Senator Blumenthal Seeks New Safety Requirements For Cruise Lines
GREENWICH, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- More than 23 million Americans vacation on cruise ships each year -- and a local lawmaker is worried about their safety.
As WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reports, large cruise ships can provide just about anything you'd find on shore with one glaring exception -- law enforcement.
There are no police, no prosecutors, no judges, no law enforcement at all," said Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Blumenthal is proposing a law requiring "man overboard" technology and sea marshals. This comes 10 years after a man disappeared while on a honeymoon cruise.
George Smith IV was aboard a Royal Caribbean ship when he vanished somewhere between Greece and Turkey on July 5, 2005.
Smith's parents have said they suspect foul play was involved in the death of their 26-year-old son. His mother reportedly believes that her son was murdered for his casino winnings, Haskell reports.
FBI officials in Connecticut earlier this year ended their investigation of the case.
"Laws need to be changed for the protection of unsuspected passengers on board these cruise ships," Blumenthal said.
The Cruise Lines International Association said in a statement that cruising is already heavily regulated and imposing a new layer of regulation would be "unnecessary and punitive.''