CRUISE SHIP SECURITY PRACTICES 

AND PROCEDURES 

(110–69) 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON 

TRANSPORTATION AND 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 

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CRUISE SHIP SECURITY PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES 

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37–916 PDF 2007

CRUISE SHIP SECURITY PRACTICES 

AND PROCEDURES 

(110–69) 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON 

TRANSPORTATION AND 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

( 

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE 

JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota, Chairman 

NICK J. RAHALL, II, West Virginia, Vice 

Chair 

PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon 

JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois 

ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of 

Columbia 

JERROLD NADLER, New York 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

BOB FILNER, California 

EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas 

GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi 

ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland 

ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, California 

LEONARD L. BOSWELL, Iowa 

TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania 

BRIAN BAIRD, Washington 

RICK LARSEN, Washington 

MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts 

JULIA CARSON, Indiana 

TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York 

MICHAEL H. MICHAUD, Maine 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri 

JOHN T. SALAZAR, Colorado 

GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California 

DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois 

DORIS O. MATSUI, California 

NICK LAMPSON, Texas 

ZACHARY T. SPACE, Ohio 

MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii 

BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa 

JASON ALTMIRE, Pennsylvania 

TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota 

HEATH SHULER, North Carolina 

MICHAEL A. ACURI, New York 

HARRY E. MITCHELL, Arizona 

CHRISTOPHER P. CARNEY, Pennsylvania 

JOHN J. HALL, New York 

STEVE KAGEN, Wisconsin 

STEVE COHEN, Tennessee 

JERRY MCNERNEY, California 

LAURA A. RICHARDSON, California 

JOHN L. MICA, Florida 

DON YOUNG, Alaska 

THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin 

HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina 

JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee 

WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland 

VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan 

STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio 

RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana 

FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

GARY G. MILLER, California 

ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina 

HENRY E. BROWN, JR., South Carolina 

TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois 

TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania 

SAM GRAVES, Missouri 

BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

JIM GERLACH, Pennsylvania 

MARIO DIAZ-BALART, Florida 

CHARLES W. DENT, Pennsylvania 

TED POE, Texas 

DAVID G. REICHERT, Washington 

CONNIE MACK, Florida 

JOHN R. ‘RANDY’ KUHL, JR., New York 

LYNN A WESTMORELAND, Georgia 

CHARLES W. BOUSTANY, JR., Louisiana 

JEAN SCHMIDT, Ohio 

CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan 

THELMA D. DRAKE, Virginia 

MARY FALLIN, Oklahoma 

VERN BUCHANAN, Florida 

(II) 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION 

ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland, Chairman 

GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi 

RICK LARSEN, Washington 

CORRINE BROWN, Florida 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

BRIAN BAIRD, Washington 

TIMOTHY H. BISHOP, New York, Vice Chair 

VACANCY 

JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota 

(Ex Officio) 

STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio 

DON YOUNG, Alaska 

HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina 

WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland 

FRANK A. LOBIONDO, New Jersey 

TED POE, Texas 

JOHN L. MICA, Florida 

(Ex Officio) 

(III) 

(V) 

CONTENTS Page 

Summary of Subject Matter .................................................................................... vii 

TESTIMONY 

Bald, Gary, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Security Officer, Royal 

Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. ....................................................................................... 51 

Carver, Ken, President, International Cruise Victims Organization .................. 27 

Dale, Terry, President and CEO, Cruise Lines International Association ......... 51 

DiPiero, Sue ............................................................................................................. 27 

Hernandez, Salvador, Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation ................................................................ 12 

Hudson, Lynette ...................................................................................................... 27 

Justice, Rear Admiral Wayne, Assistant Commandant for Response, United 

States Coast Guard .............................................................................................. 12 

Morgan, Jeff, President and Co-Founder, Family Assistance Foundation, Inc. . 51 

Orlich, Angela .......................................................................................................... 27 

Rey, Vicky, Vice President, Reservations Administration, Carnival Cruise 

Lines ...................................................................................................................... 51 

Ruchelman, Harold .................................................................................................. 27 

Sullivan, Jr., William M., Partner, Winston and Strawn, LLP ........................... 27 

PREPARED STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

Jackson Lee, Hon. Sheila, of Texas ........................................................................ 77 

Matsui, Hon. Doris O., of California ...................................................................... 82 

PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY WITNESSES 

Bald, Gary ................................................................................................................ 85 

Carver, Kendall ........................................................................................................ 94 

Dale, Terry ............................................................................................................... 126 

DiPiero, Susan ......................................................................................................... 165 

Hernandez, Salvador ............................................................................................... 195 

Hudson, Lynnette .................................................................................................... 200 

Justice, Rear Admiral Wayne ................................................................................. 213 

Morgan, Jeff ............................................................................................................. 217 

Orlich, Angela A. ..................................................................................................... 220 

Ruchelman, Harold .................................................................................................. 238 

Sullivan, Jr., William M. ......................................................................................... 242 

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD 

Sullivan, Jr., William M., Partner, Winston and Strawn, LLP, supplemental 

testimony .............................................................................................................. 256 

ADDITIONS TO THE RECORD 

Ambassador Cruises, Mary S. Brennan, ECC, NACOA, Legislative Representative, written statement ...................................................................................... 261 

American Society of Travel Agents, Cheryl Corey Hudak, CTC, President, 

written statement ................................................................................................. 263 

Cruise Planners, Michelle Fee, CTC, CEO, written statement ........................... 265 

Cruise Shoppes, Shawn Tubman, President and CEO, written statement ........ 266 

National Business Travel Association, William Connors, Executive Director 

and COO, written statement ............................................................................... 267 

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., Eleni P. Kalisch, Vice President for Congressional Affairs, written statement ........................................................................ 268 

Page

VI 

Travel Industry Association, Roger J. Dow, President and CEO; Travel Business Roundtable, Charles L. Merin, President; joint written statement ......... 323 

Vacation.com, Steve Tracas, President and CEO, written statement ................. 325 

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37916.004
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37916.005
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37916.006
(1) 

HEARING ON CRUISE SHIP SECURITY 

PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES 

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME

TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 11:00 a.m., in Room 

2167, Rayburn House Office Building, the Honorable Elijah E. 

Cummings [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Before I begin, I ask unanimous consent that 

Representative Matsui, a Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, may sit with the Subcommittee today 

and participate in this hearing and, without objection, it is so ordered. 

I also want to commend Congresswoman Matsui for her continuing leadership on this issue. In March of this year, responding 

to a request made by the gentlelady from California, I convened the 

Subcommittee to examine the extent of crimes committed against 

Americans on cruise ships. 

All cruise ships calling on ports in the continental United States 

are registered in foreign nations. American citizens who travel on 

such ships are essentially stepping into a little floating piece of foreign soil, and therefore they are not afforded the same protection 

under U.S. law, they would be afforded in the United States. 

Nonetheless, during the hearing I convened in March, we heard 

truly poignant and compelling testimony from several individuals 

who were either the victims of crimes or safety incidents on cruise 

ships or who were the family members of victims. These individuals explained that given the unique jurisdictional circumstances of 

cruise ships, they had encountered practices, procedures and responses that did not support the effective investigation or prosecution of their cases, in some instances, did not even ensure that they 

received sensitive and supportive care in moments of great vulnerability and need. 

At the time of the March hearing, the Coast Guard and the FBI, 

both of which are joining us on our first panel today, had just concluded with the cruise lines’ international association known as 

CLIA a voluntary agreement which sought to define the processes 

which cruise ships would follow to report criminal activity to the 

FBI and to the Coast Guard. 

Today’s hearing will give us the opportunity to hear from the 

Coast Guard, the FBI and CLIA, their assessments of whether the 

2 

provisions of this voluntary agreement are ensuring the timely and 

adequate reporting of incidents to United States authorities. 

At the conclusion of the March hearing, I asked the cruise lines 

if they would meet with the victims and families of victims of 

crimes and incidents on cruise ships to develop recommendations 

that the cruise lines could implement on a potentially voluntary 

basis to improve passenger safety and security on these cruise 

ships, to provide all reasonable assistance to victims and to support 

the investigation and prosecution of alleged crimes. 

We will receive an update today from both CLIA and the victims 

and families of victims of incidents on cruise ships regarding the 

status of these discussions as well as recommendations on what the 

next steps should be. 

The FBI has informed the Subcommittee that a total of 207 incidents have been reported to it by cruise lines from the time of the 

implementation of the voluntary agreement at the beginning of 

April through August 24th of this year. The Coast Guard reports 

that during that timeframe, nearly 4.4 million passengers have 

sailed on cruise line members of CLIA, meaning that fewer than 

.01 percent of passengers sailing on the cruise ships during that 

time period were involved in incidents reported to the FBI. 

Of the 207 incidents reported to the FBI, the Bureau reports that 

72 incidents are considered potentially serious violations of U.S. 

law including 41 sexual assaults, 13 incidents of assault causing 

serious bodily injury, 13 incidents of theft of items valued at more 

$10,000, 4 missing persons and 1 incident in which someone tampered with a ship. Under the terms of the voluntary agreement, 

these 72 incidents constituted the kinds of violations that are to be 

reported by telephone. 

These are also the incidents that the FBI will consider investigating, but that does mean that the Bureau will investigate each 

of these incidents. In fact, FBI reports that it opened only 18 case 

files between April 1st and August 24th, meaning that many of the 

incidents that are considered potentially serious violations of U.S. 

law were not investigated by the Bureau though they could have 

been investigated by some other law enforcement entity, and in 

some cases they were. 

The remaining 135 incidents reported to the FBI between April 

and August were classified by it as ‘‘other’’ incidents, meaning that 

they did not constitute the potentially serious violations of U.S. law 

that the FBI would consider investigating. These cases included 41 

thefts of items valued at less than $10,000, 36 simple assaults, 28 

incidents of sexual contact, 2 suicides, 1 death from natural causes 

and 1 accidental death and 26 other incidents. 

The statistics I have just mentioned suggest that cruising is actually quite safe, though we look forward to assessing the adequacy 

of current incident reporting procedures. However, when an incident occurs, it is our Subcommittee’s goal to ensure that the crime 

victims have the opportunity to receive justice. 

People taking cruises have paid to be there, and they often anticipate trips that will be the highlight of their lives. They deserve 

to know that if they are victims of crime, there is a reasonable 

chance that the perpetrators can be identified and brought before 

a legal proceeding and be brought to justice. 

3 

I am also particularly eager to hear from CLIA and the cruise 

lines as to what measures they have or will put in place to ensure 

that women who are the victims of sexual assault receive appropriate care to meet both their physical and mental health needs. 

Ms. Brown, in our last hearing, spent quite a bit of time emphasizing the importance of having women involved in the processes, 

and one of the things that the FBI will talk about is that a number 

of the cases that they considered or came to their attention, a substantial number of them, were with regard to sexual assaults. Such 

measures must include ensuring that cruise ships’ care teams always include female professional staff members. 

I believe that all sides to this very difficult circumstance will accomplish the objectives of improving the security and safety of 

cruise ships if they approach this issue with a pragmatic and reasonable attitude. Some of the cruise lines, which are eager to protect their image and rightfully so, need to bring an attitude of reasonableness about what they can do right now to improve security 

and safety, and improving safety is certainly the best way they can 

protect their corporate interests and image. 

I look forward to the testimony of all who will appear before the 

Subcommittee today, and I hope that all will approach this matter 

with the reasonable and pragmatic attitude I have just described. 

I truly want this to be a win-win process. 

I also want to note that in preparing for this hearing, our Subcommittee spoke to a number of individuals who had experiences 

and observations to share about the discussions that have occurred 

over the summer and about what they believe the next steps 

should be. Many of these victims and family members of victims 

shared very personal and profound observations and deeply wish to 

testify today. 

To all those individuals, I wish to thank you for your dedication 

to improving security practices and procedures on cruise ships to 

ensure that no one else must endure the suffering you have endured. 

While we were unable to accommodate all the requests of those 

who wanted to testify, I invite everyone who was unable to testify 

to submit a written statement for the record to ensure that your 

words and experiences are part of the record of these proceedings. 

With that, I want to recognize our Ranking Member, Mr. 

LaTourette and, Ms. Jackson Lee, you will come after Mr. 

LaTourette. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for holding this hearing. 

This morning, the Subcommittee is meeting to review the practices and procedures in place aboard cruise vessels to secure and 

safeguard passengers and crew. Now this hearing, of course, builds 

upon the testimony that the Subcommittee received in a hearing 

held six months ago on these topics. 

Each year, more than 10 million Americans vacation aboard 

cruise ships. The cruise line industry is an important component of 

our national economy and the economy of many coastal States. It 

is everyone’s interest that actions are taken to prevent serious accidents and crimes on cruise ships to the greatest extent possible. 

4 

The hearing that this Subcommittee held six months ago focused 

on the existing framework of international and U.S. laws and industry practices that govern safety and security practices on U.S.- 

based cruise vessels. 

I understand that the Coast Guard, the FBI, the cruise lines and 

representatives of several victims groups have worked over the 

past six months to review this framework and identify areas that 

can and should be improved. I hope to hear more this morning 

about the steps that have been taken and those that will be taken 

in the future to improve shipboard anti-crime practices and procedures. 

All of us on this panel are committed to doing what we can to 

further improve the safety and security of passengers and crew on 

cruise ships. The testimony that we will receive from the witnesses 

this morning will further assist the Subcommittee in this process. 

I want to especially welcome the DiPiero Family from my home 

State of Ohio, a little bit outside my district in Canfield, for appearing here this morning and for their efforts to improve cruise 

ship safety so that other families are spared the loss that they have 

experienced. 

Again, Chairman Cummings, I want to thank you for your continued attention to these critical issues and the witnesses for assisting the Subcommittee with our efforts. 

I am particularly interested in some of the comments that I 

thought came out of the last hearing relative to evidence retention 

and crime scene retention and things of that nature, how rape kits 

are processed and the training that goes into that aboard cruise 

ships, and I hope that our witnesses will talk about what, if any, 

progress has been made in those areas during their testimony 

today. 

I thank you and yield back. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I just want to amend what I said a moment ago. 

We are going to hear from Ms. Brown, and then we will go to Mr. 

Mica and then to you, Ms. Jackson Lee. 

Ms. Brown. 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member for 

holding this hearing today concerning the cruise industry. 

I was encouraged by the positive focus of today’s hearing, but I 

do hope that we are coming to the end of having these hearings. 

I was watching television this morning as I was getting dressed to 

come up here, and I was watching CNN. It indicated that we were 

having this hearing today, and it was on the crime on the cruise 

ships. Now that is misleading. 

It implied that crime on the cruise ships was higher than what 

it is right here in the Capital or what it is in my district or in your 

district, and so I think part of it is that it is misleading. 

As a Member from the Florida delegation and representative of 

the Port of Jacksonville, I have a particular interest in the cruise 

industry. The cruise industry is one of the most important economic engines in Florida. Over 5 million passengers embarked from 

Florida in 2006, and the industry contributed to more $5.8 billion 

in direct spending. In addition, the cruise industry is the second 

largest employer in Florida, generating more than 125,000 jobs, 

5 

and they do so at the same time for every community that they 

touch. 

I am also a personal fan and have taken several cruises. In fact, 

I used to be a travel agent in my real life before I came here, and 

I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, later this year, I am sending my 

mother and a group of friends on a cruise. You need to know that 

if I felt it wasn’t safe in any way, I wouldn’t be sending my mother. 

I believe that the cruise industry is committed to protecting its 

passengers and providing information about accidents that occur. It 

makes sense for the cruise industry to ensure that their passengers 

are safe while traveling on cruises. Unfortunately, crime happens 

everywhere, but you are safer on a cruise than you are walking 

down any major city in America and to say anything different is 

misleading. 

People also need to take personal responsibility for themselves 

and use some common sense when they take on a cruise and don’t 

leave that common sense when they dock the cruise ships. 

It is important that risks be minimized and the procedures are 

in place. I am eager to receive an update from the FBI and the 

Coast Guard on the crime reporting procedures that we discussed 

and what procedures have been taken and put in place. 

I am looking forward to the hearing. One of the points that I 

made that I want to know an update on, how many women have 

been hired or what procedures are to put women in security and 

in medical positions. 

So I want to make sure that we have a fair hearing. I want to 

make sure that the industry is treated fairly by Congress and 

make sure that the victims are treated fairly. 

I am here to hear what the witnesses have to say. I want to 

thank you again, Mr. Cummings, but like I said, I want to make 

sure that we don’t send a message to the public that is not fair to 

the industry. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank you very much, Ms. Brown. 

Let me say this. The title of the hearing is CLIA’s title. They 

asked for this title, and they got it. 

As far as testimony is concerned, we have bent over backwards, 

and I told CLIA that in my experience as a Chairman, I have not 

engaged in not even one-tenth of the conversations with any witness group than we have with CLIA. 

We have tried to work with them. I believe that we have been 

extremely fair to present a hearing that is well balanced, and so 

I understand. 

Any comments that I may have made have been purely neutral 

to the press, but I appreciate what you said. 

Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chairman, I want to point out that I think you 

have been extremely fair, and it is not you. But I am saying when 

you put this message out and when the media pick it up, they are 

looking for the entertainment in it. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I understand. 

Ms. BROWN. It is not entertaining. It is serious for the victims, 

and it is serious for the industry. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I understand. 

Let me just say one other thing too which is that the way I conduct these hearings, and I have said this before. You have been 

6 

here a little longer than I have, and I just want to say this to the 

Committee. 

A lot of people say, well, why do you bring people back? Having 

been in Congress now for 11 years, I notice what happens. You will 

have a hearing, and then people make commitments, and then they 

don’t have to worry because they know that you are not going to 

bring them back for another two or three years. So in order to try 

to get things resolved, and one of the things that we have tried to 

do is try to go around the legislative process and get some things 

done voluntarily. 

To your credit, Ms. Brown, I think you will hear some testimony 

about women and the role that women have played, and it was a 

direct result of these hearings that that happened. 

I think there are a lot of good things that have happened with 

regard to the industry. I know everybody will not agree, but I think 

that there are a lot of good things. I am just trying to make sure 

that we do everything in our power with this opportunity we have 

so that we have that win-win situation. 

But I really do appreciate what you have said. 

We are very pleased to have now the Ranking Member of the 

Full Committee, Mr. Mica. 

Mr. MICA. I thank you for holding this hearing. 

I want to associate my remarks with Ms. Brown. Ms. Brown and 

I come from the State of Florida, and we do have a very strong, 

active and vibrant tourism industry in that State. We also have a 

responsibility as Members of Congress to make certain that we do 

have in place proper cruise ship security practices and procedures 

that ensure the safety and security of those who enjoy tourism in 

our State. 

We don’t want the hearing to be a bashing of the industry, but 

I think we all have attempted to work together to find some reasonable things that can be put in place, working with the industry, 

that make their cruise experience or tourism experience safe and 

that the families enjoy that experience and feel comfortable that we 

have taken those steps. 

I know we are going to hear from some folks that had some experiences, incidents and some crimes committed. But, as Ms. Brown 

has said, unfortunately we do have that in all aspects of society. 

Looking at what the industry has done, though, and working 

with them, I don’t think we have seen anybody that is more responsive or who has put in place more measures to secure the safety and security of their clients and those who enjoy their tourist 

experience. In fact, I don’t know of anyone who they photograph 

you and have entry and exit counts on their property and on their 

boat. 

The additional steps that have been taken to screen their personnel, and screening personnel is difficult for any employer today, 

not to mention a cruise ship that is internationally flagged and enters and exits many foreign ports. 

It is a big business, but we want to make certain it is a responsible business. I think, to date, if we look at the statistics of incidents on a cruise ship as opposed to any other tourist experience 

or just within our communities, it is probably one of the safest 

venues that you can find. 

7 

Of course, today we will hear some exceptions to that. I think we 

are also looking for any way that we can make that safe experience 

even more secure. 

I know how important this business is to not just Florida, but we 

stop and think of Baltimore, Hawaii or any of these other places, 

Texas. I see Members here from different States. 

I guess it would be easy for the industry to stop boarding people 

at our ports, look at places like Bermuda, offshore and the Bahamas and the many islands, and not have them board or enter or 

be responsible to the United States. That might be a possible solution for the industry and then ignore us, but I think it is much better to have them as a viable part of our economies, easy access for 

people who want to enjoy that experience and then also work with 

them to make it safe. 

I hope this can be a productive hearing rather than destructive. 

Finally, I do have one concern. As the ranking Republican, I am 

not really pleased with setting a precedent to have people who are 

involved in litigation—and we have I see at least one witness 

here—and pending litigation, testifying on behalf of their client 

here, again with pending litigation. I think that sets a bad precedent and puts us in an awkward position in this Committee. 

So I take issue with having that particular witness as a member 

of one of these panels, but otherwise I do welcome the opportunity 

to show the American people and the Congress how working together with an industry we can achieve some positive results. 

I yield back. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman for his statement. 

Let me just clear up one thing. The witness that you are talking 

about was requested by several Members of Congress. One of the 

things that has happened is that this hearing has generated more 

interest from Members of Congress wanting people in their district 

to testify than any hearing that I have been involved in, and so we 

basically had to say to many Members that we just could not accept their witnesses. But I understand, and I appreciate that. 

Ms. Jackson Lee, and then we will get to the others’ opening 

statements. Thank you very much. 

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, Mr. LaTourette, Ranking 

Member, let me thank you for your courtesies, first of all, and 

thank you for your enormous leadership, not only on these issues 

but a number of issues of which you have been on the frontline of 

innovativeness and oversight, and I applaud this Committee. 

Thank you again for allowing me to come before you this morning and to cite comments made by our colleague, Congresswoman 

Brown, this is about the victims and certainly it is about an industry. 

I come to address the question maybe as it relates to a particular 

incident and procedure, the question of cruise ship security practices and procedures. I understand that the purpose of this hearing 

is to enable the Subcommittee to receive an update from persons 

who have been victims or family members of victims of alleged 

crimes on cruise ships regarding potential refinements in procedures for reporting alleged crimes on cruise ships to U.S. authorities and specific measures that could be implemented to improve 

the safety and security of passengers on cruise ships. 

8 

While I agree that procedures for reporting crimes on cruise 

ships to U.S. authorities and the measures to improve the safety 

and security of cruise ship passengers can be improved, I am not 

offering a specific suggestion, I am hoping to be part of the solution 

and possibly not part of the problem. 

I come before this Committee to highlight a recent experience 

that I have had that involved a tragic incident of a constituent in 

my congressional area. That is the late David Ray Ritcheson. 

Many of you know that I have long been one of the House’s 

strongest advocates for Federal hate crime legislation, and I am 

proud to have played a leading role in the passage earlier this year 

by the House of H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate 

Crimes Protection Act of 2007. 

Most of you also know that the late David Ray Ritcheson was instrumental in passage of this landmark legislation. In a case that 

drew national attention, the 16 year old David Ray Ritcheson, a 

Mexican American, was severely assaulted in April 23rd, 2006, by 

two youth while attending a party in the Houston suburb of Spring, 

Texas. 

One of his teenage attackers, a skinhead, yelled ethnic slurs and 

kicked a pipe up his rectum, severely damaging his internal organs 

and leaving him in the hospital for three months and eight days, 

almost all of it in critical care. 

For the supposed crime of allegedly kissing a white girl, this Hispanic young man was punched unconscious, kicked in the head, 

suffered 17 cigarette burns, sadistically inflicted that scarring on 

his body. His assailants poured bleach on his face and body and 

then assaulted him with a pipe taken from a patio umbrella. He 

was left unconscious and unattended in the back yard of a house 

for more than eight hours, and he has endured more than 30 operations. I cite this to show the atrocities he suffered on land. 

After surviving this horrific attack, the young man said that he 

was going to live, and so he participated in hearings before the 

House Judiciary Committee and indicated in his concluding words: 

It has been a blessing to know that the most terrible day of my life 

may help put another human face on a campaign to enact a much 

needed law dealing with hate crimes. I can assure you from this 

day forward, I will do whatever I can to help make our great Country, the United States of America, hate free. 

This testimony, I think, helped the passage of this legislation. 

As he went on to live his life, he sought to join some friends from 

Texas on a Carnival cruise. David Ritcheson went on that cruise 

over the July 4th weekend of last year. David Ritcheson then died 

this past July 1st of a blunt force trauma sustained when he 

jumped from the upper deck of the cruise ship, Ecstasy owned by 

Carnival Cruise Lines, while a passenger on a cruise from Galveston to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. 

I gave the backdrop of his life experience so that we can know 

the trauma that he had gone through, through life. 

Cruise staff tried unsuccessfully for perhaps a period of time to 

talk him out of jumping from the ship. According to media reports, 

at least one of his friends witnessed the suicide. The ship’s captain 

quickly alerted passengers that the boat was being turned around 

to rescue a man who had gone overboard. The rescue crew recovVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:09 Jul 22, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\DOCS\37916.TXT JASON
9 

ered David’s body later that morning, and the captain made a second announcement telling passengers that a man had gone overboard. 

I was notified as I reached out to any sources that I could find 

to understand what had happened—and I want to qualify and indicate that this is still ongoing but, quickly, Mr. Chairman—by Tom 

Dow, the Vice President for Public Affairs. 

We spent the entire day of July 2nd, attempting to determine 

what happened, finding how we could bring relief and response to 

the parents of David and to work through getting his body back to 

the United States. The cruise line provided us with a care team, 

provided assistance to David’s family, provided travel arrangements, and I hope these are procedures that could be reinforced. 

None of this is final. We are still in the midst of an investigation 

and certainly more answers would come. But I only offer the fact 

that this cruise ship and this organization were intimately involved 

in helping the parents avoiding the media, getting them to get on 

board, getting the medical examiner’s involvement and moving the 

body to the United States along with the Mexican Embassy and 

Consul, so they did not have to stop midway to Mexico but come 

back to the United States. 

These are procedures that I hope can be reinforced, but I wanted 

to share an experience that impacted the victim and the cruise 

lines to suggest that we might have a meeting of the minds of how 

we can work through some of these tragic incidents. 

I offer my greatest sympathy again to David’s family, and I am 

grateful, however, for the attention and the extended time that was 

spent with us in Houston, trying to work through this very tragic 

incident. 

I submit my entire statement to the record, and I thank the 

Chairman and the Ranking Member for their courtesies. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Oberstar. 

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank you for following up on the hearing that you held earlier this year. As you 

said, you would stay on top of this issue, and you have done. 

I thank Ms. Jackson Lee. 

We really need to get on with the other witnesses. 

I have a statement to be included in the record. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you. 

Mr. Poe. 

Mr. POE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I appreciate your also having this follow-up hearing. I have only 

been here three years, but it has been obvious to me so many times 

we have Committee hearings. Then things are said and promised 

by witnesses and they disappear into the abyss and we never find 

that out again. So I appreciate the follow-up hearing. 

As a founder and co-chair of the Congressional Victims’ Rights 

Caucus and a former judge in Texas, hearing 25,000 felony cases, 

I am concerned about what takes place on our cruise lines. We 

have a cruise line that goes out of Galveston, Texas, not far from 

my congressional district, and we certainly need to find out and 

make sure that those cruise ships are secure. 

I am concerned about victims of crime and crime that occurs on 

cruise ships. I am sure they are safer than most big cities in the 

10 

United States, but it is something we have to deal with and have 

to figure out the jurisdictional problems and resolve the issue because victims of crime certainly need to have a voice and an answer and to make sure that those cruise ships are safe. 

So, with that, I yield back the remainder of my time. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

I am sorry, Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you very much. I don’t want 

you to just sit there. I know we love looking at you, but I know 

you have got things to do. 

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I was ready to answer a litany of questions. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Oh, I am sorry. 

[Laughter.] 

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me thank Chairman Oberstar. Let me 

thank you very much for your courtesy. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Were there any questions for Ms. Jackson Lee? 

I am sorry. 

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Matsui. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First of all, I want to 

thank you for calling this important and necessary second hearing, 

and I look forward to hearing from the cruise industry as to what 

steps they have taken to improve their security on their ships. 

I had asked Chairman Cummings to hold a hearing in March of 

this year after learning about a young woman from my district who 

came to me for assistance after she had been a victim of a violent 

crime on February 21st, 2006, on a cruise ship. The Committee 

heard from my constituent, Laurie Dishman, at the first hearing. 

Laurie is here with us today, and I want to publicly thank her for 

her continued and brave efforts to make sure that no one else goes 

through what she has endured. 

Laurie, thank you very much. 

Since our hearing last March, I know that individuals like Ken 

Carver and Laurie Dishman have been working hard to secure a 

meeting with the cruise industry. While there were seemingly unnecessary delays and even a few false starts, I was pleased to learn 

that the discussions did take place just a month ago in August. The 

International Cruise Victims Organization-CLIA meeting was the 

first time that there has ever been a discussion of the various 

issues concerning cruise lines by an independent group with a 

cruise line industry. 

I look forward to hearing the reforms the cruise industry is undergoing based on this meeting. I am particularly interested in the 

timeframes for which these reforms will be enacted and what information is being shared with passengers about the potential for 

danger onboard a cruise ship. 

As Laurie testified at the last hearing, as a passenger onboard 

the Vision of the Seas, a ship operated by Royal Caribbean, she 

was raped by a crew member. One of the most disturbing aspects 

of Laurie’s case is that the cruise ship on which she was raped was 

short security staff. As a result, the cruise line promoted someone 

with no training to perform security personnel duties. The tragedy 

that ensued in something that Laurie will never forget. 

11 

I continue to be concerned about the lack of security personnel 

on cruise ships, many of which are essentially floating cities with 

thousands of passengers and few security guards. Similarly, passengers may hear that background checks are performed on all 

crew members. However, what Americans do not understand is 

that many of these individuals are foreign nationals and that their 

countries do not have the same system in place for background 

checks as we do. 

The story of Laurie’s and other victims’ experiences are shocking 

enough. Unfortunately, most of these victims and their families 

continue to experience difficulties after the crime occurs. 

In Laurie’s case, she was forced to collect her own evidence after 

she departed the ship and experienced difficulty in getting information about the incident from the cruise line. Proper evidence collection and victim’s assistance after a crime are important and seemingly missing from cruise ships. 

I hope that the cruise industry has worked during these last six 

months not only on ways to prevent crimes from occurring but also 

on working to take care of victims and their families after a crime 

has occurred. The more I have inquired about crimes on cruise 

ships, the more I have been alarmed that there is no shortage of 

cases of rape, sexual assaults of minors, alcohol-related fighting 

and abuse, and persons overboard. 

The last hearing highlighted how crime numbers reported to 

Congress dramatically differed from the cruise industry’s internal 

crime statistics. The cruise industry insists that they are voluntarily reporting more crimes than they are statutorily required to. 

I feel that their actions have been less than forthcoming. Unfortunately, it seems that without continued congressional oversight or 

penalties for noncompliance, the cruise industry reports what and 

when they want to. 

We continue to hear media reports of passengers falling overboard, passengers going missing and passengers being raped and 

sexually assaulted. Sadly, many of these cases remain unresolved 

because of a lack of security personnel and standards for crime 

scene preservation. Worse yet, many cases go unreported because 

there is no industry reporting mechanism. 

The results of our first hearing combined with numerous media 

reports of crimes on cruise ships point to the need for increased 

safety and security for these passengers. Prevention can be an important tool, and prevention begins with making people aware of 

the potential for a crime to occur. 

There will be 12 million Americans traveling on cruise ships this 

year. The industry is growing. With growth comes a greater responsibility. This is an opportunity for all of us. Working together, 

we can and we will improve the safety and security of Americans 

who travel on the high seas. 

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much, Ms. Matsui. 

I want to thank all the Members for your opening statements. 

Mr. Bishop, you did not have a statement? 

What we are going to do is we are going to recess for probably 

about 30 minutes. We have three votes, and we will be back. You 

might want to go and get a bite to eat. Thank you. 

12 

[Recess.] 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. We will now resume our 

hearing. 

Rear Admiral Wayne Justice—is he here—and Salvadore Hernandez. I guess the Rear Admiral will be joining us momentarily. 

Mr. Hernandez is the Deputy Assistant Director of the Criminal 

Investigative Division with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

and Rear Admiral Wayne Justice is the United States Coast 

Guard’s Assistant Commandant for Response. 

I want to thank all of you for bearing with us. 

Rear Admiral, if you have now caught your breath, you may proceed. 

TESTIMONY OF REAR ADMIRAL WAYNE JUSTICE, ASSISTANT 

COMMANDANT FOR RESPONSE, UNITED STATES COAST 

GUARD AND SALVADOR HERNANDEZ, DEPUTY ASSISTANT 

DIRECTOR, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION, FEDERAL 

BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 

Admiral JUSTICE. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member LaTourette and distinguished Members. 

I am honored again to appear before you and to provide an update on the Coast Guard’s role and actions within the interagency 

to assess and address concerns about crimes on cruise ships. I intend to focus my brief remarks on apprizing you of our progress 

since March to both clarify and highlight the scope of mandatory 

cruise ship crime reporting requirements and to implement more 

expansive voluntary reporting of crimes on cruise ships. 

The primary role of the Coast Guard with respect to cruise ship 

crime is establishing and facilitating Federal reporting requirement 

and procedures in a manner consistent with domestic and international law to enable notification to and decision-making by appropriate investigative agencies. By establishing maritime crime 

reporting requirements and facilitating delivery of incident reports 

through the Coast Guard’s network of maritime command and operation centers, the Coast Guard supports the FBI in its lead investigative and statistical analysis roles. 

In furtherance of our role, the Coast Guard led a successful effort 

this year to ensure national level interagency and industry alignment regarding the application of current Federal regulations. In 

order to facilitate increased reporting, the Coast Guard worked 

closely with the FBI and CLIA through 2006 and early 2007 to reinforce the scope of the mandatory reporting requirements and to 

develop voluntary reporting procedures for serious offenses committed by or against U.S. nationals aboard cruise ships that are beyond the scope of the mandatory reporting requirements. This effort represented the first disciplined attempt to gather serious 

crime statistics with respect to cruise ships frequented by U.S. nationals regardless of whether such vessels call on the United 

States. 

Given the legal and operational environment that I described to 

you when I testified in March, we viewed this voluntary reporting 

system as the most promising and viable option for improving and 

expanding cruise ship crime reporting and investigative response in 

the near term. As expected, many in the cruise industry reinforced 

13 

compliance with existing mandatory reporting requirements and 

embraced the opportunity to report and improve responses to serious crimes affecting U.S. nationals. 

Sir, as you mentioned this morning, collectively the Coast Guard 

and the FBI have received and processed 207 incident reports in 

the first six months of the program. That is 207 reports from the 

same vessels that carried over 4 million passengers during the period. 

It is the Coast Guard’s role to establish reporting requirements 

and the FBI’s role to determine the appropriate Federal investigative response in specific cases and compile crime statistics and policy analysis. Accordingly, I will defer to the FBI to provide more 

detailed investigative and analytical context for the reporting. 

From the Coast Guard’s overall maritime security perspective, 

we have no evidence to suggest that there is significantly more or 

more serious crimes affecting U.S. nationals aboard cruise ships 

than indicated by the reporting data. 

Based on consultation with the FBI, the Coast Guard believes 

that clarifying the scope of the mandatory cruise ship reporting requirements and implementing additional voluntary reporting procedures are working well, contributing to improved situational 

awareness through transparency and helping to better inform both 

the discussion and response with respect to allegations regarding 

crimes on cruise ships. 

We continue to recommend that perspective cruise ship passengers assess the level of security and safety on foreign-flagged 

cruise vessels on which they may embark just like they would 

evaluate their safety and security risks when visiting a foreign 

country. Congressional hearings like this help highlight that responsibility and encourage the cruise ship industry to embrace 

transparency in reporting and crime prevention strategies to remain economically competitive. 

It is clear that some serious acts affecting U.S. nationals aboard 

foreign-flagged cruise ships have brought great sadness to the families of victims. The Coast Guard mourns the losses these families 

have suffered, and we are committed to improving the overall safety and security environment within the maritime domain. 

The Coast Guard will continue to work with the FBI to ensure 

effective implementation of both mandatory and voluntary reporting procedures and intervene at sea when appropriate while recognizing the collective jurisdictional and resource limitations of the 

United States. Taken together, the mandatory reporting regulations and the voluntary reporting requirements contribute to improving the safety and security of U.S. nationals aboard cruise 

ships by leveraging partnerships with industry and international 

partners as well as improving transparency for consumers. 

Thanks for the opportunity to testify, sir, and I will be happy to 

take questions as they come. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Deputy Assistant Director Hernandez. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Good afternoon, Chairman Cummings, Ranking 

Member LaTourette and Members of the Subcommittee. 

I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to provide an update on the FBI’s work with the U.S. Coast Guard, the cruise line 

14 

industry and the victims of cruise line crime regarding crime 

aboard cruise ships. 

I testified earlier this year that after many months of development, in March 2007, the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard and the 

Cruise Lines International Association, or CLIA, reached an agreement on voluntary, standardized protocols for CLIA member lines 

to report allegations of serious violations of U.S. law committed 

aboard cruise ships. These reporting procedures are in addition to, 

but not in lieu of, the mandatory reporting requirements under the 

Code of Federal Regulations, the Maritime Operational Threat Response Plan. 

Pursuant to the agreement, on April 1st, 2007, the FBI began 

collecting and tracking the incidents as they were reported by 

CLIA member lines. I would like to take a few minutes this afternoon to report on the results of this effort. 

Through August 24th, 2007, the FBI received 207 reports from 

CLIA members. Many of these matters did not require criminal investigation and, as such, should be viewed as ‘‘incident reports,’’ 

not ‘‘crime reports.’’ For example, reports were received of attempted suicides of passengers as well as matters with purely civil 

implications. 

Sixteen, or 8 percent, of all reports involved incidents that occurred while a passenger was ashore outside of the United States 

and, therefore, outside the jurisdiction of the FBI or other U.S. law 

enforcement. For example, a passenger reported that he was 

robbed by two subjects in a vehicle while ashore in the Bahamas. 

In matters such as these, the reporting agreement holds that although cruise lines may report incidents which occurred outside 

the United States’ jurisdiction to the FBI, they are not required to 

do so. 

Of the 207 reports received by the FBI, 39 incidents, or 19 percent, were responded to and/or investigated by law enforcement 

other than the FBI. These law enforcement agencies included local 

police departments in the United States, as well as foreign law enforcement agencies. 

Nineteen reported incidents occurred while the ship was docked. 

In the United States, the respective State has jurisdiction when a 

vessel is moored or otherwise connected to the land of the State. 

Accordingly, a report of a theft of items estimated at $30,000, 

which was stolen while the ship was docked at Galveston, Texas, 

was investigated by the Galveston Police Department. 

In further breakdown of the incidents that were reported to the 

FBI during the initial rating period, I provide the following: 

The agreement with CLIA and the United States Coast Guard 

lists eight categories of incidents which are to be telephonically reported by CLIA members to the nearest FBI field office or legal attache office. These matters—homicide, suspicious death, missing 

U.S. national, kidnapping, assault with serious bodily injury, sexual assault, firing or tampering with vessels and theft greater than 

$10,000—involve potentially serious violations of U.S. law and are 

to be called into the FBI as soon as possible following the incident. 

After telephonic contact, CLIA members are instructed to follow 

up with a standardized written report. All other less serious matVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:09 Jul 22, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\DOCS\37916.TXT JASON
15 

ters are reported under a general ‘‘other’’ category and are brought 

to the FBI’s attention by submission of a written report. 

During the first month’s reporting under the agreement, there 

were no reports of homicide, suspicious death or kidnapping aboard 

CLIA member ships. There were four reports of missing U.S. nationals. Of these four reports, one involved a husband and wife who 

took most of their belongings with them and chose not to reboard 

after docking at a foreign port. The three remaining reports involved passengers whose past histories and behavior while on 

board the ship strongly suggested that they had taken their own 

lives. 

CLIA members reported 13 assaults with serious bodily injury. 

The FBI opened two investigative cases from these reports, both of 

which are ongoing. Several matters submitted in the ‘‘assault with 

serious bodily injury’’ category were, in fact, of lesser seriousness. 

The FBI investigates sexual assaults as defined in Title 18 of the 

United States Code, Sections 2241 through 2243 and 2244 (a) and 

(c). Since April 1st, the cruise lines have reported 41 instances of 

sexual assault. Of these 41 incidents, 19 represented allegations of 

sexual activity generally categorized as rape, 3 of which occurred 

on shore and, thus, outside the jurisdiction of the FBI. 

Based on the 41 reports, the FBI opened 13 investigative cases. 

Five of these cases have been closed for reasons of victim reluctance to pursue prosecution or prosecutive declination from the 

United States Attorneys’ Office. Eight investigations are pending. 

During the reporting period, there were 13 incidents of theft of more than $10,000 reported. Nine of these involved jewelry, two involved cash, one involved miscellaneous items from aboard ship, 

and one involved food products. 

There was one report of firing or tampering with vessels. 

The remaining 135 reports, or 65 percent, of all of them involved 

less serious matters such as simple assault, low dollar loss theft, 

fraud, suspicious activity, bomb threats, sexual contact or activity 

that was criminal in nature. 

Sexual contact, as defined in 2244 (b) as, essentially, uninvited 

touching of a sexual nature. That made up 28 reports. 

Thirty-six of the one hundred thirty-five reports involved simple 

assault matters to include punching, slapping or pushing actions, 

and forty-one reports were related to theft of less than ten thousand dollars. 

I would like to briefly update this Committee on the other matters which the FBI has undertaken in support of its role in investigating crimes aboard cruise ships. 

Since I last testified, the FBI has met again with members of the 

International Cruise Victims Association. Kendall Carver, whom 

you will hear from today, came to FBI Headquarters in July, accompanied by two members of his group. I met personally with Mr. 

Carver and his associates to hear their concerns and to explain the 

work being done by the Coast Guard, CLIA and the FBI. 

Over the past six months, my associates at the FBI and I have 

met or spoken with CLIA and the Coast Guard regularly to check 

on progress. 

In closing, the FBI is committed to continuing his work with the 

cruise line industry, the U.S. Coast Guard and victims’ groups to 

16 

ensure full reporting of crimes aboard cruise ships and to facilitate 

more effective first response to such crimes. 

Thank you, Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, for the 

opportunity to testify today. I am happy to answer any questions. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

First of all, I want to thank you all for what you all have done 

in working with the industry and with the victims’ groups. I realize, believe me, I realize that the Coast Guard and the FBI have 

tremendous responsibilities, and I understand that. The fact that 

you all would take the time to try to work through this is much 

appreciated by all of us. I really do thank you. 

I want to go to you, Deputy Hernandez. In your testimony, you 

talked about the 72 cases being serious. How do you decide which 

cases are serious? 

I think then you went on to investigate 18 open files. How do you 

then go on to open a file? 

Are you following me? In other words, what do you take into consideration? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Chairman, basically, we have defined up front 

what we consider serious through the reporting requirements that 

we have established with the cruise lines, and they are, as I said, 

homicide, serious violation; death, if it is suspicious in nature; a 

missing U.S. national is considered a serious matter; kidnapping, 

obviously; assault with serious bodily injury or sexual assault in 

certain instances. 

This is a product primarily of investigative and prosecutive 

thresholds that are driven by resources, ultimately. We understand 

that there may be many other instances of alleged criminal activity 

which occur aboard a cruise ship. Cruise ships are invited to report 

that to us if they desire, but the truth is only certain kinds of matters will actually receive investigative attention because of resources and ultimately will only receive prosecutive attention if resources are available. 

So what we have tried to do is narrow this, making sure that we 

get full reporting on the most serious crimes and give permissive 

reporting or allow for permissive reporting when the crimes are not 

considered as serious. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Now one of the things that I have been very interested in is, I think, as Mr. Dale mentions in his testimony about 

how CLIA is not only concerned about security but also concerned 

about the way people are treated. 

I realize that you have training program going on basically about 

preservation of evidence, is that correct? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. That is correct. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. What is the name of that program? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. We currently have in place. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. The new one. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Right, it has just been concluded. It is a 

PowerPoint presentation by our evidence response team at 

Quantico that will be distributed to all the cruise lines that will instruct them on crime scene preservation, evidence retention. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. How long is that presentation? How long is the 

PowerPoint? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I have not seen the presentation. 

17 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Okay. But this is something, I take it, that you 

shouldn’t take, I mean if you were guessing, no more than a day 

or so. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I would say far less than a day. I am guessing 

it would be a couple of hours. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. What is it, on a DVD? What have you got there? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. It will be available on a DVD. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. We would like to have a copy of that. But I am 

just wondering, do you think that should be something that is required of all cruise lines with regard to security? 

In other words, part of the complaints coming from Ms. Matsui 

and others is this whole idea of evidence and how evidence is addressed. You can’t get a better agency than the FBI, I think, trying 

to instruct security, boat security, CLIA security as to how to preserve that evidence because once that evidence is disposed of or 

tampered with, a case, even if you had a case, is kind of difficult 

to prosecute. 

So I am just wondering, what is your opinion on that and have 

you had any discussions with the CLIA folk with regard to that? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. We haven’t had recent discussions. We did talk 

earlier in the year, actually probably last year when we first began 

the process. 

The CLIA members, as represented by those that attend their 

CLIA headquarters’ meetings, were very interested in this. They 

have repeatedly asked for training from the FBI, and I would guess 

other law enforcement agencies. 

So it is available. It will be available, and my guess is that CLIA 

members will want this training and will put it to use. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Now how soon, if you know, will that be available to them? It sounds like it is hot off the press. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. My understanding is that it has been completed, so it should be anytime. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right. 

Rear Admiral, let me ask you this. The incidents reports that you 

receive, are they ever made available to the public? 

Admiral JUSTICE. No, sir. I guess they could be FOIable. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. But they are not now, is that right? 

Admiral JUSTICE. That is correct. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. In your testimony, you write that: ‘‘We continue 

to recommend perspective cruise ship passengers assess the level 

of security and safety on foreign-flagged cruise ships on which they 

may embark just like they would evaluate their safety and security 

risks when visiting a foreign country.’’ 

Do you recall that? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. If they don’t have the information, other than 

word of mouth, I guess, recommendations, how are they supposed 

to do that, accomplish that? 

Admiral JUSTICE. There are a couple of different ways. The State 

Department has information about other countries that would be of 

interest, and they post that. 

But, specifically, the cruise ships have stepped up. Cruise lines 

have stepped up, and they have information available about where 

they are going and what concerns you might have. I think there 

18 

has been an effort by the cruise lines to articulate more awareness, 

particularly if you are going to do an excursion in another country 

or what is going to happen on your ship. They are making it available to the public. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Perhaps Mr. Dale could address that because 

part of the problem, in fairness to both sides, is the cruise industry 

is concerned that putting out this information to the public may 

send the wrong message. 

On the other hand, when I read your statement, I am talking 

about incidents that would fall within the jurisdiction of what you 

and the FBI do together. I am not talking about other things that 

may happen on land or whatever while a person is on a cruise. 

But I think that perhaps if there was a way that they could 

know, have some kind of idea, they could make those kinds of judgments. When I read your statement, it just jumped out at me, and 

I was trying to figure out how they would accomplish that. 

I am not just talking about threats, problems in a country, where 

there are security risks and things of that nature. I am talking 

about the cruise ship itself, the line itself. Are you following me? 

Admiral JUSTICE. I do. Again, I would expect Mr. Dale to answer 

that there for a preventive side. It is a preventive piece here to be 

aware of where you are at, what you are doing, the condition you 

are doing it in, those sorts of things. As we all know, we don’t always have our situational awareness up when we are at some place 

and particularly in a different environment on a ship like that. I 

think that is where they would go with this. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Hernandez, are there any specific security or 

safety improvements that you believe that cruise ships should implement at the present time to improve passenger safety and security? If so, what are they, from what you have seen? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Chairman, we really haven’t assessed what 

it is cruise ships do. We have been, since the beginning of this process, more interested in working with them about how it is they report information under what circumstances. We have had general 

discussions. So I am really not in a position to make that kind of 

judgment today. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I got you. I understand. 

All right, Mr. LaTourette. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank both 

of you for your testimony. 

I want to talk a little bit about this agreement and how it is 

working based upon your observations and then follow up on some 

preservation of evidence questions that the Chairman was talking 

about. 

This agreement has been described as a voluntary agreement between CLIA members and the Government. What I take from that 

is, either or both of your opinions, that there is no provision currently in law that could have compelled them to make this agreement, that it is something that they voluntarily chose to enter into. 

Admiral? 

Admiral JUSTICE. There are mandatory requirements that are 

regulated. The effort was made to look at where there are holes 

above that aren’t regulated, and this voluntary construct fills in 

19 

those gaps, those holes. So now we feel that crimes that should be 

reported are being reported. The good news is that it is happening. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Right. Is it your observation that this agreement, I know that it is new, but it seems to be working well? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, it is. It is working well, and we feel. I 

would use the point that we don’t have instances of crime being 

public or aware to us that haven’t been reported. So that is good 

news. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. The other thing, the thing that strikes me 

about the agreement is that the reporting requirement is as soon 

as possible. I understand that reporting is happening, 207 or whatever the number is. Has either the Coast Guard or the FBI determined whether or not they are being reported in a timely fashion 

in the spirit of the agreement? 

Admiral JUSTICE. We feel they are. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Mr. Hernandez? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Yes, as soon as possible means by telephone, 

and our experience has been that the cruise lines are telephonically 

contacting the nearest FBI office or legal attache office. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. The Chairman was talking about evidence 

preservation, and I think one of the things that was alarming 

about Ms. Matsui’s constituent was the notion that you had to collect your own evidence. 

Mr. Hernandez, I heard what you said about the DVD presentation or the presentation that is now going to be distributed for 

people to be instructed on preservation, but have you either talked 

to or you personally had the opportunity to view any of these open 

files that you talked about? 

For instance, I think that there are 13 open files on rape cases 

or serious sexual assault cases. Have you talked to any of the case 

agents or yourself looked at those? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. No, I have not. Those cases, of course, are in 

our field offices. I have a sense from discussions from some of the 

people at headquarters what those are about, but I haven’t reviewed the files. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Well, my question is do you, from your sense, 

have any sense as to whether or not, while we are all waiting for 

this evidence collection instruction going out, as to whether or not 

the cruise line industry is doing a good, decent job of evidence collection at this moment in time? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I don’t know that. I take it from what I have 

seen that there is sufficient evidence in some of these cases to 

move forward with a prosecution, with an investigation or prosecution. I can’t say with certainty in what percentage of those cases 

evidence was properly collected at the very beginning. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. You talked a little bit about the fact that some 

of the cases have been declined for prosecution by the United 

States Attorney. Are you aware of any of those prosecutorial declinations being based upon the fact that evidence was poorly collected? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I am not aware of any being declined on that 

basis. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Okay. 

20 

The other thing that we sort of got into and I think the folks 

from CLIA are going to talk about it a little bit later, obviously, 

in an allegation of serious sexual assault or rape, it is very important that the rape kit or the pelvic examination be performed professionally. Have either of you worked with or asked the question 

of the cruise line industry as to whether or not their personnel are 

trained and have the ability to properly administer those examinations after an allegation is made? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I have not. We have not. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Admiral, anything? 

Admiral JUSTICE. No, sir, I can’t answer that question. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Okay. I think we will wait for them to talk a 

little bit about that. 

Are you aware as to whether or not the cruise line industry has 

protocols relative to the collection of evidence? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I am not aware of the protocols. I believe that 

there are standard operating procedures in place with respect to 

each cruise line. I think they will be able to answer that. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Okay. 

Then the last question would be on this voluntary agreement 

business with the reporting that you describe is going well. If this 

agreement of timely reporting, as soon as possible reporting continues to go well, in your opinions, either of you, does it enhance 

the ability of law enforcement to make judgments as to when to 

enter a case quicker than it would have if we didn’t have this voluntary agreement in place? 

Do you think we are going to see a positive impact in terms of 

prosecution for those cases that are real cases? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I think we will, and I will make one observation 

about the voluntary reporting. The issue here has been for many 

months now the difference, the distinction between what is our jurisdiction and what is required to be reported. The voluntary reporting mechanism was established because, in truth, the cruise 

lines came to us and said we would like to be able to report more. 

We would like some rules about how we report. 

There has been, I think, a good faith interest from the very beginning to establish some procedures that would allow them to report beyond what was required under CFR regulations. So that has 

worked well. 

My belief is that because we have about as many cases proceeding to prosecution given a five month period compared to what 

we have had over the last five years, that we have about as many 

crimes being reported that we did before. Now before, we didn’t 

know because we were only capturing those cases that actually 

were opened as investigations by the FBI. 

My sense is that the cruise lines have probably been reporting 

at about the same rate all along. Now it is just standardized. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Admiral, is there anything you want to say in 

response? 

Admiral JUSTICE. No, exactly what my partner says, sir. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thanks very much. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Before we get to Ms. Matsui, let me just ask you 

this, Deputy Hernandez. 

21 

The DVD, I know you haven’t reviewed it, but is it likely to contain protocol? I mean just following up on the Ranking Member’s 

question. 

In other words, the DVD tells them how to preserve evidence. 

Would you consider that some type of protocol that they might 

adopt or do you think that it is just some general information? Do 

you follow what I am saying? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Yes. Yes, we would like to be able to provide 

onsite training, FBI agents training cruise ship personnel. We simply don’t have the resources to do that in great numbers, so the 

DVD is the next best option. 

I believe that, and again I haven’t seen it, but my instructions 

in moving this forward were to put together protocols, guidance 

about how to collect evidence and preserve crime scenes. So my belief is that it does just that and that these will be accepted by the 

cruise lines as part of their standard operating procedure. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I take it these are the same kinds of instructions 

that you, that FBI agents would likely have to go by. I mean they 

are at a different level of law enforcement, but it would be the 

same things that they would be looking for as agents, is that right, 

in other words, preservation issues? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Generally speaking, we would like in the end 

to preserve crime scenes and collect evidence as FBI agents wherever possible. My guidance has been to preserve primarily, to preserve a crime scene, so evidence can be collected by true collection 

professionals, but I am sure that there will be some guidance there 

that explains how to deal with evidence that simply could be dissipated if not collected quickly. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I see. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Matsui. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I want to thank both of you for working together on this. I know 

that it hasn’t been a very long time, and you have had to bring 

yourself up to speed on processes. 

I wanted to know, Admiral Justice, since the Coast Guard is in 

charge of overseeing the reporting requirements for the cruise line 

industry, I think part of the problem is that there is no mechanism 

to get this out to the public. You mentioned a couple things. The 

State Department has some things about how different things are 

happening in different countries, and the cruise lines themselves 

have information. 

But I believe that what we have here is a situation where there 

is a lack of trust, and the Coast Guard is certainly an institution 

that we trust. Is there a way that we can get some of that information available to the public? What kind of mechanisms do we need 

to work out in order for that to happen? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Ma’am, I go back to what I said before. I truly 

believe that the cruise ship industry, it is in their best interest, if 

there is a way to do things better, they are going to do it. If there 

are better ways to have processes on ships for people to do things, 

that is safer, it is in their best interest to do that. 

As far as reporting this information, it is not available. I would 

submit that we would be happy to work with industry talk about. 

22 

Of course, they have the same information we do, but what might 

they do more to help better inform their passengers? 

Again, I wouldn’t be so—I mean I am absolutely positive that not 

only is it in their best interest but they have demonstrated the 

commitment to doing that, to working to make things as safe as 

possible and to construct processes that support that. 

Ms. MATSUI. I believe you understand, though, that we are here 

at this hearing because the victims didn’t believe that they had 

adequate information, and they also believe too that the picture 

presented about the cruise industry, the things you see on television or the brochures you get in the mail. It is perfectly safe, everybody is having a great time and, in a sense, it lulls you into 

thinking that there is no crime on board at all. You can bring your 

families and your young kids and have them go off on their own. 

We understand. Yes, you should have some idea that it is like 

everywhere else, but that is not presented by the cruise industry. 

I think, in a sense, we need to really understand that things have 

happened. Bad things have happened, and we really need to understand that we need to not just trust the cruise industry. 

I know we want to work together. I also believe too that it is in 

their best interest to do this. However, we almost need another 

party to be a part of this too, to work together, to get a neutral 

party involved in this to get some crime statistics out there. 

It is not that we are going to say that it is perfectly unsafe. No, 

we are not going to do that. 

But I remember the hotel industry a couple decades back when 

there was a lot of media frenzy about the unsafe hotels, how 

women were having difficulties, and I think that they have improved so much that I really believe that there is an opportunity 

here for us to get beyond this, but we still need to understand what 

is the real story. At this point in time, I can’t trust that it is the 

real story. 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, ma’am. Thank you. 

What I would say is the information is available through the 

Freedom of Information Act. Information could be published by the 

cruise industry or by us. But I will tell you that I take your point 

and we will talk to them, work with them and make sure we do 

better to paint the proper picture. 

Ms. MATSUI. I also believe that you really need to be talking with 

the victims too because they have actually gone through some of 

this and understand the situation that they have been put into. 

I understand that the Coast Guard puts in lines’ safety violations 

in a database called PSIX, is that right? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes. 

Ms. MATSUI. Why doesn’t the Coast Guard put online from each 

reportable crime on the cruise line? Can we do that? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Different safety, security, a different venue. We 

could. We don’t do it right now. We don’t want to do it. 

Ms. MATSUI. But we could do something like that, is that what 

you are saying? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am. 

Ms. MATSUI. Okay. 

Admiral JUSTICE. I had to check with my barrister to make sure. 

Yes, ma’am. 

23 

Ms. MATSUI. All right. Well, I will follow up on that later. 

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral JUSTICE. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you. 

Mr. Coble. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, the gentleman from Ohio may have touched on this. Let 

me put a three-part question to you. 

Are cruise ships required to report crimes (a), (b), if so, to whom 

are they reported, and (c) does the cruise industry comply with 

these reporting requirements? 

Admiral JUSTICE. The answer is yes, sir, they are required to report certain crimes, and they report them to the Coast Guard and 

the FBI, and they do do it. 

Mr. COBLE. Does the United States have the authority to require 

foreign-flagged vessels or cruise ships to carry aboard Federal marshals? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Sir, the answer is no. 

Mr. COBLE. Do you think we should? 

Admiral JUSTICE. No, sir. That is an extraordinarily complicated, 

multi-jurisdictional international rule of law challenge that could 

be explored through the International Maritime Organization. It 

would take a very complex multi-year effort. It could be looked at. 

It is a private industry, cruise ship responsibility, and I know 

two panels from now they are going to step up there and tell you 

that they accept that responsibility and they do. I think they do extraordinary efforts to properly secure their vessels. 

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Hernandez, this may be more appropriately put 

to you. How does the Federal Government respond when receiving 

a report of an allege crime or accident? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. First, we look at what has been alleged. If it 

meets one of the criteria as a serious violation, we are going to respond. Whatever form that may take depends. That means going 

to the ship, collecting evidence, taking statements. 

Mr. COBLE. Would the track usually go from the cruise ship to 

the Coast Guard to the FBI? Would that be the normal pattern? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. No. By virtue of this agreement, any of those 

kinds of alleged violations would be reported to us at the same 

time as the Coast Guard. They would be called into us. 

Mr. COBLE. Okay, it would be simultaneously reported. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Yes. 

Mr. COBLE. Again, I want to follow the pattern here, Admiral. 

Can passengers make reports of alleged crimes or accidents or the 

occurrence of accidents directly to the United States, i.e., Coast 

Guard or FBI or does the process require that they go through the 

vessel security officer? 

Admiral JUSTICE. There is no requirement to go through the vessel’s security officer. They can make the complaint or bring to our 

attention the issue. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you, gentleman, for being with us. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Mr. Coble, will you yield the balance of your 

time to me? 

Mr. COBLE. I will indeed. 

24 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I thank you very much. 

Admiral, I wanted to follow up on what counsel has brought to 

my attention. In your testimony, you have a statement that foreign-flagged cruise ships that visit a U.S. port would be required 

to comply with reporting requirements as a de facto condition 

under port State control. 

My question is: Is this something that is new? Have the captains 

of the port been instructed of this policy? Has the Coast Guard ever 

denied entry to a vessel for failure to report and what would be the 

penalties for that? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, sir. We have not. We have never not allowed entry. It is civil. It is a civil penalty that could be affected. 

I don’t have the exact details of what they are, but the answer is 

it is new. Yes, we could penalize them, but no one has been denied 

entry because of that at this time. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. It being a new initiative, have the captains of 

the port been instructed on the new initiative? 

Admiral JUSTICE. Yes, sir. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you very much. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you. 

Just one last two or three questions, Deputy Hernandez, let me 

ask you this. I note from the FBI report, it says of the 18 cases 

open, 13 were alleged sexual assaults. When you are dealing with 

a sexual assault, are there certain preservation issues that come up 

that are different, say, from other crimes, preservation of evidence 

issues? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Well, it depends on the other crimes you are 

speaking of. The FBI has very broad jurisdiction, but when we discuss personal crimes that the FBI might investigate, certainly rape 

kits are critically important, that that be done forthwith, that evidence be collected properly. So, yes, there are special requirements. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Say, for example, in rape cases that you get the 

report, you have 18 files open. Thirteen of them are sexual assaults, and we don’t know. I don’t know the extent of them, but I 

am sure a lot of them know the extent of them. But let us assume 

there is a rape case in there of the 13. I mean this is kind of significant. You open 18; 13 of them are sexual assaults. 

I guess what I am trying to figure out, and you may have to answer this in writing if you don’t have the answer, is that are there 

issues, are there things that the cruise industry should be doing to 

make those cases more likely to have positive prosecutions? That 

is what I am concerned about here, and that is why I was asking 

about the training, this DVD, and exactly how that plays into all 

of that. 

This is a very sensitive issue. I am not a woman as you can see, 

but I am concerned about that issue because I think if you tell me 

13 of your 18 open cases are sexual assault, I would bet everything 

I have got that they were probably mostly women victims, if not 

all. 

I think maybe that is something that we need to really make 

sure is tight with regard to just not the reporting, we want prosecutions, and I think the industry wants prosecutions too. The last 

thing they want is somebody assaulting women on their ships. 

25 

So, perhaps we can get you some written information. I understand that you have got open cases. Maybe you all can give us 

some information on things that have been closed. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Sure. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. But I don’t want to interfere with anything that 

is ongoing. I just want to make sure that we are doing everything 

that we can to provide the FBI and other agencies because it may 

not even be the FBI—it may be other law enforcement agencies 

that may be involved—that they get everything that they need to 

be able to do what they have to do. That is all. 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I understand your concerns, Mr. Chairman. I 

will say that within this area, we view very seriously these kinds 

of assaults, and it is one of the reasons there are so many open 

cases. Of the 18, 13 are sexual assaults, and that is because we 

take that seriously and the prosecutors take it seriously. So there 

is no effort to walk away from that in any way, shape or form. 

The remaining five cases are of a serious nature, but I think are 

on par with those sexual assaults. And so, I just want to give you 

an assurance that we do take that very seriously, and we do want 

the cruise lines to do everything they can to provide the best evidence to us. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Do you know, with regard to crew members 

when it comes to these assaults, how many are alleged to have 

been committed by crew members? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I don’t have numbers. I know that some of them 

do involve crew members. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Do you have any knowledge with regard to how 

these crew members are vetted? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. I do not. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very well. 

Anybody else? 

Ms. Matsui. 

Ms. MATSUI. How many agents do you have, Mr. Hernandez, on 

cruise line cases? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. There is no number per se. They are agents 

that work within our violent crime program. So each field office has 

a certain number of violent crime program agents. 

When a case meets the qualifications, an agent is assigned. So 

it could be anywhere from a small number to a large number depending on the number of crimes alleged. 

Ms. MATSUI. So the type of crimes that they are all involved in, 

are they similar types of crimes as far as in the unit that you are 

talking about that they are involved in? 

Mr. HERNANDEZ. Well, they could be anything from a homicide 

to an assault with serious bodily injury to a sexual assault to a firing to an arson, whatever it might be. 

Ms. MATSUI. Okay. I appreciate the Chairman’s questions regarding sexual assault and the follow-up to it as far as preserving 

the crime evidence. 

As a woman, there have been so many instances—forget about 

the cruise industry—of sexual assaults. Women, because of the 

very nature of that, don’t come forward at all, and it is very difficult for them. I think we are getting to the point now, I hope, that 

women are coming forward, difficult as it is. 

26 

I think there is a protocol established, particularly here in this 

Country, and there is an expectation obviously with all these Americans going on cruise lines, that you would have the same type of 

protocol. I know that Laurie Dishman expected that, and it was not 

only that there was no protocol but the fact that the people who 

were actually in charge of a medical unit weren’t even there. 

So I think, in a sense, I have to look at this and say a 

PowerPoint, a DVD to me is not enough. It might be if in fact, and 

I believe both of you when you say the cruise industry understands 

and really wants to make things right here. I think we have to go 

a step further with the cruise industry in a sense that we need to 

have onsite training. It might therefore be the cruise industry 

bringing in people. 

It is a very sensitive area. In the case of Ms. Dishman, she didn’t 

have anybody at all. She had to collect her own evidence. She was 

lying there for I don’t know how many hours, waiting. 

I just feel that a DVD isn’t going to do it. There is going to have 

to be other training to actually make the people on the ship aware 

of what they need to do. I think once you do that, I think all the 

other aspects of it will fall into place much more easily. So that is 

my comment. 

I really do appreciate the Chairman and his questioning on that 

regard. I just hope that it is possible for you to work with the 

cruise industry, and maybe we might suggest to them that. I know 

your resources are limited, but in a sense if there is at least some 

onsite training where you have a lot of people together to train people, it would be great. 

Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. As we move to the next panel, let me just say 

this to Ms. Matsui. I do know that for the cruise industry, I think 

it is Mr. Bald will be testifying, who is a former FBI agent, and 

he is now doing some security. He will tell you exactly what he 

does when he testifies. 

But I am just wondering if maybe the cruise industry would consider possibly, since you are already reaching to former FBI agents, 

perhaps find ways to incorporate that training in what you do. It 

seems like you have already got superstars on board. It seems like 

you would just use them along with the DVD. I hope they will take 

that into consideration. 

Thank you all very much. We really do appreciate your testimony. Thank you. 

We will now call Ken Carver who is President of the International Cruise Victims Organization, Ms. Sue DiPiero, Ms. Lynette Hudson, Ms. Angela Orlich and Mr. Harold Ruchelman. 

I am sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you off. I was wondering why 

there was an empty chair over there. 

We are going to ask you to stay within the five minutes because 

we have another panel, and I know there will be a number of questions. 

Mr. Carver, thank you very much for being with us and thank 

you for your leadership. 

27 

TESTIMONY OF KEN CARVER, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL 

CRUISE VICTIMS ORGANIZATION; SUE DIPIERO, LYNETTE 

HUDSON; ANGELA ORLICH; HAROLD RUCHELMAN; WILLIAM 

M SULLIVAN, JR., PARTNER, WINSTON AND STRAWN, LLP 

Mr. CARVER. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. 

We have had a series of meetings, so it is difficult to cover it in 

five minutes, but we will go through it as quickly as we can. 

It was just three years ago today that I was looking for a daughter who was missing, one of my four daughters, and found out after 

months of investigation that she had been subject to a cover-up by 

a major cruise line concerning her disappearance. 

As a result of that, a group was founded called International 

Cruise Victims. This group now has members in 15 countries, several hundred members and has, I guess you would say, brought 

this issue to the forefront. 

Through their individual experiences, victims soon realized acting on their own was ineffective. You had to do this as a group. 

In the March, 2006 hearing, not only did we testify but we presented a 10-point program. At the last congressional hearing, the 

Chairman asked for what I think was an historic meeting, that the 

victims group meet with the cruise lines to discuss these various 

issues. 

I would like to discuss very quickly four meetings that we have 

had since our last hearing. On May 7th, Son Michael Pham and 

myself met with Terry Dale to establish the guidelines for the 

meeting. 

On July 25th, we initiated a meeting with the FBI here in Washington, D.C. It was held with Salvador Hernandez, Deputy Assistant Director, and John Gillis who is the director of the Violent 

Crime Division. The purpose was to review the agreement that 

they entered in March, 2007. 

Both FBI representatives were unaware in that meeting that in 

1999 the cruise line industry had entered into a policy of zero tolerance for crimes and were required or voluntarily indicated that 

they would report all crimes. This new agreement was only dealing 

with a form in which those crimes would be reported. 

Of most significance at that meeting was the fact that the FBI 

indicated they did not have the resources, which they have said 

today, to follow up on crimes on cruise ships unless it reached certain thresholds. This is why, in 2005, only 50 cases were opened 

and there were only 4 convictions of cruise ship crimes in a year 

in which they had approximately 10 million passengers. 

In the summer of 2006, knowing that they were working with 

CLIA, the Coast Guard and the FBI, three ICV officers came to 

Washington and met with the FBI and the Coast Guard separately 

to show them the plans that we developed, indicating that we 

wanted to be part of that. In fact, we were excluded from those discussions. 

On July 6th, 2007, I sent a request to the Coast Guard to enter 

into the same type of meeting we had with the FBI. They never 

acknowledge the letter until the morning of July 27th when it was 

too late to schedule the meeting. 

On July 26th, we had our first formalized and only meeting with 

CLIA. We actually had sent them 60 pages of documents on April 

28 

15th, and we didn’t have our first meeting, I am sorry to say, until 

July 26th. 

Certain information which we provided to the cruise lines at that 

time, and I have heard the questions asked today was were there 

data individually and how did these crimes occur. Based upon court 

released documents from Royal Caribbean from the year 2003 to 

2005, close to 80 percent of these crimes involved crew members. 

I believe that question was asked earlier, and it is in the documents that I provided to the Committee. 

Also the rate of sexual assaults was 50 percent greater on cruise 

ships than on the average American city. That is from the court 

documents covering several other cases. 

The cruise lines also took the position that they do not investigate crimes. That is their legal position. That information is in 

the material that I have given to you. 

Since the FBI has indicated they do not have the resources to follow up on many of these crimes, in effect, no one is looking or taking action on these crimes. I think that is a major problem. 

We just discussed the video surveillance, that the cruise ships 

like to say we have 300 cameras on a ship but, number one, they 

are not monitored. In the documents that I have submitted, we 

show a deposition that occurred in my daughter’s case in which 

they indicated that was privileged information and not available to 

us. 

James Walker, who is on our committee, indicated that in 50 

cases he has never been able to get to the videos. Only in a couple 

of cases and one is sitting right next to me, Sue DiPiero, where 

they had her son going overboard, did they show that video, and 

I am aware of one other case. But they have evidence that nobody 

can get to. 

We approached this meeting with a positive attitude, and when 

it adjourned I honestly felt that both organizations had set the 

stage for future positive discussions. 

Here is what Terry Dale said in a letter to me: I believe it is fair 

to say that the cruise lines agree in concept with ICV but differ in 

how best to achieve the end results. We, therefore, look forward to 

continuing our discussions with ICV in an effort to reach our 

shared common goals. 

Mr. Chairman, you set an historic meeting in place, and we feel 

it is essential to continue these discussions between ICV and CLIA 

to understand what their alternatives are that they are proposing. 

We don’t know that their alternatives are. 

Prior to the above meetings, on June 25th, they sent out a letter 

that was addressed to cruise passengers and their families. It was 

an expense paid trip to Miami to talk about issues regarding victims and how to address that. 

In early July, I started receiving, I guess you would, tremendous 

pressure to invite the members of ICV to that meeting. So I wrote 

CLIA, Terry Dale. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Carver, I am going to have to ask you to 

kind of summarize. 

Mr. CARVER. Okay. 

29 

Mr. CUMMINGS. We have your testimony. I know we have read 

it. I have read it, and we will have some questions of you. But why 

don’t you summarize by telling us where you and what you expect? 

Mr. CARVER. Okay. Well, I will just say this. The August 14th 

meeting, we were given no information. We went, and it targeted 

only ICV members and yet, they have hundreds of victims. We 

were disappointed that they would only select our members. 

So, in summary, I sit here today as President of International 

Cruise Victims. I have lost a daughter and for all the victims and 

their families. You and the Government and the U.S. Congress, I 

am sure would like to have families, parents, wives, husbands and 

children, and you would not like to encounter the tragedies we 

have encountered. We deserve to be protected. 

We thank you for your time. I will be happy to answer questions. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much, Mr. Carver. 

Ms. DiPiero. 

Ms. DIPIERO. Good afternoon. I would like to thank Chairman 

Cummings and the Committee for inviting me to testify today. 

I am Sue DiPiero. I am here with my husband, Ron. Our son was 

lost at sea from Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Sea. 

Following the hearing last March, Ken Carver approached CLIA 

and proposed a meeting. It was set up by Ken to include an expert 

panel consisting of attorneys, Ross Klein, a few ICV board members and CLIA. No other victims were invited. The focus of this 

meeting was a 10 point plan. 

Meanwhile, Terry Dale, Gary Bald and Kimberly Edwards from 

the ICV discussed what Congressman Cummings’ order meant. It 

was confirmed through his office that the cruise lines should meet 

with all victims and get our ideas. 

On June 25th, an invitation was sent out by CLIA for a meeting 

in Miami. This invitation was sent to Ken Carver, asking him to 

forward it to the members of the ICV. It was not forwarded until 

August 6th. Due to the short notice, some may not have been able 

to attend. 

Invitations were sent to other victims with whom the cruise lines 

had contact, and it was immediately forwarded to Ron and myself 

by Kimberly Edwards at Gary Bald’s request. 

On August 14th, we joined 18 victims, representatives of CLIA, 

the Family Assistance Foundation, Royal Caribbean and Carnival 

cruise lines. Some victims told their stories and offered suggestions 

that would improve the safety on cruises and treatment of victims 

and their families. Ron and I each spoke and handed out a list of 

our ideas. 

The ICV had time to speak. Ken gave a presentation of the 10- 

point plan. Letters were read, one from an ICV member who could 

not attend and one from the ICV board asking that CLIA deal only 

with the ICV board in the future. I spoke with Terry Dale and was 

assured that all victims would be included in future correspondence 

and meetings. 

Gary Bald and Travis Winslow discussed technology and safety 

features that they were researching. They also discussed improved 

security training. Terry Dale concluded the meeting by saying that 

he felt that the day’s discussion was helpful and suggested continued conversations with victims in the future. 

30 

He also suggested working groups be formed. Terry Dale has 

begun organizing working groups. He asked the victims that attended the meeting if they would like to be included. As of yet, we 

are not sure what being part of this group means. 

No promises or proposals were made in Miami by CLIA or the 

cruise lines as far as safety is concerned. It is in my nature to believe that people will do the best thing, but there are no signs that 

the industry will do their best to protect their passengers. The 

working group should be a channel for sharing ideas and brainstorming, but unless the idea results of the working groups become 

the goals of action groups that implement, they are nothing more 

than an illusion by the industry to appear to be making change. 

The subject of expense comes up when discussing safety. The 

goal of every business is to show the maximum profit. The decision 

to make change is in the hands of the people who control the purse 

strings. Unless it becomes more profitable to make ships safe than 

to settle lawsuits, all of the necessary changes will not come at the 

hands of the industry. 

I believe we should support bill H.R. 2989. This would change 

the Death on the High Seas Act to allow non-pecuniary and punitive damages to families of a person who has died at sea while 

aboard a ship. Congress has deemed the DOHSA limits unfair in 

the context of aviation cases and removed the limitation of damages that previously applied. 

It makes no sense to limit damages to surviving families in a 

wrongful death when the death happens to be at the high seas on 

a ship. Why is there different treatment for survivors of maritime 

accidents and survivors of a plane crash? 

In the cases of my family, George Smith’s, Annette Mizener’s and 

Merrian Carver’s families and others involved in death at the high 

seas, the cruise lines used DOHSA to limit their responsibility. 

This thwarts the goal of our tort system which is full compensation 

to survivors. If full compensation is allowed, the cruise lines will 

improve safety in order to prevent liability. Currently, DOHSA 

does not permit punitive damages, and the cruise lines get away 

with murder. 

I believe our Government needs to create legislation to set standards, create laws and monitor accidents and crime statistics. Fines 

and consequences need to be substantial so that it is more profitable to follow the law. 

I believe legislation needs to be updated as technology changes. 

As technology is developed, the cruise industry will incorporate all 

features that will entice people to take a cruise and increase their 

profits. Safety standards and legislation need to be updated as well 

to meet the changing situations. 

Care teams, infrared imaging and improved reporting are great. 

However, these things are used for after a rape happens, a person 

dies from smoke inhalation or a young man goes overboard. Our 

goal should be to prevent these accidents and crimes from ever 

happening. 

I believe cruise lines should be regulated like a business in the 

United States. U.S. businesses are required to update products for 

the safety of consumers. There are regulations on all consumer 

goods and activities in the U.S. Government agencies enforce these 

31 

regulations. The cruise industry should be regulated in the same 

manner as any U.S. business as they are doing business from our 

ports and transporting our citizens. 

In closing, I would like to say in order to achieve change, all victims, CLIA, the industry and our Government must work together. 

Change cannot be hindered by efforts of individuals with an agenda 

to punish cruise lines to get even. Efforts by the cruise lines must 

not mean changes are minimal and at minimal cost to only appear 

to be improving their way of doing business. 

There must be legislation to assure that all U.S. citizens and 

those leaving from a U.S. port come back safe and sound. Legislation cannot be defined in a single 10-point plan but must set forth 

a flexible plan that allows for continuous improvement. 

Thank you very much. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Hudson. 

Ms. HUDSON. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the 

Subcommittee. I would like to thank Chairman Cummings and the 

Committee for inviting me to testify today concerning cruise ship 

security practices and procedures. 

I would also like to personally thank my Congressman, Mike 

Castle, for his continued support of legislation to protect Americans 

on cruise ships. 

My name is Lynnette Hudson, and I am the daughter of Richard 

Liffridge. My father died after a fire erupted on the Star Princess 

on March 23rd, 2006. 

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my family 

who is present here today as well as the other members and victims of the ICV who have come to support us. 

I have submitted my written statement which outlines recommendations to ensure this type of tragedy does not happen to 

another family. I just want to take a few minutes to point out 

major points regarding some defects in security and safety practices onboard cruise ships. 

During the early hours on March 23rd, 2006, a fire erupted on 

the balcony of a stateroom on the 11th deck. The cause of the fire 

was determined to be a smoldering cigarette that was improperly 

discarded. The cigarette landed on a towel or clothing that was left 

on the balcony furniture. The furniture and the balcony partitions 

were made of highly combustible polycarbonate materials. 

Let me just describe a few of the shortcomings that I believe contributed to the death of my father. First of all, there were no fire 

detection or fire suppression systems on the balconies. The ship’s 

emergency number which is manned 24 hours per day was not 

manned after the crew alert signal was sounded. This left the 911 

call center vacant during subsequent emergency calls. 

The self-closing alleyway doors were propped open with a wooden 

wedge which allowed the toxic smoke to reach internal alleyways. 

One of the six members of the engine fire party was unable to 

dress because his suit was too small. 

No member of the engine fire party or any other party carried 

the thermal imaging camera because it was considered to be too 

heavy and cumbersome. This camera would have provided necessary visibility. 

32 

It is clear that changes need to be made in the area of fire safety 

training, emergency response and in the protocol of handling emergency situations. Smoking is still a big issue on cruise ships. Although some lines have banned smoking in certain areas of the 

ships, the probability of another fire occurring is extremely high. 

During the last Subcommittee hearing in March, 2007, Chairman 

Cummings, you recommended that the cruise industry work with 

the victims to develop solutions to the current problems. On July 

26th, 2007, I attended a meeting with CLIA along with the ICV 

President, Ken Carver, and others representing victims. As a board 

member of the ICV, I felt that the process to bring CLIA to the 

table for discussions took too long. 

Many suggestions were made at that meeting regarding how the 

cruise industry could improve in areas of safety. There has been no 

follow-up meeting or any acknowledgment that CLIA acted on any 

of the suggestions that were offered. 

CLIA held a meeting this past August where they flew certain 

victims to Miami. They told these victims that they could not bring 

their legal representatives nor were the media welcome. 

At the end of the meeting, CLIA wanted to form an advisory 

committee for the purpose of providing possible solutions to the industry’s safety and security problems. CLIA had the sole discretion 

of picking the members themselves. It is unclear to me why CLIA 

would want to form a separate committee instead of working with 

the ICV, an organization that consists of over 200 members and 

friends. 

I am concerned that there has not been true progress since the 

meeting last March. If the industry has committed to changes, they 

have not shared them with the ICV. 

In my situation, not only were the circumstances surrounding my 

father’s death difficult to accept, the mishandling of the fire emergency and aftermath compounded the situation. Despite being listed as my father’s emergency contact person, no one from Princess 

Cruise Line contacted me. Not one person from Princess Cruise 

Lines or from the cruise industry told us what happened to my father. I, in fact, had to read about it in this 52-page marine accident 

report. 

Let me just take a minute to tell you a few things about my father. Not only was he a devoted husband, father, grandfather and 

great-grandfather, he was also my friend. After 20 years of honorable military service, he retired from the Air Force. He proudly 

served this Country in the Vietnam and Korean Wars. He was also 

a Mason. One of the things he enjoyed most was traveling and 

spending time with his family and friends. 

In closing, I am hoping that we as victims can work together 

with CLIA to make cruising safer for passengers. 

I often struggle with wondering what my father felt those last 

few minutes of his life. I find peace in knowing that he thought 

about his children and the people he loved the most. 

I also struggle with the fact that knowing the moment I woke up 

that morning, he was already gone and no one from Princess 

Cruise Line bothered to call me. It took nine hours—nine hours— 

after the fire before I received a call, and it still wasn’t from Princess Cruise Line. 

33 

Thank you for conducting this important meeting and listening 

to our concerns and comments. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you. I really appreciate it. Thank you. 

Ms. Orlich. 

Ms. ORLICH. My name is Angela Orlich, and I am from Springfield, Massachusetts. Thank you for providing me the opportunity 

to tell the ordeal that I encountered during a Royal Caribbean 

cruise with several of my friends. Our group consisted of approximately 40 individuals from a local hospital where I worked. 

During the cruise, I purchased a shore excursion which was promoted and sold to me while on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship. 

This excursion was to a resort in Cozumel, Mexico, which included 

scuba diving. The excursion in question was part of Royal Caribbean’s shore excursions promotion called Explorations which is one 

of the attachments. 

The cruise ship I sailed on, Nordic Empress, offered many different types of excursions, all of which sounded like great fun. I decided to purchase an excursion which was described by Royal Caribbean as parasailing, banana boat, snorkeling and diving tours. I 

signed up for the excursion, completed the Explorations shore excursion information and order form bearing the Royal Caribbean 

International Get Out There official logo and paid my $28. Little 

did I know that it would result in a horrifying experience. 

I had previously taken scuba lessons at home but had not been 

certified. I am claustrophobic and the Atlantic Waters were too 

murky for me to get certified. I thought it would be a good idea to 

take additional lessons in the clear waters of Cozumel. 

The dive instructor told me that he was a PADI master diver. I 

asked for a wetsuit, but the dive instructor told me it was not necessary. I also asked not to go out very deep, but I was nervous. 

During the dive, the instructor took me to a depth of approximately 60 feet. I did not want to go that deep, but it was too late. 

I was already on the boat. We stayed underwater longer than I 

wanted, and I became tired. 

While still underwater, the dive instructor began to rub his 

hands over my body and molested me. He grabbed my buttocks and 

ran his hands up and down my legs. I shook my head no and began 

to panic, but I tried to maintain my composure. 

I motioned to return to the surface. I grabbed the rope to get 

back up to the boat, trying to get away from him, but he grabbed 

and began to pull me back down. I tried to fight him off, but he 

continued to molest me. 

Then he turned off the air in my tank. He pulled my top down 

and bit my breast. I was terrified. At this point, we were about 30 

feet underwater. I was afraid that I would die, that my body would 

never be found and that no one would ever know what happened 

to me. 

Finally, I managed to get back to the surface and return to my 

group. I was so frightened that my friends thought a shark had attacked me while I was running towards them. I was horrified, 

shaking and crying. My friends were also very upset and tried to 

find a police officer, but in Cozumel, Mexico, there are none to be 

found. 

34 

When I returned to the Royal Caribbean ship, I reported what 

had happened to me. I could not believe that something like this 

could happen to me during a cruise. I didn’t know what to do. 

I reported the assault to the cruise employee, Jessica, who had 

coordinated passenger activities. I made a report to the ship security officer, and I went down to the ship’s doctor. The ship doctor 

refused to examine or treat me. He was totally dismissive and told 

me to see a doctor when I returned home tomorrow to Massachusetts. 

When the cruise ship returned to Miami, there were no FBI 

agents waiting to interview me or any other agents. The cruise line 

offered no assistance whatsoever. 

My life changed on the day that I was attacked. I could not sleep. 

I was traumatized and forced to seek treatment from a doctor and 

help from a counselor. 

It was clear to me that the instructor needed to be arrested and 

sent to jail and only then could other women be protected. I did not 

want anyone else to experience anything like this. I took it upon 

myself to report what happened to the U.S. Consulate’s Office in 

Mexico and Anne Harris. 

The excursion company told me that the diving instructor would 

be fired. However, I wanted him to be criminally prosecuted. Six 

months after the cruise, in an attempt to have the dive instructor 

prosecuted, I returned to Mexico, made a formal declaration 

against him, but the criminal prosecution has gone nowhere. This 

has been a very frustrating and fruitless experience so far, and it 

has also been expensive. 

The cruise line response? Not only did Royal Caribbean refuse to help me, it refused to reimburse me the $28 which I had spent for 

the excursion. 

But what did I receive instead? A form letter from the President 

of Royal Caribbean thanking me for giving them an opportunity to 

send you home with an experience to remember. The President also 

enclosed a $50 coupon because you can expect just as many memorable experiences on your next cruise vacation, which is another exhibit. 

In February, 2006, I sought advice on what I could do from a 

maritime lawyer. The purpose was not to file a lawsuit but to obtain information and to prevent this from happening to others. He 

sent a letter to the President of the cruise line and its risk management department, asking for basic information about the assault on 

me, also an attachment. There was no response from Royal Caribbean. 

I would actually, in closing, like to say how many other victims 

like me have not survived their attacks at the hands of the same 

individual as well as other dive or snorkeling instructors. Who will 

be his next victim? Is this individual still employed as a scuba instructor? 

I would like the cruise lines to investigate the excursions they 

sell. Go to the excursion location to make certain that the activity 

is safe. Make certain that you can send your family to this site. 

Warn you in advance that you are really on your own the second 

you leave the cruise ship even on an excursion the cruise line promotes and profits from it. 

35 

Maintain a database of sexual predators both on their cruise 

ships and the excursions they promote. Respond to passenger complaints in a timely and meaningful manner. Notify the FBI and the 

U.S. Consulate immediately. 

Provide a trained female crisis counselor aboard the ship so that 

the female victims have other female to turn to. It was very difficult to talk to a security officer as a male and I am a female and 

not a female in there. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Believe me, we are very sensitive to that issue. 

Ms. ORLICH. Yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I am going to have to ask you to wrap up because we have got some votes and time has run out anyway. 

Ms. ORLICH. Fine. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. But I want to hear from Mr. Ruchelman and Mr. 

Sullivan, and then we are going to have to take a break. I would 

just ask you to move through it as fast as you can. I am sorry. 

Mr. RUCHELMAN. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me 

to testify before you today. 

My name is Harold Ruchelman, and I understand that I am here 

to help you determine how the cruise line industry should deal 

with tragic events. My story is an example of how they should handle such situations. 

My story is about what Celebrity Cruises did for me in March 

of 2006. It was Thursday, March 22nd. We docked in Arica, Chile. 

One of our friends had made arrangements for a tour, a tour that 

was not sponsored by Celebrity. It was an enjoyable one, and we 

were on our way back to the ship when the accident occurred, an 

accident that changed my life forever. 

Our driver lost control of the van, and we toppled down the steep 

slope of the mountain. The next thing I remember was coming to 

on the side of the mountain with a broken right leg. My friends’ 

bodies were strewn about the mountain with the remnants of the 

van near the bottom of the slope. 

I could not see where my wife was. The guide, the only one who 

was mobile, told me that most of the people perished including all 

the women. That meant I had lost my wife. 

Here I was in the middle of nowhere. How do I get in touch with 

anyone? What do I do now? I felt cut off from my world and totally 

helpless. All I could do was wait and see. 

It took about an hour and a half before any help arrived. No one 

spoke English, and I didn’t speak Spanish. It was so bad that when 

people asked me how I felt, I thought they were asking for my 

name. 

I was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Arica. My clothes were 

cut off in the emergency room when I was taken for x-rays to determine my condition. 

Coming back from that procedure, I got my first taste of the care 

that Celebrity Cruises would be giving me. One of the doctors and 

one of the nurses from the Millennium, the ship we were cruising 

on, were there at the hospital. 

When I was in the ICU, the doctor asked me if there was anything I need on the ship. I suffer from sleep apnea and use a CPAP 

36 

machine which was in the cabin on the ship. I asked if he could 

get it as I doubted that the hospital in Arica had one. 

He also told me that the doctors there said my x-rays indicated 

I may have a problem with my aorta. I was taken for a CAT scan. 

When the doctor came back with my CPAP machine, he conferred 

with the doctors and told me that my CAT scan proved negative. 

I was concerned about the cost of everything and how I was 

going to pay for it. Seeing my anxiety over this issue, the doctor, 

after taking it upon himself to look into this matter, told me that 

Celebrity would pick up all the costs associated with the accident. 

I was astounded as this excursion was not sponsored by them. 

I was then moved to a ward which I shared with the guide and 

the other surviving member of our group. Being in a hospital in a 

small town in a third world country was unsettling to say the least. 

Air conditioning was opening a window which let the flies in. The 

food left much to be desired even for hospital food. 

But the worst was the language barrier. My leg, now in a full 

cast, kept me bedridden. If I needed anything, how could I let them 

know? 

Two American volunteers from a nearby university came to help. 

They remained until Celebrity Cruises brought two people from the 

States to remain with us, myself and the other survivor for the duration of our stay in the hospital. They stayed with us day and 

night just in case we needed anything. 

These two wonderful people were my connection to the rest of my 

world. The attention they provided was both comforting and greatly 

appreciated. They treated me as if I was family. When I stirred 

during the night, they jumped to see if I needed anything. I will 

never forget them. 

They were only one facet of the help and concern offered by Celebrity. A member of their strike force came to see what he could 

do for us. He was constantly on the phone, trying to make all sorts 

of arrangements. Seeing what gyrations he was going though gave 

me a secure feeling, a feeling that I was not alone in Arica. There 

were people who were extremely concerned with my situation. 

Celebrity flew in a rabbi from Florida. Being of the Jewish religion, we avoid autopsies if at all possible. However, when one is 

required by law, certain procedures must be followed. This rabbi 

was there to make sure that religious protocols were followed in 

our wives’ autopsies as well as meeting our spiritual needs. 

They thought of things that I was in no condition to think of. 

They even flew in a counselor to talk to me. 

Many people came in to see us. A rabbi from Santiago, an individual from Israel, officials from the U.S. Embassy, officials from 

Chile, but the ones that stood out as trying to do the most for us 

were the people from Celebrity Cruises. They were obviously making a concerted effort to meet our every need and bring the situation to a satisfactory conclusion. 

They made arrangements for my children to fly down to Chile. 

You can imagine how welcome that news was since I thought I 

would be in that hospital for some time. Later that day, I was told 

we would be flying home Friday afternoon. I asked if my children 

knew of the change in plans and was told they had been informed. 

37 

Another problem was solved, how could I get in touch with my 

kids and let them know I was okay. I was elated when the person 

making all the arrangements handed me his cell phone with my 

son-in-law at the other end of the line. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Ruchelman, I am going to have to ask you 

to wrap up because we have got to get to Mr. Sullivan and we only 

have about six and a half minutes. 

Mr. RUCHELMAN. Okay. 

Soon I was whisked off to a waiting ambulance and taken to a 

local airport together with other survivors and put on a chartered 

plane. I cannot believe what was done for us, that Celebrity chartered the plane just for the two of us and the remains of our wives. 

On board were the doctor, the nurse and two guardian angels, 

the counselor and the rabbi. They, along with the flight crew, were 

constantly checking up on us. The doctor, in order to monitor us, 

sat facing us the entire trip. The doctor accompanied us all the way 

to Newark, New Jersey. 

The plane landed at Newark, taxied to a private hanger where 

our children came on board. The doctor checked me out one last 

time to ensure I was well enough to go home, and I was then put 

in an ambulance that took me to my daughter’s house. 

I cannot begin to express the feeling I had then or have now at 

the consideration, concern and efforts the Celebrity Cruise organization extended to me and to think that this all began with an excursion that they had not sponsored. Yet, they still chose to do 

something, and they did an astonishing job. They more than extended themselves in helping me get through my ordeal. I do not 

know what I would have done without them. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Ruchelman, I have been very kind. I have 

got to get to Mr. Sullivan. 

Why don’t we let you? You go ahead and finish. Mr. Sullivan, we 

will get you on the way back. Please wrap up. 

Mr. RUCHELMAN. I will be eternally grateful for their humanity, 

compassion and thoughtfulness. I don’t know if my case is an aberration, but Celebrity has set a standard that the rest of the industry should emulate. 

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to be here 

today. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

We have four votes. We should be back in a little bit over a half 

an hour. 

[Recess.] 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Sullivan. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Good afternoon, Chairman Cummings, Ranking 

Member Mr. LaTourette and Subcommittee Members and staff. 

I, in fact, am the mystery guest earlier referred to by Congressman Mica. I am a former Federal prosecutor, and I spent over 10 

years pursuing any and all manner of Federal crime as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia. Now, ironically, I 

represent corporations. 

I know how and when and why things go wrong in corporations, 

and I understand how to correct them. I am sorry to report that 

based on what I have seen Royal Caribbean does not. 

38 

Today, I represent a young college woman who was horribly and 

brutally raped while asleep behind a locked stateroom door while 

on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 

Contrary to Congressman Mica’s suggestion, there is no pending 

litigation right now between my client and Royal Caribbean. I am 

here at her request to pursue the legislative process. 

Chairman Cummings was also correct when he represented that 

my appearance was also requested by other Members of Congress, 

and he very graciously extended me an invitation to appear here 

today. I am grateful and so is my client. 

You have heard a lot of reassurances from Royal Caribbean and 

will hear more today. The story I am here to tell you occurred just 

three weeks prior to the testimony that you heard from Royal Caribbean in March of 2007. The company chose not to tell you about 

it because it is in stark contrast to the portrait Royal Caribbean 

publicly paints. In fact, this story is the classic case of how a company should not behave. 

I would like to draw your attention as some backdrop to the written testimony of Mr. Bald who said that where situations occur, 

their goal is to effectively respond, to restore safety and security, 

to treat and care for guests, to identify those responsible, to preserve evidence and to facilitate and support the investigation of the 

incident. 

Nothing of the kind happened. While those are laudable goals, 

there was no evidence of that practice when it came to my client 

in March of 2007, three weeks before the testimony you heard. I 

implore you to question Mr. Bald closely today about what happened to my client. 

In March, Laurie Dishman testified about being raped by a Royal 

Caribbean employee and then victimized by a company that managed its own risk instead of caring for her. She warned there would 

be another Laurie Dishman. 

I represent the next Laurie Dishman. To respect my client’s desire for anonymity and because of her youthfulness, I will refer to 

her as Jane Doe throughout my testimony. She was raped two 

weeks before the March hearing and, like Ms. Dishman, she was 

raped by a crew member. I would like to tell you just a part of her 

story which is significantly at odds with the portrait Royal Caribbean painted for you in March and ask that you refer to my written 

statement for more detail. 

In March, Jane boarded a Royal Caribbean ship with several of 

her college age female friends to experience a fun and relaxing 

spring break. Midway through the cruise, the cabin steward who 

was assigned to Jane’s quarters used his Royal Caribbean-issued 

pass key after hours to enter a cabin and rape Jane while she 

slept. 

The crew member who did this was a predator. He knew Jane 

and her friend were fast asleep when he let himself into the room. 

Without waking Jane or her friend, the crew member removed 

Jane’s shorts and bikini bottom and forcibly raped her. She awoke 

as a result of the rape and was able to struggle free. 

Jane’s friend reported the crime immediately by dialing 911 on 

the ship’s phone. All she met with by the Royal Caribbean operator 

39 

on the other end of the line was a laugh. The report wasn’t taken 

seriously when that first call was placed. 

Jane was next taken to the ship’s infirmary where she expected 

to receive the urgent medical care, forensic treatment and even a 

bit of compassion that she so desperately needed at that time. Instead, she encountered a medical staff whose actions served only 

Royal Caribbean’s risk management interests. 

The medical staff did not examine Jane, did not ask her if there 

were any alcohol or prescription medications in her system, did not 

perform a rape kit examination, did not give Jane the antiretrovirals and other medications that are critical to preventing 

HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases after a rape. 

The only thing Royal Caribbean’s medical staff did was to immediately inject her, without her consent or any discussion whatsoever, with a powerful drug, a drug called Lorazepam, a potent sedative and an amnesic drug, one that induces forgetfulness. 

Lorazepam is also known to dangerously interact with other medications and alcohol, but the nurse never inquired. 

Further, the nurse gave the injection, knowing that Royal Caribbean’s doctor would soon compel Jane to make a written statement 

about the rape and that Jane would be interviewed by local law enforcement. Obviously, she would not have been in any condition to 

forcefully describe the trauma and the facts of the rape that she 

suffered half an hour or so before when she was sedated. 

Shortly after the injection took effect, the doctor ordered Jane to 

complete and sign a Royal Caribbean statement form without informing Jane that the information she provided would be turned 

directly over to Royal Caribbean’s risk management personnel and 

lawyers. 

After obtaining the statement, the doctor abandoned Jane in a 

sedated state on an infirmary cot for almost six hours when she 

was in need of emergency medical care. The inexcusable delay 

placed her outside the recommended timeframe for receiving antiretrovirals and allowing evidence of the rape to deteriorate within 

and outside of her body. Further, the doctor initially refused the request of Jane and her traveling companions to call their parents for 

help and guidance. 

Contrary to the company’s testimony in March, Royal Caribbean 

did not assign the most senior female officer to serve as Jane’s advocate. Indeed, she had no advocate. The shipboard personnel were 

scrambling to protect Royal Caribbean’s liability interests from the 

consequences of her action. 

After six hours, while Jane was left in repose to herself on a company cot, her friends were allowed to leave the ship, and she was 

abandoned at the foreign port of call to the local authorities. Ship 

members did nothing to ensure that she was taken to the best possible hospital. She was taken to a developing nation’s public hospital where in fact she received only half the standard dosage of 

the anti-retrovirals she desperately needed. 

After Jane left the ship, Royal Caribbean continued its risk management tactics. Witnesses have reported that Royal Caribbean 

failed to promptly secure the crime scene such that unauthorized 

individuals had easy access to it and, in fact, entered it. 

40 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Sullivan, I am going to have to ask you to 

wrap up. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Despite the fact that Jane’s rapist was apprehended by local authorities and will stand trial, Royal Caribbean 

to this day refuses to turn over evidence it retains that is needed 

to bring Jane’s rapist to justice. We also have been without and 

have requested many times the rapist’s medical records, so we can 

make determinations as to whether or not my client is at risk for 

HIV or STDs. 

I want to jump to the recommendations that I think are important and, of course, most of them are outlined. All of them are outlined in my written testimony, but again I want to offer a backdrop. In terms of Mr. Bald’s written testimony, in terms of the enhanced safety and security requirements, he has, what I think, offered nothing more but amorphous and ambiguous happy talk 

phraseology. 

He talks about instituting a deterrent presence without describing it, revising of several key processes and exchange of information, continuing discussions, quarterly reviews of shipboard incidents, formal after-action processes, development of incident 

metrics, whatever those might be. The amended policy on incident 

responses in place and SeaPass program is happily now in the request for proposal phase. 

My recommendations are concrete. 

Chairman Cummings, I think the key to this case is that there 

was no pass key technology whereby a crew member was allowed 

to enter a stateroom after hours without the knowledge or consent 

of the victim inside. I call for a pass key technology, a very simple 

technology. Make them inoperative after the duty shift of the particular employee or simply have them turned in. 

I have also requested for the installation and monitoring of security cameras in the hallways of these ships just like what is done 

in hotels. There would be evidence of individuals entering the 

room, in this case, unauthorized entry. 

Thank you very much for your time. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. We will probably get to some of yours. Did you 

finish your suggestions, your recommendations? We will be able to 

get to them in the questions. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Those are the two primary recommendations and, 

of course, I have a few in my written testimony. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you. I am just trying to keep it all evensteven here. 

Mr. Carver, do you support or oppose the establishment by CLIA 

of a working group comprised of victims and the families of victims 

of crimes and incidents on cruise lines to advise CLIA on the adoption of safety and security improvements? 

Mr. CARVER. Let me answer the question this way. Here is what 

I am against. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. As briefly as you can. 

Mr. CARVER. Yes. CLIA targeted only ICV members. If you read 

their invitation, no one would know that that was the target of 

their invitation. I, in fact, wrote them a letter and said, who has 

been invited to this meeting, because you surely can’t tell from 

that. 

41 

There are hundreds of victims and which ones are chosen to 

come to the meeting, a select group of victims? What was the program? I could get no answer to that, to those two simple questions. 

I think CLIA, to be honest and sincere, needs to go to the thousands of victims that they have to solicit information and not just 

target ICV. 

Now why did they target just ICV? Because we are organized. 

We are an organized group of victims. The rest of their victims, and 

there are hundreds of them, are not organized. So they are no problem to the cruise line. 

Here is a list of hundreds of victims that they could have solicited for their advice. They ignored them. 

So I say this. If they are interested in setting up a group, then 

they need to be balanced and go after all of their victims and not 

just a select group of ICV members. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. What do you think should be the next step? 

I had asked you all to get together. Certainly, there were efforts 

to pull it together. I understand you had a meeting and you described all of that. I guess I am trying to figure out do you see a 

way forward. 

Mr. CARVER. Yes, I do because we had a meeting on July 26th. 

We went through the 10 points, and there seemed to be agreement 

on a lot of the 10 points, but Terry Dale came back and said, well, 

we would like to do it another way. 

So I think we need to have another meeting required by the 

Chairman to look at what are they proposing. All we know is what 

we proposed. They have come back and said, well, we have got 

other ways to do it although we agree in principle. 

I think the one concern that I have is that they want to do these 

things on a voluntary basis. That deeply concerns us, but I think 

we need a second meeting for them to respond to what their exact 

proposals are. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. One of the things, Mr. Carver and to all of you, 

is just trying to get the parties to come together to try to bring 

some resolution, like you said, voluntarily, but I don’t want to 

waste our time and don’t want to waste yours. 

Mr. CARVER. Sure. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. We have one life to live. This is no dress rehearsal. This is it. This is the life. 

Mr. CARVER. You are right. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. What I am trying to get to is that I am trying 

to create a win-win situation. 

Mr. CARVER. Absolutely. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. If you still have confidence—it sounds like you 

do,—that there is something that you can go forward to try to do 

and accomplish, we will see what the industry says in a few minutes. I am just curious. 

Mr. CARVER. Yes, I think we need that second meeting to get 

their feedback, so we know whether we can agree with it or disagree with it, and that seems to be a reasonable approach. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Let me ask you, Mr. Sullivan. I want to thank 

you for your testimony. 

One of the things that I am concerned about, I think you were 

here earlier when we were talking to the FBI, and we talked about 

42 

evidence. One of the things I am going to ask the industry to do 

is to make sure that they have already reached out to the FBI— 

as you know, Mr. Bald, used to be with the FBI—and to try to create this CLIA protocol with regard to these sexual assaults and 

other crimes, by the way. 

But it is just so interesting that out of the 18 open cases, that 

13 of them are sexual assaults. That seems to be kind of glaring, 

making sure that we preserve evidence and hopefully address some 

of the issues. 

I understand what you said about the pass key, but do you have 

any comments with regard to the preservation of evidence? You are 

a lawyer. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Absolutely. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. And I ask you to be brief. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Thank you. I did prosecute crime, so I know a little bit about the collection and preservation of evidence. 

What the experience I have testified to you about tells me is that 

contrary to what we have heard from representatives of the FBI 

and the Coast Guard this morning, it doesn’t seem to me that 

Royal Caribbean is interested in prosecuting criminals, predators, 

people who prey on American citizens or any other individual on 

shipboard cruises. 

Why? Because that exposes them to liability, and that is not 

something that they are interested in. 

There were many reports. We have seen reports from 1999, commissioned reports by consultants, that the cruise industry in particular has asked: How do we enhance our security processes? 

Video camera surveillance, the pass key that I referenced a few 

minutes ago is easy; the installation of peepholes; a victim/witness 

advocate; having the rape kit onboard actually used. 

The rape kit was not even attempted for my client who sat there 

under sedation for six hours. As I think about that, what possible 

purpose could be served by sedating my client without her consent, 

knowing that she is about to give statements to law enforcement 

as well as statements to Royal Caribbean personnel under that 

condition? 

You are a lawyer. I am a lawyer. Everyone knows that for purposes of providing information or testimony, one of the first questions asked is are you under any medication, is there anything in 

your body which might influence your ability to relate what you 

perceived as to an event that happened to you. 

Royal Caribbean did this intentionally because they wanted to 

undermine the potential for pursuing this case because that might 

lead to exposure, and I frankly represent that it is probably more 

cost effective for them to attempt to handle a case by case situation 

as opposed to installing the broader range of preventive measures 

although I don’t think that is the case. 

There is testimony before you or evidence before you that installing peepholes per door is only $11.00. It is very easy to have personnel trained in the collection and preservation of evidence. It is 

very easy to have video surveillance. It is very easy to have a victim/witness advocate, and it is extremely to make those pass keys 

inoperative after the duty shift of the crew member is over. 

43 

The cruise lines have been on notice of these problems for years. 

Those commission reports were in 1999. We are in 2007. 

Royal Caribbean knew about the fate of my client in March, 

2007. Three weeks prior to that, she was victimized. 

So my recommendation at this point, respectfully, is that it is 

long gone for purposes of the two sides reaching an accommodation 

on their own. It is time for legislation. It is time for Congress to 

step in and mandate that specific security procedures be installed 

onboard these cruise lines to protect American citizens primarily 

but to protect anyone else who buys a ticket where they are implored to go and enjoy themselves under a safe and fun environment when in fact there is nothing of the kind that is available for 

them. They go on these cruises at their own risk. 

I submit that the cruise industry could take these preventive 

measures, Chairman Cummings, with a minimum of expenditure 

in light of the profits they obtain on a yearly basis. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Let me ask Ms. Hudson and Ms. DiPiero, Ms. 

Orlich and Mr. Ruchelman. Can you each of please state which of 

the meetings held between the victims and families of victims and 

the cruise lines you attended, if any? Please give the Subcommittee 

your sense of these meetings and then comment on what you believe needs to be done next in terms of ongoing discussions between 

the victims and cruise lines to improve safety and security on 

cruise ships. 

We will go with you, Ms. Hudson. You are first. 

Ms. HUDSON. Okay. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I ask you all to be brief. I just want to get a feel. 

Ms. HUDSON. Okay. I attended the July 26th, 2007 meeting that 

was held here in Washington, D.C. along with a few other members 

of the ICV and a couple of members and friends to the ICV. It was 

five hours long. We went five hours straight. There were a lot of 

great recommendations that came out of that meeting. 

Terry Dale, they did take notes. There was an attorney, Phil, 

who recommended the cruise industry possibly using an outside 

vendor to take a look at the security setup and practices. So I 

thought there were a lot of good suggestions that came out of it. 

My problem and concern is that was the end of it. We never 

heard anything like, well, this is what we did. This is what we are 

going to do. 

So that is the only meeting I attended. I did not go to the August 

meeting because I didn’t get an invitation to the August meeting, 

not like the other two, but that was one meeting. 

I thought it was helpful. They listened to our 10-point plan. They 

did give their recommendations, but I thought we were trying to 

move forward, but unfortunately I don’t know what came of that. 

It kind of went by the wayside. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. In other words, you are saying you felt good 

about that meeting. 

Ms. HUDSON. I felt good about that meeting. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. When you walked out the door, you felt optimistic that you would be able to work something out? 

Ms. HUDSON. I thought they were going to work something out, 

yes, sir. 

44 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right. Do you want to try to continue that effort? 

Ms. HUDSON. I would like to. I am very skeptical about the voluntary agreement. Also legislation, I would love to see legislation 

here, but if they would commit to making the changes that we are 

asking, like Congresswoman Brown said, use common sense. There 

are things that they can do common sense-wise. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Ms. Orlich? 

Ms. ORLICH. I did attend in March, 2006, the first hearing here 

in D.C. I didn’t testify. I was just with my fellow ICV people here. 

But I also attended in August in Miami and met with CLIA, Terry 

Dale, Gary Bald, and I actually thought at that time that there 

would be things done. That was approximately a month ago. Nothing has been done since then to my expectations that I thought. 

I also spoke to someone underneath Gary Bald, a Mike Giglia— 

I am sorry if I am ruining his name—who is a former FBI agent. 

He took my case, took all my information, and I thought by now 

I would hear something back about Cozumel. He did call me last 

week and told me that he sent an email to the American Consulate, again this Anne Harris that I had dealt with a couple years 

ago, but he has not yet received anything back. So he actually did 

try, but there hasn’t been anything else. 

I would like to see it continue if possible. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Ms. DiPiero? 

Ms. DIPIERO. I attended the meeting in August in Miami. We all 

had great ideas. I gave them four pages of ideas. They seemed very 

receptive. They said, yes, you have great ideas. 

We left there. There were no proposals. There were no promises. 

As of yet, I have seen no written contract saying, we will do this, 

this and this. 

Like I said in my testimony, any change is going to require 

money and that is held in the purse strings of the companies. Until 

those people are the ones that come forward and say, okay, you 

have the money to do whatever you need to do, I don’t think they 

are going to do it. They are going to be on a budget. There has to 

be things that have to be done, and they need to be told how to 

do them and they need to be given a timeframe to do them in. 

I think that the people we were with in Miami truly would like 

to go in and do all the changes in the world, but they don’t have 

the money to do it. I think it is really going to be forced upon the 

industry. 

We forced it upon the automobile industry. There didn’t used to 

be airbags in our cars. There didn’t used to be seatbelts. There 

didn’t used to be rollbars within the bodywork to protect our heads 

should a car roll over. I believe that the automobile industry has 

done those things because they were require to do it, and we need 

to require the cruise lines to make change. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Ruchelman? 

Mr. RUCHELMAN. Mr. Chairman, I didn’t attend any meetings. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right. I want to thank all of you. 

We are going to now go to the Ranking Member, but I just want 

to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you. I know it is kind of 

difficult. 

45 

Ms. Hudson, I guess that is your sister back there. Is that your 

sister? 

Ms. HUDSON. Yes, my sisters. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Is that your sister? 

Ms. HUDSON. Two of them, yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Okay. I mean the one in the red. She looks just 

like you. 

Ms. HUDSON. Oh, no, that is my niece. That is my niece. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Oh, okay. 

The thing I appreciate is that you all have taken a difficult circumstance that is so very, very painful and then tried to put the 

anger aside and try to make things better for other people. I have 

never been in that situation, but I imagine it is not always easy. 

I know the industry. I have talked to the industry many times. 

I know they are trying to do a lot of things, but we have to have 

this balance. 

I have said to the industry that they have to be reasonable and 

try to work with you all, but you all have to be reasonable too so 

that we can come up with a win-win because I think that when we 

are constantly battling, nothing comes out of it. I think we are aiming in that direction, but I just wanted to thank you all very much. 

Mr. LaTourette. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Chairman Cummings? Oh, I am sorry, Mr. 

LaTourette. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Do you want to say something before I start? 

Go ahead. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Very briefly. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. I just wanted to make one point before we leave. 

I think in light of the anguish suffered by the people in this panel 

and my client and where we are in terms of the lack of communication even though it was earnestly attempted, that this panel has 

an obligation to inquire as to whether the cruise industry is 

incentivized to believe that it is more effective on a cost basis to 

defend individual cases, especially where on those ships and in 

those cases evidence is intentionally not preserved, rather than to 

implement the broad base of security measures that have been out 

there in this industry since 1999 and that they have been generally 

aware of. That is the dynamic. 

What is more effective from a cost basis? 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Sullivan, let me say this. I am hoping. 

Thank you, Mr. LaTourette. I just want to answer this real 

quick. 

You made some very strong statements, and I am hoping that 

the industry is listening to what you just said because I am very 

interested to hear what they have to say to what you have been 

saying, and I know they will respond. So let us hear from that 

group. Thank you. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Thank you. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Just a housekeeping matter, I would ask unanimous consent that 

additional opening remarks by Mr. Mica, the Ranking Member of 

the Full Committee, be made part of the record. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Yes. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you very much. 

46 

I want to thank all of you for your observations today. An editorial observation is one of the reasons I enjoy being a Ranking 

Member on the Subcommittee is working with just a fine man and 

gentleman like Chairman Cummings. 

Mr. Carver, I was heartened by your observations that you described the meetings that occurred as historic, and I think that we 

all recognize that they came about as a result of the attention that 

the Chairman has played to that. I know that he doesn’t need plaudits from me, but he is going to get them anyway. I commend him 

for that and his continued diligence on this issue. 

I am interested in the line of questioning that you had. I don’t 

know if I subscribe to your statement, Mr. Carver, that anybody 

that has ever been victimized needs to be invited to a meeting. I 

think that what needs to happen are the ideas. 

I jotted down that you presented the 10 things that your group 

wanted to see. Ms. DiPiero had a number of items in her observations such as raising railings and nets after dark. Somebody had— 

it might have you, Ms. DiPiero—had a little different slant. I think 

you wanted people with bracelets and GPS and yours is a pass 

with a GPS finder that is activated by salt water and, today, Mr. 

Sullivan’s testimony about the pass keys and the peepholes and 

things of that nature. 

I think somewhere in the world there is a body of things that 

reasonable people could agree would make ships safer when it 

comes to crimes committed aboard ships. I guess it would be my 

hope that there be continued dialogue. 

Mr. Sullivan, maybe you can help me with this. You weren’t at 

our March hearing. Were you at our March hearing? 

Mr. SULLIVAN. No, I was not. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Okay. One of the things that we sort of got 

into was it is difficult. One, it is tough to pass a law, even if you 

have got a great idea. Two, this particular issue, when you are 

dealing with foreign-flagged vessels and you are dealing with treaties, we can pass a lot of rules and regulations about the structural 

integrity so that when they come into our harbors, they don’t break 

apart and pollute our harbors and our bays, but these issues are 

a little bit tougher. 

I don’t mean to suggest that you said that there is something 

simple that we could, but I think that it is more complicated. Do 

you have an observation on that? 

Mr. SULLIVAN. I would respectfully suggest that to the extent legislation proceeds on the basis of such foreign-flagged ships using 

our harbors, the analogue would be such foreign-flagged ships sell 

tickets to our American citizens and that would provide a justifiable basis for the enhancements for security under legislation that 

I suggested a few moments ago. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I don’t know if I agree with you 100 percent. 

I do know that when the Coast Guard was here, they made the observation on this reporting agreement, that if people don’t report, 

you can deny entry to ports. I suppose there are things like that 

we could, but it is something to look at. 

This is my 13th year here and getting something through both 

houses, signed by the President of the United States is a difficult 

thing. I think that the path that the Chairman has put you on is 

47 

one that has the opportunity, at least in the short run, to have 

some tangible results and success. We will hear from the industry 

in just a minute about what their thoughts are. 

But I guess the question would be in addition to the things that 

you have outlined, your 10 points, your group’s 10 points and, Ms. 

DiPiero, you had made some observations and, Mr. Sullivan, you 

have made some observations. 

Are there any other ideas out there in terms of changes that 

aren’t included in the 10 points, aren’t included in the nets, the 

cameras, the peepholes, that you all have contemplated and 

thought about, rape kits—we are going to talk about rape kits with 

the industry—that you think would address the issues to bring us 

all together here today? Anybody? 

Mr. CARVER. I will just comment. I want to go back to that earlier comment. Literally, I am not expecting the cruise lines to invite thousands of people. What I did resent was that they targeted 

only our members without telling us. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I understand that, and language is tough, the 

use of ‘‘target’’ has kind of a sinister insinuation; that they targeted 

you because you are organized and they don’t care about everybody 

else. I don’t think I would accept that argument. 

I would make the argument that, for instance, if I was interested 

in accepting the views of people who like baseball, I would probably 

get a hold of some organized Major League Baseball organization. 

So I take it. I mean without ascribing a sinister motive to them, 

I might take it as a compliment that they reached out to you because you are organized and you know what you are doing and you 

actually have a plan. 

Mr. CARVER. Right. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. You have 10 points that are reasonable and rational and everything else. 

Mr. CARVER. But the dates here, your second question, there 

could be many, many items. Sue has got some items that we 

haven’t used that we think are great. I am sure the gentleman at 

the end of the table has some ideas. 

But we have got to start some place, and we started with 10 

points which would dramatically change things and you add to 

that. You can take some of Sue’s things. Our 10 points is a fluid 

document. We changed it in May or in June. We added. Where we 

had just rape kits, we added medical care. You know. So, sure, you 

have got to start some place. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I think that would be my invitation. If you all 

want to get together and send the Subcommittee a list of those 

things. If the Chairman makes a further inquiry about this in 

terms of progress, we can talk about progress. 

I have your 10 points. Ms. DiPiero, I have raising railings, sensors to determine if something big goes overboard, the netting issue 

of after dark to make sure people don’t hit the water, and the GPS 

chips. 

We also have yours, Mr. Sullivan. 

We are going to hear from the industry on the next panel, but 

the invitation would be that there needs to be a body of good ideas 

somehow memorialized in one place, and then that is a good starting point. Rather continuing to have hearings where we come in 

48 

and we say the industry is good, the industry is bad, why don’t we 

just solve the problem and solve the problem with good ideas? 

If you would be so kind as to do that, and Ms. Hudson also has 

some ideas on fire safety that she talked about. So there is a body 

of ideas. 

Do you want to say something? 

Ms. HUDSON. I am sorry. I do. Just some of the things that the 

industry already does, in my situation, they have emergency escape 

breathing devices already on the ships. They are just for the use 

of crew members. 

The practice is or their protocol is if someone is stuck or trapped 

in a cabin, if they need the emergency escape breathing device, 

they are to call the 911 phone. In our situation, no one was manning the 911 phone. 

That little unit, emergency escape breathing device, holds at 

least 15 minutes of air. As you see in my written statement, I mentioned how long my father was left in the alleyway. So maybe if 

there was that unit in his cabin, I possibly wouldn’t be sitting here 

today in front of you. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I think those are the types of things that I am 

talking about. If you all could either individually or as a group get 

together and just submit that list of best practices. 

We have the same thing in all industries. In the railroad industry, I had the family of an engineer who passed away in 

Graniteville came in and said if he had had a self-contained breathing apparatus in the locomotive, he might be with us today. 

So any thoughts, we would appreciate. Under the Chairman’s 

great diligence, we can then review progress about how these talks 

are going forward. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. LaTourette, very briefly. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Yes. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. There has never been a dearth of great ideas. I 

referenced the consultant’s reports back in 1999. The fundamental 

problem is there has never been devised a mechanism to compel 

the cruise industry to implement the good ideas that people have 

been coming up with for years and years. That is the issue. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I appreciate that. I am also struck by the remarks that the meeting that the Chairman urged, the set of meetings are historic. I think that the industry gets it, and there are 

carrot and stick approaches. I understand exactly what you are 

saying. 

Mr. SULLIVAN. Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. First of all, Mr. LaTourette, I want to thank you 

for your comments. 

I do think that the industry gets it, and we are going to keep trying to keep this train on the track. 

We all know it is a two-way street, and there has to be trust on 

both parts. The industry has to trust that it is dealing with people 

who are going to be reasonable with them and work through 

things, but the victims and the families have to feel trust with regard to the industry. Without trust, nothing works. No relationship 

works. 

Ms. Brown. 

49 

Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chairman, I don’t have a question. I want to 

hear the last participant, and I think they just called a vote. So can 

you just tell me what the schedule is going to be? 

Mr. CUMMINGS. What we are going to have to do is we are going 

to finish our rounds of questions. Then we are going to have to 

come back to hear the industry. 

Mr. Coble, I am sorry. 

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Chairman, very briefly, as the Chairman and the 

Ranking Member said to the panel, we very much appreciate your 

all being here today. 

Mr. Carver, in your testimony, you included suggestions on how 

to enhance passenger safety and security aboard cruise vessels. 

Have you approached them or have they approached you to discuss 

the possibility of implementing some of those suggestions? 

Mr. CARVER. That is exactly what we talked about in July, July 

26th. We laid out fairly detailed documents. We probably have 

given the cruise line 100 pages of documents on how these things 

can be done. Their response was we like the idea, but in fact we 

want to do it another way. 

But one of the key items, the very first item was setting up a 

database of employees that are terminated. Their position was or 

the concern was it was not legal to set up such a type of database. 

In fact, we gave CLIA a legal document a week ago saying, in fact, 

it is legal to do that. 

So they agreed to that in that meeting. We agreed to that. We 

have given them a supporting legal memorandum concerning that 

subject. It would seem that the next step is to do it since they 

agreed to it and we agreed to it. 

That was our number one point. Since 80 percent of the crimes 

involve crew members, it makes sense that they are able to identify 

these people and they don’t terminate them off one ship and go to 

another ship. 

So, in fact, it would appear that we might have reached an 

agreement on that. I have not gotten a response from the industry 

to the letter that was sent to them a week ago, but our legal counsel felt it was legal. 

So we agreed to it. They said it is a good idea. Here is the legal 

paper. Now they can disagree with it, but that is where we are 

with our number one. 

Mr. COBLE. Let me ask you one final question, Mr. Carver. How 

many victims are represented by ICV? 

Mr. CARVER. We have several hundred members, and I would say 

60, 70 victims. 

Mr. COBLE. I thank you, sir. 

I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will just make it short. 

I just want to thank all of you for your courage and your commitment and your willingness to work on this. I believe if it weren’t 

for you all and your concern that you do not want this to happen 

to anybody else, we would not be here today. 

I believe that you are making progress. I believe that the fact 

that we are having hearings has been very helpful. I also believe 

that there is a situation here where I think there is now going to 

50 

be more, I hope, give and take on this. There are some very good 

suggestions at the bare minimum that could be done by the cruise 

industry to start the process of developing trust. 

I think about it. I brought up the subject of hotels and the fact 

that years ago people felt somewhat unsafe in hotels, and now I 

think most people feel fairly safe. There are peepholes. There are 

security cameras, security keys, all manner of things that can be 

done. 

I think these steps have to be made first. These suggestions have 

been made, and I think they have to be implemented. 

The trust factor is very, very important. I brought that up before. 

If this is to be voluntary, we have to trust that it will happen. I 

know that the victims here are going to keep with this, but their 

goal is not to let this happen to anybody else. I think we owe it 

to them to ensure that doesn’t happen. 

So I thank you so very much, all of you, for being here today. 

Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. With that, we thank you. 

We have one vote, and so we will be back in about 15 minutes. 

We want to, again, thank all of you. 

I am going to back to what Mr. LaTourette said. I do not like 

doing this, this hearing stuff. I think it is a difficult way to get 

things done, but it is attention-grabbing and it puts it out to the 

universe, but I think there are other ways to get this done. 

We are going to hear from the industry in a moment to see 

where they are, and then it is quite possible that Mr. LaTourette 

and I will get together in an informal way sometime soon to see 

where we are progressing, but we will try to push this process 

along as best we can. 

Again, we want to thank all of you for taking the time out to 

make a difference. Again, I just thank you. I really do. 

We will be back in about 15 minutes to hear from the last panel. 

Thank you. 

[Recess.] 

Mr. CUMMINGS. As we call the next witnesses, I hope these witnesses will concentrate. You had the opportunity to hear the testimony already. 

Let me see. How do I say this in a nice way? We don’t want to 

hear a lot of syrupy stuff. We want to know what we have 

achieved, what can we expect to achieve and where do we go from 

here. 

I have read all the testimony. I know Mr. LaTourette and Ms. 

Matsui and others have. We are trying to figure out where do we 

go from here, what have we done, what have we accomplished and 

let us see what your testimony will be. 

Terry Dale, President and CEO of the Cruise Lines International 

Association; Gary Bald, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Security Officer with Royal Caribbean Cruises; Ms. Vicky Rey, Vice 

President of Reservations Administration with Carnival Cruise 

Lines; and Jeff Morgan, President and Co-Founder of the Family 

Assistance Foundation. 

Mr. Dale. 

51 

TESTIMONY OF TERRY DALE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CRUISE 

LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION; GARY BALD, SENIOR 

VICE PRESIDENT AND GLOBAL CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, 

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES, LTD.; VICKY REY, VICE PRESIDENT, RESERVATIONS ADMINISTRATION, CARNIVAL CRUISE 

LINES; AND JEFF MORGAN, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER, 

FAMILY ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION, INC. 

Mr. DALE. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Members of the 

Subcommittee. 

My name is Terry Dale, and I am the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cruise Lines International Association, CLIA. CLIA 

is North America’s largest cruise industry association with a membership of 24 cruise lines, 16,500 travel agencies and 100 executive 

partners. 

Mr. Chairman, I believe you have received written submissions 

from a number of our travel industry partners that work closely 

with the industry today. I respectfully ask that they be submitted 

for the record. 

Joining us today, and I would ask that they stand when I read 

their association name, are the American Society of Travel Agents, 

the National Association of Cruise-Oriented Agencies, Cruise Planners and Vacation.com. These groups, as well as the thousands of 

professionals they represent, can attest to the millions of satisfied 

passengers who cruise with us each year. They also know the great 

lengths our industry goes to protect its passengers and crew. I 

thank them for their support and for being here today. 

On a personal note, I would be remiss if I did not express the 

industry’s profound sympathy to the victims whose stories we have 

now heard in four congressional hearings on this topic. To Ken 

Carver, Son Michael Pham, Sue and Ron DiPiero, Angela Orlich, 

Lynnette Hudson and others who I personally met and learned 

from over the past five months, I thank you for the opportunity. As 

we have heard today from the Chairman and Congresswoman Matsui, trust is critical, and I believe we can trust and continue the 

positive foundation that we have laid. 

To all of you, I take this opportunity to say we have heard your 

concerns. Our industry is working hard to ensure that in the future, if such incidents do occur, each passenger is treated with the 

necessary compassion, respect and care. 

Mr. Chairman, the cruise industry is committed to ensuring the 

safety and security of all of our passengers and crew. I know you 

share this commitment, and your directive to us to work together 

has strongly been embraced by this industry and I believe by the 

survivors as well. 

CLIA and senior executives from our member lines have worked 

tirelessly over the past six months in a collaborative effort with our 

partners including the Federal agencies we have heard from today 

as well as the International Cruise Victims Association, other survivors, families and resources like the Family Assistance Foundation. 

Shortly after the last hearing, our industry members co-sponsored the Family Assistance Foundation’s symposium in Atlanta in 

May at which I participated. Following this important symposium, 

I flew to Phoenix to personally meet with Ken Carver and Son MiVerDate Aug 31 2005 09:09 Jul 22, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00065 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 P:\DOCS\37916.TXT JASON
52 

chael Pham. CLIA then met with the ICVA in July here in Washington, D.C., to discuss their 10-point plan, and this was followed 

by a CLIA-hosted meeting with the Family Assistance Foundation, 

ICVA members and 13 survivors in Miami on August 14th. Significant information has been shared, and significant lessons learned. 

The list of these meetings is illustrative of our commitment to 

hear the concerns of survivors, to develop programs that are responsive to their concerns and to deploy these programs to the 

ships that operate throughout the world. We have all embraced 

your challenge to get the industry and partners working together 

for solutions. 

There has been past debate whether reports of unlawful acts onboard non-U.S.-flagged vessels are required to be reported. We are 

grateful to the Federal Government for clarifying once and for all 

that reporting of crimes in the cruise industry under existing Federal law is mandatory, not voluntary. 

On August 7th, 2007, CLIA received the following written statement from the Coast Guard: The Departments of Justice and State, 

FBI and U.S. Coast Guard have developed the following consensus 

position: An offense committed against at U.S. national on the high 

seas or in foreign territorial waters aboard a foreign-flagged cruise 

ship that embarked from or intended to call on a U.S. port would 

be subject to the reporting requirements as a de facto condition of 

port entry. 

This policy clarification was laid out in the Coast Guard’s testimony and is the formal position of the U.S. Government. 

Mr. Chairman, I began my testimony talking about the strong 

collaboration this industry has had since it received your charge six 

months ago to work with the survivors of cruise ship tragedies. 

Today I would like to announce that CLIA is creating a survivor 

working group that will be comprised of survivors of accidents and 

crime, families, CLIA staff members and senior level cruise line executives. 

This group will meet quarterly either in person or by conference 

call. As in past meetings, the industry will reimburse all travel and 

participation expenses incurred by working group members. Our 

common goal will be continued open dialogue and creating ways to 

achieving the best possible safety record in the vacation industry. 

Before I close, I would like to reiterate from the FBI’s written 

testimony that a passenger as .01 percent chance of something bad 

happening during a cruise. While one incident is one too many, 

that percentage speaks highly of the cruise industry’s record on 

passenger safety. 

Let me just reemphasize that the cruise industry has as its highest priority the protection of our most precious cargo, our passengers. 

Thank you for this opportunity. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. As we go forward, again, I want to emphasize 

that I want to know what the industry is prepared to do and, Mr. 

Bald, I think you are my next best hope of getting that. I am not 

trying to be smart, but I think we have heard a lot here today, and 

I just want to know where we are. That is what the hearing was 

originally about. 

53 

And so, I am satisfied that we got the reporting thing. The only 

question is whether or not it would go public. I think we are there. 

It is the reporting piece that we are pretty straight on. 

I usually don’t do this, but I want to make sure we use our time 

wisely. The question is where do we go from here, what have we 

been able to agree upon and what have we accomplished? 

I use a term. Muhammad Ali, when he used to fight, he had 

something. He did something called the rope-a-dope, and he would 

lay it on the ring, on the ropes, and he would take all the punches. 

Eventually, he would come out of the rope-a-dope, have saved his 

energy and beat his opponent. 

I don’t want any rope-a-dopes here. I don’t want to be meeting 

to be meeting to be meeting to be meeting, and I know Mr. 

LaTourette doesn’t either. 

So, Mr. Bald, as you begin to address us, so you can use your 

time wisely, I want to know about what you all are willing to do 

with the things that I have asked about with regard to protocol, 

say, to protect against sexual assaults. What are you all prepared 

to do with regard to that? 

You heard about the DVD. I know you haven’t gotten it because 

the FBI hasn’t released it yet, but I just want to have some testimony on that and anything else you might have to say. 

Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chairman, before they move forward, let me ask 

you a question because as they form their testimony and let me 

just say, since I hadn’t said it, I wanted to thank the witnesses 

that have come forward. I am very sensitive to the problems that 

we are addressing. 

But we have been dealing with homeland security and in transportation, when there is a list of names that may be on a list and 

those names should not be on the list and some names sound alike, 

we could be putting people’s names out there that is not the person. When you get that person’s name on a list, how does that person get their name off the list? You know we are having that problem in aviation. We are having it in transportation, period. 

So I think as they develop whatever procedure and whatever recommendations, they need to make sure that everybody is protected. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I understand. Thank you. Thank you very much. 

Mr. Bald. 

Mr. BALD. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Congressman 

LaTourette and Members of the Subcommittee. I would like to take 

this opportunity to thank you again for holding these hearings. 

After 29 years in the FBI, I have come to appreciate the oversight you provide and the reform it can bring about when conducted in a fair and productive manner. I have been particularly 

impressed with your recommendation, Mr. Chairman, in support of 

our industry partnership with cruise incident survivors. I thank for 

your encouragement and collegial inclinations in this important 

area. 

I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to the 

incident survivors who appeared before you today. Lynnette Hudson, Ken Carver, Sue DiPiero, Angela Orlich and Harold 

Ruchelman are good people who have suffered as a result of events 

that occurred while they or their family members were on a cruise. 

54 

They have also devoted time to assisting us with our improvement 

efforts, and for this I am grateful. 

Mr. Chairman, a variety of issues were raised by these witnesses 

earlier today as well as by Mr. Sullivan, and I am certainly prepared to comment on their concerns. However, I do not want to risk 

responding to aspects of their testimony in a way that may cause 

further pain for these fine people or perhaps undermine the important relationships we have begun to form with them. 

Instead, I intend to focus my testimony on the positive steps we 

are taking and my strategy for future shipboard security. I will, of 

course, be happy to answer any questions that you have about their 

concerns. However, in the few minutes that I have I would like to 

address several important areas, first, my guest security strategy 

onboard our ships. 

At Royal Caribbean, my guest security strategy is to implement 

processes that prevent and effectively respond to security incidents. 

Prevention is being pursued through a dual effort of effective deterrence and understanding and eliminating the factors that contribute to incidents. 

In those situations where an incident does occur, our goal is to 

effectively respond in a manner that restores safety and security, 

treats and cares for our guests appropriately and with compassion, 

identifies those responsible, preserves evidence, and facilitates and 

supports Government investigation of the incident and prosecution 

of those responsible. 

It is important to note that although I believe we have come a 

long way in our security efforts, we still have much more to accomplish. Ultimately, this process is not about statistics or even about 

past incidents although both are important. It is about preventing 

even a single incident like those you have heard about today. This 

is no small task but one that I am confident our efforts will have 

a positive impact on and a positive impact on the cruise experiences of our future guests. 

Since the March hearing before this Committee, I have benefitted 

from both direct and indirect input from cruise incident survivors. 

Their unique perspectives have afforded me an excellent compass 

check to ensure that my efforts are on a course that will prevent 

future incidents and are in keeping with the needs of our guests 

and crew that I am dedicated to protect. 

I would like to focus my comments this afternoon on only a few 

of the two dozen steps that we have taken in the six months since 

we first met. You will find details of all of these initiatives in my 

written testimony, the majority of which speak to issues raised by 

incident survivors. 

For example, in April, we implemented a formal quarterly review 

of shipboard incidents as an oversight process that helps us ensure 

incidents are properly reported, properly addressed and offer opportunities for improvement. This month, we added the FBI to this 

quarterly review process. 

In June, we entered into an agreement with an outside contractor to supply investigative experts who are on call to respond 

to shipboard incidents such as a man overboard or certain sexual 

assault situations. This team provides a resource we can dispatch 

with strong investigative credentials to assist in supporting the 

55 

needs of Government investigators, understanding how an incident 

occurred and what steps we can take to prevent a recurrence. 

Given the input that we have received from the Subcommittee 

and our incident survivors, we have required this team to include 

highly skilled female investigators who will greatly add to our efforts to understand and prevent sexual assault incidents. 

In July, we contracted with a separate outside expert for the development of incident metrics to facilitate the preventive approach 

to shipboard security I spoke of a moment ago. If we can better understand the underlying causes of incidents, we will be better able 

to target them for elimination. 

In July and August of this year, we hired three additional experienced investigators, including two women, as full time members of 

my global security department’s investigative team. These career 

professionals along with their director bring more than 80 years of 

investigative experience to the company and form a team whose 

past assignments include the handling of sexual assault investigations and strong experience working with international law enforcement partners. 

Finally, next week, we will complete our annual security officers 

training seminar. This year, we will include presentations by the 

Family Assistance Foundation in addition to instruction from the 

FBI that they normally receive. During this session, security officers will receive training on topics such as incident reporting requirements, incident prevention, incident response, evidence preservation, conflict resolution, guest care, victim concerns, intelligence, terrorism and security countermeasures. They will also become the first Government-licensed security officials in the cruise 

industry. 

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, these are only 5 examples of the 

24 initiatives that we have implemented since the last hearing and 

which are further detailed in my written testimony. 

At Royal Caribbean, we strive to provide an exceptional and safe 

vacation experience for our guests. We succeed in the vast majority 

of our guest experiences. However, in those instances when a crime 

does occur, we want to ensure that our guests and their families 

are appropriately cared for and that persons responsible are effectively investigated and that steps are taken to learn from and 

hopefully prevent the incident from happening again. 

I look forward to our continuing partnership with incident survivors, corporate and industry partners, and Government agencies 

and to providing updates to you, Mr. Chairman and other Members 

of the Subcommittee as desired. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to be here today, and I am 

happy to respond to any questions you may have. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Rey. 

Ms. REY. Chairman Cummings and Members of the Committee, 

good afternoon. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Good afternoon. 

Ms. REY. My name is Vicky Rey, and I am the Vice President of 

Reservations Administration for Carnival Cruise Lines. I am also 

the Lead Executive for the Carnival Care Team. 

56 

Before I go on, Mr. Chairman, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the losses and experiences of the families here today. 

My thoughts are with you. 

Thank you for allowing me to participate today. We value your 

concern over the level of care that is given to guests and families 

when they unexpectedly find their vacation disrupted by an unfortunate event. We share your concern and appreciate the opportunity to inform you of what Carnival does to take care of our 

guests when this occurs. 

This is my first congressional hearing, and I am honored to be 

here, representing the 500 men and women that represent the Carnival Care Team. During the past 26 years, I have held various 

passenger traffic management positions and have served in my 

present capacity for 17 years. I have led Carnival’s Care Team 

since 1999, since its genesis in 1999. 

The Care Team was originally organized to handle critical incidents of mass guest displacement primarily caused from a cancellation or alteration of a cruise as a result of a mechanical or weatherrelated factor. Since then, it has evolved into a team of broadly 

trained individuals who respond on a regular basis to incidents involving medical or bereavement debarks or some other form of unexpected tragedy. 

Our mission is to provide compassionate care and practical support to guests who find themselves at a time of significant trauma 

or crisis. Our goal is to provide them with an environment where 

they can begin the healing process while they complete their business with us and move on with their lives. 

As a corporation, we have learned that we have great power to 

help individuals succeed in their ability to transcend a tragedy by 

the care and compassion we show them in the aftermath of a crisis. 

We have made a conscious effort to provide this kind of care not 

only because it is the right thing to do but because we feel it is 

a privilege to help someone who may be going through a life-altering situation while vacationing with us. 

Our Care Team training program is ongoing, aggressive and comprehensive. Since last summer, we have trained 1,470 employees 

over the course of 368 hours. This includes our large core group of 

family escorts and support services personnel, most of the shoreside management, our captains, staff captains, chief engineers, 

hotel directors, chief pursers and chief security officers. 

Furthermore, several hundred of our call center employees were 

trained on how to empathically communicate with affected guests 

or relatives who may be trying to reach us telephonically. An additional group received training on next of kin notification skills in 

the event that we need to inform relatives of a critical event. 

Finally, we are now adding greater focus to the training of port 

agents and ground services personnel who often act as an extension 

of us when time and distance are factors. An additional 80 training 

hours are planned for the balance of this year, bringing our total 

number of trained staff to 1,760. Our goal remains to partner with 

other lines in expanding awareness and training to all of our crew 

and to our vast network of port agents. 

Our training is based on core Care Team principles that identify 

the basic needs of an individual when they are in the acute phase 

57 

of trauma, usually occurring within the first 72 hours. Research 

has indicated that despite our personal and cultural differences, at 

the onset of trauma, we all have very similar needs when we grieve 

or hurt. We have learned that the sharing of sorrow makes for a 

very powerful bond and that our own personal losses and experiences make us well equipped to be able to help others who may be 

hurting in a similar way. 

Since May of last year, our Care Team has assisted 163 families. 

The majority of these involved medical emergencies. During this 

same period, Carnival has served 4.7 million guests. 

When our Care Team is activated, we travel to different destinations wherever we needed to assist in providing emotional support, 

basic needs like clothing and food, connections with loved ones, 

lodging and transportation arrangements. In general, we run interference and provide guidance when others’ coping mechanisms may 

be compromised. 

Lastly, I want to share with you that we are passionate about 

our level of commitment to this program, and we want to do everything possible to continue increasing awareness in our own company but within the industry as well. This year, we have partnered 

with the Family Assistance Foundation and just last May were cosponsors of their annual symposium that brought together survivors and members of the industry in a forum that encouraged 

education and understanding. 

In August, we participated in a CLIA-hosted meeting where we 

once again met with survivors in order to learn from their experiences. Carnival is an active participant in CLIA’s working group 

with families and with CLIA’s guest assistance committee to determine industry best practices. 

In closing, let me just say that I am extremely proud of Carnival’s progress in the Care Team area as well as in the industry. 

Let me assure you that we are firmly committed to continuing to 

do the right thing. 

Thank you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Mr. Morgan. 

Mr. MORGAN. Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the 

Committee, my name is Jeff Morgan and I am President and CoFounder of the Family Assistance Foundation. My colleague, another co-founder, Dr. Carolyn Coarsey, was unable to be here with 

you today, so she has provided her statement both written and on 

DVD which I believe is available to the Committee. 

In 2000, Dr. Carolyn Coarsey and I co-founded the Family Assistance Foundation for the purpose of helping organizations provide 

a higher level of response to survivors during tragedies. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide education, training and organized mutual aid at a time of tragedy. 

The cornerstone of the Foundation is to promote open dialogue 

between survivors and employee helpers. We encourage family and 

passenger survivors to tell the stories in an educational format so 

that they themselves can train employees on what is needed by 

survivors during these vulnerable times. 

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58 

ducted by my colleague, Dr. Coarsey, continue to show that when 

employees are empowered to help survivors, they have a tremendous opportunity to influence how survivors heal from their losses. 

These interviews form the basis of all the training that we offer as 

we believe the true experts on the subject of how best to assist survivors are the survivors themselves. 

In 2005, Dr. Coarsey began interviewing survivors of cruise line 

tragedies. Shortly thereafter, she began developing specific training 

materials for the cruise line industry such as those that Vicky mentioned just a moment ago. These materials incorporate lessons 

learned from survivors including the family members of persons 

who were missing overboard, family members of deceased passengers and guests who become involved in various tragedies while 

on a cruise ship. 

Here, at the Foundation, we have seen a very aggressive response by the cruise line industry to the problem of empowering 

employees to assist survivors by offering many different training 

programs, using the video interviews and written materials incorporating all these lessons learned. 

Dr. Coarsey has personally provided awareness education to 

more than 4,000 employees in the cruise line industry. She has 

trained a wide range of personnel, and one of the reasons that she 

is unable to be with us is we have an aggressive schedule really 

for the remainder of the year with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Holland America and P&O Cruises. 

The personnel that we train include executives, care team employees, telephone responders, employees who will notify the next 

of kin of guests who experience a tragedy while on the ship. It also 

includes security personnel, safety officers, captains and other onboard staff. The goal is to provide some level of awareness to every 

single employer who might interface with a survivor during any 

crisis. 

In addition to the training that we have conducted earlier this 

year, the Foundation’s annual symposium featured two educational 

panels on cruise line-related issues. The first panel involved family 

members and guests who had survived cruise line tragedies prior 

to this training. The second panel involved survivors of tragedies 

following the newer programs that have been implemented. 

We observed a significant difference in outcomes between the two 

groups. Survivors who were empowered by trained employees and 

offered every form of assistance possible were still healing from the 

losses of loved ones, but they did not have to cope with the anger 

and hostility generated by a lack of understanding. 

We believe that it is important to listen to every single survivor. 

We encourage the industry to listen and learn from each person 

who has experienced tragedy, those who had negative experiences 

with employees before the education as well as the positive ones. 

The Family Assistance Foundation continues to support the continuing dialogue between the cruise line industry and survivors. 

We know the industry is listening and learning from survivors. We 

were part of the meeting in August and were honored to facilitate 

that meeting, and we know most of the comments were negative. 

However, the cruise line industry sat and listened. 

59 

In closing, I can assure you that the Family Assistance Foundation will continue to do all that we can to support our cruise industry members and the cruise industry overall in improving how 

guests and their families are supported following these tragic 

events that occur in conjunction with cruises. 

Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony, and I 

will be glad to answer any questions that you might have. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Let me, first of all, go to you, Mr. Bald. I was looking at your 

testimony. You talked about things that you all are doing, and it 

looks like you are doing some pretty good things. 

This formally establishing a security career path and related job 

descriptions for our shipboard security teams, can you talk about 

that? 

Mr. BALD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Yes, sir. What we have done is we have taken a look at what we 

have been doing onboard the ship in the way of security processes, 

and we have taken a look at where we need to be. We have adjusted our requirements for the positions of security guard and security supervisor and for the deputy position onboard our ships and 

the security officer himself. 

What we intend to do is make sure that we change the processes 

onboard the ship and then be able to hold people accountable, and 

we needed to make sure we defined what those responsibilities 

were before we could move forward in making sure that they implement the things that we are asking them to implement. 

I would be more than happy to provide you copies of what we put 

together in the way of job descriptions for the folks onboard our 

ships if that would be informative for you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to go back to this whole idea of evidence 

preservation. I am hoping that the industry, if it has not already, 

will. It sounds like this FBI DVD, I think Ms. Matsui talked about 

it a bit and I talked about it. I am not sure that that is sufficient. 

I am asking you all since you are a former FBI agent. It seems 

like you ought to be able, if you haven’t already, develop a protocol 

with regard to evidence. I am assuming there may be at least two 

different types of protocol, one for certain kinds of crimes and then 

one for sexual crimes because I think the sexual assaults and probably other types of assaults maybe have certain elements that 

other crimes don’t have. Going to the person, that is. 

So I am just wondering. Is that a part of this training that you 

talked about a little earlier? If it is not, are you all willing to do 

that? 

Mr. BALD. Yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I see Mr. Dale shaking his head. Since I see a 

nod in the affirmative, I don’t want you to be quiet. Do you want 

to say something? 

Mr. DALE. Absolutely. First, let me say that when it comes to 

safety and security, our 24 cruise line members do not compete. It 

is in our best interest to make sure that we are providing the 

safest vacation possible. So I have personally experienced the training by one of our cruise line members, and we spent an entire day 

with FBI representatives and Coast Guard representatives, going 

through the protocol that you just talked about. 

60 

So, yes, the DVD is a good step, but there needs to be additional 

processes when it comes to our training, and we are taking those 

next steps. Our cruise line members do have protocols in their security training manuals, and we place just a huge emphasis and 

priority on this. 

Mr. BALD. Mr. Chairman, if I may, to respond to your question, 

on our training protocols, we actually have involved the FBI in our 

training for a period of years. This year’s training for our security 

officers begins next week. There is a one day block, one full day 

block by the FBI. 

It includes not only experts who respond to the ship, actually the 

ones responsible for overseeing the FBI agents who go to the ships 

on how they respond and what they expect when they get there. 

It also includes a half-day presentation by the FBI’s evidence response teams over what constitutes evidence, where it may be 

found and what condition they want to see it in when they arrive 

at the ship. 

To your question on the differing evidence handling processes depending on whether it is a sexual assault or not, what I have attempted to do is to find a process for our security officers that I 

expect them to adhere to for how they respond to any incident. 

In the situation of sexual assault, there is an adjunct to that, and 

that involves the responsibilities of the medical staff. Certainly, the 

collection of evidence, the only area that I am expecting our ships 

to play a role in for collection purposes is in the medical facility 

when they are actually examining a woman who has been the victim of a sexual assault. The rest of my instruction policies and 

training are geared towards the effective preservation of evidence. 

However, having the FBI explain the collection processes allows 

my team onboard the ships to be able to respond if, for example, 

the evidence that needs to be collected is in an area that is perishable, for example, outdoors. Then what I want is for the FBI to actually directly provide the guidance to our security officer as to exactly what they want done, but I want them to have a framework 

of understanding before that instruction comes. 

So this is the backbone of what we are providing in next week’s 

training. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. On my way over here when we were coming back 

from the vote, I was telling Ms. Matsui that if I were to guess, if 

I were to guess, I would imagine that women make the decisions 

with regard to a family on this cruise. Now we men think we make 

the decisions, but they probably make the decisions. 

It seems to me that the industry would want women to feel very 

comfortable about whatever goes on, on a ship. To me, it is just logical, and so I think some of the steps that you are taking are very 

important. 

Mr. Dale, going back to you, now you announced in your testimony that CLIA will be establishing a survivor working group that 

will meet quarterly and will be comprised of survivors of cruise incidents, senior level cruise line executives and CLIA executives. 

Can you describe the goal of that group and what kind of specific 

agenda items? 

Are you all going to be just rehashing the same things over and 

over again? Because what happens is that people get tired of that. 

61 

People, all of us, like to feel that we are making progress or we lose 

hope. When we lose hope, trust goes along with it, by the way, so 

then you have nothing. 

Go ahead. 

Mr. DALE. Exactly. Yes, let me shed some light on our working 

group. The goal is really going to be solution-focused, and we want 

to engage and hear from as many victims as possible. We have 

done that throughout the course of this summer. 

As you have heard, we have had an opportunity to review the 

ICVA 10-point plan. The DiPieros have submitted some very valid 

ideas for consideration. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Are you in agreement with any of that 10-point 

plan? 

Mr. DALE. We agree from a conceptual standpoint, but how we 

get to the end result is where we need to continue this dialogue. 

So that is the purpose of this working group is to focus on how do 

we get the solutions to provide the safest vacation in the industry 

today. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I am going to come back, but I want to ask you 

this one last thing. 

If you really listened to the witnesses, they were feeling pretty 

good. They were feeling pretty good. They went to the meeting. 

They were probably a little skeptical. It seemed like everything was 

coming along real good. Ms. Hudson said she felt real nice about 

it, like things were moving. Then it seemed like the bottom just 

dropped out. 

One of the problems that happens, and you can explain to me 

what happened, but one of the things that happens is that whenever something like that happens, it is almost like you are at level 

ground as far as trust, but then the person goes underground. So 

to get that trust back up, they have got to fight to get back up. 

Basically, what you are doing is you are wasting time because 

they have got to get back up here just to be on level ground to even 

be able to trust. 

I am thinking that you have got the victims and their families 

who have said, we really want to work this thing out. We were 

really feeling good about these folks, the industry, and then it 

seemed like we were left kind of hanging. 

Can you talk about that because, to me, that is key? 

Mr. DALE. Absolutely. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. This is not legislative stuff. This is basic human 

relationship stuff. 

Mr. DALE. Exactly. I agree. 

At the August 14th meeting, at the end, we decided that it 

makes all the sense in the world to establish this working group. 

I indicated then it would take us 30 days. We needed to go out, 

identify who would like to be a part of the group. So we said, in 

two weeks, please let us know if you would like to. 

Two weeks came. We had a lot of people raise their hand, many 

of them ICVA members, but we hadn’t heard from Ken Carver and 

Son Michael Pham. So I contacted them again and said, we are 

going to extend it another week. Hopefully, you can determine that 

this is a good use of your time. 

62 

That was last Friday. I did get an email this Monday, saying 

that their Subcommittee that they established hadn’t decided yet 

whether or not to participate. 

So we are ready to move forward. The invitation to Ken and Son 

Michael Pham and anybody is open, and we would ask that they 

consider to join this group because we are ready to move. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. LaTourette. 

Mr. BALD. Mr. Chairman, may I just add one comment to this? 

I am sorry to interrupt you. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Yes. 

Mr. BALD. The perception that we have done nothing since the 

last meeting is really not correct, but it is understandable from the 

folks who attended that meeting because we haven’t articulated the 

progress that we have made and we look forward to being able to 

do that. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Give me right now. Why don’t you do this? 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I know you have done it to a degree in your testimony. Just give me, like rattle off the top of your head, if you can 

what you consider to have been accomplished. 

Mr. BALD. I can. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Another one of these human things, a lot of 

times we are not communicating. One person hears one thing, and 

another person hears another thing. Somehow there is a disconnect. 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So can you just tell us off the top of your head 

what you feel has been accomplished since our last hearing. 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. What I would like to do, if you don’t mind, 

is to use an example from Ms. Laurie Dishman if that is okay with 

Ms. Dishman. I know that she is here. 

It is a great example of the importance of our interaction with 

individual incident survivors. Ms. Dishman has provided me a list 

of 12 recommendations, and I am prepared to go through each one 

of them if that is what you would like me to do. I have actually 

accepted and moved forward on seven of those twelve. They are exceptional recommendations. They were well thought out. They are 

definable, and I can put them into effect. 

For example, the one thing that has been most important I 

think, perhaps in my view, from Ms. Dishman is Royal Caribbean 

ships up to this point do not have peepholes in the doors of their 

ships. It is something that it seems perhaps common sense that we 

do that. It is something that hasn’t been to the attention of the 

company. 

Ms. Dishman made that recommendation. I had the discussion 

with our executive committee. There was overwhelming agreement. 

In fact, the comment from our Chairman was, you know hotels do 

this. We have got to do it. 

So we have actually made the decision to install peepholes on our 

ships. We are starting with the two ships that are in new build. 

We are continuing with another one in October. That one is a bit 

more of a challenge. It is the first of our existing fleet that we will 

be installing peepholes on. There is a very rigid process we have 

63 

to go through when we are drilling into a door on a ship because 

it is a fire-rated door. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Okay. Take me to number two. 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So you are working on that one? 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. You are doing it? 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

CCTV installation, I testified in March of our expansion process, a $25 million expansion. That process will also include cameras in 

the corridors for guest staterooms. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. That are monitored? 

Mr. BALD. The monitoring is a different challenge. That is one 

of the ones on Ms. Dishman’s list that I can’t tell you I am moving 

forward on right now. The challenge there is we have over 650 

cameras on some of our ships. To monitor all of those full time is 

a monstrous task, plus you bring into consideration the attention 

span of the people that are actually sitting at the monitor. 

What I need to do first, this goes back to my metrics discussion 

that I mentioned earlier. I need to understand, are there certain 

cameras that I need to monitor that are more important than others and then look at whether or not we can effectively deliver that 

capability. So I have not rejected that by any means. I just don’t 

simply have enough internal information to be able to commit to 

doing it today. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Three? 

Mr. BALD. Increased number of security guards on our ships, for 

example. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Tell me, these are Ms. Dishman’s? 

Mr. BALD. These are Ms. Dishman’s, yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Okay, go ahead. Number three? 

Mr. BALD. Increased number of security guards on our ships. In 

Ms. Dishman’s situation, a very unfortunate set of circumstances, 

an absolutely tragic situation and an unfortunate perfect storm 

type set of circumstances. 

But we ended up, on our ships we have a set number of positions 

in every component including security. There are certain functions 

that are more of a regulatory function, my word, that don’t require 

a high level of security experience, for example, checking IDs at the 

door of the discos to make sure people are old enough to go in and 

consume alcohol. It is a bouncer type of a service that we wouldn’t 

put a police officer on necessarily in a bar here on the shore. 

Unfortunately, the processes in place at the time, in my view, 

didn’t adequately vet the people that we were using in that situation. We also, in that particular situation, I understand, provided 

a security badge for them to wear because they were performing in 

that function. 

I have changed that. No longer do we give badges to these part 

time security search people. 

We also require security officers to do a background investigation 

on them which is rather easy. It is a review of personnel files, looking at any issues that are in their personnel file or any reason why 

they would not be the right person to be able to stand in front of 

a disco, for example, and check identification. 

64 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Four? 

Mr. BALD. I combined two. One of those was security badges. It 

was a separate recommendation from her which we have implemented. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right. Five? 

Mr. BALD. I will go through hers in order rather than skip 

around if you don’t mind. We talked about number four which was 

monitoring the CCTV. Still more work that I have to do in order 

to be able to make decisions on that. It is a fair recommendation. 

The fifth one is peepholes. 

The sixth one is background checks. This one is another example 

of where her input is tremendously helpful. 

The recommendation from the ICVA is to form what I think the 

law would describe as a black list. A black list is traditionally illegal in most States. Federal law has incorporated that in a variety 

of areas. The concept, we agree with. 

What we don’t want, I don’t want to hire somebody that was dismissed by Carnival. Carnival doesn’t want to hire somebody that 

was dismissed from me. But putting together a common database 

presents problems, and so we have looked at that internally from 

a legal standpoint. We have also had our attorneys look at the legal 

perspective that was provided to us by the ICVA. 

The decision was that their legal research was legally deficient. 

I am not being critical, but it did not bridge the gap sufficiently for 

us to move in the direction of a database. 

However, in Ms. Dishman’s situation, she has provided an opportunity for us to perhaps close this gap that our lawyers are looking 

at, and that suggests we build in another background step in the 

application process for our crew members to check the other cruise 

lines to see if they have been employed before. We certainly have 

to make sure what we are doing is legal, but to me that seems a 

very reasonable recommendation and one that came from Ms. 

Dishman. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Seven? 

Mr. BALD. Seven is the presence of United States marshals onboard cruise ships. I would like to come back to that at the end if 

I can. If you would like me to go through the detail, that is a very 

important one, and I have a lot of, I think, relevant information for 

the Committee that I can add. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Mr. LaTourette. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and 

thank all of you for being here. 

This being our second hearing on this subject, I come away from 

these hearings that the cruise experience is a nice way to have a 

vacation, but sometimes things happen. I think again, for me, the 

crux of it and perhaps why you find yourselves with some difficulties. 

I was glad, Mr. Bald, you ended on employees because I was 

going to ask you. This Committee and the Homeland Security Committee have the idea of this Transportation Worker Identification 

card, the TWIC. Not only not hiring somebody that has been a 

problem on another cruise line but I would imagine just simple 

background checks. You don’t want to hire people with criminal 

65 

histories that would suggest that they might engage in criminal 

conduct. 

If Mr. Carver was right and 80 percent of the reported criminal 

activities are committed by employees, it seems to me that you 

have it within your power to at least reduce that based upon background checks and other employment techniques. 

The second are safety and training things that are ongoing, and 

I commend you for undertaking those. I will come back to that in 

a minute. 

But the third one is basically the way people are treated. I don’t 

think that we would be having as many complaints as have been 

evidenced at these hearings if people felt that they weren’t being 

victimized a second time. That is why I am glad you brought in 

some victim’s assistance people. 

Mr. Ruchelman’s story was horrible, to lose his wife in an accident, but if everybody was treated the way Mr. Ruchelman was 

treated, we wouldn’t be having this conversation probably. We 

would still be talking about peepholes and keys and things like 

that, but we wouldn’t be talking about other things. 

So I really, truly hope that there is nothing that the cruise line 

industry can do to keep a bad person that happens to be on a ship, 

not an employee, that chooses to do a bad thing. But how you treat 

that person after that bad thing has happened, I really think pays 

big dividends and then stops from having some of the stories that 

we have listened to in the last hearings. 

Mr. Dale, I do want to ask you. The Chairman asked you about 

the 10 points. I am familiar with the 10 points that Mr. Carver 

has. 

I am familiar with Ms. DiPiero’s observations. We started going 

through some of those with netting and sensors and raising the 

railings and things like that. 

We heard from Mr. Sullivan about apparently his peephole concern is being taken care of at least on one line but the issue of having people have pass keys when they are not on duty, that can 

come into somebody’s room when they are sleeping. 

So there is a body, a list out there. I commend the industry for 

working on it, but I guess I also would acknowledge that Mr. Sullivan does have a point, that there have been a lot of good ideas 

around for a long time and how come we are just now getting to 

the point where we are adopting some of them. 

The Chairman has schooled me here pretty well. 

So Mr. Carver and these other folks get back to you and say we 

want to participate in your working group. Is it your intention to 

look at all these good ideas and, as Mr. Bald has just indicated, accept things and move forward and get them off the table, to move 

these complaints? 

If you can’t, you haven’t reached a conclusion you can’t but on 

the camera issue where there are 650 cameras and maybe you just 

can’t logistically do what the idea is. I would say just because 

something bad has happened to somebody and they have an idea 

doesn’t mean it is a good idea, but the ability to listen to all those 

ideas, sort them out. 

Is the industry committed to adopting the ideas that are generated by this working group and implementing those that make 

66 

sense, improve the safety of the ship, improve the cruising experience, make people feel like they are being treated better, help to 

hopefully solve crimes if they are unfortunately committed on the 

ships and, if you can’t, please come back and tell folks why you 

can’t do it? 

Mr. DALE. Absolutely. Our commitment is to work with the ICVA 

and our working group on their recommendations as well as others 

that we have heard. 

I think a prime example of this is undertraining. In ICVA’s proposal, they list parts of crime scene management and protocols. 

Those steps, we are presently using, and the FBI is training our 

security officials on those steps. So we are doing that and we intend to, through Ken and the others who participate with us, make 

progress and get solutions on these. 

Another area, Lynnette Hudson, a tragedy at sea, and our heart 

goes out to her and everyone. But after all of the four investigations, the recommendation that came back was to replace the combustible dividers on the decks of our ships. We are almost 100 percent there in having all of these replaced. The deadline for this is 

July of 2008, and we will be there very soon. 

So this working group is an opportunity for us to talk about the 

progress we are making and to determine what is the workable solution for all of us. 

Mr. LATOURETTE. I think she is a good example of not only was 

it the combustible things and then she talked a little bit about selfcontained breathing devices, but to have a 911 room where nobody 

is answering the telephone is like having a fire station with no firemen and nobody on the telephone. 

I think that there are things within reach that address some of 

the concerns that have been raised at this hearing and at the 

March hearing that are within your power to do it, and I would 

just hope that you continue to move in what I consider, and I give 

Chairman Cummings all the credit in this for getting the ball rolling on this. 

I know some people may not think it is moving fast enough or 

should have been done a long time ago, but I am encouraged by 

what you are doing. I would hope that it continues to move in a 

positive direction and those things that are within your ability to 

do to make it safer. 

I don’t know how it benefits. I don’t subscribe to the testimony 

that somehow it is in your corporate best interest to have crimes 

go unsolved on your boats. So I hope you continue to do that. 

Ms. Rey, this being your first hearing, you did a swell job. So 

thank you very much. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Ms. Brown. 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a couple of questions. 

I also listened to Ms. Hudson’s testimony about the fire. As we 

get on the plane, they go through these procedures. Can you tell 

us, have you all done some additional procedures as far as explaining to people when they come on the ships in case of it may not 

be a fire? 

67 

It could be a terrorist attack. It could be anything. What are the 

procedures? I know that you do have some as far as if the ship goes 

down, what things to do, but as far as a fire is concerned. 

Also on notification, she indicated that she was not notified until 

nine hours afterwards, and I know you must have a procedure in 

place. She was listed as the next of kin, and she did not receive 

that information. 

Even following that up, someone needs to have contacted her and 

gone over what had happened and provided that grief information 

that you talked about. 

Ms. REY. I can speak to the notification piece. I am very sorry 

to Ms. Hudson and the rest of her family because she did not receive the call that she should have gotten from Princess Cruise 

Lines. I can’t speak for them. 

I can tell you that at Carnival Cruise Lines, we offer any assistance possible in assisting the family and making those notifications. I can tell you, however, because the wife was present, that 

we would have relied on her being the one to initiate the contact 

with the family, make the initial notification. Following that, we 

offer assistance in notifying anybody else, but that initial contact 

generally comes from the person who is accompanying the individual on the ship. 

Ms. BROWN. Okay. So I guess CLIA should have overall procedures for everybody. 

Ms. REY. Well, that is one of the things that we are working on 

now is partnering with each other, and it is part of this working 

group so that we can all come together and establish a template 

that we can all work from, establishing those best practices. 

Ms. BROWN. Okay. 

Mr. DALE. Actually, we have established a committee at CLIA on 

aftercare and guest care. So we expect some very positive results 

from that. 

To get to your issue about what process is in place on board our 

ships, there is a mandatory muster drill that every passenger must 

be a participant and present at. At that drill, we go through safety 

and security procedures in the case of emergencies. 

In the cabins, there is a video that is played 24 hours after departure, that again reiterates those messages. There is written collateral materials in the rooms as well. So we work very hard to 

make sure that our customers are familiar with what they have as 

their resources. 

Ms. BROWN. There used to be a drill. Do you all still have that 

drill? 

Mr. DALE. Yes, absolutely. 

Ms. BROWN. So you still have that drill. 

Another thing, we were talking about the cameras. I just returned from London where they have cameras all over the place, 

and one of the things I found very interesting was that they destroy the film within 14 days because of the privacy unless there 

is an incident. They can get some extensions. 

Part of being on a cruise is maybe you don’t want everybody to 

know that you are on the cruise. 

[Laughter.] 

68 

Ms. BROWN. How are you planning on handling the film is my 

question because, as I said, after a certain period of time, by law, 

they have to destroy that film. 

Mr. BALD. The retention of—— 

Ms. BROWN. I am sorry. I think that was true not just in London. 

It was true in Europe in talking about how they handle these cameras and the film that they receive from the cameras. They do have 

monitors, and it is a big process in monitoring these situations. 

Mr. BALD. Yes, the retention process is a challenging one for us 

from a technical standpoint. It is not a problem for us at all if we 

know that there is an incident that has occurred. Our process, let 

me qualify that. We do retain the video, but our new CCTV process 

is going to put us completely into a digital retention arena. 

We don’t have that today. We have a mix of analog and digital 

cameras with digital recorders now. The cameras we are adding are 

digital, but the volume of material that is captured in a digital recording is very, very large. And so, there is a limit to how much 

storage capability we have onboard. 

Where we will be challenged is if someone comes forward perhaps, say, six months later and says that I had an incident onboard. I, frankly, think we will not find video that will have captured that. 

However, for the immediately reported incidents, that is not 

going to be a problem, and we actually have storage devices that 

are available for our teams that will respond to the ship. They will 

literally go with a portable storage device, download the appropriate video, the video that relates to the incident, and they will 

literally bring it back to Miami for us, and we will retain it. 

Ms. BROWN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this hearing. 

I think the industry is headed in the right direction, and I want 

to thank the participants for their participation. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you, Ms. Brown. 

Mr. Coble. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Good to have you all with us today. Good to have had all the witnesses with us today. 

I will put this question to any member of the panel. Much has 

been said today regarding how crimes are reported and the jurisdiction extended to the FBI to prosecute said crimes. I assume the 

answer to this question is yes. Do victims of crimes have recourse 

under the civil justice system as well? 

I assume that is in the affirmative. 

Mr. DALE. Absolutely, they do have recourse. 

Mr. COBLE. I will put this question to any of the panelists as 

well. It is my understanding, Mr. Chairman, that the industry is 

currently working to develop a sensor for rails that will activate or 

detect through the sound of an alarm or whatever when a person 

goes overboard. 

Number one, is that accurate and, number two, how far advanced is it? 

Mr. BALD. Congressman Coble, that is an excellent question. It 

is fraught with challenges for today’s technology, but it holds promise for us in the future. The technology, as it currently exists, in 

69 

particular, radio frequency identification, does not permit the kinds 

of applications that you are referring to. 

Where you have a rail alarm, for example, and you want to detect somebody going overboard who is on the ship, there are a couple of possible solutions that don’t involve an electronic sensor, for 

example, on the railing of the ship. Virtual perimeters from cameras that are located on the outside areas, for example, the bridge 

wings of the ship, provide us a vantage point to be able to look 

down the sides of the ship and be able to determine if somebody 

goes overboard. 

There are some limitations and there are some challenges because unfortunately you can’t get outside the ship and look in and 

ships are often curved. So we have got to make sure that our camera locations will work. We are in the process of testing that technology to see if it is viable for us to install onboard the ships. 

From the standpoint of other technical possibilities, radio frequency identification is possible down the road. Today, you have an 

active or a passive solution. Passive requires you to be very close 

to a sensor. Active requires you to be farther away, but you are 

talking about carrying a garage door opener in your pocket, and it 

is much more challenging for us to deliver that technology. 

However, your point is well taken. We absolutely want to do as 

much as we can to detect quickly if somebody goes overboard on 

our ships, and we are looking at a number of technical solutions 

that we think may prove fruitful. 

Mr. COBLE. These are works in progress, I take it. 

Mr. BALD. Yes, sir. 

Mr. COBLE. Thank you. 

I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. 

Ms. Matsui. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

I read very carefully both Mr. Bald’s and Mr. Dale’s testimony, 

and something kind of strikes me in that, Mr. Bald, you mentioned 

that you are making some changes based upon some of the conversations or emails you received from Laurie Dishman. I commend 

you for that. 

Some of these measures are pretty common sense—peepholes 

and closed circuit televisions and background checks and things of 

that nature—and I believe those were things that we could have 

done quite some time ago. I believe that they are measures that 

people had discussed, I guess, in 1999. 

I wonder if you would be putting in these common sense measures today if Laurie Dishman hadn’t come along and courageously 

spoke up and we had the hearings. 

Now I am glad that we are moving forward on this, and you are 

moving in the right direction. I am pleased with that. But I must 

say that I think it is obviously a situation where some of these 

things take a while, I suppose. There have been quite a lot of recommendations and listening and lists and things of that nature, 

but I think what we are interested in is results. 

I also have to say too that my constituent, Laurie Dishman, has 

written to me about the last six months she has been going 

70 

through. I would like unanimous consent to submit her letter into 

the record. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. So ordered. 

Mr. BALD. Thank you, Ms. Matsui. Oh, I am sorry. I apologize. 

Ms. MATSUI. I would like to share something from this letter because it appears that the same people responsible for mishandling 

Laurie’s case are still employed at Royal Caribbean. Most disturbingly, when they were deposed, they indicated that they still have 

not received adequate instruction as to what they did wrong and 

how to properly handle this situation in the future. 

I would say that a common theme of the victims panel was the 

concern that you still didn’t get it. Would you please respond to 

this issue? 

Mr. BALD. Certainly. First of all, I believe that if you ask that 

purser that question today, I hope that the answer would be different. 

That purser today has been required, and I will be disappointed 

if you come back to me and tell me this didn’t happen, but I provided a DVD of Ms. Dishman’s testimony with mandatory viewing 

by the captain of every ship, the staff captain of every ship, the security officer of every ship, the medical department of every ship 

and the guest relations desk personnel which includes the pursers 

to understand the trauma that Ms. Dishman went through. 

As an adjunct to that, on the training piece, the training will be 

delivered to the security officers on Monday. The policy changes are 

in place that I think will correct the preservation of evidence issues 

that occurred in that situation. 

We have provided a DVD to the medical staff of every ship for 

required viewing for the proper way to do the pelvic examination 

kit. It is required training every two years. We just implemented 

that with the DVD that was sent out to make sure that they understand the problem there. 

In the situation with Ms. Dishman, there were mistakes made as 

I testified last time. One of the biggest ones was, in my view, the 

security officer inadequately secured the cabin. 

The mistake made by the doctor to misinterpret the collection requirements for the pelvic examination kit is not something I want 

to see happen, but I believe there is a way to make sure it doesn’t 

from the security officer’s standpoint. 

The pelvic examination kit gives instructions to collect evidence 

from the victim that would be logically, in my interpretation, logically being worn by the victim. In this case, the doctor, for whatever reason, chose to ask her to go back and collect some things 

that were not being worn. 

It is absolutely wrong. It is not consistent with our policy, and 

our security officer should have known better. 

Our security officer will be coming in. Let me qualify this, will 

be coming in one of two sessions either next week or the one in December because we train the ones that are off the ship, and then 

when there is a switch we get the ones that are currently on the 

ship. 

Every one of them will hear the kinds of points that you are 

making today and very clearly understand what is expected of 

71 

them, and I expect that we won’t have a recurrence. If we do, I will 

take action accordingly. 

One final point if you would permit me, you referenced and it has 

been referenced earlier today in testimony, some longstanding 

guidance that was provided to Royal Caribbean in 1999 by two reports that were commissioned by Royal Caribbean to take a look 

at onboard sexual assault and sexual harassment situations and to 

provide us recommendations for how we can get ahead of that 

curve and resolve some of those problems. 

I would like to read to you. I have a very short list of the recommendations, and I will tell you on each one of them what we 

have done. 

The shoreside hotline is in place. Anybody onboard our ships can 

pick up the phone and call a particular number and report directly 

to Miami if there is an issue onboard the ship. 

Remind management to report, that has been done personally by 

me in conference calls to every captain, also present were the staff 

captain and the security officer. It is a part of our policies, and I 

will continue to reinforce it. 

Mandatory sexual harassment training, the company, in my 

view, before I got here had done an exceptional job of putting together videos. These are professional productions. These are not 

just a couple of folks like me standing in front of a video camera 

on how to recognize situations and avoid situations that could lead 

to sexual assault or sexual harassment. 

The response checklist will be a mainstay of the security department’s policies onboard the ship. 

Counselor and advocate for the victim, absolutely a requirement 

that we have. You heard testimony earlier today from Mr. Sullivan 

that no counselor was provided to his client. That is untrue. It is 

untrue, and Mr. Sullivan knows it is untrue because the counselor 

that was provided was the doctor who is a female, who spent almost every moment with that victim from the time she was reported to have been the victim until she left the ship, including responding to her cabin within two minutes of the recording or the 

documentation of the call to the bridge. 

The after-action teams in Miami was a recommendation by that 

report as well. You saw in my testimony that that is something we 

are implementing. 

Notifying guests about socializing with the crew is a change we 

are making in our guest conduct policy which will be published for 

January, and we will make sure that our guests understand the 

policy. We have gone overboard to make sure our crew understands. We have not done that with our guests, and it is something 

we will do very quickly. 

On the Swailes report, stronger policy regarding crew-guest sexual contact, we have taken that head-on, and I don’t think there 

is a crew member that doesn’t understand that they can’t fraternize with our guests. 

Train those who will respond. You have heard me testify and you 

have seen in my testimony, that is an aggressive effort that we are 

taking. We have been doing that for several years. 

Train crew to prevent sexual encounters. That is exactly what 

the prevention concept that I am putting in place is built around. 

72 

We have also been doing that in the videos that I referred to earlier. 

Post signs inside restricted areas on our ships. We have done 

that on every single ship. You walk into any off-limits crew area, 

and you will see a sign that tells a guest they are not allowed to 

be there. 

Additional CCTV cameras, you have heard me testify to that is 

an aggressive process. 

Increasing the number of guards is something that we have done. 

I talked to your staff yesterday about this. My first assessment is 

going to be quality, and I want to make sure the quality is there. 

Then I am in a better position to decide if the numbers are there. 

Then finally, hotline to Miami for guidance in response is also 

picked up from the Krohne report. 

I would like to add one other comment on the Swailes report. 

The findings that they had in their report said that the incident 

rate for sexual assaults onboard ships is lower than shoreside. This 

is a 1999 assessment, independent, from outside of our company. 

Common threats, consensual intimacy was preceded by assault. 

I am sorry. Consensual intimacy preceded the assault and intoxication by the victim was a challenge. By the way, I am making no 

connections to any of this. 

But to give you an idea, we have had this kind of input. We have 

taken measures to respond to it, contrary to what you heard in testimony earlier today. 

Thank you for allowing me to go to that extent. 

Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Bald, that all sound very good, and you say you 

have instituted those policies now. I really feel that it is like a 

manual to a great degree. You can read it, but the proof is in the 

pudding. The individuals who have been affected so critically have 

to feel the same way too. 

Comparisons, as far as sexual assaults on land versus sea, I really don’t believe they are really good comparisons, for example, because on the sea you are in a huge cruise ship. You can’t get off. 

It is a little bit different. You don’t have a police force really. 

My concern is I do not want this to be brushed aside at all. I 

don’t want to request from Chairman Cummings another hearing 

because we have been hearing that things aren’t happening. 

You relied on the input on victims. I am happy about that, but 

I want to make sure it doesn’t happen. The prevention aspects of 

it have to be taken care of. 

It so concerns me I almost want to feel like we need another 

benchmark as to when we can have a report or whatever we want 

to do that the industry, the unified industry itself is going to, for 

instance, can you adopt unified reporting requirements that you 

can release numbers to the public. That would be reassuring to 

know that there is transparency there. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Would the gentlelady yield? 

Ms. MATSUI. A lot of this happens to be transparency. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Would the gentlelady yield? 

Ms. MATSUI. Yes. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. When we finish, I am going to lay out some timetables not necessarily for a hearing. If a hearing is required, we 

will go to a hearing but some timetables so that we can get some 

73 

things done and they will report back to us. I just wanted to make 

sure you know. 

Ms. MATSUI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that. 

But you understand that there is a value to this hearing. We 

talked about peepholes and closed circuit televisions, and the 

Chairman also talked about monitoring them, the different aspects. 

We want to keep this progress moving, and we want to have certain benchmarks because I truly feel this is an industry that is certainly something we want to promote, but right now I am really 

feeling that we need to take care of a few things. 

I think it is to your benefit to do this. I think that anytime we 

have some scrutiny like this and we find out that there have been 

mistakes and you go ahead and fix it, certainly you are going to 

be getting the support of many people here. 

I am looking to the victims because they are the ones who probably keep you pretty honest about this. So I thank you very much 

for working with the victims, but remember this is not a one or two 

step process. It is going to be ongoing. I appreciate what you have 

been doing. 

I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your commitment. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank you, Ms. Matsui. 

Let me say this to you, Ms. Matsui. This is the first time in my 

almost 12 years in Congress that I have seen a Member sit for an 

entire hearing on a Subcommittee that they weren’t on, and I think 

that shows a lot, particularly for a hearing that has lasted this 

long. So I want to thank you for your advocacy. 

I want to say to our witnesses. One question for you, Mr. Dale. 

Who is invited to these meetings? Because Ms. Hudson, I think. 

Was it you, Ms. Hudson who said you weren’t invited again, and 

I am sure some others. 

Tell me who is invited to these meetings. 

Mr. DALE. The invitation is to go to and has, I believe, to all 

ICVA members. The Family Assistance Foundation has sent the invitation to survivors that they have worked with, and our cruise 

line members have also issued the invitation to survivors that they 

work with as well. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. About how many people is that, victims? Do you 

know? 

Mr. DALE. Well, we have received word back from somewhere 

around 10 saying that they would like to participate in this. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. Out of how many, would you say? 

Mr. DALE. I don’t know what that number is as far as what the 

cruise lines issued themselves. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. How would somebody like Ms. Hudson not be on 

the list? She said she didn’t want to be, in other words, if she came 

to one meeting and then wasn’t invited back? 

Mr. DALE. She was to be on the list. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. She was what? 

Mr. DALE. She was to be on the list, and I apologize if she did 

not get the invitation. 

Mr. CUMMINGS. All right, so you are going to be invited, Ms. 

Hudson, is what he is trying to tell you. 

74 

When I walked, when I was on my way to vote, I looked to my 

left and there is a board out there. I guess it is your father with 

a Mason’s cap on. 

I just thought about something that I teach my kids. Whenever 

they have disappointments because somebody let them down, I tell 

them to think about how they feel at that moment. I want them 

to feel it, so if they ever let somebody down, that they will know 

how they feel. 

These folks who have come here, I have got to tell you. I think 

that the victims folks have been very reasonable. I really do. I 

think that they have reached out and tried. I mean they are just 

reaching and reaching and reaching and reaching, and I think they 

are getting the feeling at times that there are some reaching going 

on by the industry but maybe you are not reaching far enough. 

This is just my assessment of listening to everything that I have 

heard. I think that the industry has reached, but I think we have 

a little bit further to go. 

I agree with Ms. Matsui that more needs to be done, but I don’t 

want us to underestimate—I want to say this to the victims 

groups—that a lot has already been done. I don’t want that to go 

by because it has. I mean Mr. Bald and Mr. Dale, the things that 

you all testified to and then in your written piece. 

There is one thing you may have mentioned, but I didn’t hear 

you. You may have. It said to ensure that shipboard medical staff 

are familiar with the proper procedures for administering the pelvic exam and that kind of thing. You may have mentioned it, but 

I didn’t hear it in the seven things. I don’t know whether that was 

one of Ms. Dishman’s recommendations or not. 

What I am saying to you is that I think sometimes we have a 

tendency to think lack when we ought to think abundance, to think 

negative when we ought to think positive. So I think I want to see 

us as moving forward. We are a lot further, victims groups, than 

we were before. 

I think the industry, going back to what Ms. Matsui said, I am 

going to tell you. I just think it is good business to say we are doing 

these good things to make sure. I mean saying to the public, we 

don’t want things to happen. We are doing everything in our power 

to make sure you have got the safest possible opportunity. But if 

something happens, we guarantee you that we are doing X, Y and 

Z. 

To me, it just makes sense because the American people and people all over, people have common sense. They know things are 

going to happen. They know it. They don’t want it to happen. They 

don’t want things to happen to them, but they know it. 

And it goes back to this thing that Mr. LaTourette said. It is 

about how you treat people. This is not rocket scientist stuff. The 

Bible says, and I hate to quote the Bible but I have got to, do unto 

others as you would have them do unto you. This is basic, how you 

treat other people. 

I think maybe, even with all of this that we are doing, when personnel is insensitive to those kinds of things, that is a problem. 

One thing we need to do is make sure personnel is very sensitive. 

Look, I know the industry is concerned about its reputation, but 

75 

one of the best ways to have a great reputation is when you treat 

people like you like to be treated. I am telling you. 

Maybe that is part of the problem, maybe, but I hope you will 

keep that in mind. 

Now we have had a lot of discussion here. What I want to do is 

take a look and see where we are in 90 days. I don’t plan to call 

a hearing, but I would like to have some type of report so that we 

can see where and how we have progressed and what we have accomplished. 

It is my understanding, again, that we have had more Members 

of Congress, so that you don’t underestimate how serious this is, 

who wanted people in their districts to testify in this hearing than 

anything I have been involved in. So it is serious business. 

I think the Members of Congress are looking at it. When I went 

back to vote, I had at least 12 or 13 Members just ask me how is 

the hearing going. I mean this is the Subcommittee on the Coast 

Guard. They know it. 

Again, we want the industry to do well, and I think the industry 

is doing extremely well. I think that when you look at the statistics, they are, Mr. Dale, a small number, but in your own words, 

one criminal act, one person harmed is one too many. Then if it 

happens, we want to make sure that they are treated right, as simple as that. 

The same thing that I would want for my wife, I want for any 

other woman. The same thing I would want for my dad, I want for 

anybody else’s dad. I think if we think about it like that, then we 

can get much further along. 

To Ms. Dishman, I want to thank you. 

I think if we listen to what Mr. Bald said, he said that he listened to her. Maybe he didn’t accept everything, but there are 

things that did come forth that he did use and is using. 

I just want to make sure that the things we are in the process 

of doing, that we get done. In other words, we bring closure and 

say, this is done. Now let us move on to the next thing. Done. 

Done. Done. Done. 

Not just well, let us meet. Let us hurry up and meet. Meet. Meet. 

Meet. Then the next thing you know, you look three years later, 

and you are still meeting. 

I want to make sure we get to some points where we have done 

because in the time when things are not done, then other problems 

may arise. When we talk about the image of the industry, the last 

thing we want is to have more people banging on my door, more 

Members of Congress saying, we want people to testify because 

they have gone through some difficulties. 

All I am saying is I think it is good business for us to be, for the 

industry to be the best that it can be. Again, I think that I do believe if we look at victims groups and say to ourselves that they 

are trying to make things better, then with that attitude I think 

we will accomplish a lot. 

To all of you, I want to thank every single one of you for going 

through this very, very, very long hearing. 

I will look forward to, I guess from you, Mr. Dale, a report. Don’t 

forget Ms. Hudson, and there may be a few other people that may 

have some things to contribute that may not have been invited. I 

76 

am sure they will let you know. You will not get out of that door 

unless they tell you. I know they will. 

Thank you very much. 

[Whereupon, at 5:22 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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Æ 


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