To Everyone Concerned:

If it's not dangerous enough that we have thousands of foreign-flagged vessels pulling into American ports every year, Maersk has decided to make it moreso. In an effort to save what amounts to nothing, really, in labor costs, Maersk has introduced HR 899. How thoughtful of them to consider America's security before their profit margins. HR 899 allows foreign nationals from God knows where to replace American sailors aboard American-flagged vessels operating in American waters in Maersk's effort to undermine the Jones Act.

Thanks in large part to Seafarers International Union, a corporate-funded scab union ship owners and ship management companies turn to when their non-union employees vote in favor of unionizing, as well as American Maritime Officers--the so-called union managed by Michael and Robert McKay, both up on charges for labor racketeering, election tampering, and the list goes on--"professional" American sailors are abandoning the maritime industry en masse as they watch their wages spiral downward. And why wouldn't they? Who in their right mind wants to leave their family and friends eight to ten months per year to risk their lives aboard American-flagged tankers carrying the most lethal chemicals known to man for Third World wages? Allegedly, both SIU and AMO are controlled, either directly or indirectly, by organized crime figures. If this is true, then we all realize their purpose in the equation: wage management. Who better to keep wages at an absolute minimum than people who have the power to break dissenting members' knee caps, but essentially no power at the negotiating table?

Personally, I don't know if Mike Sacco, Auggie Tellez, Michael and Robert McKay are, in fact, linked to organized crime, nor do I particularly care. It's not like "made" members are exactly forthcoming when it comes to mob affiliation.

What I do know, however, and can prove, is that the SIU's Leadership is completely non-effective in terms of negotiating fair labor Agreements on their Membership's behalf. When an SIU sailor earns $2,100 per month base pay, while onboard SIU's "best" ships, and $14.83 overtime, while their counterparts sailing with Sailors Union of the Pacific earn $3,250 per month base pay, and $23.50 an hour overtime, it's no wonder that 80% of SIU sailors abandon the industry two years after completing SIU's year long apprenticeship program. McDonald's has a better retention rate than SIU, and McDonald's employees aren't responsible for the safe navigation of a tankers carrying millions of gallons of MTBE (the equivalent of ether) in and out of ports like New York and New Jersey, San Francisco and Long Beach, Baytown and Ft. Lauderdale.

SIU's Leadership can twist and manipulate those numbers any way they like to make them look comparable to what sailors with Sailor's Union of the Pacific and Marine, Firemen, Oilers, and Watertenders earn, but the bottom line is: they're lying. I've worked with both unions, and I can show you numerous pay stubs that prove I was working twice as many hours for half the money when I sailed aboard SIU-contracted vessels.

The exact numbers Companies are required to skim off the top of sailors' paychecks and hand over to the SIU Leadership are nearly impossible to come by. I've tried, but from what I gather an SUP sailor costs a Company, on average, $500 per month more to employ than an SIU sailor. However, what that SUP sailor sees reflected in his paycheck is more like $2,500 difference, and that's if the SUP sailor in question is only working mandatory overtime.

Where does that $2,000 margin go? If everyone's playing by the rules, it goes to support SIU's incredibly inefficient and massive infrastructure: The Paul Hall School of Maritime Training, SIU's corporate headquarters in Camp Springs Maryland, the 3,000 acre spread called "The Farm" that Mike Sacco lives on at Union expense, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

SIU represents some of the finest "professional" sailors in the industry, there's no question about that. The problem is those "professional" sailors are either retiring, abandoning the industry, or they're being marginalized and ignored by their own Leadership, so they're not nearly as content--and therefore productive to Capital--as they most certainly could be. Sailors who feel they're grievances are being ignored by their own Leadership tend not to do anybody any favors, their Leadership or Capital--so if they're non-productive, that's why. Another problem is that the number of "professional" sailors is being diluted by "turn-key" sailors, the kind who get pissed off, refuse to work overtime, and don't stick with the industry more than a couple of years.

Ironically, Chevron employs by far the most professional sailors around--and what's sad is they're non-union. It's not hard to understand why Chevron sailors stick with the industry long enough to learn their trade back and forth, inside and out. They're paid $3,800 per month base pay compared to the $2,100 per month base pay they'd earn if they signed pledge cards with SIU. I'm as pro-Organized Labor as it's possible to be, but if I was working non-union aboard a Chevron vessel, and an SIU patrolman came aboard and said we should do the right thing and unionize, I'd turn a water cannon on him, too.

In any case, to Maersk, SIU just isn't cheap and submissive enough for their liking.

With 300 vessels bought and paid for, Maersk is, without question, the largest shipping behemoth in the world. They dwarf CSX, Sealand, even Tidewater Marine, the United State's largest shipping company (besides Choest, which would be the largest if it wasn't fragmented into inconspicuous subsidiaries). Since ships span the globe, Maersk is in a position to pick and choose from whatever labor market they choose, and therefore pit one labor pool against another.

I've worked aboard one of Maersk's ships--and it was dangerous as hell. In 2002 we had a massive oil spill onboard the M/V Florida because, from what I understand, Maersk refused to fund replacing one of the bunker lines in No. 5 hold. If you walked aboard the ship and saw its dilapidated condition first hand, you wouldn't question how an oil spill could happen. If you stuck around and spoke with the crew--not the Captain, the Company spokesman, but the crew--you'd soon realize that they were severely shorthanded to begin with, underpaid, and therefore refused to work overtime, which might have prevented the oil spill in the first place.

Maersk would have everyone believe that outsourcing maintenance and repair work to foreign labor pools is common practice--and it is, aboard SIU-contracted vessels, like the ITB New York, for example, and the ITB Mobile, both of which exploited Polish nationals while I was aboard. That, however, doesn't make it right--or legal. Those poor Polish men were worked like slaves, and they were paid an unapologetic $6.00 per hour by Hess-Sheridan.

Our Captain aboard the ITB Mobile was a stuttering drunk, but that didn't stop him from firing four Polish nationals who had been flown into the country for maintenance and repair work the last night they were aboard for celebrating their departure with a shot of Vodka, knowing that firing them meant they'd have to pay their own way home on a moment's notice. Or perhaps that was the plan all along--to fire them for whatever, on the Company's behalf. When I told an SIU port agent about it, I was early on in my career and naive, and was told it was perfectly legal for Hess-Sheridan to outsource my work to foreign nationals. Obviously, that port agent was lying. It was and, to date, still is illegal to import foreign-labor to handle maintenance and repair aboard American-flagged ships, but that will all change if Maersk has their way.

Strangely--that's sarcasm, by the way--Maersk, a foreign conglomerate, wields massive influence over American politicians. Otherwise, I wouldn't need to write this letter, would I. Why? Why are companies with absolutely no allegiance to this country dictating law for our politicians to sign? Doesn't that seem, oh, I don't know, a bit ludicrous? Because they have money, that's why, and plenty of it.

The only way to make American ports more dangerous is to implement Maersk's proposed HR 899. During "Operation Drydock," the Coast Guard, FBI, et cetera, accessed the files of every American sailor to see if they had links to terrorist organizations--and twelve American sailors, if I recall correctly, actually did, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. I mean, what better way to bring the American economy to a virtual standstill than to recreate the Exxon Valdez disaster in the lower 48? Might I remind everyone that the Exxon Valdez laid waste to 1,200 miles of otherwise pristine coastline in Alaska? I imagine that an oil slick that extensive in the lower 48 would happily drown every beach from The Hamptons to Key West in sludge. Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Region in a huge way, but it can be cleaned up. Drowning the entire shoreline in the Gulf of Mexico--including Pascagoula, Mr. Lott--with crude oil would likely prove a bit more difficult for the region's tourist economy to absorb, especially now.

The point is, American law-enforcing agencies had reasonable access to sailors' information. If HR 899 is passed, however, that won't be the case at all--and we all know it. Often times we can't even figure out who, exactly, owns some of the foreign-flagged rust buckets that pull into American ports, much less keep track of who's onboard. Granted, most of the sailors aboard these hypothetical ships would probably be reasonably decent people--people who can't make a living in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, or whatever hell hole they escaped from--but why would we allow them easy-access to tankers operating in a country some of them might very well hate? So that Maersk can save what amounts to nothing in labor costs? That's absurd, and the American public will go absolutely bonkers if HR 899 is passed, and something horrible does happen, when they realize that their public servants--that's you--were warned ahead of time by an otherwise unknown--that's me--typing frantically away at his keyboard in the middle of the night.

HR 899 comes up in the Senate in less than two weeks. I strongly, strongly encourage every policy maker reading this to tell Maersk and every other shipping company that wants to exploit cheap labor markets that HR 899 is not going to fly here: we've got enough problems ridding the unions of corrupt and/or inept Labor leaders. As for my friends in the press, I hope you'll do everything in your power to encourage our friends in the political arena to make the right decision.

Fraternally,
P.R.
(Read below, and enjoy the pictures.)

HR 899, A BILL TO OUTSOURCE U.S. SEAFARING JOBS

SEC. 425. CITIZENSHIP AND NAVAL RESERVE REQUIREMENTS.

Section 8103(b) of title 46, United States Code, is
amended by adding the following paragraph at the end
of that subsection:

`(4) Paragraph (1) of this subsection and section 8701
of this title do not apply to individuals transported
on international voyages who are not part of the crew
complement required under section 8101 or a member of
the Stewards department, and do not perform
watchstanding functions. However, such individuals
must possess a transportation security card issued
under section 70105 of this title, when required.'.'"

With these seemingly innocuous words, the amendment,
Section 425, to HR 899 put forward by Congressman Don
Young of Alaska (Rep. Don Young), has put the jobs of
many U.S. Seamen in jeopardy. By permitting U.S. Flag
vessels to carry foreign seamen to perform a variety
of work previously performed by Americans, we are
being outsourced on board our very ships!

The Bill HR 899 cited as the "Coast Guard and Maritime
Transportation Act of 2005" passed the House of
Representatives by a vote of 415 For to 0 Against on
September 15, 2005. The Bill goes to the US Senate
within two weeks.

The U.S Coast Guard has for many years held a strict
interpretation of the laws regarding what the term
"Seaman" means. Since the last few years the Coast
Guard has received a number of requests to change
their interpretation to suit interests in opposition
to the Members of Maritime Unions. In the meantime,
some shipping companies have employed foreign
nationals in violation of the law and without the
Unions' opposition.

The Coast Guard has stepped in from time to time and
dealt with the situation by repatriating the workers
in question. But the Coast Guard has many tasks in
these times and cannot visit every single ship in
order to determine whether or not all is in order, nor
should they have to.

The Unions, it would appear have not addressed this
issue either, although language setting out work
jurisdiction is common to every collective bargaining
agreement. Clearly such violations of basic and
foundational contract terms merit the most strenuous
of protests.

At this writing the Sailors Union of the Pacific is
the only Union to have taken action on this important
issue:
>
>
>

http://www.mebaunited.org/news/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=88

Documents show a sweet deal for Carnival Cruise Lines
By KEN SILVERSTEIN
and ALAN C. MILLER, Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- The government's controversial agreement to lease three ships from Carnival Cruise Lines for emergency housing after Hurricane Katrina provided more benefits to the company than have previously been disclosed, according to contract documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

But it also includes a clause -- inserted late last week at the company's request -- that calls for returning any excess profit. The clause provides for Carnival to determine voluntarily and "on a good faith basis" whether it has made too much money on the deal and should offer the government a refund.

Among the disclosures, the deal requires the government to pay any additional costs the company incurs by having to hire American workers instead of the foreigners it usually employs.
As previously reported, the contract will give Carnival $192 million over six months for providing about 7,100 berths, originally intended for evacuees but now being used mostly for emergency workers. And the company will be reimbursed for up to $44 million in operating costs to cover its fuel, waste removal and piloting expenses.

Amid mounting criticism from lawmakers, Carnival has maintained it will make no additional profit beyond what it would have earned from the three ships under normal operations. This week, for the first time, Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said that a provision in the contract calls for it to return "any excess profit" above that amount.

She said this concept "was part of our discussions with the government from the outset" leading to the Sept. 2 deal. But she said final negotiations, including the "profit neutrality clause," were completed only last week.

Timothy M. Boulay, a spokesman for the Navy's Military Sealift Command, which negotiated the deal with Carnival at the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that any refund would be voluntary and based on a good faith estimate by the company.
He confirmed that the repayment clause was broached by the company as far back as Sept. 2 and, after working out specific language with the command, was inserted in the contract on Sept. 30 that "finalized all the elements of the original deal." The original contract documents, which include the award notice and Carnival's "final offer," make no mention of the clause.

On Monday, Carnival CEO Bob Dickinson sent a letter to members of Congress saying that after the completion of the charter, Carnival would "review the expenses incurred and will return monies ... if necessary to achieve the goal of profit neutrality."
Faced with a growing crisis as evacuees fled New Orleans and elsewhere, the deal was put together in about 36 hours, Carnival and the government have said.

In the wake of Katrina, the Sealift Command approached 75 different companies or brokers of ships seeking bids on ships with at least 1,000 berths to be available within 10 days. Only Carnival and a Canadian company that provided a single ship met the terms established by FEMA.

"Carnival determined the price for the use of its ships and FEMA ultimately approved the funding for the contracts," Boulay said. "Under the circumstances, it was the best deal the government could get."

Angela Styles, a Republican political appointee who headed the Office of Federal Procurement Policy between 2001 and 2003, questioned the government's handling of the contract. She said she had never heard of a refund clause like the one inserted in the contract, which she described as weak.

Even under circumstances requiring great haste, she said, the government has mechanisms to obtain goods and services at a fair price. For example, she said, a contract can be concluded with the final price to be determined during subsequent negotiations.
"In this case, they executed a contract without ensuring that they had a fair price," she said.

Meanwhile, congressional calls for an investigation of the contract have increased, with Republicans as well as Democrats seeking action.

Three conservative Republicans, Reps. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Todd Tiahart, R-Kansas, sent a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., last week calling for "an immediate investigation into all matters related to the contract."
"We have concerns about a broad range of issues," the letter said, citing the total price tag, the economics of housing evacuees under the contract terms and the speed with which the deal was negotiated.
Moreover, two industry experts who reviewed the contract documents for the Times said Carnival received a high rate to lease the ships and would save significantly on expenses via reimbursements for items it would normally have paid itself and through lower than normal operating costs.

That includes reduced expenses for food, crew and entertainment, the experts said.

However, one of the experts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of his ties to the industry, said that the inserted clause made it hard to level blame at Carnival.

"There may have been less expensive ways to house evacuees but Carnival simply responded in good faith to a request by the government," he said.

So Which Billionaire Was Ripping Off American Taxpayers This Time?

Sharis Arison
Net Worth: $2.4 bil
Country of citizenship: Israel
Marital Status: divorced , 4 children
University of Florida

Israel's richest resident, Shari Arison, worth $2.4 Billion dollars, had an eventful year. Carnival Cruise, in which she inherited a stake from late father Ted Arison, is close to becoming the largest leisure cruise line in the world. No small feat: Carnival chief executive, Micky Arison (Shari's brother) beat out Shari's fellow Israeli billionaires, the Ofer brothers, in a quest to buy P&O Princess Cruise. Newly divorced, Shari also holds a stake in Bank Hapoalim, Israel's biggest, where she retains a seat on the board. Also owns an interest in Eurocom, Nokia's exclusive distributor in that country. Arison's holding company is being bandied in the press as a possible buyer of Bezeq, Israel's state-owned phone company, which has toyed with privatization for years. Her most active role is in Matan, a charity she founded modelled after the United Way.

Friday October 8, 1999

Ted Arison, world's wealthiest Jew, dies in Tel Aviv

AMOTZ ASA-EL
AND DAN GERSTENFELD

Israeli billionaire Ted Arison died last Friday of a heart attack at his Tel Aviv home. He was 75.

Born in Zichron Ya'acov in 1924, Arison moved to the United States in the 1950s and made his fortune through Carnival cruises.

He was reportedly the world's wealthiest Jew and made Forbes magazine's list of the world's 400 richest people with a personal fortune estimated at $6 billion to $10 billion.

Arison gave up his American citizenship and returned to Israel in 1990, where his investment group became a leading economic influence.

Arison, who fought a long battle with throat cancer, was chairman of the Arison Investments consortium that in 1997 purchased a controlling share in Bank Hapoalim, Israel's largest bank.

He entered the American University in Beirut in 1940 to study engineering before joining the British Army in World War II. He fought in Israel's War of Independence as the Seventh Brigade's communications officer.

In the early 1950s, however, a bitter Arison immigrated to the United States, saying the Israeli government was obstructing free enterprise.

Within two decades he became a world-class shipping tycoon, entering the holiday cruise business with his 1972 launch of Carnival Cruise Lines.

He returned to the Israeli business scene in 1994, when he purchased from the Histadrut a controlling share in the Shikun Ufituah construction company, now the largest such firm in Israel.

Two years ago, his investment group purchased a 43 percent stake in Bank Hapoalim for more than $1 billion -- the largest privatization deal ever done in Israel.

The purchase of Bank Hapoalim, Israeli socialism's flagship and largest business entity, by a man who at least in his own view had been a victim of an anti-capitalistic government was a rare kind of poetic justice.

His road to purchasing the Shikun Ufituah construction firm is believed to have been at least partly paved by a close relationship with then-Histadrut Chairman Haim Ramon.

Though a natural ally and close friend of free-market champion Benjamin Netanyahu, Arison recently told the Jerusalem Post he was careful to contribute to Labor-associated causes no less than to ones identified with the Likud.

Arison's business activities will be inherited by his son and daughter, Micky and Shari, with the former heading the Miami-based Carnival, and the latter, who is a Hapoalim board member, taking over the Israeli operations.

Arison was extremely active on Israel's philanthropic scene, donating among other things Ichilov Hospital's helicopter landing pad.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife, Nava, sent a condolence telegram to the Arison family, in which Barak praised Arison as an example to Jews across the world for returning to Israel and investing in its economy and culture. He also remembered Arison as a commander in the War of Independence.

"Arison's contribution shall be remembered for generations," Barak wrote.

Likud leader Ariel Sharon mourned Arison as "a precious human being, a proud Jew and Zionist, who connected his own lot with that of the state of Israel and the Jewish people in all walks of life."

In addition to his two children, Arison is survived by his wife, Lin, and nine grandchildren.

Carnival Cruise Lines: SLAVE WAGES

Deck Department.

Captain (responsible for the entire operation of the vessel). Captain's licenses and all applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum five to eight years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 5800-9800 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Staff Captain (second in command, oversees day to day operations and management as directed by the captain). Captain's licenses and all applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum five to eight years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 5000-7800 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Captain.

First Officer (designated navigation officer and supervises the bridge operations). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum three to five years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 3700-4300 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Staff Captain.

Second Officer (designated navigation officer). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum two to three years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 2800-3300 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to First Officer.

Third Officer (designated navigation officer). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum two to three years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 2500-3100 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Second Officer.

Junior Third Officer (designated navigation officer in training). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum one to two years on board ships and solid experience in all navigational electronic and computerized equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 1900-2200 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Third Officer.

Chief Radio Officer (responsible for the entire communication center of the ship, skilled electronics and telegraph repairs and operations of satellite hook-ups, faxes, Marisat communications). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum one to two years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all communication, electronic and satellite equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 2500-3100 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Radio Officer (maintains radio communications between ship and ship, ship and shore, skilled electronics and telegraph repairs and operations of satellite hookups, faxes, Marisat communications as directed by the Chief Radio Officer). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience with minimum one to two years in subordinate positions on board ships and solid experience in all communication, electronic and satellite equipment required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 1900-2500 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line. Possibilities for promotion to Chief Radio Officer.

Security Officer (handles all shipboard security for the vessel , drugs interdiction). All applicable certifications by a recognized maritime government body required. Extensive experience in security and firearms handling required. Military background preferred. Fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 2200-2600 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Security Personnel (handles all shipboard security of the vessel as directed by the Security Officer). Extensive experience in security and firearms handling required. Military background preferred. Salary range: 1600-1800 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Safety Officer (responsible for passenger and crew safety drills, abandon ship procedures, crew safety training, supervision of ships tenders). Extensive experience with minimum one to two years in subordinate positions on board ships required. Diploma from an accredited maritime training school or facility and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: 2400-3100 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Bosun (responsible for supervising general maintenance of assigned stations, assist in tender operations as directed by the Safety Officer). Experience with minimum one to two years on board ships required. Tender Captain's license and good English Language skills required. Salary range: 1600-1800 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Carpenter (responsible for all carpentry and woodwork on board). Skilled carpenter experienced in related background field required. Entry level position. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: 1700-1900 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Seaman (responsible for cleaning, painting, general maintenance of the vessel). Entry level position. Very basic knowledge of English Language required. Salary range: 1400-1700 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

Deck Attendants ( keeping the open decks in order-lounge chairs etc.) - No experience required. Very basic knowledge of English Language required. Salary range: 900-1200 U.S. dollars a month, depending on the cruise line.

CARNIVAL CORPORATION & PLC

Name of Ship...Number of Souls Aboard

Carnival Cruise Line (Miami, FL)
Celebration, 1,486 pax
Destiny, 2,642 pax
Ecstasy, 2,040 pax (Chartered to the Military Sealift Command for six months as part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts)
Elation, 2.040 pax
Fantasy, 2,044 pax
Fascination, 2040 pax
Holiday, 1,452 pax (Chartered to the Military Sealift Command for six months as part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts)
Imagination, 2,040 pax
Inspiration, 2,040 pax
Paradise, 2,040 pax
Sensation, 2,040 pax (Chartered to the Military Sealift Command for six months as part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts)
Triumph, 2,758 pax
Victory 2,758 pax
Spirit, 2,124 pax
Pride, 2,124 pax
Carnival Legend, 2,124 pax
Carnival Conquest, 2,974 pax
Carnival Glory, 2,974 pax (Photo by Jack White)
Carnival Miracle, 2,124 / 2,680 pax
Carnival Valor, 2,974 pax
Carnival Liberty, 2,974

Dec. 13, 2005 — Lawmakers are set this morning to investigate the potential dangers to vacationers cruising the high seas.

Two congressional committees will hold a joint hearing focusing on cruise-ship disappearances and crimes. The hearing comes on the heels of another cruise-ship disappearance in recent months, this one aboard Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Sea, which returned to Florida on Sunday with one less passenger than when it departed.

Related: New Details In Case of Honeymooner Lost at Sea

New Details In Case of Honeymooner Lost at Sea
Danger Adrift: Modern-Day Pirates Threaten More Than the High Seas

Congress Looks at Cruise Dangers

Canadian Jill Begora, 59, was last seen by her husband on Saturday morning as the ship approached the port of Nassau in the Bahamas. A search by a U.S. Coast Guard ship and the Bahamian Navy found no trace of her.

"It's just too much to comprehend," said Thomas Begora, a relative. "I hope everything's all right, but you know how these things are some times."

It is estimated that in the past two years, about a dozen people have disappeared while aboard cruise ships.

"The bottom line is we are suspicious, candidly, that there's some huge problem in the cruise industry," said Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn. "We think that people are not aware of some of the challenges and some of the potential problems they encounter."

In another high-profile case, George Smith disappeared while on his honeymoon in the Mediterranean last July aboard a Royal Caribbean ship. His family is convinced that Smith was killed because witnesses heard screaming and there was blood on the ship's deck. Smith has not been found. Now his family is planning to sue Royal Caribbean, accusing the cruise line of hindering the investigation.

"We can't hold a funeral, and, you know, as far as Royal Caribbean is concerned, they would merely have another drunk falling into the water, nothing we could do about it," said Bree Smith, George's sister. "That's not good enough and we're going to make changes so this does not happen to another family."

Royal Caribbean says that it has cooperated fully with the FBI in the Smith case and that passenger safety is its priority. In the case of Begora, the company says the ship retraced its path the morning of the disappearance. Because Begora is Canadian and the incident happened in the Bahamas, the FBI is not involved.

The congressional hearing will also touch on last month's pirate attack on a cruise ship off the coast of Somalia.

When terrorists strike the maritime industry here in America, remember this: Shipowners, ship management groups, and a frantic pro-Capital, anti-Labor, anti-American citizen government encouraged the opportunity. Here's how:

Copied from our Members Only BBS]

This is from a post to the Ft.Schuyler Alumni e-mail
list....are WE next ??

"For All Hands, this must be read and acted upon
immediately. On September 15, 2005, the House of
Representatives, passed H.R. 889. One of the
amendments to the Bill, will have a major adverse
impact on U.S. maritime seagoing labor as it permits
foreign seafarers to work on US flag vessels doing any
type of work other than watchstanding and stewards
department functions. This will surely include all M&R
type work. Apart from loss of jobs it raises serious
security issues. Oddly, this amendment sailed through
the House without a single opposition, 415 to 0. There
is still time to defeat it in the Senate, but time is
running out. I have posted a detailed critique on my
law office site at "http://www.sealawyers.com". So
far, one union, Sailors Union of the Pacific, having
seen my letter, has taken immediate action by writing
to various Congressional committees. Their response is
also posted on my site. I hope to be adding to this
list as more groups become active. Pass the word.

Ralph Mellusi