If you have a cruise booked, you’re likely thinking about sitting poolside, visiting exotic ports of call, and eating gourmet meals.
The last thing on your mind is likely to be crime.
That’s for good reason. Truth is that in general crime on a cruise is extraordinarily low. But any time you get thousands of people together in a confined space — and tens of millions of passengers over the course of the year — there’s going to be at least some incidents.
Disturbingly, there is one type of crime that’s reported more than any others and it’s something you need to be aware of.
How Crimes Are Tracked on Cruise Ships
Not every crime that occurs on a cruise ship is publicly recorded. However, more serious issues are investigated and the counts made public.
Cruise lines sailing from the United States come under the rules of the Cruise Vessel Security & Safety Act (CVSSA). This law required a number of steps be taken on ships regarding safety, including regular reporting of alleged crimes onboard.
These crimes include only major incidents. Alleged crimes that are required to be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation include assault with serious injury, suspicious death, homicides, kidnapping, sexual assault and more.
The full list of crimes reported include:
- Assault with serious bodily injury
- Suspicious death
- Firing/tampering with the vessel
- Homicide
- Kidnapping
- Missing U.S. National
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Assault – Rape
- Theft > $10,000
Then, these crime reports are broken down by cruise line and whether they were committed by a crew member or a passenger. Every quarter the reports are uploaded to the U.S. Department of Transportation website for public viewing.
One Type of Crime Stands Out
For the most part, the counts on many of the reported crimes are very low. For instance, in all of 2025, there was a single suspicious death reported across all the cruises departing the United States. There was also just one homicide and zero charges of kidnapping.
Further up the list, there were seven reported missing U.S. nationals. There were 19 thefts reported of more than $10,000. And there were 22 assaults with serious bodily injury.
But there is one category of crime that sticks out like a sore thumb. While the total numbers may not seem like much given the millions that sail each year, the counts are significantly higher than other crimes and along with its personal nature, it’s certainly attention-grabbing.
In 2025, the FBI data reported 51 sexual assaults and 80 cases of rape on U.S. cruise ships. While these are classified as different offenses, they are closely related.
You can see how the figures for each crime compare to one another:
What to Know About Sexual Assaults on Cruises
Frankly, the number of sexual assaults/rapes on cruise ships in these reports has been consistently higher than other crimes for years.
For example, 2025 saw 131 such cases combined. In 2024, there were 120 such cases. And in 2023, there were 131 reported.
Now, are you going to be a victim of sexual assault on a cruise ship? The odds are overwhelmingly against it. While it’s likely that some cases go unreported due to any number of reasons, the counts are still low compared to the massive number of people that sail each year.
Even so, no one wants to be a victim of such a horrific crime. So what can you do on a cruise if you are concerned?
Many of the suggestions include things that are common sense. For example, if you decide to drink on the ship, do so in moderation or with someone you trust to keep an eye on each other.
Avoid doing risky activities like going to the cabin of someone you just met (or inviting them to your room).
And above all, trust your instincts. If you are in a situation with someone that doesn’t feel right, get out. Don’t worry about being polite or hurting someone’s feelings. Do what you need to do to feel safe.
In general, however, we don’t feel you have much to worry about. Be aware, but don’t let it stop you from having a great vacation.
