FBI Reminds Cruisers to Immediately Report Crimes at Sea
Key Aspects:
The Houston FBI issued a reminder to make sure cruisers stay safe while sailing during summer vacation.
If passengers witness a crime at sea, they should report it to both the onboard security team and the FBI.
Crime on cruise ships is rare, but reporting suspicious activity early can help keep everyone safe.
With summer in full swing, it’s officially one of the most popular times of the year for families to embark on cruise vacations. But with an influx of passengers onboard, FBI Houston wants to make sure everyone stays safe at sea.
While cruises are generally considered to be one of the safest forms of travel, guests who witness a crime or become a victim are encouraged to immediately report the offense to the FBI, along with the onboard security team.
Guests will never be penalized for making a report in good faith, even if the investigation shows that the alleged crime was a non-issue all along.
“As summer vacations begin, the FBI reminds you that if you have been a victim of assault with serious bodily injury, kidnapping, sexual assault aboard a cruise ship, report it to security staff immediately,” FBI Houston posted on X.
If guests are not able to report the crime while onboard, they are encouraged to contact their local police and the FBI as soon as possible.
For reference, the FBI typically handles serious crimes that occur at sea, as the open ocean is outside the jurisdiction of any individual state. Should an incident occur, FBI agents will meet the ship at its next US port call to begin its investigation.
How Common is Cruise Ship Crime?
The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010 requires all cruise ships that embark and disembark at US ports to report criminal activity to the FBI.
The investigations into these incidents are then publicly shared by the US Department of Transportation on a quarterly basis.
Based on these reports, an average of 150 to 180 crimes are committed on cruise ships annually, which means there are less than 200 offenders out of 37.2 million people who go on cruises each year (and that’s not including crew members).
For additional context, the FBI reported that there were more than 14 million crimes committed in the US on land in 2024. The data for 2025 is not publicly available, but it’s likely also in the millions.
Cruise Hive confirmed that a total of 182 crimes by cruisers were reported to the FBI in 2025, which is on the higher side of normal.
So far, 43 cruise ship crimes were reported for the first quarter of 2026 (January through March).
Cruise Ships Strive to Keep Guests Safe
The cruise lines take action to keep guests safe well before they are onboard, including verifying identities during the pre-check-in process before guests even make it to their departure port.
If guests’ have active warrants or have been placed on a no-sail list for previous bad behavior, they may be removed from the sailing at this time.
For example, Cruise Hive recently reported on a man who was temporarily booted from his Carnival cruise due to a case of mistaken identity. The cruise line chose to remove the passenger from his reservation until the issue could be clarified instead of risking a potential offender making it onboard.
Once at the cruise port, employees will reconfirm guests’ identities (often by checking passports and/or using biometric technology) and will screen their belongings for prohibited items, including weapons and potential fire hazards.
Security screenings are then conducted at every cruise port to ensure no prohibited items have been acquired while exploring, and this process is in place for a reason.
As recently as December 2025, a cruising granny was not only removed from her sailing, but arrested in Nassau after getting caught with a gun. The grandmother allegedly forgot that the weapon was in her purse.
While at sea, cruise ships are protected by surveillance footage and round-the-clock security teams.