Are Cruises Safe?

Experts: Industry's Rapid Expansion May Be Cause For Concern

(CBS)  "There's an incentive, frankly, to just describe people as missing when there might have been something untoward that happened on board a ship."

Shays also noted that the question of who has regulatory say over cruises "is a big issue. A lot of it is self-imposed. Obviously, the Coast Guard has an impact. But there can be seven different countries that get involved from where the ship is owned, where it leaves, what it's flagged, what is the nationality of the crew, what's the nationality of the person that may have been an injured victim. Where was a crime committed? So this involves treaties as well as governmental laws."

Dunham-Potter says the bus incident shows that, "In most cases, in any kind of remote place, especially in Latin America or eastern Europe, you should really stick with the cruise line-recommended tours. The cruise line investigates the tour companies, looks at the records, checks to make sure their equipment is working and operational and the guides are certified. When you go on a cruise ship sanctioned tour, you know it's been investigated. That's not to say a lot of the tours and ports are unsafe, but you should do a little investigative work before you leave on your trip. You can check the State Department Web site, and they will give you a lot of information of what you need to know."

Asked if passengers who follow cruise company guidelines are covered by insurance if something goes awry, Dunham-Potter said that all depends: "If you're in a high-risk activity like scuba diving or jet skiing, you may not be covered. Before you do these tours, you'll be asked to sign a waiver, releasing the cruise line and the tour company of any liability.

"You need to check your insurance position before you leave. You may have to buy extra insurance. For high-risk activities, you may want to buy medical evacuation insurance because, if you are a long way from home, you may have a lot of expense getting back. In some cases, it could be $20,000, $40,000, $50,000 to return home.