Cruise passenger bill of rights: Is it dead in the water?
Skift Take
It would be a much more difficult task to bolster passenger rights on board cruise ships than on planes, but the need is no less necessary.
Airline passengers have certain protections against tarmac delays, but cruise passengers likely won't see their on-board rights bolstered anytime soon because cruise lines wield all the power and are very resistant to change.
In the wake of recent and well-publicized Carnival Cruise Lines lines problems with the Triumph, Dream, and Legend, which saw passengers living with sewage and other unsanitary conditions for days in the case of the Triumph, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued a press release advocating that foreign-flagged cruise lines voluntarily adopt a "Cruise Ship Passenger Bill of Rights."
The measure would allow cruise passengers to debark a docked ship if there aren't adequate provisions, ensure that on-board medical staff is adequately trained, and provide for timely updates about changes to a ship's itinerary.
There is a ton of opposition to Schumer's proposal even though many people agree that the cruise lines should be doing much more.
The cruise industry's stance is basically: We know better and don't tell us what to do.
The cruise industry trade group, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), favors "industry-initiated policies" over outside pressure.
"CLIA looks forward to reviewing Senator Schumer’s pr
