By cruise ship injury lawyer Michael P. Ehline, Esq.
The International Cruise Victims Association developments that will be happening in the New Year include:
- The legislation will come forward during the coming session of Congress. This session will further improve the provisions of CVSSA.
European Victim Support
As an associate member of the International Cruise Victim‘s Association (ICV), its European umbrella network for national victim support organizations has been fighting hard to protect passengers on ships. And ICV remains the only United States-based member of this 32-national member organization.
- The Australian Chapter, headed by Mark Brimble and the Australian Government, is beginning to hold hearings. And these will pertain to the need for legislation that needs to be in place. It is akin to the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. The hearings are in Brisbane, Australia February 1st. They result from a report issued in November 2010. Said report recommended the Australian Government has hearings. The Australian Chapter Chairman Kendall Carver and Chapter Head Mark Brimble will be testifying during the hearings.
- The ICV made a tremendous amount of progress over the past year. It addressed the problems of crimes and accountability on cruise ships.
- The ICV gets covered by major media outlets. So look for the International Cruise Victim Association home page under “ICV news.” This website is where you can find media articles and television show information can be found. Every few days, someplace worldwide, there is a news story featuring the ICV and the association members.
- One of the issues that the ICV condemns Carnival Cruise Lines for is their initiative to promote a limit on drinks that is not much of a limit at all. After all, it reduces the likelihood of crimes against inebriated folks. ICV thinks the “limit” of 15 drinks is absurd. It is too much (probably even for an elephant), and there is no police protection for passengers and families. The home country of the flag a ship sails under is the type of law that applies on the high seas.
Conclusion
As noted above, Carnival Cruise Lines has initiated a daily drink cap or alcohol package. So passengers can pay for all the beverages on a cruise ship in one single payment. According to a Carnival spokesperson, this package is on 13 drinks Carnival ships. Now you can only have 15 alcoholic beverages within 24 hours, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. the following day.
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