?
I thought that was about the stupidest waste of money.
As if terrorists ONLY thought about doing exactly THAT.
Now we know it can be pressure cookers, and semi trucks.
The REAL problem is radical islam.
Period.
The TSA, and patting down old ladies is the biggest waste of time and money.
The next attack, and believe me, it's coming, will be something that the average American wouldn't have thought of.
The fact remains that radical islamists KNOW that Obama has done and will do NOTHING to make sure we are safe.
They aren't afraid of him, or Hillary.
They *are* afraid of Trump, and for good reason.
seems to me that several boats as suicide torpedo’s would be hard to repel.
Any public venue is vulnerable. There are a million ways to attack unarmed citizens at any location. Cruise ships do have better processing and security screening than airports. Some have response teams, some do not. In Port, you’re generally on your own, but that’s true anywhere.
I love traveling and cruising is one of the most relaxing ways to travel. I’m not changing my life to accommodate terrorists or fear mongers. I would prefer to carry onboard, but that would also ease getting weapons onboard. Life is about risk and reward. One can live in a bunker to be safe or take a vacation in Syria for excitement, but most people prefer something in-between.
Prepared is in accommodating them? They’ll have to remove pork from the menu.
I doubt they haven’t thought of terrorism aboard a ship.
Perhaps there is a reason they’re NOT going down that route?
I have had no desire to go on a cruise ship.I have been on small boats and big fishing boats far from land for weeks at a time and loved it but cruise ships just turn me off.
I think the cure is to not be unarmed and to have a plan for any place that is vulnerable.
I have my vacation home in a stable country that does not permit any Muslim nonsense and I can stay there if things go south in November.
I wish you well. I have been contemplating a similar plan, but haven’t found anywhere that really seems like a refuge for an older middle-age, middle income, very white, American family.
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