Security on cuise ships

[silversurf]

In the light of recent events how tight is security on board P and O? Are all the crew checked and how about those who load provisions aboard in ports?

[leehobbs]

That's a good question. I was looking for answers only yesterday about onboard security. We are on a cruise over Christmas and would like to know P&O's security measures.

[the english lady]

For obvious reasons they will not divulge what measures they take.

I would assume they are as safety conscious as any form of public transport is.

To work in the docks one assumes you are checked in someway.

Thing is is someone wants to do something they will find a way. Now where can be 100% safe these days.

[john watson]

I think that there are a very large number of security measures taken by cruise lines. The cost of constructing a ship like Britannia would be something like £500 million and they have a fleet of ships. The cruise industry is absolutely massive. The cruise line would not want anything to undermine the business like a security breach and put in place a very comprehensive and tight security system. I am very confident when I go on a P&O cruise that I am safe on board and it is one of the most secure holiday formats you can get. If I felt a bit worried I would not book.

 

Regards John

[Florry]

I don't really want to debate this just because it's the Internet, anyone might read the thread and I don't want to be highlighting areas of risk. So suffice to say that I think P&O will have measures in place but I think if you call them they would be able to give some reassurances. Organisations these days do security checks on employees. In addition I think that radicalised views use religion as an anchor and their agenda is not about religion, it is a combination of politics and the worst side of human nature - having said this, some might find it reassuring to remember that you don't often read about Hindus being converted to radicalised Islamic groups and most of the crew are Hindu.

[whoops]

I was also wondering about this especially as my Canary Island cruise is stopping off in Morocco. My wife won't get off the ship when it docks in Morocco and I'm under pressure to remain onboard even though I would like to look around.

[Florry]

I was also wondering about this especially as my Canary Island cruise is stopping off in Morocco. My wife won't get off the ship when it docks in Morocco and I'm under pressure to remain onboard even though I would like to look around.

 

 

In every circumstance trust that wives know best [emoji6]

[whoops]

In every circumstance trust that wives know best [emoji6]

 

Yes! I'm definitely in the happy wife, happy life, less strife camp.

[JuliaNicker]

I think that there are a very large number of security measures taken by cruise lines. The cost of constructing a ship like Britannia would be something like £500 million and they have a fleet of ships. The cruise industry is absolutely massive. The cruise line would not want anything to undermine the business like a security breach and put in place a very comprehensive and tight security system. I am very confident when I go on a P&O cruise that I am safe on board and it is one of the most secure holiday formats you can get. If I felt a bit worried I would not book.

Regards John

 

Here Here...

Well said John, and I totally agree.

I feel safe on a P&O Cruise.

Always

[P&O SUE]

You have to go through airport style security every time you get back onboard the ship if that helps.

[Host Sharon]

When provisions are being loaded I have seen them checked by both sniffer dogs and special scanning equipment.

[Somerset Cruiser]

If you like security then don't go on Thomson, we were on Majesty over NY in the Canaries. Each time we returned to the ship our bags were not scanned. I have mentioned this on the Thomson board and get told it is acceptable.

[KiwiFunCruiser]

From what I have heard, there will be delays on all travel due to increased security. Better safe than sorry.

[Presto2]

If you like security then don't go on Thomson, we were on Majesty over NY in the Canaries. Each time we returned to the ship our bags were not scanned. I have mentioned this on the Thomson board and get told it is acceptable.

 

Never ! Getting on to a P&O and Celebrity ship is like going through security at Manchester ! Cruise card, them checking your photo alongside this and then bags through scanners and us through security 'machine' / metal detector.

 

Am amazed that people think it acceptable not to have bags checked -- and would have done before the events last week.

 

Thanks to P&O and Celebrity for being so conscientious re their security :)

[Whitechapel girl]

I've sailed Celebrity and are doing our first P&O cruise in June and will be very happy if security is as good as Celebrity's. I am happy to have my passport/sea pass/bags checked every time off and on ship.

[Denarius]

A few years ago I shared a few drinks with the Security Officer of a P&O ship. Whilst obviously not being prepared to indicate what security procedures were in place, he assured me that they were in place and were designed to cope with any potential emergency. He said that as a security professional he would not in fact have been prepared to do the job if he was not confident this was the case.

[pete14]

I don't really want to debate this just because it's the Internet, anyone might read the thread and I don't want to be highlighting areas of risk. So suffice to say that I think P&O will have measures in place but I think if you call them they would be able to give some reassurances. Organisations these days do security checks on employees. In addition I think that radicalised views use religion as an anchor and their agenda is not about religion, it is a combination of politics and the worst side of human nature - having said this, some might find it reassuring to remember that you don't often read about Hindus being converted to radicalised Islamic groups and most of the crew are Hindu.

 

I don't know where your information on the personal faith of the crew has come from, maybe you assume that as many are from Mumbai, Goa and the Philippines they are automatically Hindu. Following such lazy stereotypes is dangerous. There is no doubt a mix of faiths. There are definitely many Christians of Indian origin working in the dining rooms. Many of them have a cross tattooed between their thumb and forefinger. There are some Muslims and probably Hindus. There will no doubt be a proportion who have no faith.

 

Working times and procedures may make it difficult for them to follow a faith in the way they would choose. This would certainly be the case with Muslims and could restrict the numbers who would choose to work on a cruise ship. On a more positive note, the way the crew work together regardless of personal beliefs sets a good example of inter faith harmony.

[Florry]

I don't know where your information on the personal faith of the crew has come from, maybe you assume that as many are from Mumbai, Goa and the Philippines they are automatically Hindu. Following such lazy stereotypes is dangerous. There is no doubt a mix of faiths. There are definitely many Christians of Indian origin working in the dining rooms. Many of them have a cross tattooed between their thumb and forefinger. There are some Muslims and probably Hindus. There will no doubt be a proportion who have no faith.

 

 

 

Working times and procedures may make it difficult for them to follow a faith in the way they would choose. This would certainly be the case with Muslims and could restrict the numbers who would choose to work on a cruise ship. On a more positive note, the way the crew work together regardless of personal beliefs sets a good example of inter faith harmony.

 

 

I am personal friends with a number of the crew and this is what they have said, my comment was an attempt to avoid the assumption that they are all Muslim as may be a stereotypical tendency. I completely accept there are a number of faiths on board as in any culture. It's always dangerous to jump to any conclusions ....,

[Florry]

Incidentally I was the only person on my last two cruises dressed in a Kurta on formal nights.

[Presto2]

Never ! Getting on to a P&O and Celebrity ship is like going through security at Manchester ! Cruise card, them checking your photo alongside this and then bags through scanners and us through security 'machine' / metal detector.

 

Am amazed that people think it acceptable not to have bags checked -- and would have done before the events last week.

 

Thanks to P&O and Celebrity for being so conscientious re their security :)

 

To be fair to Thomson - just checked with a friend who always sails with Thomson and from what she describes they have the same arrangements as P&O and Celebrity.

 

Re the other posts on the subject - I am sure that there is more to security than we see. No need to discuss what it is, but just trust on this one.

 

Have to say this reminds me of the security arrangements when we went to Israel about 4 years ago with Celebrity. Security re the coaches and tours was not evident at all, but I don't for one minute believe that security was not very, very tight.

 

To be honest, Israel is probably one of the safest places to be at the minute .... just my opinion.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Although I have been on and enjoyed many Thomson cruises, I have to say that on our last two cruises they did not check our bags when we returned to the ship. I think the reason that Celebrity and RCI check your bags is to check that you are not bringing alcohol on board whereas Thomson don't mind if it is for cabin use.

 

I think after recent events the security will be tightened up but going back to the original post, silversurf was actually asking about crew and people who load provisions. We passengers will have been checked quite thoroughly when we first boarded the ship.

[jenny wren]

Have a lovely cruise Linda! :)

 

We found on our Thomson cruise that they xrayed our bags if the port didn't do it.....and didn't bother if the port authorities had already xrayed them. As you say I expect everything will be more thorough now.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Have a lovely cruise Linda! :)

 

Thanks Jenny :)

[bvm49]

As we boarded Caribbean Princess leaving Southampton in September, I received a phone call in my cabin telling me that one of my suitcases was held on the dock. I had to leave the ship and meet the local port authorities who said I had a knife in my case. Even though it had a rounded end, it was confiscated by them and I was told I would never see it again!

 

Princess have had no problem with our knife as we've taken it on many cruises with them in the past; although both Celebrity & RCI have confiscated it until the end of the cruise.

 

The only good thing was that I was allowed to take my case back on the ship with me. As a result it was the 1st case we unpacked:).

[the english lady]

As we boarded Caribbean Princess leaving Southampton in September, I received a phone call in my cabin telling me that one of my suitcases was held on the dock. I had to leave the ship and meet the local port authorities who said I had a knife in my case. Even though it had a rounded end, it was confiscated by them and I was told I would never see it again!

 

Princess have had no problem with our knife as we've taken it on many cruises with them in the past; although both Celebrity & RCI have confiscated it until the end of the cruise.

 

The only good thing was that I was allowed to take my case back on the ship with me. As a result it was the 1st case we unpacked:).

 

Which is similar to our last cruise on Arcadia. phone call to the cabin..down to the luggage shed. What had other half packed---his swiss army knife...why...no idea..maybe in case he had to get a stone out of a horses' hoof on board... blade was about 1 inch long, if that....anyway after checking length of blade, allowed through...he would have been upset if they had ditched it..

Lesson learned though he will not be bringing it any more..so heavens knows what horses with stones stuck in the hoof will do now...