Cruise Passenger Protection: Enhanced Safety and Consumer Rights
This act aims to enhance the safety and consumer rights of cruise ship passengers. It introduces new rules for contracts, crime reporting, victim assistance, and onboard medical and safety standards, making voyages safer and more transparent for citizens.
Key points
Establishment of an Office of Maritime Consumer Protection to handle passenger complaints and enforce new regulations.
Requirement for clear disclosure of key terms in cruise passage contracts, including costs, liability limitations, and lawsuit filing deadlines.
Creation of a toll-free hotline and website for passenger complaints and publication of incident statistics.
Increased support for victims of crimes on board, including a government point of contact and access to support services.
Strengthened requirements for crime reporting, video surveillance, and crew training in crime prevention and response.
Introduction of new vessel safety standards, including railing heights, cabin door peepholes, and overboard detection technology.
Establishment of minimum onboard medical standards, including medical staff numbers and English language proficiency for passenger-facing crew.
Introduced
Additional Information
Print number: 119_HR_4857
Sponsor: Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
Process start date: 2025-08-01